Choose What You Wish to Learn
Our Variety Is Our Strength
At Musical Matters, many learning pathways are available. Browse our lesson and fees pages to select the best option for you or your child.
Piano
Pre-school music
Wunderkeys is especially designed for students aged 3-4 to promote school-readiness in maths as well as piano-playing skills. The three books develop children's recognition and manipulation of patterns preparing them for Kindergarten maths while building the muscle strength and fine-motor skills in their fingers necessary to play the piano. Pre-school lessons are scheduled in the mornings to allow maximum engagement and fun.
Beginner piano
Encore Music Education courses, Junior on Keys (4-7 years) Primary on Keys (7-12) and Accent on Keys (over 12) target beginner students of all ages with various opportunities to sing, move and play the piano in fun lessons. Adult students are always welcome – it is never too late to start learning something new.
Intermediate piano and beyond
After the beginner courses, students move into an especially tailored, graded system. All students are given multiple chances to create music through improvising and composing. Various options are available to students at this point and the opportunity to sit AMEB exams become available for students who wish to further test their skills. Exams are optional and students who are more interested in the piano as a leisure activity can select repertoire to suit their interests instead.
Violin
Pre-school music
Adventures in Violinland Bk 1 suits beginners from age 3 up. Pre-school children will spend up to six months learning bow and finger technique separately to master each before putting them together. Although this can feel a little like patting your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time, most students are pros within weeks. Not only will your child learn to listen to their sound and intonation but they will become confident musicians in the process.
Beginner violin
Adventures in Violinland Bk 1 & 2 is also used with beginners (4-7) for its thorough grounding in good technique and music craft.
Encore Music Education also have a Violin beginner course for students (over 7 years old). Again, adult students are welcome.
Intermediate violin and beyond
As students progress out of the beginner course, they will move into an especially tailored, graded system. Various options are available to students at this point and the opportunity to sit AMEB exams become available for students who wish to further test their skills. Exams are optional and students who are more interested in the piano as a leisure activity can select repertoire to suit their interests instead.
Group versus Private
Group lessons are a fun, social way for beginners to learn an instrument, offering informal opportunities to perform and to collaborate. Ensemble playing skills are easy to perfect in a group setting and students often learn just as much from each other as from the teacher.
Private lessons are compulsory from Grade 1 AMEB as most students will have more individual goals by then, however, if a student is better suited to one-on-one instruction as a beginner this will be catered for.
Music Craft
Music Lab
For all beginners in their first (and second) year of learning, Music Lab offers a fun add-on lesson to the instrumental lesson. Students work independently on activities that introduce theory concepts, aural skills, sight reading and more. Music Lab sets children up for success. These lessons are scheduled back-to-back and simultaneously with another student's lessons. This programming particularly suits siblings or friends who wish to start their music learning together.
Music Craft
All students as they reach an intermediate skill level will be introduced to the AMEB Music Craft syllabus which offers a thorough grounding in aural skills, theory concepts and music history. Small group classes are offered when there are enough students of a similar level to work together. Alternatively students can elect to study Music Craft individually in their private lessons. Exams are available from Preliminary through to Grade 6. Theory levels are not expected to be the same as performance levels so it is usual for these lessons to be introduced after a student has been playing for at least a year.
Creating music
All students are encouraged to improvise and compose throughout the year, with a composition task finishing up each year. Students will pick their best composition(s) to be published in the Musical Matters annual Song Book with an explanation of the composition technique being explored.
