The thought of just being able to look at the notes, and know how the music was supposed to sound was completely foreign to her.

It wasn’t until she was in her forties that she realized that were all these other musicians that could “audiate” from the page, that this was something that people could just do. She says “The idea of ‘fundamentals’ of music, of being able to understand how music is put together at a very basic level and how to know, either by listening to music or by reading it on the page, to understand what that means really at a deep musical level, really appealed to me.”

For Christine, the course was about learning to hear music. Learning to recognize patterns in the sounds and relations between notes in a way that lets me work things out by ear much easier than just “This note, this note. Nope, that’s wrong. This note, this note. Nope, that’s wrong.” She says that the community aspect – learning that you’re not alone in this, and that other musicians were going through the same thing that you’re struggling with – was “so freeing”.

He was interested in Foundations because he had heard of Kodály before starting the training. He thought it seemed interesting, and a way to finally break through the many barriers that had been placed in front of his musical development in the past.

“I’m self employed and heading toward 60. I’m starting to think about how to wind down slightly. I do think maybe I’ll have a bit more time, maybe I would like to do a bit more than just listen to the music and increase my understanding of things. I’m a lifelong learner.”

He is continuously interested in pursuing this, even though it has eluded him up until now. He appreciates that this method has allowed him to “see the melodic contour of music”. And, best of all, the singing material included has resulted in him starting to sing for the first time ever. Overall he says that he has made tremendous improvements in his musicality and looks forward to continuing.

He says that enrolling in the Foundations course was a gut reaction for him. He had been a member of Musical U prior to enrolling and said he has really came to love this approach to learning music. So when he heard about Foundations he was immediately excited and says didn’t need to give the decision much thought.

Since going through the material, he’s discovered that this has created a new way for him to fully internalize music and the music is able to flow more naturally from him. Music theory became fun, and learning all the various techniques and exercises was “fun, easy, and amazing”.

One of the biggest breakthroughs was that musical ideas began to make more sense and connect. He was able to take musical activities that seemed to be separate before, and incorporate them all into his musicality.

Zac notes that other courses tend to separate composing, improvising, rhythm, singing, etc… but this course combined them in a way that he had never experienced before.

Going forward he’s learning ways that he can be more productive in his music practice. While it may seem counterintuitive to do more steps when learning music, or slow it down, he says these extra steps to learning music get a musician to their end point much faster than the way he had been learning.

Full Disclosure: We were so impressed with Zac’s contributions through the discussions in the course that we’re pleased to say we have since invited him to become a member of the Musical U team and help provide support to future members and course students. Zac purchased the Foundations course as a regular customer and provided this feedback and case study video before any employment was discussed.

Nothing was able to fill the gap between learning musicality skills and actually creating music.

Steve saidthat the Foundations course seemed to say all the things that he had been searching for. A way to internalize music and just be able to know it. “Forget all the theory and the technical chops, to actually be musical”.

As he started the course, he was at first surprised by the simplicity of the songs. But as the course developed he was amazed at just how musical these very simple songs were. And by stripping away the complexity of the music he was able to discover more about phrases, melodies, and rhythms in a way that had never been possible before.

Moving forward, Steve says he’s learned that you can take this method and techniques to get information from any music, and that this process of learning and experimenting with music is something that’s going to stay with him.

One of the major benefits that he discovered was learning music by actually playing with it, rather than staying within technical definitions. Everything in music had seemed circular for him, as everything was defined in terms of itself or another technical concept. He’s now discovered that music theory is just a way to describe the music, and is still important – but not the starting point for him any more. Learning all of the concepts and songs was more of an experience, and he’s finally been able to experience the music in a way that he never had before.

Since joining MU, Ian has been impressed by the systematic way that musical learning is approached. The Foundations course appealed to him because it was built around the methods of Kodály, which he was already familiar with.

He saw the course as a way to refresh his existing knowledge and kick himself back into action. Ideally, to be able to teach aural skills to his students. After years of teaching and having the answers right in front of him at all times, he saw this as an opportunity to challenge himself, improve his skills, and go further.

Ian shares that one of the most enjoyable aspects of the course was that he was encouraged to listen to music in a progressive way, building upon the musical ideas without becomign overwhelmed. 

