La Porte, IN
POP!
Optional 6th Year of LPM-format learning
**Registration now open**
Please read through this entire page prior to enrolling so that you understand the registration process and an overview of POP.
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POP!
August 2026 to May 2027
Up to six (6) children in class.
Classes are once per week for a total of 32 classes.
Prerequisites: Students must first complete Let's Play Music, Bridge and Trot.
POP! is such an exciting year for our students. We will be continuing the trajectory that Trot! started us on -- moving to the next level of the same series in each book and skills! Outside of the incredible repertoire we will be learning, one of the most exciting things about POP! is that we will be focusing on the history of American music. From Indigenous tribes to ragtime, from marches to the invention of jazz - your students are going to love it all.
We will continue all the musical aspects that have been important in the studies of a well-rounded musician up to this point - sight-reading, improvisation, music form and structure, chord form and structure, music theory, composer history, learning to play in different keys, dictation and various aspects of composition. The concepts that we will be reviewing and learning are truly college-level, but presented in a way that is easy to understand...all in the joyful company of peers that provide such a positive group learning experience.
As in Trot, weekly home workload will be 1 sight-reading and rhythm exercise, 1 key signature, 1-2 exercises from their chords book, and 2 pieces from their songbook. Theory will be 1 page per week. There will be 2 short videos to watch at home to add to the American History of Music segment of our learning.
POP! materials will be the same familiar group of books that we use in Trot, but the next level up:
POP! Overview
Class time for 2026-2027:
Tuesdays 5:10-6:10pm - one spot left
General calendar:
August 4th through early December – 16 Fall lessons
January through early May – 16 Spring lessons
Recital – early/mid May
Class duration: 60 minutes a week
Parental involvement:
Parents assist with keyboard/piano practice at home. As in years prior, it will ultimately be the parent's responsibility to ensure practices happen. Also, if you have a "real" piano (aka an acoustic piano), the piano must be professionally tuned once per year.
Parents are not required to attend regular class in POP!, but as always, are welcome to observe! Note: Parents *do* attend on the last lesson of each semester (Lesson 16 and Lesson 32) for a Semester Showcase where the kids present an overview of their semester. The kids look forward to these classes with you so much!
Tuition:
$640 for the entire POP! year ($80/mo for 8 months of instruction).
--An $80 non-refundable deposit is required by March 31st to secure your child’s spot. This will be put toward the tuition balance so that $560 will remain when classes start. The remaining balance of $560 *can* be paid in four monthly installments of $140 ( due on Lessons 1, 5, 9 and 13 of the fall semester). If you decide to pull your registration from POP! prior to classes starting, the $80 deposit will be retained.
--If you're wondering, the answer is yes - Mrs. Katie DOES teach an optional 7th year as well! It is called LPM-La Porte STARS.
Registration for POP! is open now!
Registration is a 3-step process:
1) Register your child for POP! here.
2) Pay $80 non-refundable deposit by March 31st. Payable to Katie Shannon via cash, check, PayPal or Venmo. Can be slipped into Katie's studio tuition dropbox or mailed to P.O. Box 796, La Porte, IN 43652.
3) Purchase materials by July 15th - I will email you the list of books! Alternatively, I can calculate the total and purchase them for you.