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Answering the call – one educator’s story

I’ve always believed that being a Kindermusik educator is a calling, a purpose, a mission that every educator is called to . . . for one particular reason or another, and each of us receives that calling in a special and particular way.

My calling came over 11 years ago, when my first son, Jamie was born into the world, and into my heart, with Down Syndrome. When the doctors first nestled Jamie into my arms and explained his special needs to my husband and me, I knew I would never be the same. What I didn’t know at the time though, and which I now know with no uncertainty is that my life is better . . . blessed . . . and so much more beautiful, because of him.

I knew — as the doctors told me when he was born — I would need to teach Jamie every step of the way growing up, to help him reach his full potential. (This in fact went on to become one of my main reasons for eventually becoming a Kindermusik educator). What I didn’t know at the time, is that Jamie would go on to teach me so many more important lessons along the way . . . to be a better mother, a patient teacher, and ignite in me a genuine passion for connecting with other children and parents through another one of my passions, music.

Because of Jamie, I have been inspired to change careers from a fast-paced corporate life to running my own business that includes and celebrates families, parenthood, and being a child. Because of Jamie, I have discovered that teaching Kindermusik, and singing, dancing, and being with children every day is one of my most favorite things to do, no doubt the best job in the world. Because of Jamie, I have learned to celebrate and appreciate every moment and life experience for what is – an invitation to grow and become better, no matter what.

Now, as I go into what will soon be 10 years teaching Kindermusik, I give thanks for the many children and families whom I have been privileged to teach, as well as the “kindred-spirits” and great friends and educators in Kindermusik (Ally being one of them! J) whom I have been blessed to meet along the way, and I am humbled and grateful for the gift of Jamie . . . my son, who so many years ago (probably even to the beginning of time) was destined to be mine — to change me, and to change the world for the better.

Thank you Ally – and thank you Bryann! – for being an inspiration to me and my family with your great heart for teaching. You and your passion make me believe in the possibility of all things, and my faith and hope for the future is only strengthened. My prayer is that as we all continue our shared work in Kindermusik, we can go on to inspire even more families, parents, and children of all abilities to live and love life fully.

I believe that Kindermusik’s new Digital Teacher’s Guides, and the wonderful Kindermusik for Every Child initiative, will help be the catalyst to make this dream possible.

In thinking about my own journey with Jamie, I wanted to share a poem which I was inspired to write for him many years ago. I hope that it will serve as inspiration to any parents who may come into our Kindermusik classrooms in need of some strength and support for their children with special needs. I also hope it may possibly inspire other educator friends to participate and contribute to the Kindermusik for Every Child project. Together, I believe that all our hearts and spirits are meant to join as one to help uplift and inspire our children – and each other – to shine brightly, and to sing and dance joyfully.

Thank you Kindermusik for bringing all of us together for what truly is important work – a calling to teach, and learn, from the heart. ♥

~ Jeannie Castillo is the Distributor for Kindermusik in the Philippines, as well as Director for her Maestro program Kindermusik with Teacher Jeannie & Company, proudly among the top 1% of Kindermusik programs worldwide.

God’s Whisper

~ A poem by Jeannie Castillo for her son, Jamie ~

When you came, I heard God whisper,

“Take care of this little one.

He’s one of my special spirits

Accept him as your son.

He may need some extra attention

Some added patience and some time

But he’ll grow into a beautiful person

With your love, he’ll be just fine.

You’ll see that he will surprise you

He’ll amaze you with his soul

He’ll bring you joy and endless wonder

In his way, he’ll make you whole.

For every smile will be a miracle

Each new step, a victory

His growth will be blessed and meaningful

His life is a gift from Me.

This angel is your reminder

Of what is pure and what is true

It’s not what the world says that matters

What matters is all up to you.

You are the one who will teach him

That he is perfect in My eyes

With Me, he can move mountains

He can do anything, he need only try.

For this child has a magnificent spirit

He was meant to do wonderful things

His life has a special mission

I will raise him on eagle’s wings

To soar high and live life fully

To sing and laugh and love

So you must raise him with warmth and tenderness,

With Me, you’ll have enough.

Now always remember this message,

Be brave and strong and true

Know that I am with you

Remember that I chose you.

I chose you for this mission.

This is your gift to Me.

