I thought you would enjoy reading this short message on the pathway to music literacy in children:
From whatever country they were born, or environment they were born into, all children are born with a natural ability and inclination to sing and dance. Famed children’s music researcher, teacher, author and lecturer Dr. Edwin E. Gordon concluded that until age 9, children are in the developmental stage of their music aptitude and disposition. Throughout this time, parents and teachers have a great impact on how musical a child will be for life.Aural Preparation is Key to Music Development Just as language begins in children with aural preparation, music also starts as an aural reality for the child. Only after this reality exists is the child able to then read and write language, or understand the written form of music in notation. Just as words are the building blocks of language, tonal and rhythm patterns comprise the vocabulary of musical language. This is why from the Babies class through Keyboard classes with six and seven year olds, your children will copy the teacher from the Babies “Bah-Bah” with George the monkey puppet to children ages four and up singing solfege (Do-Re-Mi, etc.) Once children become familiar with these patterns, they love playing aural games that apply both a neutral, chanted syllable, or in the context of a familiar song.Children singing melodic patterns in a Musikgarten class.( enter a picture here over this paragraph )Isn’t it amazing what your children are learning in Musikgarten class? And they think they are just having fun! That’s why we in Musikgarten say “Come for the fun, stay for the education.
“See you soon!
With love and thanks, Barbara