The Levels

Kindergarteners start here.
First or second-graders with no solfege experience start here.
Second or third-graders who are proficient with so mi and la hand signs start here.
Coming summer 2023
Third graders and older who are proficient with do re mi so and la start here.
Fourth and fifth graders who are new to solfege start here.
Coming summer 2024

This level is geared for children starting Kindergarten or those 6 or 7 year old students needing a nice, easy introduction into music. Proper singing technique is introduced as well as these concepts: high/low, fast/slow, soft/loud, steady beat, rhythm, mallet technique to play steady beat on instrument, musical ideas, motives, locomotor and nonlocomotor movement, body percussion, unpitched instrument families, and listening/moving to flute, violin, and piano.
This level is geared for children starting 1st or 2nd grade who have not sung songs using solfege and hand signs before (so mi or la). Proper singing technique is introduced as well as these concepts: size to sound, so mi la, 3 line staff, 5 line staff, rhythm with quarter and eighth notes and quarter rests, strong/weak beats, accents, 2 meter, beat vs. rhythm, ostinato, mallet technique to play simple bordun, musical ideas, motives – same/different, locomotor and nonlocomotor movement, creative movement, forte/piano, allegro/largo, body percussion, unpitched instrument families, and listening/moving to flute, violin, and piano.


This level is geared for children starting 2nd or 3rd grade who have learned so mi and la solfege and hand signs. All Apprentice 2 concepts are reviewed and then the following are introduced in the year: do and re, do clef, pentatone, melodic composition, tie, half note, half rest, sixteenth notes, rhythmic and melodic ostinato, 6/8 meter experience, mallet technique to play simple and broken bordun and improvisation, musical ideas, motives – same/different, phrase, locomotor and nonlocomotor movement, mirroring movement, fortissimo/pianissimo, andante/moderato, body percussion, unpitched instrument families, and listening/moving to flute, violin, and piano.
This level is for older beginners, 4th and 5th graders, who have had minimal music education with singing and solfege. The first 7 lessons teach the students all the songs and concepts needed for rhythm and solfege, and the remaining 28 lessons are the Maestro 1 lessons that prepare them for Maestro 2.


This level is geared for children in 3rd grade or higher who have learned do re mi so la solfege and hand signs. All Apprentice 3 concepts are reviewed and then the following are introduced in the year: low la, do and la tonal centers, melodic composition, separated eighth notes, tied eighth notes, syncopation, canon, 6/8 meter experience, mallet technique to play crossover bordun and improvisation, musical ideas, motives, phrase, question/answer, sectional form AB, ABA, locomotor and nonlocomotor movement, shadowing movement, mezzo forte/mezzo piano, andante/moderato, presto, body percussion, unpitched instrument families, and listening/moving to flute, violin, and piano.