Think outside the box!

by elizabeth  

What gifts will you give your child this year? It seems like every year I try to come up with a toy for my child’s birthday that will delight them, and every year, two days after the big day, they are bored and the toy is forgotten! Have you been there? This year, why don’t you give your child a gift they will keep for life? During your child’s first five years, they have more musical potential than any other time in their life. The Musikgarten curriculum helps your child harness this potential, so that, instead of gradually losing it over time, your child will gain musical skills. Once your child has these skills, they will keep them for life. Music will come naturally to them, and be seamlessly integrated into their life. Let them learn the joy of community music making in a fun-filled and nurturing environment. Your child will thank you, both now and in fifty years!

What do we do in Music Class?

by elizabeth  

A lot! As far as your child is concerned, we sing a lot, dance a lot and play a lot of instruments. We have a lot of fun and have the freedom to explore music at our own pace.

As far as you are concerned, we are trying to help your child learn to listen to music and learn to internalize music, so that as they grow older, music will be a natural part of their life — everything from playing an instrument to singing with their own children someday. We spend a lot of time therefore on beat activities (bouncing songs, rhythm instruments, rocking songs) and giving children the chance to try out their singing voice (call and response songs, singing games). We spend a lot of time on body awareness activities (Traveling movement songs, dancing, Finger plays). When children have a good understanding of their bodies, and where they are in space, their brains become more organized, making connections not only to music, but also reading skills, concentration and more!

So what do we do in music class? We allow children the freedom to explore music, with guidance to help them become musicians for life!

Come for the Fun, Stay for the Education!

Reactions

by elizabeth  

We are about halfway through the semester, and it has been so much fun watching all of your children become more engaged in the music each week. I wanted to add a quick note about how different children react to music class. Some children are really shy and don’t want to participate much in class activities, some are really active and think the table is a great place to hide for half of the class, some children are engaged completely every week, and many children are a combination of all the above. 

Please don’t worry about how your child “acts” in class. They are ALL perfectly normal, and having very normal age appropriate reactions. Children listen differently than adults. At this age we are really trying to get them to absorb the sounds of music, internalize the rhythms and melodies — exactly the same way they learn language. I promise — if they are in the room, they are hearing the language, and becoming fluent. 

Hopefully, by now, you have noticed your child “playing” music at home some. My children had our yard statues in a circle yesterday, and Ginger was leading them with a “baba ba”. It made me smile. I hope you have had similar experiences lately. Please feel free to share with me if you have!

Those amazing babies!

by elizabeth  

It’s amazing how much children absorb and learn isn’t it? Like language, music is one of those things that is learned most naturally and easily in early childhood. But what exactly are children learning? And what can we expect them to “perform”?

There are three key things children can learn in early childhood that will help them be musical their entire life. Once children have these skills, they keep them for life! What a gift for your children!

The first is the ability to match pitch. The easiest way for children to have success in this is for you to sing with them! A lot! The challenge with this is to sing in a pitch slightly higher than your natural voice. As anyone with a whiny two year old knows, little children’s voices are pitched high! Try matching their singing voice. You will see it when this skill clicks for them.

The second is the ability to keep a steady beat. Research has been showing lately how important this ability is in brain organization. Research has also shown how fewer and fewer people have it! When you keep a steady beat you are able to develop a sense of timing and a sense of ebb and flow. This is true not just in the music, but it transfers to daily routines. There has even been some suggestion that a steady beat can combat ADHD! To help your child with this, read poetry with your child — especially nursery rhymes and finger plays. Dance with your baby, and tap that steady beat on their body to reinforce it.

Finally, we really want children to internalize the music. When your child starts hearing the music in his or her head, you know that music will be with them for life. You can watch for this to start happening as you sing with them. Try singing songs with motions, and then taking out the words. Try singing a song or reciting a poem and letting them fill in the last word or phrase.

Music does something special and unique to a person’s brain. It ingrains itself. In our classes, we work on all of the above skills, and give you plenty more activities to do with your little one. If you give your child the gift of music, you are giving them a gift they will keep for life!