Take care of him well and let him be loved,

For when you love him . . . you love Me.”

~~~

November 2001

6 Compelling Reasons for Early Childhood Music Classes

If you think that music and movement classes for little children are just fluff, an article written by Autumn L. Zander in the Aug-Sep 2010 issue of American Music Teacher will make you think again. According to Ms. Zander, early childhood music classes (like Kindermusik!) will:

1. Expose children to basic music fundamentals that will help them be successful when pursuing private lessons later

2. Introduce social skills

3. Ease children into a nurturing learning environment

4. Promote peer interaction in a setting in which they share, listen to others, and support their friends

5. Help children discover that different learning styles abound

6. Make music – and music lessons – a routine priority in their schedule, now and in the future

Ms. Zander stresses, “Caregivers play an enormous role in the support and commitment needed for children to succeed in private lessons. The musical foundation that teachers strive to introduce and create is nearly impossible to accomplish without the caregiver’s support. From the first day of classes, the joy of creating music in a classroom, as many of my own families share with me, continues on the car ride home, in line at the grocery store, at the park, before bed time … everywhere. What a wonderful foundation to build upon–one in which music is a vibrant and active part of a family’s daily life.”

Click HERE to read Ms. Zander’s insightful article in its entirety.

Compiled by Theresa Case, M.Ed., Kindermusik Maestro and owner of the Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios in Greenville, SC

Give Your Brain a Work Out

Written by Kindermusik educator, Aimee Carter, as originally posted on her Delightful Sounds blog. Amy offers Kindermusik classes through her program, Delightful Sounds, which is located in Brandon, Florida.

I was doing some research about the benefits of music study today and ran across an article about the effects of music study on the brain. I found the article particularly interesting because of the following quote: “The effect of music training suggests that, akin to physical exercise and its impact on body fitness, music is a resource that tones the brain for auditory fitness and thus requires society to re-examine the role of music in shaping individual development.”

Simply put, music is great exercise for the brain, particularly in those areas which affect listening, reasoning, and language skills. Parents who expose their children to musical activities, such as our Kindermusik classes, are giving their children an early advantage for enhanced development and academic success. The developmental foundation that is established in these young minds will increase memory function, listening skills, and creative learning. It is also interesting to note that this study specifically referenced these same benefits for children with special needs who participate in music training.

You can read more by clicking HERE.

Lessons for a Lifetime

Authored by Kindermusik educator Aimee Carter as originally posted on her blog, More Than A Children’s Music Class. Aimee is the director of Delightful Sounds, a Kindermusik program in Brandon, Florida.

It’s spring time, and in most households that will include some “spring cleaning”. At my house, my children have been sorting through their toys and removing the items that they have outgrown or no longer enjoy. I’m guessing that you’ve been there at some point too. I have often said that Kindermusik classes are a gift that will last a lifetime for your children. My children loved their years in my Kindermusik classroom, and I can still see its effects today.

Recently, I read an article discussing the life-long effects of music study. In this study, 70 healthy adults age 60 to 83 were divided into groups based on their levels of musical experience. They found that the musicians had better performance scores on several cognitive tests than the adults who had never studied an instrument or learned how to read music. “Based on previous research and our study results, we believe that both the years of musical participation and the age of acquisition are critical,” Hanna-Pladdy says. “There are crucial periods in brain plasticity that enhance learning, which may make it easier to learn a musical instrument before a certain age and thus may have a larger impact on brain development.”

So as you are considering what activities to do this summer, I hope you’ll choose the gift of music. It’s benefits last a lifetime!

Editor’s note: If you are looking for Summer Kindermusik classes in your area, click here to access the Kindermusik Class Locator.

FOL Fridays: Unstructured Play

Child-development specialists describe unstructured play as essential to children’s growth and crucial in cultivating creativity and imagination. Unstructured play also has a role in expanding intellectual, emotional, and social skills. “In other words,” according to MacPherson (2002), “unstructured child’s play – the kind with no rules, few gizmos and little or no adult direction – packs a powerful developmental wallop.”

HELPS for Parents: PARENTS magazine has this great article online about nurturing your child’s ability to play alone. Click here for an article with ideas for teaching your older children how to play alone.

