TMU Piano Kids

Accepting inquiries for participation in January 2023!

About TMU Piano Kids TMU Piano Kids is a laboratory teaching experience for college level pianists who are completing coursework in piano pedagogy with Prof. Kellie Cunningham and Prof. Lauren Mason. Children from our community participate weekly in both individual piano lessons and group piano classes at The Master’s University, under the instruction of university faculty and an assigned student teacher. Children attend a 45-minute, weekly individual lesson (with a TMU student teacher) scheduled between the TMU student and the Piano Kid’s parents. Lessons focus on studying piano pieces, building proper technique, and reinforcing musical concepts. Children also attend a 45-minute, weekly group class (led by TMU faculty and students) scheduled TBA throughout each semester. Classes focus on music theory games & activities, music history, performance, improvisation and other creative music making. This unique class facilitates learning music in an interactive context and is one of the primary distinctives of the piano pedagogy program at TMU. It supplements piano instruction in a way that is not often found in the private piano studio.

Application Guidelines: Children should be approximately 7 years old as of January 2023. An informal meeting with Prof. Cunningham and Prof. Mason will be scheduled in Fall 2022. Acceptance into the program is partially contingent on the number of university student teachers and is a commitment to participating in all three semesters of piano study, including both weekly lessons and classes as well as daily practice at home. For further information or to apply for the program, email Prof. Lauren Mason at lmason@masters.edu

Schedule: TMU Piano Kids consists of three consecutive 12-week sessions, next beginning in January 2023. Jan – May 2023 Sep – Dec 2023 Jan – May 2024 A more detailed schedule of individual lesson and group class dates will be distributed at the beginning of each semester.

Tuition: $350 per child, per semester, to be paid at the beginning of each session.

Materials: It is crucial that each student have an instrument at home on which to practice piano daily. This must be provided by the parent. Each child will be required to purchase a standard beginning piano method, more details to be given at registration.