Who is eligible to teach a Little Kids Rock class?
What do Little Kids Rock students learn?
What instruments does the program support?
Do you give away free instruments?
How does a school get involved?
Can my child participate?
What is the Little Kids Rock method?
Why popular music?
How can I get involved as a volunteer?
How can I start a new Little Kids Rock Chapter?
 
Who is eligible to teach a Little Kids Rock class?  
Full time educators are eligible to be trained as Little Kids Rock music mentors. We work with educators in public schools as well as large organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
 
What do Little Kids Rock students learn?  
Little Kids Rock students learn to play styles of music that are familiar to them. Heavy emphasis is placed on performance, composition and improvisation.
 
What instruments does the program support?  
We offer classes on guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, voice and harmonica.
 
Do you give away free instruments?  
We often give instruments to students who participate in our programs. We know that students get the most of their music instruction when they have an instrument at home, and that having an instrument in the home provides a healthy alternative to pastimes like TV, video games and staring at the walls. Whenever possible, Little Kids Rock "graduates" instruments to students who achieve a core level of competency on their selected instrument and these instruments become the property of the student.    
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How does a school get involved?  
We are first trying to reach schools with a high percentage of kids who will not receive music education outside of their school. We target districts where 50% or more of the students are on the Free or Reduced Lunch Program. This statistic is readily available at all school districts as it is mandated by federal law. Schools or districts that do not meet this criteria are still eligible to participate but need to provide funding for the program.
 
Can my child participate?  
Little Kids Rock classes are available only to students attending schools where our program is offered. Instruction is delivered in a group setting and there is no charge to students who wish to participate. The best way to get the program in your area is to speak with administrators or teachers from the district and encourage them to work with us to offer the program.
 
What is the Little Kids Rock method?  
Little Kids Rock has pioneered a method of musical instruction that captures kids' attention and imagination right away. By emphasizing performance and composition over reading and writing, students develop a musical voice and acquire musical skills at an accelerated pace.
 
Like language, music is primarily a vehicle for human communication. We feel that these similarities have implications for the way that music should be taught to children. Like the Suzuki method, our approach is deliberately non-notational. However, instead of focusing on a classical repertoire, we begin with the popular musical styles and instruments that our students are already familiar with.
 
Why popular music?  
All music is made up of the exact same building blocks. The music of Beethoven, the Beatles and Beyonce' all use the same basic notes and chords. Looked at through this lens, musical genres become a secondary considerations for education. A student who feels comfortable playing rock, funk or blues music will be well equipped to begin studying other musical forms as their musicianship grows.
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Just as a six year old is more apt to feel motivated to read a Dr. Suess book instead of an easy sonnet by Shakespeare, that same child is also more likely to be most excited about learning to play a Back Street Boys song over a piece by Bach. If we leverage the cultural capital that students bring to the classroom, we can engage them quickly. Once they have learned to play some songs that are familiar to them, they are much better prepared for the challenges of exploring new genres.
 
How can I get involved as a volunteer?  
Little Kids Rock is a volunteer-driven organization so we are always happy to have new volunteers. Please check out our volunteer opportunities!
 
How can interested parties launch a new Little Kids Rock Chapter?  
Little Kids Rock rolls out programs in new areas each year. Read more about how to launch a new chapter in your area by downloading a pdf.
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