These classes are no longer offered in Murray. In order to be fully developed individuals, all children should receive music instruction. Wandering is fine.
Also music instruction received at an early age will make the greatest difference in terms of life-long music learning. The younger a child is immersed in an appropriate music environment, the better. Music is learned in much the same way that a language is learned. Children need to hear and experiment with extensive amounts of language before they actually learn to speak. Once a fluent vocabulary
has been developed, children may begin to read and write. In the same way, children need to hear a wide variety of styles of music and interact however they feel comfortable before we can expect them to sing. Children should be able to sing in tune and keep a steady beat before being expected to read and write music. Otherwise, they are only decoding notes on a page rather than bringing meaning to what they read on a page. The early childhood music classes being offered are designed to create a rich music environment for the child to interact with in whatever way she or he feels the most comfortable. Some children will be active participants, while other children will prefer to watch and absorb. All the classes will include singing and chanting for the children in a wide variety of tonalities and meters. Many of the songs that we perform in class will be without words, because research has shown that children tend to focus on words rather than musical content. We will also provide opportunities for age-appropriate movement, with a focus on guiding children to move in a sustained, continuous, relaxed way. Children will be exposed to a vocabulary of tonal and rhythm patterns, which they may or may not perform in class or later at home. In addition, there will also be a limited amount of exploration of simple percussion instruments. “Correct” responses will not be required of children; rather, children will be given the opportunity to explore their musical environment in the same way that they were given the opportunity to explore in their language environment. For more detailed information on Music Learning Theory by Edwin Gordon go to www.giml.org and click on Music Learning Theory, then Early Childhood. PARENT/CAREGIVER’S ROLE
A parent or caregiver must be present for class and should participate. Sit with your child in the circle and serve as a good example for your child. If I move to a song in a certain way, imitate my movement. As you get to know some of the songs, feel free to sing along. Please do not force your child to participate or do what I do. There will be some children who wander around during class. You can gently encourage your child to join the group, but please do not force them. I will not intervene unless the child is harming themselves or others or is interfering with learning. Your child may still absorb what is being sung without watching me directly. Please do not bring food, drink or toys to class. This tends to distract the other children. Keep anything of this nature in a bag for use outside of the room before or after class.
