The Kaley School teachers always customize our teaching approaches to each student's unique abilities, strengths and needs. We work continually with parents and students to understand your goals and help students find their own personal meaning in music lessons. For some students, this may simply mean a structured, creative activity which helps them learn to focus better on everyday tasks or improves their self image. For others, it may be the creative outlet they are not getting in school. Still other students' music goals will become a foundation for a lifetime hobby, a music scholarship, or a career in the arts.
We gently mold outstanding technique and posturing early on. We jumpstart all students' educations with the elementary through college-level theory that other teachers only gloss over. For young students we use flashcards, games and illustrated workbooks to teach theory. Older students will begin scales, chords and technique exercises sooner than they would at other studios. We feel this allows students to not only move forward into more challenging repertoire, but to invent music for themselves.
We use the student's primary music instrument as a tool for a holistic music education. We try to involve all of our piano, voice, strings and woodwinds students with the four major eras of classical music styles, including an integrative knowledge of music history. We then concentrate on what styles each student enjoys the most. This may be seen as two-dimensional, but we find that it keeps students interested in lessons and builds a foundation for exploring other genres in more detail later in life. Guitar and drum students tell us at the outset what type of music they are interested in, and then receive extensive training in note reading, chord reading, posturing, style emulation, and technique, as well as many other creative arts.
We also introduce new genres and eras of music to all students. At our recitals, it's common to hear Beethoven followed by Billy Joel, Rascal Flatts leading into Rebikov, or Dinah Shore and then a drum solo. We also have at least one student in almost every recital who has composed his or her own own piece for debut.
