Keyboard (K-2)

2024-2025 School Year Registration Opens May 1, 2024.

This class is open to students who are new to piano or who took a few private lessons and discovered it wasn’t the right pathway at the time.

Learning piano in a group setting allows the class to explore what it means to be a whole musician through singing, drumming, dancing, improvisation, music literacy, playing by ear, and compositional construction. Repertoire is learned within a supportive environment and is selected with expansion in mind to flexibly incorporate the needs of all participants.

Class Goals:

Sing/Play what is heard and read
Write what is heard and played
Hear what is read
Keyboard and Vocal improvisation
Holistically understand the conceptualization and creation of music
Solid preparation for continuation in piano (Keyboard 1, 2, and 3), future private piano lessons, learning an orchestral/band instrument, singing in choir, and understanding music for a lifetime.

All books, music, games, and listening are included in the materials/registration fee.

Pre-Keyboard

Kindergarten Students: Wednesdays from 12:50 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.

Making Music Around the World explores music through singing, stories, dance, instruments, and ensembles while traveling through four cultures in the world of Western Music: British, Native American, German, and African American. Keyboarding basic are introduced* and developed including accompaniments, ostinatos, chords, games, directional associations, patterns, rhythms, and even a few songs! Each skill has options for level variance.

*Micromotor and reading skills are mutually beneficial and both develop at different times in each child; therefore, it is so important to use this year to establish readiness and confidence in the ability to explore fundamental aspects of music on the piano.

Having a Keyboard or Piano at home to practice is essential to the completion of the part of the practice during the week.

Beginning Keyboard

Grades 1-2: Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Each class will begin with song and pattern exploration using literacy games, singing, movement, and the use of pitched/rhythmic instruments to develop familiarity with the repertoire that will first be “experienced” then played on the piano using the techniques and patterns that will be introduced and developed over several classes. Using methods from Suzuki, Orff, Kodaly, Dalcroze, etc. a whole musician will be developed: one who plays and sings tunefully, musically, accurately, and creatively. We will first learn the songs by ear as we develop music literacy skills, then gradually transition to reading by using previous knowledge to identify chords, rhythm patterns, and solfege of the written music.

Each student must have a piano or keyboard at home and a parent who can “learn with them;” this year, they learn how to practice. Practicing success comes from having a grown-up helper to be with them to practice at home at least 4 days a week for about 20 minutes a session. There will be playing, writing, and listening components each week for practice.

2024-2025 School Year Registration

Pre-Keyboard

When: Wednesdays from 12:50 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.

Frequency: One class per week

Fall Semester Dates: August 21, 2024 – December 11, 2024 (No class 10/9 and 11/27)

Spring Semester Dates: January 15, 2025 – April 30, 2025 (No class 3/19)

Annual Registration Fee: $130/school year

Cost per Semester: $425 participation fee

Beginning Keyboard

Grade: 1-2

Frequency: One class per week

When: Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Fall Semester Dates: August 22, 2024 – December 12, 2024 (No class 10/10 and 11/28)

Spring Semester Dates: January 16, 2025 – May 1, 2025 (No class 3/20)

Annual Registration Fee: $120/school year

Cost per Semester: $450 participation fee

*Please note, Keyboard is a year-long commitment and requires enrollment for both the fall and spring semesters.

How to Register

Registration steps will be available on May 1, 2024.

Meet the Instructor

Rebecca Cauthron

Rebecca Cauthron holds a Masters Degree in Education focusing on Early Childhood Music and Flute from Texas Woman’s University and a Bachelors degree in Flute Performance with a Music Theory minor and a secondary piano emphasis from the University of North Texas graduating Magna Cum Laude. At UNT, she was able to study piano with Dr. Pamela Mia Paul as well as other incredible professors. Ms. Rebecca, as all of her students call her, has been a Flute professor and performer, an Early Childhood Music teacher, a beginning piano instructor and a beginning college preparatory piano instructor for 27 years focusing on musical development from birth through age 9 and flute students in middle school through college. Rebecca is also an adjunct flute professor at Dallas College and a flute instructor at Duncanville High School, a position that she has held for over 20 years where she also accompanies beginning flute students on the piano.

In her nearly thirty years of teaching, she has employed innovative strategies to create sound fundamentals incorporated with aspects of reaching beyond the written music to help students realize their potential, achieve their goals, and learn a few life lessons along the way. Other hobbies include studying world cuisine, music curriculum development, and being a substitute chef at the Meridian cafe! She has the most incredible husband, a daughter in graduate school, and a son in Primary School at Meridian.

Late Pick up Fees

Late pick-up from Arts/À la carte/After school programs will result in additional fees to accrue at the rate of $5 per 5 minutes starting with the first minute.
Students who participate in Arts/À la carte activities will be charged $5 per 5 minutes with a 5 minute grace period from the activity's dismissal time to allow for transition from the classroom.
For full-time after school students end-of-day, "late" begins at 6:01 p.m.

1 – 5 minutes = $5

6 – 10 minutes = $10

11 – 15 minutes = $15

16 – 20 minutes = $20 ...

How to Withdraw

To withdraw, please complete the Triple A Withdrawal Form.