About Performing Artists at KMS

Our Performing Artists program is a creative, cross-genre education for your young and aspiring musician. The power of music, performance, creativity, personal growth, and belonging are harnessed together to make an incredible difference in your child's life. In this holistic music education program, your child builds their skills sequentially from pre-k through 12th grade, with each year laying a solid foundation for the next. Our carefully crafted program gives your child the tools to develop into a musician who fully expresses themselves creatively, all while thriving in a community of like-minded players. The program runs October through June. Read more about our program foundations here.

All the qualities of musical performing arts development are integrated in this unique program.

Stage 3: PLAYERS

Ages: 10 - 11 (entering 5th and 6th grades)
Entrance Requirement: 6+ months of private study and teacher meet and greet
Weekly Class Length: 60-min Junior Band Performance Class (piano, guitar/ukulele, voice, bass, drums)
Weekly Private Lesson Length: 45-min Private Lesson

foundation 1: Solo + Group Musicianship

Private Instruction: Your Player has now become passionate about their instrument of choice and their budding technical development is supported by a longer 45 minute weekly lesson to give them the individual attention they need.
Group Class: Your Player builds musical skills weekly in their "junior band" group experience. Here, they begin to grasp the fundamentals of playing as a band. Players experience a new level of collaboration, learning how to be both a supportive bandmate and how to lead when it’s their turn.

foundation 2: performance + wellness

Your Player builds on their practice habits by understanding how to structure practice correctly and how to maintain a healthy mental relationship with themselves and their instrument through the ups and downs inherent in the learning process.
Your child learns memorization techniques and mental rehearsal in preparation for performance - skills that transfer well outside of playing music.
Your Player will perform 3 times with their band, and, if they choose, as a soloist, in our progressive Student Showcases at the end of every trimester.

foundation 3: Personal development

Players focus on emotional intelligence, confidence, and self-esteem, which are perfectly timed before the middle school years.
Discussions around stage presence, performance anxieties, and what it means to become a performing artist are important during this Stage.

foundation 4: Artistry + Creativity

Players strengthen their creativity “muscle” throughout the curriculum using games and exercises.
On your own family time, or with friends from the program, you’ll go on Creative Expeditions with your Player to develop curiosity about and connecting points to the creative world around you and embrace your identity as a creative family in the arts!

2024 - 2025 Player Information

PLAYer Inclusions

Weekly 45-minute private lessons;
Weekly small performance classes from October to June;
3 stage concerts in December, March, and June;
1 dedicated practice binder to stay focused + track progress;
access to rewards, prizes + encouragement all year long through our KMS Practice Challenge;
fun activities to inspire creativity + build friendships.

PLAYer performance class Schedule

Space is limited in our performance classes! They have a maximum of 5 students each, generally composed of the following instrumentation:

1 singer, or 1 singer who also plays ukulele, guitar, or piano
1 pianist
1 guitarist
1 bassist
1 drummer

PLAYer private lesson Schedule

You’ll select your Player’s 45 minute lesson day and time at the beginning of the year and you may begin lessons prior to October for an additional tuition payment. Choose from during our private teaching hours:

Sundays (1pm- 6pm)
Mondays - Thursdays (3pm - 8pm)

Private lesson times are first come, first served, so click below to enroll today!

performing artist showcase Dates

Mark your calendar now for your child’s big days! They’ll perform with their group in front of an energizing crowd at the Wesley Foundation of Kalamazoo! In addition to performing with their group, they may also perform repertoire from their private lesson as a soloist, if they’d like.

program Tuition

Monthly All-Inclusive Tuition Payment (October - June; 9 months): $305/mo (includes both private lesson and group program)
Alternatively, you can choose a shorter 30-min private lesson as part of the package for $237/mo
Just private lessons are available at $136.50 / month - see the tuition page for more information!

Please note that openings are first come, first serve and that all enrollments must be confirmed via the entrance requirements/auditions before they are finalized, so ENROLL NOW!

Enroll Now