Creative Sound Play

What Creative Sound Play does

Creative Sound Play is a Brooklyn-based educational methodology company founded by Hayes Greenfield that develops play-based sound activities, classroom curricula, and professional development resources for early-childhood educators. Its core offering is the Quick Start Guide system, a structured set of sound-making activities designed to improve classroom transitions and support executive-function development in young learners, packaged alongside workshops, a self-paced video curriculum hosted on Podia, and a course distributed through the National Head Start Association (NHSA) Academy portal. The company also publishes a methodology book through Routledge (Taylor & Francis), released in 2024, which serves as a credentialed reference for the curriculum and an additional distribution channel into academic and library markets.

The customer base is concentrated in the Pre-K and Head Start segments, with documented engagements at Head Start grantees (CCIU, ECS Head Start, Central Kentucky Community Action, Bank Street Head Start), independent preschools (Third Street Music Settlement, Noroton Presbyterian Nursery School), and community organizations (Lenox Hill Neighborhood House). In 2025 the company joined the Berklee Institute Leadership Network, indicating intent to expand into higher-education and arts-institution audiences. Revenue derives from three streams: book sales and royalties, online course fees (NHSA Academy and Podia self-paced curriculum), and professional-services revenue from workshops and speaking engagements.

The business is operated as a solo-founder practice with 1-10 employees, with no disclosed external funding. The moat is anchored in Greenfield's three decades of teaching-artist experience, the codified curriculum, and channel access through NHSA and Routledge. The company has no AI or software-platform component; its product is fundamentally a methodology delivered through human-led and asynchronous video instruction.

Name

Creative Sound Play

Legal name

Creative Sound Play

Website

https://creativesoundplay.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Creative Sound Play is a Brooklyn-based educational methodology company founded by Hayes Greenfield that provides play-based sound-activity curricula, workshops, and online courses for Pre-K teachers and Head Start programs to improve classroom transitions and executive-function development in young learners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Childhood Music Education (Ages 0–7) (EDAMANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Creative Arts, Music & Movement Content (EDAGACAG), Early Childhood Educational Media (Songs, Stories, Interactive) (EDAGALAC)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Sound-based curriculum
• Pre-K professional development
• Classroom transition activities
• Executive function learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: The book 'Creative Sound Play for Young Learners' is published by Routledge Taylor Francis and sold as a Teacher's Guide. This represents a one-time license revenue model for the published educational content.
2. Online Course Licensing: Self-paced video curriculum offered through NHSA's professional development portal 'The Academy'. Course titled 'Effective Transitions Essentials for Classrooms' is offered to Head Start coaches, educational and curriculum specialists, and teachers.
3. Workshop and Speaking Fees: In-person and remote coaching sessions, workshop delivery, and speaking engagements at conferences (NAEYC, NHSA, Berklee, etc.). Revenue generated from educational institutions and conference organizers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Creative Sound Play sells a play-based, sound-focused curriculum and methodology system for Pre-K and early childhood educators. Core offerings include the published book 'Creative Sound Play for Young Learners' (Routledge, 2024), self-paced video curriculum via Podia, the Quick Start Guide implementation system, the NHSA Academy course 'Effective Transitions Essentials for Classrooms,' and in-person and remote professional development workshops for schools and Head Start programs.

Product overview

Creative Sound Play is a unified, interconnected play-based learning system centered on sound-based activities for early childhood education. The core system consists of the Quick Start Guide and the published book 'Creative Sound Play for Young Learners' (Routledge, 2024) which provides techniques for using pitch, volume, and duration elements of sound to support executive function and SEL development. The system is delivered through self-paced video curriculum on Podia, in-person and remote coaching sessions, and professional development workshops. The offering is designed for Pre-K educators to transform classroom transition times into productive learning moments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Creative Sound Play for Young Learners (Book) A published teacher's guide (Routledge Taylor Francis, Eye On Education series, 2024) that invites educators to use sound-making as a collaborative, play-based practice in early childhood classrooms to transform transition times and support executive functioning development and social-emotional learning.
• Professional Development Workshops & Speaking Engagements In-person and remote coaching sessions and professional development workshops for Pre-K teachers, Head Start programs, and educational conferences covering sound-based pedagogy, executive function development, and classroom management through sound activities.
• Self-Paced Video Curriculum (Podia) Self-paced video curriculum delivered through the Podia platform, accompanied by in-class reference sheets for educators to implement the Creative Sound Play methodology independently.
• NHSA Course - Effective Transitions Essentials for Classrooms Course offered through the National Head Start Association's professional development online portal 'The Academy' for Head Start coaches, educational and curriculum specialists, and teachers. Created in 2021.
• Creative Sound Play Quick Start Guide An interconnected, play-based, generative learning system that turns all classroom transitions into short, fun, play-based learning bursts that develop children's executive function abilities, social-emotional skills, mindfulness, and community building.

