Harmony Road

Harmony Road series – this curriculum consists of four books – each used for a 20 week semester 55 minutes weekly. The materials are specifically designed for preschoolers (ages 4 ½ to 6) and their parent/caregiver in a group setting. The class environment provides a dynamic space where children, teacher, and parents enjoy learning and making music together. This opportunity to share music is especially important – not only musically but also for the child’s social and emotional development.

Activities are designed to develop the whole child musically with singing (words and solfege), movement, rhythmic activities, keyboard/piano solo and ensemble playing, note reading and games, and creative projects.

We all speak our language before we read and write. In much the same way the young child needs to process musical patterning and concepts through active participation. Experiential learning along with multi-sensory teaching techniques help the child learn naturally and develop a strong “inner hearing” for melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic patterning. Research has shown that the “window of opportunity” to absorb musical concepts and develop “inner hearing” is between the ages of two to six. By age five most children have developed a sense of the musical harmonies and styles within their own culture.

Harmony Road Book 1 emphasizes melodic development through solfege singing and singing and playing solos and ensembles on the keyboard/piano.

Melodic patterning – steps and skips – are experienced with sight singing, use of a magnetic note board, and many reading games in treble and bass clef. Children hear and sing what they are reading.

Harmonic concepts are layered ahead and Harmony Road Book 2 emphasizes the gradual development of left-hand harmony and several new key centers.

In Harmony Road Book 3 – more key centers are experienced, and children transpose and explore many new accompaniment styles. Songwriting which begins in book 2 – provides further reinforcement and knowledge of musical terms and applied theory.

Harmony Road Book 4 continues with more new key centers, an expanded playing and reading/writing range, more composing techniques including repeat, reverse, sequence and rhythm variation. Students begin to play their own accompaniment style as they sing solfege.

All of these musicianship skills are developed through highly motivating and fun songs and activities.