In a world where so much of the focus for our children is on what’s measurable, I want to talk about what’s memorable because every week in our Kindermusik classes, I am privileged to experience and celebrate what’s memorable.
The experts and specialists can all point to various research studies and case studies that support the notion that early childhood music classes can have significant impact on a child’s cognitive, physical, and musical development. There’s no disputing those cold, hard facts. But what keeps me going back to the classroom, what inspires me to continue forging ahead as a program owner through some of the worst economic times we’ve ever seen is not the research or the facts, but rather in the magic I see unfolding every week in every class – the magic that creates the memories.
For the children attending Kindermusik classes, the magic is in the gift of time, time together in class with their special adult that is focused on enjoying one another, freely and without distraction or requirements. For still others who have developmental delays or special needs, Kindermusik music classes are that final key to unlocking that final gate for communication, through learning to sign, beginning to speak, or connecting through the joy of a shared experience.
Sometimes the magic comes through the non-verbal – that first hesitant smile, those first little dance steps, or those first notes on their instrument. For others, the magic happens when they jingle along to the steady beat, find their singing voice for the first time, share their ideas with the rest of the class, or contribute their part to a musical ensemble.
For many, the magic truly lies in the delight of active discovery of the group experience, making music together, making new friends, and being part of something bigger than themselves. It’s also about discovering the freedom of just being getting to be a kid in an environment where playfulness, childhood, and music are freely explored and enthusiastically celebrated, and delightfully inspired through a rich curriculum based on the very best understanding of early childhood music education, learning strategies, and child development.
Even for the adults themselves, there is magic in discovering a support network of others dealing with the same parenting challenges they are, in uncovering a resource for ideas and tools that help make every day parenting just a little bit easier. And most every parent, grandparent, or caregiver agrees the real magic comes in bonding with their special little someone and seeing their child’s eyes light up with the pure joy of being involved in a group music-making experience.
Kindermusik is many things to many people, but there’s no denying the magical combination of happy children, delightful music, caring adults, wonderful educators, and the premier music and movement program in the world. The magic of Kindermusik is truly the stuff that memories are made of – the kind of memories that don’t have a price tag because they will stay in that special corner of our hearts for the rest of our lives.