Music for Young Children (MYC)
Music for Young Children (MYC) is a Canadian program that provides children with an exciting child-centered approach to learning music. Working together in small age-specific groups with parents and teacher, children learn fundamental music skills.
Programs
Sunrise (ages 3 - 4)
This is our pre-school music program that helps children develop listening awareness, fine motor skills, attention span, and social skills. We learn through songs, dances, props, puppets, games, and crafts.
Sunshine 1 - 2 (ages 4 - 5)
The youngest entry point of the keyboard programs, the children experience large muscle movement in beat and rhythms, as well as refining fine motor experiences in the rhythm instrument ensembles.
Sunbeams 1 - 3 (ages 5.5 - 7)
Vocabulary development is the focus for this age group. At this stage we provide "big kid" lyrics to introduce concepts, finger numbers, and keyboard geography. Songs and games are used to reinforce listening.
Moonbeams 1 - 3 (ages 7.5 - 10)
The older beginner program is designed to support the student's growing sense of independence. Reading becomes the primary focus for gathering information, while the songs, ensemble, and keyboard repertoire incorporate early piano literature, folk songs, technique, and harmonization.
MYC Lessons
Parent participation in the classroom is integral to the MYC program. The parent and child bond as a music team during lessons as they co-learn the concepts and materials. This bond carries on at home during daily practice. Many parents who have participated as learning companions with their children have chosen to go on to further their own music study by taking their own private lessons.
Our classes are one hour, once per week. Lessons run from September to the end of May or early June. There are a total of 34 classes and 2 recitals in a music year. Please check our MYC calendar for all lessons and holidays.
Regardless of whether your child continues in music study after MYC, our method provides your child with such a wide knowledge of musicianship and appreciation, that they will carry the love (and knowledge) of music with them throughout their lives.
Curriculum
Each concept that is taught in MYC is introduced and supported through the four learning styles (auditory, tactile, analytical and visual). This is to ensure that every child in MYC has the highest level of success in not only learning each concept, but also being able to apply and manipulate that information as needed.
The following sections are incorporated into the curriculum of each of the beginner levels:
Singing
Singing is an integral part of MYC. Development of ear training and sight singing is supported through the use of Solfege (using your hand/arms to represent pitch while singing). Songs are used for expressive singing and well as to introduce concepts (e.g. dynamics, articulations, tempo). Age appropriate movement activities are often incorporated in songs.
Listening
The ability to actively listen and identify different elements in music is essential to musical literacy. Each level includes listening activities that range from playbacks to melodic dictation, rhythm pattern identification to dictation, listening for dynamics, chord quality identification as well as well-known melodies and composer or style identification.
Homework
Developmentally appropriate written materials are provided for each level as confirmation and review of rudiments and theory. It is presented in such an inviting way that our students actually enjoy doing homework!
Keyboard/Piano
Our children learn their keyboard reading skills through the wonderful MYC Critters (and their stories) that they can grasp and relate very easily – through incremental introduction and constant review.
In their final year of MYC (Moonbeams 3), students move away from our MYC books for their repertoire (playing) material and use Conservatory books (Royal Conservatory of Music) in preparation of completing their Level 1 piano exam. By Moonbeams 3, all “fun” MYC terminology has been replaced with standard music terminology and vocabulary to ensure a smooth transition to private lessons.
Rhythm Ensembles
This program provides the opportunity for children to explore music using different kinds of rhythm instruments (e.g. triangles, drums, etc.). We have lots of rhythm instruments in our studio! Learning to play rhythm ensembles helps to reinforce rhythm reading and ensemble practice, provides exposure to great melodies, provides introduction to different musical eras and styles, and is simply a sheer delight to play together!
Composition
Children are are given the tools to create their own compositions in MYC. Even at the earliest keyboard level (Sunshine 1), our students learn the foundation of compositional techniques. As they progress through our method, we build on those techniques, adding more each year. Creativity and expression are nourished in this program.
