Our Philosophy
Voetberg Music Academy is committed to cultivating a life-long love of playing music in each of our students.
We hear countless times per month, “I took music lessons when I was a kid but I can’t really play anymore.” We don’t want that to be you . . . or your child! Just like you learn to speak once, read once, and ride a bike once, we want to teach you music in a way where you learn the basics one time and can benefit forever!
Here at Voetberg Music Academy we create this life-long love for playing music by focusing on three categories: Technical capability, community support, and clear direction.
1. Technical Capability: The “how” of playing music.
Each instrument has it’s own set of unique technical hurdles.
How to hold your instrument
Where to place your fingers
How to play in tune
How to play on rhythm
How to create quality tone
How to learn a song by ear
How to read music
How to understand chord charts
How to practice scales and other technical exercises
How to tune your instrument.
The list of technical capabilities goes on and on, but here at Voetberg Music Academy leading with songs is one of our core principles. While scales, arpeggios, theory and reading music are all important aspects of music, instead of starting out by isolating these skills, we teach songs by ear. Over time, we break down what comprises the song, and give students the opportunity to learn to read music. Just as toddlers learn to talk before they learn to read and write, we want our students to “speak” music before they start deconstructing the various aspects of it. This reminds us why we are learning music in the first place and keeps music fun!
2. Community: The “why” of our philosophy.
At Voetberg Music Academy we give our students the opportunity to share their songs in a public setting and find inspiration from hearing other students perform. Students are rewarded and acknowledged for accomplishing new levels in the curriculum. They become inspired by teacher performances and our annual Virtual Music Camp. In the community students can access their teacher via messaging and live Q&A calls, while participating in seasonal challenges such as our “Six Songs Of Summer” is a great way to keep students engaged with their practice during busy months of the year.
Playing music by ourselves is therapeutic and refreshing, but sharing music with others takes the joy and impact to a whole new level!
3. Direction: the “what” of our method.
Anyone that has played an instrument for more than a month has experienced getting overwhelmed with the endless options the music world has to offer. We are here to simplify and clarify what each week of your journey should look like. We have thoughtfully built out our curriculum so that each student receives a weekly lesson that includes learning a new technique, how to play a new song, printable practice instructions, and a practice tracker for that week.
If students feel they are capable of doing more than what the weekly lesson requires, they can access their instrument Video Vault where they will find hundreds of short topical lessons relevant to their level. If they would rather wait to progress until they feel more confident, they can spend more time in the Video Vault working on scales and technique.
Voetberg Music Academy’s proprietary Student Success Path gives students clear goals for how to practice and WHAT they are practicing for. You’ll never have to nag your child to practice . . . they will want to work toward earning the Seven Titles of Mastery on their way to Music Master.