The Music Class
Experience
Holiday season is fast
approaching. Stores are crowded with shoppers;
many of them shopping for their children or grandchildren ages 2 and under. At that age, children are just as excited
about playing with the bag or box the present came in or the sparkly bow
attached as the gift inside. Last year,
my then 2 year old daughter took the box her present was wrapped in and she started
tapping on it like a drum. The clothes
that came in that box no longer fit her, but that box is still in her room! She
lines up her bears and dolls, sets up her box drum and a few egg shakers and
plays music class. She says the box is one of her favorite gifts because she
can use it for music play. So to that shopper who asks, “What should I get my 1
year old for the holidays?” I vote for a music class experience!
Experience gifts are truly a gift
that keeps on giving that you and your child can enjoy together. What is the
music class experience? For 10 weeks straight
you and your child can come to music class once a week for 45 minutes of uninterrupted
bonding time, musical learning, and play. During your music class experience
you will learn approximately 25 new songs, play a variety of percussive
instruments that your young child can manipulate on their own, dance for and
with your child, sing together, laugh, jam, meet new friends, learn about
musical development in children, be a
part of a music making community, and share quality time together. Now how
could you fit all of that in a box?
The music class experience fits any
age or stage of your child’s development. It is also something you can enjoy as
a family. Parents and grandparents can attend class together. For families that
have more than one child, you can attend class all together. One class fit everyone’s
musical ability! While some children may be silent observers and others may be
completely engaged and in tune with every activity presented in class, everyone’s
learning styles and musical abilities are accepted and included. Regardless of your musical ability, remember
that you are your child’s first teacher and your voice is your child’s favorite
voice.
So is there a final show at this
end of this experience? No, music classes are non-performance oriented. The
experience is not about putting on a show, rather bringing the harmony home,
bonding, learning, and making joyful music together. Experiencing music and
making music a part of your daily life has immeasurable benefits too. Here are some of the benefits of the music
making experience for your child. Music development and fostering a love for music,
language development, emotional development, physical development, cognitive
development, learning self-regulation and increasing security, and
self-confidence, leadership
opportunities, and a nurturing and safe way to explore, imagine, create, and
be. One of my favorite gifts that the music class experience gives me is space
and time with my children to make beautiful musical memories that will last a
lifetime. They simply do not make gift bags big enough to stuff in all those
goodies!
Give your child, grandchild, and
friends, the gift of making music together this holiday season! Connect with
your child and with other families in class and beyond. Experience how much fun
music making can be even with the youngest music makers.
