The Whole Note Music Academy

Music for the Whole Community

The classes at the Whole Note Music Academy provide children with the opportunity to experience the joys of making music. In each class, young musicians will sing, dance, play instruments, move creatively, and listen to music from a variety of cultures. Students and their caregivers will begin to work on basic musical concepts such as beat, rhythm, melody, and dynamics. Older students will learn to improvise and create their own music.

The music classes are taught using the Orff-Schulwerk approach, which places the child at the center of the musical activity. The Orff philosophy emphasizes active learning, and, by reducing music to an elemental level, allows for early experiences with improvisation and composition. Classes for babies and toddlers provide valuable time for parent-child bonding and lay the groundwork for future musical activities.

Classes also emphasize the role of music in language and social development. Students with special needs are always welcome.

About the Instructor

Sarah Billerbeck has a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Maryland. She also holds a Level III Orff Schulwerk certificate. Sarah has taught music to people of many ages from babies to adults. She taught for several years in the public schools before starting the Whole Note Music Academy. Sarah is the mother of three wonderful children who have inspired her to teach these classes. Her son Luke, who happens to have Down Syndrome, has further inspired her to investigate the link between language development and music, something which is reflected in her classes and which benefits all children.

Sarah is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, with a focus on Special Education, furthering her ability to share ideas for using music to maximize development.