Young Band Classes at TEMPO — UPTempo

Music classes kids love

UPTempo is TEMPO's newest Education venture to help community members Level UP on their music & dance journey.

Beginning with a band program for the youngest musicians in the community, weekly 45min classes will allow 4-8yr-olds to build their music fundamentals in a small group setting as a band by:

playing games
writing original songs
making music on: keys, drums, guitar, bass & vocals

We're fortunate to have Jason Vance at the helm leading these MiniKeys and Jam Band 101 classes, who has been crafting & teaching this unique, tried & true curriculum with Brooklyn Music Factory for the last 10 years.

Rhythm
Melody
Harmony
Songwriting

Hear Jason describe the program here:

Two classes, one game-based curriculum

MiniKeys

Ages 4–5

A positive, joyful first music class. Students build skills on piano, drums, guitar, & voice by playing music games that teach the fundamentals of Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, & Songwriting.

Class size: Up to 6 kids
Length: 45 minutes, weekly
Instruments: Keyboard, drums, guitar, voice

A sample of skills they'll build

Find C, D, E, F, G on the piano
Feel the pulse of a song and find beat 1
Read and play simple rhythms on percussion
Basic drum technique on floor tom and snare
Play melodies and two-finger chords

Jam Band 101

Ages 6–8

A game-based band class and a launch pad for a lifetime of making music. Students explore piano, drums, guitar, bass, and voice, and write and perform original songs with their band.

Class size: Up to 6 kids
Length: 45 minutes, weekly
Instruments: Keyboard, drums, guitar, bass, voice

A sample of skills they'll build

Quarter, half, eighth, and whole notes
Major and minor chords
Song form: intro, verse, chorus, bridge, outro
Each instrument's role in a band
Write several original songs as a band

Weekly schedule

Classes run Tuesdays and Wednesdays after school, starting Tuesday, October 13, 2026 and ending Wednesday, June 16, 2027. Choose the day that works for your family.

Class	Tuesday	Wednesday
MiniKeys (ages 4–5)	4:00 PM	3:45 PM
Jam Band 101 (ages 6–8)	4:45 PM (6/7yr-olds)	4:30 PM (7/8 yr-olds) — FULL

Classes follow the local school calendar, with no class during Thanksgiving week, winter break, and spring break. There will be 2 band parties — one in January & one in June — for all bands to have a mini-gig at Tempo and share their songs with the community.

Tuition

Tempo's mission is to make music accessible to all, so like all of its programming, Tuition rates are offered at three tiers. Pick the tier that works for your family to enroll.

Tier 1

$129/month

$40 per class · $1,160 per year

Tier 2

$145/month

$45 per class · $1,305 per year

Tier 3

$161/month

$50 per class · $1,450 per year

Enrollment is for the full year, October through June, billed in nine monthly installments.
Tuition is based on 29 classes over the course of the school year. The calendar includes 31 weeks of classes, so if school closes for weather, it won't cost you a class.

Read the full enrollment terms & 2026–27 key dates →

What families say about these classes

It takes away all the boredom and fear that comes with old-school piano lessons and turns learning music into a real joy.

Through a series of musical games, they wrote lyrics, composed a song, played and recorded it. So much fun!

The difference is that kids learn cooperation to reach a goal (much like when doing team sports) and they have so much fun!

My son and his friend LOVE going to class every week and really want to show their teacher that they are learning.

From parents of MiniKeys and Jam Band 101 students at Brooklyn Music Factory.

Jason performing for kids at a bookstore

Meet your teacher

Jason Vance leads UPTempo. He has over 20 years of teaching experience, from pre-K through middle school. In addition to still serving as the Director of Exploration Bands at Brooklyn Music Factory training their MiniKeys & Jam Band 101 teachers, he also teaches all performing arts as a member of the New Victory teaching artist ensemble visiting NYC public school classrooms of all ages, is the music teacher for BOCES Middle School program and formerly headed the music program at Middle Way School.

He also performs across the Northeast as a one-man band and storyteller who gets every kid in the room playing along.

More about Jason →

Questions

My child is turning 6 soon. Which class is right?

If your child turns 6 within two or three months, Jam Band 101 is usually the best fit. Otherwise we recommend MiniKeys. What matters most is that kids are in a group with others their age.

Can I stay for the class?

Parents and caregivers are expected to wait at Tempo for their child while the class is going on, but will not be in the band room with the students during class. However, many classes, parents & caregivers will be invited in at the end of class to get a sample of the song they're working on, as well as regular weekly band updates.

Can kids this young really write a song?

Yes, and they're so proud of it. The games build each skill step by step. For example, students practice counting beats and measures on hand drums, then write a song using those same beats and measures on the Bandstand.

What happens on a snow day?

Tuition is based on 29 classes and the calendar has 31, so weather cancellations aren't made up unless your child would otherwise get fewer than 29 classes.

Join the band this fall

Classes start October 13. Spots are limited to 6 kids per class.

Reserve Your Spot

TEMPO · 29 Wurts Street, Kingston, NY 12401