“This is a structured method that is not only useful while learning in the course, but can be applied to everyday music and practice sessions. It makes more music accessible, even if it’s not something that they thought they could handle. It’s a very empowering method that will enable the learner to become better than the teacher at some point.” 

As a music teacher, this was always his goal and he finds great joy in his students progressing to the point where they no longer need his instruction.

Ian says “Whatever the skill it is that you want to pick up, you need to develop listening skills, you need to develop musicianship skills. And Musical U and Foundations of a Musical Mind are very good at giving you the foundations and the confidence to go ahead and do that.”

She first joined Musical U because she wanted to strengthen her ability to play songs by ear. Prior to this, Nancy relied on tablature to learn and play songs, which was limiting when playing with groups of musicians at the dulcimer rendezvous she loved to attend. She said Foundations of a Musical Mind was appealing to her because it was a set schedule of music learning, which would give her the structure and direction that she needed to gain a deeper understanding of music. 

Nancy said she now feels more confident in her playing and is able to learn songs more quickly on her instrument. It’s allowed her to play more naturally, where before she always felt a bit robotic in her playing. Exploring and using her voice has been a wonderful breakthrough, and wasn’t something that she felt she would be able to do prior to the course. And even though she hasn’t met any other dulcimer players on the course, the commonality of music learning and foundations have allowed her to become more musical on the instrument and play with confidence. 

Kerry has been playing piano most of her life and earns a living a piano and music teacher in Australia. All throughout her professional education, she felt like she was never quite up to par with the other students in the class. Like there was something that they were able to instinctively do that wasn’t quite available to her yet. She continued learning and playing, building her career along the way. 

She became interested in the Foundations course to learn new ways that she could present music topics like ear training and theory to her students. She had heard of the Kodály method before, but had never formally practiced or studied with any Kodály instructors. While she joined to learn more for her teaching, Kerry was pleasantly surprised to discover new skills that she could also add to her own repertoire. 

What struck Kerry as the most important thing was the structure and pacing of the course. It wasn’t overwhelming and never made a student feel like they didn’t have what it takes. The materials and the Musical U Team where inclusive and supportive of the students, which Kerry says has been hard to find in online music classes. She looks forward to implementing some of the new skills she’s acquired into her own teaching and continuing to study more about this method of teaching in the future.

Thuy had studied music from an early age, singing and playing the piano as a young girl in Vietnam. She studied vocal music while at university in Ho Chi Minh, but eventually left school to pursue a career. While she left music behind formally, she felt like something was missing from her life and wanted to return whenever possible. 

After life circumstances resulted in her having some spare time on her hand, she found Musical U through the podcast Musicality Now. She enrolled in Foundations of a Musical Mind after discovering that there was a different way of learning music than anything she had ever done before. 

The Foundations course quickly refreshed the music education that Thuy had been first exposed to in primary school. In her mind, it was as those she had never taken a break from learning. She was soon exploring new music and concepts that she had never been exposed to before with confidence and joy. Music is now a daily part of Thuy’s life and she’s found that it makes her happier in everything else that she does. Thuy looks forward to continuing to study with Musical U and expanding her musical repertoire. 

Stanley has found a great calling in his retirement, exploring the possibilities on his guitar and playing for worship services. He and his wife perform together on a regular basis and love the impact that music has on their lives nearly every day. While he doesn’t have a teacher, he’s found online learning to be a great way to supplement his self-study and continue moving forward. 

Prior to the course, he felt like there was some missing pieces in his musicality that he wanted to explore. Like many, he had the impression that music was something that some just had “within them” and that this root understanding of music wasn’t something that could just be developed. 

Stanley really enjoyed the discussions within the course and interacting with the other people in the course. Having expert support from the Musical U team made a big difference in his understanding of the material. He enjoys the philosophy of Musical U and feels empowered to continue his musical journey. 

Laura played clarinet as a young girl, but left music behind entirely as she graduated primary school and had a career. Now in retirement, she’s had the interest to start singing in choral groups and was able to find a local community choir which brought a lot of joy to her life. 

As she moved up into more advanced ensembles, she noticed that there were many skills and musical instincts that she hadn’t developed yet. When rehearsals were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she discovered Musical U and enrolled in the Foundations of a Musical Mind course. 

