About

Prodigies is a family business focused on creating accessible, modern & effective music curriculum.

We imagine a world where everyone understands the musical notes as easily as we all understand color, and we create videos, curriculum & apps to support that mission.

Rob Young

Creator & Host
Robert Young, B.M. Music Technology, New York University

Rob developed the Prodigies curriculum while teaching preschool and elementary music classes in the Wilmington, Delaware area. He has taught percussion, piano, guitar & general music at S Music Studio, Gymboree, MusIQ Club, the Boys and Girls Clubs, Little Elk Creek Music Studio, St. Michael’s School, Brandywine Valley Christian Preschool and at his private studio.

Rob writes, animates, produces & develops content & curriculum here at Prodigies. He aims to combine the best elements of other popular methods (Kodaly, Orff, Curwen, Taneda) and simplify them into basic icons, sounds and motions, to help kids as young as 2 develop a serious understanding for music theory, solfege, harmony & melody.

Since starting Prodigies in 2014, Rob has worked with thousands of families, teachers, classrooms and schools to deliver an ever growing library of video lessons, colorful sheet music, & instructional resources in hopes of making music as well understood as color.

Sam Young

Operating & Curriculum Design
Samantha Young, B.A. English Education, University of Delaware
M.Ed. Educational Technology, University of Delaware

Sam first joined the Prodigies team back in 2015 to develop workbooks and lesson materials. She fell in love with teaching music to preschoolers and believes in the importance of positive early learning experiences, especially those that children naturally love such as music.

After a year of moonlighting at Prodigies, Sam left her beloved high school English teaching job and brought those skills to Prodigies full time. Her work as English Department chair and the leader on several school-wide curriculum initiatives help guide Prodigies toward standards-based instruction.

Sam was thrilled to join the Prodigies team full time in 2016 and create fun and challenging music materials for kids. Sam has done a bit of everything, but these days, she spends most of her time on operating tasks that keep the Prodigies machine up and running.

Jeff Sedwick

Video & Content Management
Cinema, Ithaca College 

Jeff’s background in video production helped Mr. Rob turn Prodigies from an idea into a reality as he co-produces many of the Prodigies videos. Jeff is also a member of the Directors Guild of America and has worked on big name movies like Spider Man and hit TV shows like Gossip Girl. and assists the Prodigies team through bigger production periods.

He has been a member of the New York City Film and Television Community for 12 years and has worked on over 100 movies and TV shows. Some of these have been nominated and won the field’s top awards.

Jeff has always loved music and after dabbling in percussion has played the banjo and guitar for 10 years. Most importantly he’s been a good friend and collaborator of Mr. Rob’s ever since they attended High School together, where they performed in percussion ensemble and drum line together, and even worked in their high school film department making crazy movies and music videos with their friends.

Michael Lining

Video Producer, Music Recording and Mixing Engineer
Michael Lining, B.S. Music Education, Pensacola Christian College
M.A. Church Music, Bob Jones University

Michael has an extensive music background with a proficiency in Trumpet. He has studied Graded Choirs, Takadimi, and Curwen methods, led music in several churches, and taught private piano, brass, and percussion.

He also regularly teaches an early child music class at Bethel Baptist Child Development Center in Greenville, SC. Michael has played principal trumpet in several university orchestras, recorded an album of recorder music, and composes, arranges and records music in his living room studio for his own Youtube channel and creates music for Prodigies videos. He is taking the lead on the advanced levels of Recorder Prodigies.

Chris Hazewski

Video Producer, Arranging and Sheet Music
A.A. Music Studies, San Diego Mesa College

Originally from Wilmington, Delaware, Chris moved to California in July 2008. He has been playing guitar for 20+ years and has a vast understanding of various styles, genres, and musicality.

He has been teaching since 2013 with experience ranging from private instruction to small combos. Chris has studied Classical and Contemporary Theory and Ear Training at SD Mesa, completing courses in composition, voice, Jazz and World Music Histories. He has experience performing in various stage acts, touring, writing and recording with an array of talented musicians.

Chris is currently auditioning for the Music Education program at SDSU with a focus on jazz guitar. Chris’s personal aspiration with music is to always create with the tools that inspire the most. Every student’s lesson will vary with skill level and interest while reinforcing rhythm, accuracy and self-confidence

Zafer Turkkan

Prodigies Turkey

Zafer was an early believer in the Prodigies system and saw the potential for Prodigies after years of working to build music programs with Harmonia Academy & mathematics programs with Aloha Math. He reached out to the Prodigies Team about working on an international roll out model in early 2016, and has since opened dozens of Prodigies Music centers in and around Istanbul.

Aaron Poole

Customer Development & Content Contributor

BA Psychology, University of Delaware

Aaron has been working with Prodigies since the early days from writing songs like ‘Snow Day’ and ‘Za-Time’ to helping with production and sheet music. As a lifelong performer and artist he is a jack of all trades and a master of fun.

Aaron finished his Degree in Psychology at University of Delaware in 2008 where he also studied music theory, ear-training, and composition. It was during this time he met Mr. Rob who showed him the Boomwhackers and bells that Mr. Rob would later spin into the Prodigies Music program you know today.

If you’re looking to play some bells with him, learn more about the Prodigies journey, or just say ‘hi’ to Aaron, come to a trade show or conference and listen for Beethoven’s 9th!

Emma Webb

Marketing and Communication

Laura Green

Graphic Design, Photography

Henry Gulergun

Digital Content Creation, Video Production Team

Stacia Kain

Shipping and Distribution, Inventory and Orders

Bryan Young

Customer Success Manager, Orders, Special Projects

 

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