Quantifiable outcome

• Transition times consume 16-28% of instructional time each day, and the methodology transforms these into productive learning bursts.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Berklee Institute Leadership NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Hayes Greenfield joined the Berklee Institute's Leadership Network for Accessible Arts Education (LNAAE) in 2025 to present on working memory and cognitive flexibility techniques.
• Routledge Taylor FranciscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Published Creative Sound Play for Young Learners through Routledge Taylor Francis as part of their Eye On Education Book series. Routledge handles distribution of the published educational guide to teachers and institutions.
• National Head Start Association (NHSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Strategic partnership since 2021 with NHSA to provide professional development courses for Head Start coaches, educational and curriculum specialists, and teachers. Hayes Greenfield created 'Effective Transitions Essentials for Classrooms,' one of the first courses on NHSA's professional development portal 'The Academy.' Regular contributor to their 'Tackling Challenging Behaviors' webinar series.
• Bank Street Head StartmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Consulting engagement from 2015-2017 to further develop and refine the Creative Sound Play methodology in early childhood Head Start settings.
• Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Early Childhood CentercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2012From 2012-2017, Hayes devoted five years to codifying the Creative Sound Play methodology at Lenox Hill's award-winning Head Start program. The partnership resulted in a refined, proven methodology now replicated across other institutions.
• PNC Bank Grow Up Great InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009From 2009-2012, Hayes created a successful Pre-K pilot program for Detroit Public Schools as part of the PNC Bank 'Grow Up Great Initiative,' an early childhood education investment program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kindermusik: Kindermusik offers early childhood music and movement classes for young children, with curricula designed to develop cognitive, social, and motor skills. Directly comparable to Creative Sound Play as an early childhood music/sound education provider targeting similar age groups and developmental outcomes.
• Music for Aardvarks: Music for Aardvarks offers original music and movement classes for young children and families, with a curriculum emphasising creative musical expression. Directly comparable as an early childhood music/sound education provider focusing on creative play-based learning.
• Frog Street: Frog Street provides comprehensive early childhood curriculum, professional development, and content for educators serving children from birth through age 5. Closely comparable to Creative Sound Play as a B2B early childhood curriculum provider selling to schools and Head Start programs.
• Gymboree Play & Music: Gymboree Play & Music offers sensory, play, and music classes for young children globally. Comparable as an early childhood music and play-based education provider, though primarily B2C rather than B2B educator-focused like Creative Sound Play.
• Conscious Discipline: Conscious Discipline provides SEL and classroom management curriculum for early childhood through elementary educators, with research-backed methodologies. Directly comparable as a B2B SEL curriculum provider targeting educators with a methodology-led approach.
• Music Together: Music Together provides early childhood music education programs for children 0-8 and their families, with a strong research-based curriculum. Directly comparable to Creative Sound Play in the early childhood music/sound education category, though Music Together is primarily B2C whereas Creative Sound Play is B2B (educators).

Broad incumbents

• Teaching Strategies: Teaching Strategies is a leading provider of early childhood curriculum, assessment, and professional development with The Creative Curriculum platform. Broader incumbent serving the same Pre-K and Head Start customer base with a wider portfolio of offerings.
• Berklee College of Music: Berklee is a leading higher education institution for music and performing arts. Relevant as a broader music education incumbent with whom Hayes Greenfield has partnered (Berklee Institute LNAAE in 2025), operating in the music education space with overlapping methodology and educator audiences.
• HighScope: HighScope is an established early childhood curriculum and research organisation offering active participatory learning frameworks. Broader incumbent in the early childhood education space with comparable B2B curriculum model and educator training.
• Second Step (Committee for Children): Committee for Children's Second Step is a leading SEL curriculum for early childhood through grade 8, with research-backed programs and educator training. Broader incumbent in the SEL curriculum space with overlapping customer base in Pre-K and elementary schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqS7L7Zq5eXJLA7T6GKIu5w
• Instagraminstagram.com/creativesoundplay
• Facebookfacebook.com/creativesoundplay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/creative-sound-play

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Creative Sound Play