Age Appropriate, Preparatory Music Literacy, and Private Music Lessons
Ages 3-8
“If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” Michael J Fox.


Goals for Mini Musicians Level 1 and 2
The goal is to inspire a love of music that becomes part of everyday life. Children will enhance their listening skills through rhythm, movement, and expression. They will enjoy singing and harmonizing with others. Language skills will be boosted with stories, songs, and activities. Basic music literacy will be introduced to support future musical growth.
In Mini Musicians Level 1, the focus is on helping children develop an appreciation for music through singing, movement, improvisation, and play. The curriculum progresses at its own pace but includes the following objectives for the year:
• Distinguish between loud and soft, and high and low pitches.
• Distinguish between the four voice functions: speaking, singing, whispering, and calling.
• Identify a steady beat.
• Sing and perform songs using language and speech.
• Understand rhythmic patterns.
• Create rhythmic patterns using a variety of sounds.
• Distinguish between one and two sounds on a beat.
• Understand the visual representation of rhythmic patterns (notation).
• Practice and prepare for the Christmas parent sit-in.
• Understand melody.
• Distinguish between melody and rhythm.
• Contrast singing ascending and descending melodic patterns.
• Express responses to various kinds of music.
• Distinguish between meters in 2/4 and 3/4 through movement.
• Understand the structure of a piece of music.
• Distinguish different tones and textures in music.
• Explore different uses of body percussion.
• Utilize creative movement with music.
• Recognize rhythmic durations in a poem.
• Create and improvise a musical piece.
• Prepare for the final parent class sit-in.
Progress reports are given twice per year, and students are evaluated based on 100% attitude and participation.
In Mini Musicians Level 2, the focus is on deepening childrens’ appreciation for music through hands-on exploration of singing, movement, improvisation, and play. The pace will vary based on individual skills, but key objectives from the start to the end of the year include:
• Distinguish between loud and soft, and high and low pitches.
• Distinguish between the four voice functions: speaking, singing, whispering, and calling.
• Identify a steady beat.
• Sing and perform songs using language and speech.
• Understand rhythmic patterns.
• Create rhythmic patterns using a variety of sounds.
• Distinguish between one and two sounds on a beat.
• Understand the visual representation of rhythmic patterns (notation).
• Practice and prepare for the Christmas parent sit-in.
• Understand melody.
• Distinguish between melody and rhythm.
• Contrast singing ascending and descending melodic patterns.
• Express responses to various kinds of music.
• Distinguish between meters in 2/4 and 3/4 through movement.
• Understand the structure of a piece of music.
• Distinguish different tones and textures in music.
• Explore different uses of body percussion.
• Utilize creative movement with music.
• Recognize rhythmic durations in a poem.
• Create and improvise a musical piece.
• Prepare for the final parent class sit-in.
Progress reports are issued twice per year, and students are evaluated based on 100% attitude and participation.
Goals for Mini Musicians Level 3 and 4
In Mini Musicians Levels 3 and 4, kids will build on foundational skills and begin to explore more advanced concepts in music.
In Level 3, the focus is on developing a music vocabulary, rhythmic independence, and accompaniment patterns, while also exploring musical forms and improvisation.
Level 4 sees kids creating their own compositions, learning to write musical notation, and mastering the recorder, including both lower and upper ranges. This level prepares kids for private lessons and instrument selection, with a prerequisite of completing Level 3 or an interview with the director.
In Mini Musicians 3, students will further enhance their understanding of musical elements through singing, playing, composing, and improvising. They will begin to develop pitch awareness and associate pitch with notes on the scale. Students will also become familiar with various instruments and their timbre. Each class will move at its own pace according to skill levels, but the basic objectives and curriculum include:
• Distinguish between a steady beat and no steady beat.
• Distinguish between higher and lower pitch notation (mi, so, la).
• Understand rhythmic patterns.
• Differentiate between rhythmic notations using one and two sounds to a beat (quarter and eighth notes).
• Identify rests as a beat with no sound.
• Explore unpitched instruments to represent rhythm and beat.
• Understand the visual representation of rhythmic patterns (notation).
• Practice and prepare for the Christmas parent class sit-in.
• Identify mi, re, and do as pitches that move down by step, both visually and aurally.
• Identify the dotted half note as a symbol for a sound lasting three beats.
• Practice identifying known rhythms and pitches.
• Understand the structure of a piece of music.
• Distinguish different tones and textures in music.
• Identify rondo forms.
• Utilize creative movement with music pieces.
• Identify rhythms as having equal or unequal sounds.
• Create and improvise a musical piece.
• Prepare for the final parent class sit-in.
In Mini Musicians 4, students will continue to explore musical elements through movement, singing, composing, and improvising. They will further develop their pitch awareness and begin to explore how songs are structured. Each class will progress at its own pace based on the students’ skill levels. The goals and objectives for the year are:
• Distinguish between steady beats containing two eighth notes, quarter notes, and quarter rests.
• Understand rhythmic patterns.
• Understand the half note.
• Identify so and la.
• Identify rests as beats with no sound.
• Explore unpitched instruments to represent rhythm and beat.
• Explore percussion instruments to demonstrate rhythm, melody, and pitch.
• Understand the visual representation of rhythmic patterns (notation).
• Practice and prepare for the Christmas parent class sit-in.
• Identify four sixteenth notes.
• Identify dotted notes and rhythms.
• Practice identifying known rhythms and pitches.
• Understand the structure of a piece of music.
• Distinguish between different tones and textures in music.
• Identify 3/4 and 4/4 meters.
• Utilize creative movement with music pieces.
• Explore dynamics.
• Explore vocal harmonies.
• Create and improvise a musical piece.
• Prepare and practice for the final parent class sit-in.

