Beyond Notes
A Summer Program for Curious Kids Ready to Explore Music in a New Way
Beyond Notes invites students into the world of digital music through a creative, guided, and age-appropriate experience. Designed as a bridge between traditional music learning and modern music-making, the program gives curious kids a hands-on way to explore sound, rhythm, recording, and production in a way that feels engaging and intuitive.
What They’ll Explore
Students are introduced to beat making, sound manipulation, creative listening, loop based arranging, and the basics of digital music through guided projects and hands on tools.
Why It’s Different
Designed for young beginners, Beyond Notes makes music technology feel less intimidating through clear online guidance and tactile, kid friendly tools that keep the experience immediate, playful, and accessible.
Who It’s For
Designed for kids who are interested in digital music and want a clearer way into it, whether that curiosity leans toward music production, electronic music, video game music, or the tools behind it all.
“I created Beyond Notes because in my 13+ years of private music teaching, I kept noticing that many forms of traditional instruction left little room for students to engage with music in a more open and exploratory way. I wanted to build a program where kids could work with sound in a more hands on way, follow their curiosity, and make things without feeling overwhelmed by technicalities or pressured to get everything right. For many students, it can also feel like a refreshing shift from more structured lessons, a space where imagination and confidence have more room to grow.”
The program is organized into guided modules, each designed to introduce a new side of digital music through hands-on creative work.
-
Sound Lab introduces students to sound as something they can play with and shape creatively. They will collect sounds, edit them, and begin organizing them into short original pieces. Along the way, they learn to listen more closely and to hear ordinary sound in a new way.
-
Beat Lab introduces students to rhythm as something they can build and shape creatively. They will work with loops, layers, and repeated patterns to create grooves of their own. Along the way, they begin to feel how pulse, repetition, and contrast can give music its energy and direction.
-
Mood Lab introduces students to the relationship between sound and moving image. They will use curated sounds and musical fragments to create a short soundtrack for a silent video clip. Along the way, they begin to understand how music can support image, pacing, and emotion.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Registration opens on May 1st, 2026
-
Beyond Notes will run during Summer 2026. Final dates and cohort options will be shared after interest forms have been collected, at least one week before registration opens.
-
Students will be grouped into two age ranges: ages 7 to 10 and ages 11 and up.
-
Groups are intentionally kept small, with up to 5 students per cohort.
-
The program includes three introductory modules, each consisting of four live one hour online sessions.
-
Students may enroll in one module or in the full three module summer program.
-
Yes. Beyond Notes is designed for total beginners, and no prior experience in music technology is required.
-
All sessions take place live online over Zoom in a small group format.
-
Students will work primarily in Soundtrap for Education, a browser based platform that makes digital music more accessible for beginners.
-
Students will need a working computer, high speed internet, and headphones. Some modules may also include kid friendly hands on tools or instruments, with full details shared before the program begins.
-
Yes. Students should be comfortable using a computer at a basic level, including clicking, dragging, typing, and following simple on screen instructions.
-
Tuition is $388 per module or $1164 for the full three module summer program.
-
How will I receive final program details?
