The Music Place, San Jose California, Where The Fun of Musical Discovery Begins!

The place for music education of your young child in San Jose, Sunnyvale, Campbell and around the South Bay Area.

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 Children Learning Trumpet
Piano Teacher with kids exploring the Trumpet
Our Curriculum

Happy star with notesOUR UNIQUE GROUP CLASS CURRICULUM

Child with Tuba HandoutThe Music Place, and its founding director, Janice Morris, have designed an easy-to use, copyrighted music curriculum that uniquely combines the high energy of auditory/kinesthetic hands-on learning, with academic motivation. Children as young as two years old can actually learn to read music using this approach, while elementary school-aged children, using the same format enhanced with more sophisticated tools, get just as excited about learning.

A curriculum that is both fun and academic works because its approach is developmentally sensitive and is adjusted to address the physical, social and mental readiness of the child, so all can learn easily, and therefore happily. 

Child-sized handouts of notes, instruments and composers are a regular part of the outlined Early Music Awareness™ curriculum that has been used in public and private schools for over 20 years. Happy learning!

Early Music Awareness™ (EMA)

This copyrighted curriculum is appropriate for children ages 2-10 (or up through 3rd grade.) Although varying in emphasis (depending upon the age and learning style of the children), the following six elements of Early Music Awareness™ take some form in every class:
  1. Music Theory: taught in a developmentally appropriate manner, in a large visual format.  3-4 years olds having fun learning
  2. Singing: age and pitch appropriate, wholesome songs taught with gesture choreography or rhythmic instrument accompaniment. 
  3. Rhythmic Memory: auditory retention development through clapping and drum games.
  4. Instrument Awareness: various ethnic and symphonic instruments are demonstrated and provided for hands on learning.
  5. Solfeggio: "do-re-mi" learning develops pitch and interval recognition.
  6. Movement: Large and small motor rhythmic responses to music.
Child with Whole Note Handout

FUN weekly handouts representing the theory, instrument or composer portions of each class are prepared in a large visual format and distributed to reinforce the learning at home.

Caricature of Child playing flute
Cute quarter note handoutCaricature of Gerge Gershwin
Cartoon of chid playing crash cymbals

floating staff

Last Modified: 2006.10.17

Actual Customer Testimonials:

"I wanted to let you and everyone at the Music Place know that the recital was lovely and it was so child-oriented. It was nice to be at a recital where everyone was there to make the children feel good about themselves -- it wasn't a competition." -- Vanetia J.

"I just wanted to take the time to tell you and your staff how much I appreciate all that you have done for our daughter Jasmine.  She has really grown and matured since she has been attending The Music Place. It's such a joy and blessing to see how her skills have been developing over the years and how you have brought out her hidden talents." -- Ottielie A.

Evaluation Feedback: "Thank you so much for taking so much time answering all of our questions and trying to understand our children's musical needs based on their personalities and abilities. We look forward to The Music Place being part of our lives..."  Robi T.