School of Music Our Group Music Classes
We orchestrate our classes according to your children’s needs.
DO-RE-MI Bring music into your home
We offer group music classes for ages 0 to 8.
Select an age group below to see all available classes.
Ages 0-4RCM Smart Start
The Arts Conservatory is the first licensed music school in Richmond to offer the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) Smart Start early childhood program. Grounded in neuroscience and supported by long-term research, this developmentally sequenced program is designed to nurture both cognitive and musical growth from infancy through age four. Written by industry experts, the curriculum is organized by age group to support children as they reach key developmental milestones.
Top 3 Benefits
1. With over 60 years of music education and decades of neuroscience research, RCM Smart Start cultivates children’s foundational skills across physical, emotional and social areas of development from the very start of their learning journey. Developed by Dr. Sean Hutchins (neuroscientist), Director of Research at The Royal Conservatory and Catherine West (Early Childhood Music Education expert), the curriculum emphasizes and enhances key areas of cognitive development such as attention, memory, perception and flexible thinking.
2. The age-specific curriculum is thoughtfully designed to go beyond typical developmental milestones, offering structured, research-based activities tailored to support each stage of early childhood growth. Studies show that musicians outperform non-musicans in perception, language, spatial reasoning and IQ, with measurable differences in brain structure and connectivity. These skills will translate to other areas of learning and life.
3. Certified RCM Smart Start instructors guide children through a broad spectrum repertoire of songs, games, rhymes and activities to engage, inspire and ignite at every stage of early learning. Research indicates long-term benefits include increased vocabulary, pre-reading ability, phonemic awareness and musical development.
Our classes are taught by certified Royal Conservatory of Music Smart Start instructors.
Group Lessons | Beginner| RCM Preparation
Ages 3-8Suzuki Group Violin
Parent involvement is key at these early stages, so please be ready to sit in on these classes and learn alongside your child! Take your first steps towards learning the violin using the internationally recognized Suzuki Method! Children will learn about posture, bowing, rhythm and ear training through the Suzuki principles of repetition, listening, tonalization, and the “mother-tongue” approach. Beginners will learn early music fundamentals alongside the necessary techniques specific to the violin. Students will be ready to step into private violin lessons after completion of this program.
•Develop listening skills through beginner ear training.
•Learn on a mock-violin before moving up to playing a real violin.
•Gain knowledge of music fundamentals like pitch and rhythm.
•Use popular songs to aid their music understanding.
•Work in a small group for a collaborative environment.
•Enjoy the support and company of their parents.
