Music for Children ages 3-5
Is your child ready for lessons?
What parents say…
“This is a WAY of being with music, not a way of doing music. Not only is Susan a master educator, but also she is a gentle soul who knows how to connect meaningfully with her students to create a caring, rich, dynamic learning environment.
“Susan rocks! Classes are filled with lots of movement and involvement of imagination and creativity.”
3 different in-home programs for preschool ages
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Playful Piano Lessons
Typically, when I begin working at the piano with a 4 year old, it’s because an older sibling is already engaged in private lessons with me.
Since I’m already in the home, it’s easy to set up a 15 -30 minute lesson right before the older sibling.
You need an 88-key full size piano with weighted keys for Playful Piano Lessons.
Playful Piano fees
15-minutes before or after an older sibling weekly lesson
Sept-Dec $336
Jan-June $504
30-minute lesson each week in your home
Sept- Dec – $672
Jan – June – $1008
Click to download further details re: studio policies + calendar for Playful Piano Lessons.
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The Orff Play Program $500
A series of 8 music & movement sessions for you & your child.
Includes singing, chanting, rhymes and rhythm play, movement, dance, simple composing games and exploration of percussion instruments.
I bring my percussion bag and all supplies to your home.
The Orff Play Program is a truly wonderful alternative for your family
- if your child is still 3
- if you don’t have a piano yet
- if you are unable to attend community group music classes and are looking for someone to bring a joyful experience into your home
Contact Susan to set up a series of 8 sessions, choosing days and times that work for your family.
If you want to include another child/family for all 8 sessions, and you have the space in your home for more, the fee is an additional $400 per child/family.
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Musical Parent Education & Conversation Packages $300
I offer a series of 3 hour-long sessions booked over 6-12 weeks.
Sessions may be held over the phone, WhatsApp, or in your home.
The entire focus is to amplify your confidence and enhance your personal resources to act as a musical parent.
I offer my experience and knowledge to help you create a home environment to nurture your family’s musicality.
Dear Parents,
Is your child ready to start piano lessons at the age of 3 or 4?
It’s an exciting idea, and early musical experiences can nurture a lifelong love of music.
At the same time, I believe it’s important to approach lessons in a way that supports how young children naturally grow and learn.
Preschoolers are still developing fine motor control, attention span, and early listening skills.
The reason they’re ‘still developing’ is because those areas of the brain are still only partially developed.
Young children with young brains need different kinds of experiences than older brains.
This is why successful piano learning at this stage looks different from traditional lessons.
Rather than ask a child to focus on reading music (books) or learn formal technique (scales and arpeggios), we build a strong musical foundation and develop natural musicality through play, exploration, and positive experiences at the keyboard.
Considering piano lessons for your 3-5 year old?
Here are some helpful guidelines
- Look for a play-based approach. Lessons should include singing, movement, games, and storytelling along with time at the piano. This keeps learning engaging and developmentally appropriate.
- Keep lessons short and flexible. At this age, 15–20 minutes is often enough. Attention spans are still growing, and shorter sessions lead to more success.
- Expect parental involvement. Young children benefit greatly when a parent or caregiver is present, helping guide play & practice at home in a gentle, encouraging way.
- Focus on exploration, not perfection. Exploring concepts as High/Low, Fast/Slow, Loud/Soft and play the echo game with simple rhythm patterns are amazing ways to start and for most children this age are more important than playing full songs correctly.
- Choose the right teacher. Look for someone experienced with early childhood music education who understands how to adapt lessons for young learners.
What parents say…
“Susan’s energy is amazing. She enjoys her work and her passion for music, kids & creating all shines through!!!
“Bless you beautiful Susan for making music magical, inspiring and life-giving.
Hello! I’m Susan Seale
Founder of Musicalia,
a private music and movement school for children and teachers.
For many decades I worked with infants and their caregivers and offered multi-instrumental programs for children’s groups up to the age of 12. I operated a large studio with up to 300 students, several teachers and an apprentice program.
I also created teacher-training programs for classroom teachers who had no music training and worked as a facilitator providing professional development workshops and conference presentations for teachers and parents.
I was seconded to the Ministry of Education (twice) to work on Fine Arts Curriculum documents and was a speaker at the National Arts in Education Symposium in Ottawa. I’ve published articles, book reviews and written books for other music teachers.
I have a Bachelor of Education degree, a Master of Orff-Schulwerk and am certified as a Canadian Orff Specialist. I’ve worked as a general classroom teacher teaching grades 1-7 in the public school system and been part of private therapeutic teams working with children with disabilities. I’ve taught piano for 50 years. (I’m older than I look)
Private Lessons for Preschoolers
If you are feeling drawn to private lessons for your preschooler, or simply unable to attend community music classes and want to bring an experienced early childhood music educator into your home, there are a few ways to begin.
How we begin…
Contact me through my contact form or send an email.
We’ll have our initial conversation by phone or email. If it seems like my approach may be a good fit for your family, we can set up a time to meet in person and have a free trial lesson.
Once you’ve made your decision, we can confirm and reserve regular lesson times for your family.
Mobile lessons
in your home !
What parents say…
“Susan, I can’t begin to express how much you mean to my family! You have brought music to my family. You have supported me through hard times and guided our son on his journey when we could not partake in anything else. Your gift extends far beyond teaching music.”
“She is remarkable! Our children like absolutely everything about lessons with Susan. Seriously.”
At home, you can support your child by:
- Letting them freely explore the piano keys without pressure
- If you play the piano, seat your child on your lap and play for them, include songs and melodies they already know.
- Singing simple songs together and finding those sounds on the keyboard
- Playing listening games like “Can you find a high sound?”
- Bring a favorite picture book to the piano and tell the story incorporating sound on the keyboard. Be creative and improvisational!
- Keeping practice light, fun, and consistent rather than long or demanding.
- There is so much more you can do and if you are both having fun I know you can’t make a mistake!
It’s ok to wait till they’re older
It’s not wrong to wait to start lessons at an older age.
Every child has their own timing and most are more developmentally ready for structured piano lessons between the ages of 5-9.
In the meantime, rich musical experiences—singing, dancing, and creative play—provide the best possible preparation.
Most important right now is to associate music with joy, curiosity, and confidence.
Knowing who your child is and what they are ready for will help you make early experiences a meaningful part of their development.
If you have any questions or would like guidance on getting started, I’d be happy to help.
What do in-home lessons look like?
I arrive at your home with a Mary-Poppins-style bag of magic and fun, prepared to meet your child at their level of focus, cooperation, interest and ability.
Because your child is in their own home and playing their own piano, the entire experience of learning music is more relaxed, spacious and playful than it might be if you had to transport your child to someone else’s music studio.
Instead of climbing into your car and travelling to see your teacher, it’s the other way around. I travel to you and your child may greet me at their door and lead me to their own music space.
Your time, your child’s time and siblings’ time is no longer spent in the car before and after lessons.