CURRICULUM

At KMI we have developed a solid and thorough music education curriculum that provides ALL our students the best possible music education, regardless of instrument, talent, age or level of interest. We have identified all the best possible teaching materials, and have even developed hundreds of our own where we found others to be lacking. We participate actively in all the regional and national professional associations, including their conferences and educational meetings. The standards of our curriculum ensure that our students benefit from the collective knowledge and experience of the faculty, and ensure quality teaching from all our faculty regardless of their credentials.

The KMI approach to music education is FOUR areas of instruction: 1) lesson, 2) theory, 3) technique and 4) performance.

Lesson: The lesson is the new concept or skill that the student is being taught. This includes the very beginning approach to the instrument and the most advanced possible technical skills.

Theory: Everything in music that involves reading music or understanding how sounds work is part of music theory. In the beginning music theory is solely devoted to the task of learning to read, but as the student advances music theory begins to include issues of chords, harmony, melody, form, tonality, style, terminology, foreign language terms and history.

Technique: The technique of any high level skill is the "how" component. More specifically, technique is the "ability to do something correctly (almost) every time." Can the student execute the notes correctly? with the correct fingering? with the correct tone? in the correct rhythm? etc. Does the student know all the actions required to perform the music? Can the student replicate the performance correctly each time? The development of solid technique includes the development of: 1) strength, 2) agility, 3) accuracy, 4) reflexes, 5) mental acuity, 6) RH/LH coordination, 7) understanding temporal & spatial relationships, 8) focus, 9) diligence, 10) stamina, 11) humility and 12) fortitude.

Performance: The ability to perform music is the ultimate goal of music education, and the area in which students acquire the most significant benefit. The process of learning music to a level worthy of performance (near perfection), memorizing it, and performing it for their peers is the process that helps the student throughout life in so many other areas. It develops 1) motivation, 2) pride, 3) character and 4) feelings of accomplishment.

SEE CORE CURRICULUM for complete details.