A music school that keeps kids interested in lessons!

Whether they’re taking vocal lessons or learning how to play guitar, keyboard, violin or drums, sustaining a child’s interest is what helps them master an instrument. To achieve this, music school Aureus Academy has traded black-and-white scores for interactive music lessons built around storytelling and milestone-based challenges.

Why parents choose Aureus Academy music school for their children

“My children have been enjoying their piano lessons at Aureus Academy and it’s thanks to their wonderful teacher. He is kind and patient with kids. My children have shown great progress, and their interest is still sustained.” – Hui Fen

“My son has been attending Aureus Academy for two years, and we’ve had a very positive experience at the music school. We can see that he is enjoying his lessons and making good progress. The teacher is very professional, patient and encouraging. She knows how to keep them motivated and engaged.” – Carla Montalbano

“The drum teacher at Aureus Academy is amazing! He is incredibly patient, encouraging and engaging with my son. He knows exactly how to break down complex rhythms so kids can easily follow along and build confidence. My son absolutely loves his drum lessons in Singapore. Highly recommended!” – Yuki

How to keep students engaged during vocal, drum and guitar lessons?

The Academy’s co-founder, Lawrence, realised that a child’s interest in learning to play music can fade as quickly as they want to learn it. This happens when they face the reality of learning through traditional black-and-white method books.

“Those books are not vibrant or engaging – there’s no storytelling,” says Lawrence. He adds that the arrangements in the books are based on music composed between the 1600s and early 1900s.

While Lawrence acknowledges the rigorous foundations of these methods to learn music, he argues that they don’t sustain the attention and interest of younger students.

This is why the Aureus Academy team, led by Lawrence, developed their own curriculum that brings music lessons to life through immersive storytelling and adventure-based environments. Aureus Interactive was launched in August 2025.

Below are some of the ways the programme helps children stay engaged and excited when taking vocal lessons or learning how to play guitar, drums, keyboard or other musical instruments.

Journeying through a musical universe

Children love playing games and they love winning! Aureus Interactive combines these two elements to keep children engaged when learning music. At the start, a student enters a “musical universe” with the instrument they’re learning. They then progress through five levels or grades to master the instrument. There are a few quests in each level for students to complete, earning a collectible each time they complete a quest. Accompanying them on their quests are original characters that are part of the universe.

These quests and collectibles keep students engaged and interested, encouraging them to attend their vocal, drum or guitar lessons at the music school. Upon completing the fifth grade, they’ll have learned 100 compositions, including original pieces and works reimagined by Aureus Academy. The pieces span over 30 musical genres ranging from classical to jazz, rock, pop, electronic and musical theatre.

Whether they’re enrolled in drum lessons, guitar lessons, keyboard lessons or vocal lessons, there are over 300 activities and 400 skills at every grade.

Keeping music at the forefront

Like with any subject, children can get restless during music lessons. The teachers at Aureus Academy keep them engaged with the help of technology. Music-oriented games are opened on tablets, so students continue learning music, just in a different way. This helps students sustain interest in learning music without completely distracting them.

Working towards a goal – music school’s certification

Another way to encourage students to keep at music lessons is giving them an end goal. Students at Aureus Academy can work towards gaining Aureus Grades. This is the music school’s new certification pathway that’s endorsed and internationally accredited by the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in the UK.

There aren’t separate exams or additional preparation required. Students who register for this pathway achieve the certification by completing 20 skill challenges during lessons and recording five songs. Progress is measured against a comprehensive 200-point grading rubric, giving parents and students a clear picture of musical development.

A world of music experience at Aureus Academy

When students learn guitar, drums, keyboard or singing at Aureus Academy, they’re learning alongside backing tracks recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra.

This is the renowned ensemble that’s behind the soundtrack of the Star Wars and Harry Potter films. The tracks are conducted by Andrew Litton, a Grammy Award-winner. And every piece is recorded at Abbey Road Studios, where artists including The Beatles, Adele, Ed Sheeran and Lady Gaga have worked in the past.

Contemporary pieces are recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville. The sound engineers and session musicians at Blackbird have contributed to records by Taylor Swift, Sheryl Crow, Kings of Leon and more.

What benefits kids do kids get from learning music at a music school?

There is plenty of research on the many positive outcomes of starting to learn music at a young age. Here are some key highlights, compiled by Aureus Academy.

#1 Enhances brain connectivity

The Brain and Creativity Institute University of Southern California did a study that indicates music training “induces macro and microstructural brain changes in school-age children”. When children learn music, they strengthen the brain systems that support learning, coordination and flexible thinking.

#2 Improves memory and attention

Learning music trains children to listen carefully, retain information and respond with precision. This helps in developing the attention and memory skills that support stronger day-to-day performance.

#3 Strengthens language development

Research published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America) also found that musical intervention in infants enhanced neural processing of temporal structure in both music and speech. This suggests that early musical engagement can help support the foundations of language development.

The above are essential skills that help children to succeed in school and in life. This holds true whether they’re taking guitar, drum, vocal or keyboard lessons or learning some other instrument.

Starting young – try a music lesson at Aureus Academy

Children can start learning music at Aureus Academy from as young as 2.5 years old. You can let your child experience music learning at Aureus Academy with a trial lesson, which you can book here.

A typical one-to-one music lesson for beginners can be 45 or 60 minutes. The team at the music school will recommend the most suitable option during the enquiry or trial booking. They’ll also walk parents through the packages for their music lessons, with fees starting from $279 per month.

With 30 music schools island-wide, you can pick a convenient location for your child to attend lessons in Singapore.

aureusacademy.com

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