Students will learn to identify keys on a piano and be able to read and find all notes in treble and bass clef. Rhythm recognition and clapping includes whole, half, dotted half, quarter, and eighth notes and rests. Course also includes reading about and listening to works by great composers. Proficient English readings skills required.

Building on the skills learned in Prep 1, students will learn about accidentals and enharmonics, measures and simple time signatures, whole tones and semitones. Introduces major scales and key signatures (C,G,D,F,Bb). Course includes reading about and listening to works by great composers.

By the end of course, students will master the following skills: reading treble and bass clefs, identifying pitches on a keyboard, rhythm recognition and clapping up to 16th notes and rests, working with time signatures 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8, and finding whole tones and semitones. Course also includes reading about and listening to works by great composers.

In this year-long course, students will first review all core concepts from the previous levels. New rhythms include 32nd notes, and students will become comfortable with grouping, adding, and dividing various sharps or flats, then moves to Major, Perfect, and minor intervals. Students will learn about scale degrees, and signatures, including cut time, and base numbers of 8 and 16. Finally, students will work on octave transposition and finding the key of a melody.

MDP theory courses have a number of important benefits to students, including dramatically expediting the development of musical literacy and proficiency.
Additionally, achievement in the MDP exams is a strong addition to college applications and CVs.