Musical Beginnings

Academy faculty

Maggie Polk Olivo is a music director, composer, and collaborator. Olivo holds degrees from IU Jacobs in music composition and music education. She has training in Kodály, Orff/Keetman, Feierabend, and Musikgarten methodologies. She directs IU Musical Beginnings, teaches at Fairview Elementary and Rocky Ridge Music Center, and directs Bridges MAYO.

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Tracey Shi is a Ph.D. student in music education at IU. She teaches BloomingSongs classes at IU Musical Beginnings and is a teaching assistant for the IU Children’s Choir. Tracey completed her Kodály Level II training at IU in 2021. Her previous teaching experiences with children include leading San Diego Children’s Choir summer program, teaching early childhood music classes at Bloomington Developmental Learning Center, and teaching elementary general music classes in China.

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Sai Guo is a Ph.D. student studying music education at the Jacobs School of Music. She holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in the UK and a master’s degree in Music Education with a focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Sai worked as a music instructor at both the Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs (BIAESN) and Boston Public School (BPS), where she provided piano and group music lessons to students from K0-K8 with ASD. Sai currently also assists and teaches at the IU Children’s Choir and MusColAbility program.

For more information, contact Maggie Olivo at smpolk@iu.edu; or call 812-361-9332.

Schedule

Fall 2024 Semester
DateEvent
Monday, September 23Cycle of Seasons: Classes begin
Tuesday, September 24BloomingSongs: Classes begin
November 25-29Thanksgiving Break, no classes
Monday, December 2Cycle of Seasons: Classes conclude
Tuesday, December 3BloomingSongs: Classes conclude
Spring 2025 Semester
DateEvent
Monday, February 17Cycle of Seasons: Classes begin
Tuesday, February 18BloomingSongs: Classes begin
March 17 - 21Spring Break, no classes
Monday, April 28Cycle of Seasons: Classes conclude
Tuesday, April 29BloomingSongs: Classes conclude

Class Offerings

Instructors: Sai Guo and Tracey Shi

Fall Semester:September 24 - December 3, 2024

Spring Semester: February 18 - April 29, 2025

Meeting Time: Tuesdays, 5 - 5:30PM or 5:45 - 6:15PM

Location: First Presbyterian Church

Additional Notes: 1) Access to audio and activities is included in the rate of tuition. 

Instructor: Sai Guo

Fall Semester:September 23 - December 2, 2024

Spring Semester: February 17 - April 28, 2025

Meeting Time: Mondays, 5:30 - 6:00PM

Location: First Presbyterian Church

Additional Notes: 1) Access to audio and activities is included in the rate of tuition. 

Tuition and deadlines

Tuition

  • BloomingSongs - $155
  • Cycle of Seasons (w/out Materials) - $155
  • Cycle of Seasons (w/Materials) - $190

Deadlines

  • Financial aid - February 1, 2025
  • Registration and payment due - February 16, 2025

Beginning Spring 2025, all levels will be subject to a $50 non-refundable registration fee due at the time of registration that is credited towards the total tuition payment.

How to apply

  1. Application process: To apply, please complete the online registration form .
  2. Enrollment limit: Registration for BloomingSongs and Cycle of Seasons will close at 10 participants per course.
  3. Payment: Accepting payment via credit card or check. Please do not send checks or any other forms of payment to the Office of Jacobs Academy.
  4. Cancellation Policy: Click here for our most up to date cancellation policy.

Registration for Spring 2025 coming soon

Once you have completed the previous steps, please submit the Participant Agreement Form