Overview
Foundations in Singing is ideal for students interested in music, especially beginners with little or no experience in music theory or reading sheet music. Students will build foundational skills in singing and music literacy through various topics.
Students will explore how to read notes in both treble and bass clefs, interval and pitch recognition, rhythm and meter exercises, time and key signature recognition, major key signature comprehension, basic Major and Minor triad-chord understanding, and introductory aural and sight-reading skills using solfege. Students will apply these skills in songs and sight-reading exercises, learn how to breathe for singing, and practice performance skills. The course culminates in an informal in-class presentation showcasing the skills students have developed throughout the session.
This class is an excellent starting point for students interested in private music lessons, joining a school or church choir, participating in musical theater, or continuing into the Academy’s Musical Theater Song and Dance classes, Acting for Young People Showcases, and other performance programs.
Topics
- WEEK 1 – Introduction
- WEEK 2 – Pitch, Intervals, and Solfege
- WEEK 3 – Rhythm Intensive
- WEEK 4 – Time Signatures and Meter
- WEEK 5 – Review and Music Games
- WEEK 6 – Chords and Interval Work
- WEEK 7 – Key Signatures and Tonal Center
- WEEK 8 – Class Presentation
Program Details
Ages: 9–12
Dates: Tuesdays, 5–5:45 p.m.
October 6–December 1, 2026 (8 weeks)
Skip Dates: November 24, 2026
Tuition: $264
Location: Mason Community Arts Academy Building in Fairfax, Virginia
Program Faculty
Ashlyn Rock
Read More
Ashlyn Rock (soprano) was born in Boulder, Colorado, and moved at a young age to California and across the country to the East Coast where she currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Sterling, Virginia. Ashlyn started her undergraduate as an English major but was compelled to take voice lessons her sophomore year under the instruction tenor John Aler. She completed a Bachelor of Music with an English minor, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society (ΦΒΚ), America’s oldest and most prestigious honor society. She finds opera and art song contain the poetry and prose she loves in English, and believes classical music is the perfect pairing of her two major passions.
Ashlyn graduated summa cum laude with her Masters at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where she studied with William McGraw and Thomas Baresel. She completes her Artist Diploma at CCM with Amy Johnson in May of 2024. Ashlyn has also studied with Ruth Falcon, Danielle Talamantes, and Elizabeth Daniels.
When she is not studying music or teaching, Ashlyn enjoys practicing yoga, hiking, biking, reading, painting, writing poems and working on publishing her own book.
Notes
- Please note that group classes are subject to cancellation if minimum enrollment is not reached.
- Be sure to check our policies and procedures regarding registration, withdrawals, refunds, and more for fall or spring group classes.
- All students will receive a Welcome Letter via email at least one week before the class starts with all necessary details.
- Online registration closes two business days before the first class, however space may still be available. Please contact [email protected] for more information. A $10 late registration fee may apply.
- For additional information, please contact the Academy at [email protected].