Orff Music for Children
“Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand.” Carl Orff
Through the magic of words, poems, stories, songs, and chants, children explore music using a mix of movement, instrumental sounds, and vocal expression. Specially designed Orff instruments, made with small hands and growing motor skills in mind, help children connect with the language of music. With these tools, kids get to unleash their creativity and craft their own musical compositions.

Carl Orff, a German composer and educator, developed a distinctive approach to music education. He defined ideal music for children as “never alone, but connected with movement, dance, and speech—not to be listened to, meaningful only in active participation.” Orff emphasized, “Experience first, then intellectualize.” Guided by this principle, the Orff approach fosters an understanding of musical concepts and skills by immersing students in active, multi-sensory experiences. These include speech and chants, movement, singing, drama, and playing pitched and unpitched instruments.
The Orff philosophy encourages children to experience music at their own level of understanding, within their natural environment of play. Improvisation is a key component, allowing children to explore and discover the possibilities within music.
Elements of The Orff Music Approach
Rhythm
Orff begins with rhythm, the foundation of all music, and introduces it through natural speech patterns. For children, speaking, singing, music, and movement are naturally connected. Teachers guide them through creative exploration, helping them link speech to rhythm. This approach makes it easy for kids to understand meter and rhythmic patterns. From there, they move naturally into body rhythms and movement, allowing them to feel and express music in a fun and intuitive way.
Melody
Melody is taught in a similar way, starting with simple intervals that naturally arise from the pitches in words. These intervals then come together to form a melody, which can later be played on instruments. Orff emphasized, “Experience first, then intellectualize,” meaning that learning through playing comes before introducing notation. Only after children have experienced music in this hands-on way is the teaching of musical notation introduced.
Improvisation
A key part of the Orff approach is improvisation, which allows children to play and experience music in a free and creative way. While improvisation may seem intimidating to adults, it is liberating for children. There are no strict rules—only the opportunity to explore. The teacher provides guidelines within which the child can create their own rhythm, melody, or dance, encouraging creativity and self-expression.

Reasons to Choose Mini Musicians
“The early years of life are crucial for establishing a foundation for lifelong music development. A child’s musical experiences from birth to age five have a particularly profound impact on the extent to which she will be able to understand, appreciate, and achieve in music as an adult. Children must be exposed to a rich variety of music during these years in order to develop the necessary readiness for formal music learning when they are older.” Edwin E. Gordon, The Gordon Institute for Music Learning
Students who have graduated from our Mini Musicians program have developed a very strong music vocabulary that can be easily transferred to any instrument.
Teacher Training
Teacher training is an issue when choosing a music program for your young child. Orff teachers are trained differently than most traditional music lesson teachers. They have the necessary skills to engage your child. They also know what steps to take, how long each step should take, and understand the psychological and physiological make up and limitations of a child at these levels.
Watch Early Learning Philosophy & Video >
Reasons to Wait for Private Lessons at a Young Age
My Hands Are Too Small
Because smaller hands and developing motor skills can make playing a full-sized instrument challenging, Orff designed instruments specifically for young children. These instruments are perfectly suited for their size and help develop motor skills, allowing children to engage with music in a way that supports both their physical growth and musical development.
I Can't Even Read Yet!
Reading music is like learning a completely new language, and traditional private lessons often begin with working through music books at a pace and level more suitable for older children. Your child is still learning to read English, so adding a new language like music can be overwhelming and not much fun. Orff, on the other hand, introduces music reading through rhythmic speech, chants, singing, movement, and playing, making the process more engaging and natural for young learners. Traditional methods in private lessons can easily become frustrating for both the child and the teacher, as the material may be too advanced for their current level.
Orff Expands My Vocabulary, Speech and Diction
Singing and chanting in Orff music classes help expand your child’s memory, language skills, diction, and vocabulary—essential skills at this stage. And let’s not forget that all children love to sing! By encouraging them to find their singing voice and develop their sense of pitch early on, we set them up to have a strong singing voice and pitch concept for the rest of their lives.
Orff Uses Songs that are Safe For Me to Sing
At this age, a specialized approach is crucial when teaching music to children. Remember, your child’s vocal cords are still developing and growing. An Orff teacher is specifically trained to understand the vocal range and vocal health of young students. They know which types of music are most suitable for children, focusing on specific notes, pitch ranges, and intervals to set your child up for a bright future in singing. By choosing the right music pieces, the Orff teacher ensures that your child’s vocal development is on track. Our Oakville Orff teacher is fully trained in all these essential aspects.
Orff Helps Improve and Develop my Motor Skills
Orff music instruments are specially designed to fit the growing hands and bodies of children. This, combined with the multi-tasking elements involved in Orff music, helps improve coordination and develop both small and large motor skills.

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Innovative Music Classes For Your Child
We apply an innovative approach to learning that combines traditional theory and technique with highly modern, fresh, and creatively focused ideas. As a student of music, your child will be provided the time and resources to work and learn closely with our dedicated musical teachers while enjoying numerous performance opportunities to grow. Your child will also benefit from a range of diverse and challenging classes that will be available to them. We teach more than music.