Laura enjoyed the intuitive nature of the instruction and found that she was able to get through the exercises with ease. After a couple of weeks, she noticed that connections were becoming really solid and she could hear and sight sing better than at any point in her life. The experience in the course was joyful and she found herself thinking back to her early days of first learning music. Laura looks forward to using her new musical skills once the choir is able to rehearse again and continue to grow as a musician.

Iddo has been playing the flute for most of his life. After secondary school, he attended university and even studied music with a professional flautist. As he grew in his profession and raised a family, Iddo continued to play music in a very different way. He improvised and weaved his own musical landscapes on a regular basis and enjoyed the role that music played in his life.

While he was accomplished and satisfied with his playing, he wanted to continue to grow and learn more in his musical studies. After discovering the podcast, he came to Musical U and enrolled in the Foundations of a Musical Mind course.

Iddo and was impressed with the playful and joyful nature of the course. It fit in well with the way that he was approaching music practice and found that it gave him a better understanding of the relationships between different pitches and harmonies. Improving on his instrument has transformed from a repetitive slog to periods of intense focus with concrete results. Iddo looks forward to continuing the journey and enjoying the role that music plays in his life.

Linda grew up playing the violin and clarinet. While attending university she wanted to continue to play in the marching band, but quickly found out that American College marching bands are highly strict and it wasn’t appealing to her. She took some time away from music to focus on her studies and start her career as a math teacher. 

She came back to music when, on whim, she bought her first bass guitar. She began performing in small groups playing her favorite classic metal tunes and also playing in church groups. But still there was something missing. The other musicians that she would play with had no formal training and could quickly pick up new tunes on the fly, entirely by ear. This gap in her understanding and abilities brought her to Musical U.

Linda dove into the Foundations course with an eagerness to learn. While she was skeptical about the process, she was able to get through the modules and begin to apply this knowledge to her music. Linda is thrilled with the progress that she’s made in only a couple of weeks and looks forward to continuing her music learning well into the future. 

Yelena grew up in Ukraine and was exposed to the rigid structures of the former Soviet Union educational institutions at a young age. This led to her feel like she was missing something and was never capable of musical expression, especially with her voice. After immigrating to the United States and pursuing a professional career, she finally returned to music after taking a class on sight-singing while in graduate school. 

Eventually she would find a vocal teacher that truly connected with her passion for music and was able to pull the music from her. She never felt so excited about her musical progress! But still she felt like something was missing and found the Foundations course. She was surprised to learn that her vocal teacher taught many of the same things to youth learners, but had assumed she had already been through this type of training. 

Yelena has really enjoyed taking a beginner's mind and revisiting many of the concepts that she missed during her initial music education. She feels a new sense of purpose and is no longer shy about singing around others. The connection between the written notes and sound of the songs has never been clearer in her mind. Yelena looks forward to continuing her studies with a new foundation to build upon. 

Lisa began playing the piano at an early age and even started studying music at university. Eventually life got in the way and she put aside music for several years to start her career and raise a family. Seeing the children start their own music lessons reignited her passion for music and she eagerly began her studies once again. 

She joined Musical U when she realized that many of the musical skills like improvising and playing by ear were learnable. After diving into the material, she felt like something was missing, a foundation of her own musical understanding. After learning about the Foundations course, she eagerly dived into the training and was thrilled to uncover so many hidden aspects of music that she hadn’t realized before. 

Lisa really enjoyed the experience inside the Foundations course. Anne’s instruction were a breath of fresh air and the step-by-step process had a familiarity to it that was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Breaking down the music through the course has given Lisa a new ownership and appreciation for music learning. She feels like music is now a part of her and she’s able to confidently express herself on multiple instruments. Now that she’s completed the course, she has begun writing and recording her own songs. It’s been a very satisfying experience for Lisa and she looks forward to continuing to learn and improve her musical abilities. 

Charlotte had just began to play music before coming to Musical U. She had always wanted to play a musical instrument, but realized that she really didn’t know anything about music. It seemed like a natural choice to begin studying with Musical U because she wanted to think more like a musician. When practicing, she often felt like she was just piecing things together rather than having a system for learning music. 

