Class Information: Music

The  music program at Play it by Ear with Ms. Susie offers 1 to 1 OR small group instruction on all instruments. Among the most popular are piano, guitar, vocal and violin; however, there is a large range of available instruments and many less common instruments can be accommodated. If Play it by Ear cannot help you, I am more than happy to direct you to a few other learning options to help you get to your goal.  It is recommended that a beginner starts with a half hour, weekly, 1 to 1 lesson. For more advanced students additional time is available.

A student's musical education on any musical instrument starts with the basics in sight-reading. All students will be encouraged to try their hand at reading sheet music. For those students who don't immediately take to sight reading, music theory, chords and song writing offer alternative routes to get to the same fundamental goals.  It is Ms. Susie's hope that every student grasps the concepts behind music and is not merely going through the actions. In turn, the motto is to never give up on a difficult topic but rather to take another approach to tackle it. 

Ms. Susie also specializes in a variety of musical styles: the hits of today, pop, rock, classical, jazz, blues, R&B, folk and spiritual genres. All of these genres allow for flexibility within each lesson that keeps the student's attention and focus. Lastly, every student will, in time, be encouraged to not only take creative control of their finished musical products but also to step into the spotlight and to share their newly found confidence through performance or recording.

Play it by Ear's music program also offers specialty training in the following vocal performance genres:

Musical Theater  teaches students the basics of vocal projection, emoting, memorizing lines, planning costumes/props, and hitting cues. Students will be introduced to stage directions, lighting cues, stage lingo, etc. Students will also be encouraged to try their hand at some of Broadway's biggest hits! These lessons are available as small group classes or as private rehearsal for the more serious student.

Show Choir is designed especially for the students who love to sing and dance. We've all seen the shows, but in this small group class students experience first-hand the thrill of dancing to their own voice joined with others' in harmony. Students learn the basics of harmony, vocal projection and creating solid vocal performances while pairing each song learned with new choreography.