Summer Kindermusik classes

Registration is now open for Summer Kindermusik classes in my studio.  You can see the schedule and register by going to www.glendasmusic.kindermusik.net.  Join us for 5 weeks of music fun!  We have classes for children birth to age 7.  Most classes are in the morning, but there is also an evening class for 5-7 year olds.

Imagine That! Cities

Imagine That! students each made their own building, then in class we arranged the buildings into a city.  Here are pictures of the children with their buildings.

Music Aids Cardiovascular Health

Listening to your favorite music may be good for your cardiovascular system. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore have shown for the first time that the emotions aroused by joyful music have a healthy effect on blood vessel function. 

Music, selected by study participants because it made them feel good and brought them a sense of joy, caused tissue in the inner lining of blood vessels to dilate (or expand) in order to increase blood flow. This healthy response matches what the same researchers found in a 2005 study of laughter. On the other hand, when study volunteers listened to music they perceived as stressful, their blood vessels narrowed, producing a potentially unhealthy response that reduces blood flow. 

The results of the study, conducted at the University of Maryland Medical Center, were presented at the Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association, on November 11, 2008, in New Orleans. 

“We had previously demonstrated that positive emotions, such as laughter, were good for vascular health. So, a logical question was whether other emotions, such as those evoked by music, have a similar effect,” says principal investigator Michael Miller, M.D., director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center and associate professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “We knew that individual people would react differently to different types of music, so in this study, we enabled participants to select music based upon their likes and dislikes.”

Finish this article by going to www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/129106.php

You are invited

The Spring Semester of Kindermusik classes at Glenda’s Music Studio have begun.  However, there is still room in some of the classes, so if you are interested, let us know.  Go to www.glendasmusic.kindermusik.net to see which classes still have room.

Stand By Me

This is wonderful.  Enjoy!

When Should my child Begin Private Instrumental Instruction?

As a general rule, most children are not ready to begin formal instrumental training before the age of 6 or 7 for piano or string instruments, and most instructors will not accept students younger than 8 or 9 for other orchestral or band instruments. Before that, they tend to lack the size, stamina, and outcome-oriented commitment to make lessons a pleasurable and successful experience. Children are individuals, with a wide range of aptitude, but all children possess the ability to enjoy lifelong music making, and this ability can be greatly influenced by how we choose to approach their earliest experiences.
Kindermusik contains all of the needed elements to develop a child who is musically aware and who has the solid foundation to make lessons a natural and joyous next step. Children who grow up in Kindermusik have had chances to succeed, be nurtured and encouraged in their early creative explorations, and develop a core of music theory instilled through voice, body, and mind. Music for them is a natural part of their environment, and they have gained the language of note, rhythm, and expression to help them as they select which instrument they most wish to make their own. Many experts agree that early musical enrichment lays a foundation for musicianship which may accelerate later progress on an instrument. 
Children who graduate from Kindermusik for the Young Child have a strong basis in theory, musicianship, and instrumental technique. More importantly, they have been allowed to develop the whole child through music, in a supportive and reassuring atmosphere, which lays the groundwork for a lifetime of positive outlook not only towards music learning, but towards learning in general.

by Wendy Jones, Kindermusik Educator, Clarence, NY

Why Kindermusik?

It’s true

 that research shows music helps children become better learners, and that even a newborn emotionally responds to music. Parents respond, too: 99% of Kindermusik parents would recommend the classes to other parents*. 

However, all the research in the world can’t accurately capture the look of pure delight in your child’s eyes when she experiences the sights and sounds of Kindermusik, both in the classroom and at home.

With 30 years experience in developing early learning curricula and products, Kindermusik is the world’s most trusted name in music and movement classes for children newborn to seven. Kindermusik curricula are based upon the principles of early development applied to developmentally appropriate practice as defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Plus, the Kindermusik philosophy is rooted in the work of early childhood development experts like Piaget, Montessori, and Greenspan.

Our full curricula offer your child seven years of musical learning that involves every aspect of your child’s growth and development: language, motor skills, social skills, cognitive development, emotional growth, and musicality. Throughout the Kindermusik experience, a trusted and trained Educator will guide you and your child through every musical and developmental milestone and help you understand what is happening all along the way. Each semester, a new set of At Home Materials brings the experience out of the classroom and into your every day routines and rituals.

Come experience for yourself why more parents around the world choose Kindermusik than any other music and movement program.

(*Harris Interactive, November 2005)

Kindermusik and Literacy

Behold . . . the Power of Kindermusik!

We know we’re being dramatic, but I’m afraid we won’t apologize . . . because the research about music and children’s development is truly jaw-dropping. In the last couple of years, the eyes of the research community have turned increasingly to music, and the marvels and mysteries they have discovered are nothing short of amazing (though perhaps not exactly surprising to people who’ve regularly witnessed its effect). The bottom line: early, positive, age-appropriate experiences with music—like Kindermusik—can have a remarkable and research-proven impact on children’s learning, including language and literacy skills (e.g., vocabulary, comprehension, listening, expression); social and emotional development; mathematics and pattern-recognition skills; and even ability to plan, guide, and self-regulate behavior. It’s a lot to keep track of, so we’ve summarized the latest research on the benefits of Kindermusik-style music and movement experiences. Take a look . . .

Music & Literacy

Early music experiences can have a significant impact on literacy and reading. According to experts, learning to read depends on acquiring a variety of skills, including phonological processing, oral language, and comprehension. So when it comes to these literacy-boosting skills . . . how does Kindermusik fit in?

• Kindermusik Classes: On the Path to Reading (“Our Time”)
  by Suzanne I. Barchers, Ed.D. and Heidi Gilman Bennett
  • Research Highlights (Shorter)
  • e-Book (Longer)
• Kindermusik Classes: On the Path to Reading (“Imagine That”) 
  by Suzanne I. Barchers, Ed.D. and Heidi Gilman Bennett
  • Research Highlights (Shorter)
  • e-Book (Longer)

Registration for Spring Kindermusik classes

Registration for Spring Kindermusik classes is currently open for current families in our program.  Effective December 1, registration is open to the public!

Go to www.glendasmusic.kindermusik.net to check out which classes are being offered, and make plans to join us!

Music study enhances language learning

This video documents a study done at Northwestern University which documents the importance of music study in learning language.  Notice the Kindermusik class in the video!