– Compiled by Theresa Case, M.Ed. Theresa’s program, Kindermusik at Piano Central Studios, is proudly among the top 1% of Kindermusik programs worldwide.

FOL Fridays: The Power of Reading

So much of the intelligence children will ultimately have is developed before they even go to kindergarten. When you read to them, you are building pathways in their brains needed for successful reading experiences. They will develop auditory perception that allows them to think about how words sound. Listening to stories helps children enhance their vocabularies and use longer sentences. Another wonderful benefit of reading to children is that it increases their attention spans and ability to focus on what is being said. More than anything else, reading to young children gives them a desire to read (Gisler and Eberts).

TIP: Check out the fabulous Parents’ Choice website for book reviews and tips on reading to young children.

– Compiled with Theresa Case, M.Ed. Theresa’s program, Kindermusik at Piano Central Studios, is proudly among the top 1% of Kindermusik programs worldwide.

Revisiting “America, the Beautiful”

FLAG DAY is celebrated today, June 14, here in the United States. The U.S. will also celebrate Independence Day next month on July 4. With these two patriotic holidays this month and next, we thought it was the perfect time to share a reminder about our new vook, America the Musical. Here’s a quick link back to that original announcement.

Or simply click HERE to check it out in the iTunes store.

Happy Flag Day!

FOL Fridays: Routines and Rituals

While routines provide continuity, comfort and security for children, rituals provide children with the opportunity to build connections with others. In a sense, rituals are routines with “extra sparkle.” Families often have rituals associated with holidays and birthdays. According to Becky Bailey, author of I Love You Rituals, “loving, healthy rituals foster the development of loving, emotionally healthy children.” From infancy on, children count on rituals and routines for comfort and security. Routines comfort children and serve as cues for what is expected of them, giving children a sense of control over their environment. When a child knows what will happen next and what is expected of him, he will be better able to participate and to act independently, which is an important developmental step (Poole 1998).

IDEA: Plan for simple, fun ways to add the sparkle to your everyday routines that will turn them into special rituals. A “wake up” poem in the morning, a posted schedule for the day, a special placemat at lunch, letting everyone tell about one favorite part of their day around the supper table, a family dance, and a lullaby sung before bedtime at night – any of these are the kinds of little things that can add joy and predictability to your child’s day.

– Compiled by Theresa Case, M.Ed. Theresa’s Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios in Greenville, SC, is proudly among the top 1% of Kindermusik programs worldwide.

Peter’s Story

He was in our Village class for such a short time….I’ll call him Peter. Just a few weeks to enjoy the waning days of Rhythm of Our Day and a little Busy Days, but in that short time we saw a flower open.

I remember his first visit to our class. Peter brought Mommy, Daddy, and Auntie with him and all were intently focused on Peter; his every move mattered. Any indication of pleasure or displeasure a one year old could convey was noted and evaluated. There were tears as he clung to Mommy, not knowing what to make of the wiggling bunch of bouncers and shakers surrounding him. “Peter doesn’t usually hear English spoken in his home.” But there were many hands to console….six to be exact! “I think we’d like to join this class…at least for a little while. They are only here for a short time,” said Auntie.

Only Mommy & Daddy came along next week to shore up little Peter. Fewer tears, but still well sheltered by slightly anxious parents, Peter’s fearful gaze seldom came my way. Mommy and Daddy quietly tapped his tiny hand keeping the steady beat he was not ready to feel.

Week 4: Peter brought only Mommy this week. Timid hands reached outside the cozy confines of Mommy’s legs to pick up a bright red shaker. Mommy and Peter stayed around after class to enjoy the chatter of their cohorts.

Today: Peter sat happily in his white plastic carriage…which looked remarkably like a Target laundry basket. Even a ride to the “Doctors office” wasn’t so bad if all your friends were going, too! The sudden stops for red lights created a palpable tension in the circle and even Peter’s gaze turned towards me in anticipation. Snug in his green towel, he peered out at those around him as if he had been doing this forever….well, for at least 3 weeks. Time to dance! I stood opposite Peter and Mommy. We swayed happily to Mama Paquita, do-si-doed a sly peek-a-boo, and as we met in the middle to say “hello”, Peter giggled and gave me the biggest smile ever!

It’s a friendly and chatty class who linger long, but Mommy and Peter were the last to leave today. Mommy quietly and shyly said, “This is our last class, Miss Colleen. We will be moving far away next week. I just want you to know Peter is much different child now. He loves class. He loves you. Thank you for my child happy now.”

~ Special thanks to Miss Colleen at Studio 3 Music for such a beautiful post, shared with permission from the Studio 3 Music blog