Using Prodigies – FAQs, Tips & Tricks
Short video tutorials to get you started
1.What is Prodigies?
2. Who is it for?
3. Series & Courses Explained
4. Using the website & apps
5. Instruments & materials
6. Starting & running a Prodigies Class
See Also: Documentation, Teacher Guidance & FAQS
What is Prodigies?
What is Prodigies?
- Colorful, affordable & accessible music lesson for kids
- Video series focused on a practical approach to singing in tune & developing a good sense for pitch & rhythm
- Curriculum focused on early instrumental performance
- Helps children develop absolute pitch during their formative years
Why Prodigies?
- Affordable and accessible music lessons for everyone
- Gives children an education about musical pitch during the age when it can blossom into a life-long sense for pitch (meaningful exposure to pitch during the critical period for auditory development)
- Demystifying music & early music education for parents, teachers & kids
Prodigies vs. YouTube
- Interactive, educational, fun
- Screen time you can feel good about
- Turn TV time into Music Time
Where do I start?
- Enroll Here
- Already enrolled? Visit the Welcome!
- Download our free instrument app
- Learn about the Solfege Hand-signs
Who is Prodigies for?
Who is it for? (Overview)
- Kids love the colorful & modern approach
- Parents can trust that content is safe, educational & interactive
- Music educators use Prodigies to drive engagement & introduce theory, sheet music & instrumental performance earlier than ever
- Therapists & people with special needs can access music through accessible instruments & curriculum
- Homeschool families enjoy on-demand music curriculum for a fraction of the price
- Preschool teachers can use Prodigies in morning meeting as a music center to give all students meaningful play with pitch during the critical period for auditory development
For Kids
- Feels like Blues Clues (educational & interactive) + Guitar Hero (color coded & instantly gratifying)
- Children will benefit from the positive cognitive effects of playing an instrument & getting a music education
- Host Mr. Rob helps demystify music without dumbing it down or speaking down to kids
- Replay-ability & large library of videos allows children to consistently and positively reinforce their own musical development
- Children will develop a long term sense for pitch, rhythm and eventually sight-reading music
For Parents
- On-demand music lessons at an affordable price
- Screen time you can feel good about
- Content that is safe, interactive, educational
- Teach your kids music with no musical background yourself
- Turn TV time into music lessons while you cook, clean or take a phone call!
For Music Educators
- Introduce theory, instrumental performance & aural comprehension earlier than ever
- Color coded to match Boomwhackers & mimics popular classroom methods for easy integration
- Front of class sheet music videos drive engagement and ensemble development while allowing the teacher to roam, engage & assess
- Use Performance & Karaoke tracks for your next recital or winter concert
- Heavy focus on popular classroom instruments (Boomwhackers, Recorder, Bells, Mallets, Percussion, Ukuleles, etc)
Adaptive Music & Special Education
- Colorful, accessible & easy to play instruments
- Colorful & replay-able videos makes music lessons accessible
- Info & success stories at ProdigiesMusic.com/special-education
For Preschool Teachers
- Affordable & practical way to introduce pitch education and music lessons into your classroom
- No previous musical training required
- Use as group instruction in circle time or as a musical center
- Have a massive impact on your student’s long term musical success by giving them pitch based play during the critical period for auditory development
For Homeschooling Families
- On-demand music lessons for all of your kids
- Screen time you can feel good about
- Content that is safe, interactive, educational
- Step by step checklists, workbooks & activities allows you to easily track and report your musical progress
Mixed Ages (Homeschools, Montessori)
- Performance videos present colorful sheet music scores with multiple instruments that allow different ages & instruments to work together
- Prodigies has an all-ages family feel, making it easier to work with mixed age groups
- Learn more below about where to start with different ages, series, groups, etc
Series Overviews
By Series (PLAY)
- PLAY area is sorted by series (age and style of video)
- Playtime is a fun & casual series for kids (1+)
- General Music Level 1 is focused on playing the C Major Deskbells (3+)
- Performance Prodigies (Series Library) focuses on treble clef sheet music (4+)
- PsP Melodies (Series Library) focuses on the Solfege Hand-Signs (4+)
- General Music Level 2 focuses on formal music theory & vocab
- Holiday (Series Library) focuses on the songs from the Holiday Prodigies Songbook
- Recorder focuses on learning the Recorder
Using the Website & Apps
I just signed up…now what?
- Enjoy Playtime Prodigies & PsP Melodies while you wait for your bells
- Learn about the Guided Access features of your phone or tablet
- Install Prodigies apps on your TV, phones, tablets, etc
Using the App
- Download Prodigies Music Lessons
- Your ProdigiesMusic.com account controls app access
- See basic navigation in the video above
- Use Semester 1A, 1B etc for the Step by Step Approach
Instruments
Prodigies WITHOUT an Instrument
- Focus on hand-signs with PsP Melodies
- Find more hand-signs in Playtime &, Performance
- Tap and clap with any of the Rhythm Lessons and Playtime episodes
- Use the bell instrument on our website
- Download our 2 Free Bell Apps
What instruments can I use?
- If you’re ready for a real instrument we recommend the Deskbells
- For a more affordable but slightly harder option, try Prodigies Resonator Bells or a xylophone
- Colorful stickers make pianos and xylophones Prodigies Friendly
- Boomwhackers
- Recorder & Ukuleles
Why the Deskbells?
- Durable, colorful & well tuned
- Polyphonic & expressive
- Isolated notes increases chance of success
- 2 year 3 bell replacement policy
- Find bells in our shop or look for Chromanotes colored bells from a variety of distributors
The 3 Sets of Deskbells
- C Major – Over 300 Songs with just these bells
- Where accidentals and bass/treble notes appear, we often notate a C Major harmony for people without bell expansions
- Chromatic Expansion – 5 Sharps and Flats for Primary Chapter 2, Holiday & later series
- High Low Extensions – 7 Low and High notes
Ages, Series & Progression
What Age Should I Start?
- The earlier the better with the deskbells, the concepts and some videos
- By age 3, you should be actively engaged in Playtime and Preschool Prodigies
- If you don’t do it by age 3 or 4, you’ll miss out on critical window for auditory development
Series Overview
- Core progression of Playtime, Preschool, Performance, Primary
- Mini-series like Melodies, Recorder, Holiday ( & Ukulele coming soon)
- Want a more step-by-step approach? Look to the TEACH Mode
Working with Multiple Ages at Once
- Performance Prodigies features multiple instruments and no real upper or lower age range
- Rotate instruments in Performance videos
- Understand that earlier videos (Playtime + Preschool) will still help older students, especially new students
Slowing Down the Videos
- Playback speed control available through https://play.legacy.prodigies.com
- Use speed control to slow down the videos to .75x to help your child with accuracy
- Work back up to 1x over time
Tips for Running a Prodigies Music Class
Check out the 2 infographics below for a quick look, or check out our teacher/class documentation
Teaching a Prodigies Class
Suggested structure for a ~45 min session