At Echokids our Three C’s were designed to guide mentors when planning out lessons (both private and group) in order to better engage, encourage and excite students.

Our curriculum is designed to be flexible, fun, and interactive. We take that extra step to make everything more appealing to children. For example, our workbooks are designed with kids in mind, including colorful and interactive pages to grab kids’ attention, which is why our students love using our workbook.

In our Level 1 workbook, we promote student growth through the introduction of basic fundamentals of music like theory, note readings and ear training. We don’t focus a student on a specific instrument right at the beginning because you know kids, they change their minds all the time!

They might come in starting on the piano, but switch to the guitar. Our introduction level where children are introduced to several instruments allows children to experiment so when they really find an instrument they like, they stick to it.

One of our fundamental beliefs is that music is an essential part of a child’s growth and should be taught from a young age. This is why we offer both private and group lessons for children as young as six months - with their parents in the class until the age of three. Communication, confidence, and creativity: these are the three elements that drive teachers when creating their lesson plans. 

Now let's break down the Three C's:

Communication

Music is a universal language, and when playing music among others there’s no need for words. Music is a way of communicating itself, it’s its own way of language that we all speak. Music helps one communicate one’s emotions and feelings through notes and rhythm. Music is unique because it's something that can be universally understood, despite being different culturally in different areas of the world.

We believe that it’s just not enough to learn how to read sheet music or play certain pieces by ear. We want our students to learn to communicate what they’re feeling through their instrument, so they can connect with others in a genuine, vulnerable way. This takes time and effort, which is why we don’t try to teach our students everything at once, breaking foundational materials into five different levels.

Confidence

When a child begins taking music lessons, over time they start to feel like they’re accomplishing something tangible. Here, children get a workbook full of songs and exercises that build on what they’ve already learned, challenging them to grow their skills and master new ones. This greatly contributes to kids developing a sense of confidence and being comfortable in their own skin. As their confidence grows through mastering these challenges, so does their sense of accomplishment and security.

One of the ways we try to boost our students’ confidence is hosting very relaxed recitals twice a year. Here, kids have the option to play whatever they want, and there’s no pressure for them to play their best or even to perform for anyone but themselves. The only expectation of our students during this recital is for them to perform for themselves and simply have fun. When kids experience playing for fun on a stage, where others are watching them, students tend to want to learn more in order to perform something even more complicated at their next recital, indicating to us that we’ve done our job right!

‍Creativity‍

At EchoKids we pride ourselves on how much creativity we strive to incorporate into our program, as it is different from most other music programs. Most programs have one lesson with the same plan for all students, not considering that every child prefers a different way of learning and that every mentor has a different background. Our lessons and activities are always adapted to a child’s interests, moods, and learning style while still getting basic materials covered. 

Our teachers create lessons that are experiential, meaning that students engage with music through their senses, and are encouraged to move, sing and dance along with what they’re listening to. The lesson plans are purposefully loose so our instructors have the freedom and flexibility to adapt them as needed for any particular child or group. Having our lesson plans structured this way keeps things fresh and exciting not only for our students but also for our mentors.

We are also different from other music programs because we give students a chance to compose their own music, reaching into their creative minds and motivating them to come up with something that is uniquely theirs. Our students love composing music as they get to exercise their creative skills and express themselves really however they want. Not only do students love this, but our mentors also love cultivating students' creativity, making this a really special experience for both. 

What it's really all about

At the end of the day, we’re not just a company that offers music lessons but instead are so much more. Although our main goal is to educate children through music, we want them to go beyond that and take with them valuable life skills, develop a personal and mental growth, and cultivate love for learning. We provide this with our easy to enter membership and free trial lessons - sign up today and begin your membership trial to help your child grow their Three C's!

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