Oakland University’s Music Preparatory Division offers the expertise, commitment and vibrant energy of a university music department to literally everyone who wants to explore the world of music. The Music Prep Division prepares serious young music students for their future college careers; introduces young children to music; offers piano, guitar and voice lessons to students of all ages; and provides studio instruction on all orchestral instruments to school-age students and adults. Music Prep offers experiences that foster learning success and a lifelong love of music.
Classes are offered on our Rochester campus, at OU Macomb in Clinton Township, at West Hills Middle School in Bloomfield Hills, and at the Pincus Music Education Center in Detroit.
Class Descriptions
Blue Birds: ages 18 months to 3 years — a lively, movement-based class for toddlers and a caregiver to sing, laugh, bounce, dance, play instruments and create music together. Join us as we engage in a wide range of music and musical experience, building on what children already know to explore new musical worlds. Provides a strong basis for future musical study and for enjoying music in life!
Robins: ages 3 ½ to 5 years — an opportunity for children to explore music from around the world, developing their natural curiosity about music in a playful, encouraging environment. Join us as we explore music from around the world through singing, listening, moving, dancing, drumming, playing instruments and learning authentic musical games.
Piano Readiness: ages 4 to 7 years — small-group classes that encourage peer-supported, collaborative learning, where children ages 4-5 and 6-7 problem-solve together under a teacher’s guidance so that a solid musical foundation is built through exciting and engaging experiences for strong musical understanding. Students benefit from building experiences together that lay the groundwork for more advanced musical study and for a lifetime of valuing and enjoying music.
Elementary Voice: ages 8 to 10 years — small-group class for young students who enjoy singing. Their natural love of singing is nurtured in a manner that respects their ongoing vocal cord development and encourages learning as a social process. Vocal technique is taught in an age-appropriate approach to ensure good vocal use as they develop their love of singing.
Private lessons: all ages — weekly one-on-one 30-, 45- or 60-minute lessons in voice, piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, guitar, harp, percussion and guqin. In each 13-week semester, two performance opportunities are offered as goal-setting encouragements to maximize potential musical achievements regardless of age.
Beginning Music Theory: grades 6 and up — knowledge of music theory is essential for all musicians. This class will teach students the basic building blocks of music. Students will sing and spell intervals, scales and chords, as well as learn about key signatures, rhythmic notation in simple and compound meters, and figured bass notation. Students will also learn to analyze music using Roman numerals, and hear and analyze basic musical forms. Throughout, students will reinforce their new knowledge with ear training. This course is an excellent preparatory class for college theory courses.
College Preparatory Music Theory: grades 9 and up — group class designed for high school students interested in taking music theory courses at the collegiate level. This course will give students a solid foundation to succeed in college music courses as well as the music theory placement exam that is typically administered to incoming freshmen by most collegiate music programs. Students may also use this course to prepare for the AP Music Theory exam offered each May. Topics covered include key signatures, intervals, triads, Roman numeral analysis, sight-singing, melodic dictation and music analytical skills.