About Simply Music®
Neil Moore,
Founder and Executive Director of Simply Music
There are four distinguishing features that separate Simply Music from other, traditional programs:
- The quantity of music that you learn
- The quality of music that you immediately learn to play
- The speed of your progress
- The ease with which you experience the process
The Simply Music Method is based on the premise that everyone, without exception, is naturally musical. Traditional methods insist that beginners learn to read music as the means of learning to play. This removes the natural connection between student and instrument and, commonly, it removes all the fun too.
In fact, expecting children to read music before they've learned to play is like expecting children to read and spell before they've learned to talk.
In stark contrast, Simply Music temporarily delays reading and introduces a revolutionary, 'playing-based' approach - a body of unique concepts that unfold directly onto the keyboard, producing unprecedented results. With Simply Music, you experience the pleasure and satisfaction that comes from immediately playing a huge repertoire of great-sounding music.
The Goals
Our foundation for achieving results and the thrust of our efforts are directed towards the following goals for you as a student:
- The ability to play a huge repertoire of classical, contemporary, blues, jazz and accompaniment pieces
- Experience playing as a natural self – expression
- Have a highly positive, self – affirming experience with music learning
- Develop the ability to progress independently in playing music, reading, writing, composition, improvisation, arrangement, structure and theory
The Curriculum
The Simply Music curriculum unfolds over a period of approximately six years. Most beginning students spend their first three years participating in the Simply Music Foundation Program, where they are taught the 'base-tools' that are at the heart of the Simply Music method. In years 4-6, student’s progress into Simply Music's Development Program, which advances their musicianship, broadens their knowledge and experience and more fully rounds out their entire music learning experience.
Below is a broad outline of how the program unfolds over the first 3 years:
Year One:
- 35 - 50 pieces of various musical genres
- Develop the basics of accompaniment performance
- Establish a strong foundation of playing
- Prepare for the introduction of music reading
Year Two:
- 25 - 40 pieces of various musical genres
- Develop accompaniment performance
- Develop a music reading and writing foundation
- Develop a foundation of classical and popular music
- Develop a foundation of blues and jazz music
Year three:
- 15 - 30 pieces of various musical genres
- Expand accompaniment performance
- A more complex classical and popular foundation
- A more complex blues and jazz foundation
- Develop the basics of improvisation and arrangement
- Expand knowledge of theory and its practical application
