Levels 4 & 5: Kindermusik for the Young Child (5 - 7 Years)
Semester 1 (5-6 yrs):
- September 2023
- Saturday @ 9:45am
Semester 3 (6-7 yrs):
Semester 4 (6-7 yrs):
- Saturday @ 11:30am
Using a small-group approach to music education, Kindermusik for the Young Child provides a pressure-free class where your child can develop a strong musical foundation by learning the concepts, language, notation, and vocabulary of music and its greatest composers.
The programme is designed to prepare the young child who is eager for first experiences with musical symbols and instrument discovery. Your child will be introduced to the responsibility of taking care of a real musical instrument, the discipline and enjoyment of practice, and will grow in self-confidence as he masters exciting new skills. Parents or caregivers are encouraged to attend the last 10-15 minutes of class.
Specific Benefits:
What to Expect
Singing and vocal development. It may sound like a foreign language when your child sings “ta” and “ti-ti,” but she’s using the language of professional musicians and composers and getting ready to read and write simple rhythm patterns.
Movement. You’ll see your child dance expressively to music, giving him the practice he needs to coordinate his body movements to the sound of music. This kind of musical play not only improves musicianship but his physical coordination as well.
Reading and writing. He’ll learn melodic notation and identify pitches such as the C, A, and D notes on the treble clef, plus rhythmic notation. Eventually, she’ll even compose her own music.
Focused listening. Your child will learn to identify a range of orchestra instruments and their sound qualities, while also gaining an early awareness and knowledge of composers and masterworks in Western arts tradition.
Exploring and playing musical instruments. Authentic percussion, string (dulcimer), pre-keyboard (glockenspiel), and woodwind (recorder) instruments expose your child to the many choices for future musical study, and at the same time provide your child with the opportunity to musically succeed before taking on more formal instruction.
Semester Breakdown
| Semester 1 (5-6 yrs) | Semester 2 (5-6 yrs) | Semester 3 (6-7yrs) | Semester 4 (6-7yrs) |
| Everything your child learns later in semesters 2, 3, and 4 begins with this early introduction to singing, reading, and writing music and rhythm. Through dances and games that focus on rhythmic development, we'll learn a keyboard instrument—the glockenspiel—which will be used throughout all the Young Child classes. Your At Home Materials provide the music, instruments, stickers, and activities for a home version of the same playful activities you'll hear about from class, so your child—and you!—can learn where you're most comfortable: at home. | Playing simple musical patterns and songs on the featured instrument from the first session—the glockenspiel—is a central focus this semester. While learning to sing a melody, and then play the pattern on the glockenspiel, we'll delve deeper into the understanding of musical concepts such as piano and forte through orchestra-style music such as the William Tell Overture and Peter and the Wolf. Music appreciation and understanding continues with a complete introduction to the instruments—and the families in which they're grouped—of the orchestra. | Appalachian music is a featured musical style this semester. First, you and your child will build a two-stringed dulcimer instrument with materials that we'll provide. Then in class, we'll learn to play chords and simple melodies on the instrument you built together. We'll also explore rhythm concepts through dance with an introduction to the basic steps in jazz, ballet, and tap dances. Your Home Materials include dulcimer-making materials, activity cards, and music that features recordings from Appalachia, African-America, and Native American music, as well as the Western Art music of the Nutcracker Suite. | In this final semester, we'll introduce the recorder instrument. As your child is introduced to basic methods of playing simple melodic patterns and songs on this wind instrument, we'll also incorporate the instruments, concepts, and songs from previous semesters. With a special emphasis on multicultural music, your child will learn to improvise and write music, as well as experience the musical styles of the Pacific Islands, Europe, and Africa; plus play special dances and children's games from around the world, including Alpine dances, Mexico, and Ecuador. |
| Home Materials: Children’s Folder with stickers, games bag, and Music At Home Cards, Family Songbook, Mobile App with of music from class (plus extra activities), glockenspiel, and canvas bag (during first semester). | Home Materials: Children’s Folder with stickers, games bag, and Music At Home Cards, Family Songbook, and Mobile App with of music from class (plus extra activities) | Home Materials: Children’s Folder with stickers, games bag, and Music At Home Cards, Family Songbook, Mobile App with of music from class (plus extra activities), and dulcimer. | Home Materials: Children’s Folder with stickers, games bag, and Music At Home Cards, Family Songbook, Mobile App with of music from class (plus extra activities), and soprano recorder. |
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