School of Music RCM Smart Start
Discover Richmond’s exclusive RCM Smart Start music program, designed to help young children build confidence, creativity and a strong musical foundation through joyful, play-based learning.
DO-RE-MI The Perfect First Music Class
RCM Smart Start is a joyful early childhood music program where children learn through singing, movement, rhythm, instruments and creative play. Designed by The Royal Conservatory of Music and exclusively offered by The Arts Conservatory in Richmond, every class helps children develop confidence, creativity, coordination and a lifelong love of music.
Why Choose RCM Smart Start?
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 0-4
RCM Smart Start Program
RCM Smart Start is an early childhood music program for ages 0–4. Created by leaders in the field, the program aims to develop attention, memory, perception, and cognitive flexibility through songs, games, rhymes and global music experiences—while building a strong foundation in improvisation, movement, sight-reading, ear training, and percussion.
Smart Start Age 0: Foster early bonds through rhythm, lullabies and gentle play.
•Designed to stimulate sensory awareness and build the foundations of beat, rhythm, and listening
•Each session includes bouncing games, finger plays, movement, and lullabies.
•Typical lesson begins with greeting songs, followed by bouncing games, finger plays, movement and songs.
Smart Start Age 1: Develop coordination, body control and spatial awareness through music.
•Interactive musical games enhance memory, early communication and cognitive skills through repetition, imitation and group play.
•Social skills are grown as children experience music together.
Ages 0-4RCM Smart Start Pt.2
Smart Start Age 2: Build confidence through musical exploration, movement and play.
•Children begin to develop greater musical independence, sustained attention and more complex cognitive skills that will help them in the future.
•Lessons focus on prolonging attention, remembering songs and perpetual cues.
•Emphasis on singing, playing simple instruments (maracas, drums, etc) and turn taking to foster confidence, belonging and security.
Smart Start Age 3: Learn music concepts like tempo, pitch and volume.
•Through games and cross-art activities, children refine their singing voices, develop spatial awareness and expand their musical vocabulary.
•By age 3, essential cognitive skills are established. RCM Smart Start builds on this foundation by helping children recognize musical patterns, focus on key musical elements, and explore connections across artistic forms.
•Group musical and artistic activities nurture individual and collective creativity while encouraging socialization and confidence.
Smart Start Age 4: Develop accurate singing, basic rhythm, pitch notation reading and collaborative musical activities skills.
•Neuroscience based Interactive musical games to enhance memory, early communication and cognitive skills.
•Children learn tempo, meter, pitch and dynamics while engaging with a variety of percussion instruments including Orff pitched percussion.
Group Lessons | Beginner | RCM Preparation
