Piano Basics for Ages 4-8

Join accomplished pianist and teen volunteer Cary Wang to learn piano basics. Best for ages 4-8. Cary has been an avid volunteer leader of the Piano Village Foundation by hosting a quarterly Music Appreciation workshop for young kids and teaching them basic music theory. This initiative provides music education to children and youth, fostering personal growth, confidence, and community engagement through musical expression. It aims to cultivate core values and lifelong interest in the arts, integrating these with academic and leadership development. Please plan to attend all 5 session. 

Objectives over 5 Sessions of 45 Minutes:

• Finding notes on the keyboard and staff: The first step in learning to play the piano - students must recognize notes on the musical staff and the corresponding keys on the piano
• Learning notes and values: This introduces students to the concept of musical timing and how different notes contribute to a piece's rhythm.
• Learning Accidentals: Accidentals add variety and expressiveness to playing.
• Half and Whole Steps: Half and whole steps are the foundation of scales and modes.
• Scales: Practicing scales is a routine that builds finger dexterity and hand coordination.
• Key Signatures + Triads: Learning key signatures helps students understand the structure of music and modulations within pieces.
• Rhythm: Rhythm training involves clapping, tapping, counting, and eventually integrating these rhythms while playing.
• Final Performance of their favorite piece: It integrates all the skills learned into a single performance, showcasing their progress and achievements.

Cary Wang, 10th Grader at Horace Mann School and Pre-college student at Manhattan School of Music (MSM), has been invited to perform in Carnegie Hall 16 times, Vienna’s prestigious Ehrbar Hall and Mozarthaus, London Royal Albert Hall, Lincoln Center, Kaufman Center, and Yamaha Artist Piano Concert Series with Yamaha Artist Mr. Jose Ramon Mendez, etc.

Cary has won many piano competitions since the age of six. He was named as Sole Winner of the 2022-23 Music Teachers National Association Connecticut State Junior Piano Competition, the Alternate Winner of the 2023-24, and the Winner of the 2019-20 highly competitive MSM Piano Concerto Competition, the 2020 Gold Award, and the 2017 Silver Award of Piano group SinoVision the Teen’s Talent Show. Cary made his orchestral debut with the New York Concerti Sinfonietta in January 2020 at Lincoln Center. Since 2007, Cary has been invited to perform at the New Canaan Inn, Waveny Lifecare Network, twice a year to share the joy with the seniors there. He received the 2023 Presidential Service Award for his work.

Cary’s Music Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@johnwang5673