Since she was starting her music learning, Charlotte felt like she was in the exact right place in the Foundations course. She said the material was easy to grasp and gave her an underpinning for her musical knowledge. The interactive nature of the course was very enjoyable and allowed her to really get involved in the course. She said that it felt like she was more connected to the music and able to experience it in a deeper, more meaningful way. 

After just six weeks, Charlotte feels like she’s made so much progress. Her understanding of music has fundamentally changed and she’s delighted to think that learning music can be full of joy and not just “hard work”. She doesn’t feel stuck in her music learning anymore. Charlotte now sees just how much there is out there that she can’t wait to discover, and she that the journey will be filled with fun and joy. For the first time, she can confidently saw that she’s “a musician”. Music learning is a journey, not a destination and she’ll be enjoying every step of the way. 

After retiring from his profession, Mark suddenly had more time on his hand and began slowly picking up music again to pass the time. He quickly became enamored with the progress that he was making and thoroughly enjoyed what he was able to do with his music. But still he felt like there was some formal structure missing from his musicality. He first joined the Ear Training for Beginners course to start learning more about this skill. 

What Mark found was that the structure of the course was perfect for his goals and he was inspired to continue learning on a deeper level. The course unearthed a sense of curiosity and exploration that he didn’t have before. The biggest improvement that Mark noticed was that he no longer has to think so intently on what he’s playing, as everything seems to come intuitively and naturally while performing. 

After discovering Musical U he was interested in overcoming his plateaus and making greater progress. The Musical Superlearning course was a great experience for him and he was eager to continue his studies in Ear Training for Beginners. He’s already made some positive steps forward in his musical learning and dove into the next course. 

Peter found that he’s now able to better hear and understand what the music is doing when he’s learning a new song. He sees music as a jigsaw puzzle and he’s starting to be able to piece things together on his own. Having feedback within the lessons was very valuable for him and he felt encouraged to share his experiences during the course. While he was challenged in the course, he felt that it was manageable and was able to keep his focus throughout the training. Peter looks forward to implementing everything that he’s learned into his music practice and continuing down the path he’s on. 

After being put on lockdown due to COVID-19, Johannes began exploring the various masterclasses put on by Musical U and found that he wasn’t alone in how he thought about music. Much of the baggage that he had been carrying since primary school was suddenly lifted as he heard highly skilled musicians talk about overcoming their adversities. He joined Musical U shortly after to continue developing his musicality. 

In Ear Training for Beginners, Johannes found that he was able to hear music in a different way. Solfa transformed the way he experienced music, he was able to understand how intervals functioned in the music that he was learning and see the patterns. By the end of the course, he was revisiting music that he learned decades ago and seeing new colors. As he says: “It was like seeing a picture in color for the first time that I had only seen black and white before.”

Several years later, Andrea continued to study music on her own but still felt like something was missing from her musical life. Listening to Christopher on an episode of Musicality Now gave her the confidence that it wasn’t too late and she could resume studying seriously again. It wasn’t that she didn’t have the skills necessary to perform at the level she desired, she just hadn’t developed them year. 

Andrea dove straight into The Musician’s Ear and was really amazed at the diversity of the repertoire. She was learning music that she had never been exposed to before and this opened up doors that she never anticipated being possible. It was just the thing that she needed to jump start her study and reinvigorate a passion for developing her musicality. Most of all, she’s really enjoyed the interactions that she’s had with the Musical U team and several other students in the course. “You don't know when you join something where you're going to find yourself, but I have just been so blessed by the interactions with both team members, and co-members, and other people taking these courses. Just... it's been just really rewarding”

After a successful career and raising a family, Sharilynn found herself called back to playing music in the most unlikely of genres; jazz. Her previous experiences playing and studying classical music had not prepared her for improvisation, listening across the ensemble or playing from a lead sheet. But she was determined to continue to grow as a musician and expand her repertoire. 

Since taking The Musician’s Ear, Sharilynn has found her knowledge of this and other forms of music to be more complete. She now loves to play in the jazz band and has even found a greater connection to her son’s music. The doors have been swung open and she’s enjoying being a musician more than she ever was in the past. Sharilynn is now performing on a regular basis, teaching music lessons, and loving every minute of her newfound musicality.