Kindermusik is a process oriented curriculum. We are not against performance for children per se, but our pedagogical philosophy is that process is more important than performance, at least for young children. It’s like in schools, when teachers can teach their subject vs when they teach to a test. Getting children to learn something is a different process than training them to perform a particular outcome.
This is why one of our guiding studio values is GROWTH. We want to encourage the development and growth of the entire child, not just train them to sing a particular song or play a particular instrument.
Kindermusik originated in Germany many decades ago when it was found that people were more successful in formal musical training if they first had early childhood experiences with music. Experiencing music as early as infancy and throughout early childhood was the key to success in later, formal instruction in music.
It was discovered that these early childhood musical experiences didn’t just benefit future musical study, but it benefited all major childhood developmental domains: social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and language. And these benefits have been shown to give an advantage to people throughout their lifespan.
That’s what we mean when we talk about the benefits of Kindermusik, and the growth you will see in your child. Through participation in Kindermusik your child will have a safe place to explore new movements, developing both fine and gross motor skills. They will have opportunity to make social connections, learn to share and to get along with others. Their entire brain will be firing and making connections. They’ll get practice in auditory processing and boost their language learning. All of this will take place in a nurturing environment that will promote emotional wellbeing through the release of feel-good hormones.
Music is the perfect vehicle for advantageous development. Plus it’s fun! Sometimes we get caught up in the enjoyment of it and forget the very real growth and development that is happening simultaneously.
What GROWTH have you seen in your child since they started Kindermusik?
The Winter Solstice is upon us. This is the darkest day of the year. The day that we are farthest from the sun, and we have the least amount of sunlight. And now we experience a return of the sun, a little more light, day by day.
Symbolically, this is a time of sacred rest and reflection, before the awakening.
As you spend this time of year in reflection and preparation for the new year to come, what are you grateful for? What has challenged you? What do you hold dear? What do you want to preserve? What do you want to let go?
These questions of growth are personal, but also apply to what we wish for our children. As we raise these precious humans and prepare them for independence and adulthood, an investment in connection to them must be of the highest priority. What about your relationship with your child are you grateful for? How do they challenge you? What do you want to preserve in your relationship with them? What would you like to let go of?
Perhaps you’re grateful for the joyful way you interact with each other. Perhaps they challenge you with their intense needs that takes time away from your own needs. Maybe you want to preserve your bedtime routine of songs and books. Maybe you need to let go of the expectation that they’ll always listen and obey. Or perhaps it’s time to implement a renewed commitment to joyful connection with them. After all, connection breeds cooperation.
Whatever your goals for your child, Kindermusik at Song of the Heart can only assist them getting there. The growth and connection that happens here benefits every domain of your child’s development. The skills they (and you!) learn in class benefits them socially, academically, emotionally, physically, and more. We love being part of your child’s growth and development. We delight in watching them change and master new skills.
From your infants learning fine motor skills as they practice grasping a baby bell, to your school-aged child flexing their cognition skills as they master rhythmic dictation in our Young Child classes, every age of early childhood benefits from Kindermusik.
Enjoy these wintry days of rest, reflection, and rumination. After the holiday celebrations are over and done, we’ll be here. We’ll be ready to welcome your children back to our loving studio’s arms, to support them, and you, in the important work of joyful growth.
It’s that time of year when we reflect back and look forward. And whooo boy! What a year to look back on. This year threw everyone for a loop. Plans made were cancelled. Goals were postponed or given up on. Realignments were made as we evaluated what really mattered and what was truly worth the effort in continuing during this historic year.
At Song of the Heart Studios it was our mission that carried us through the struggles that this year brought: to be the place where eyes shine and children flourish. Just because we are living through unprecedented times that have made literally everything more challenging, we didn’t want to give up on our mission. We knew that you needed a place to continue to turn to for the joy and growth and connection that happens in a Kindermusik class, but provided in a safe way. We knew that the joy and connection that happens in class could sustain you and your family during these hard times.
During the JOY Team’s summer retreat we discussed the WHY we do what we do. And WHAT did we want to focus on in continuing to keep the studio open during the pandemic. There was a unanimous consensus; what we wanted to focus on was YOU. We wanted to continue to serve the families we had, and keep the studio open for departing families when they were ready to return.
The world needs MORE joy, not less. The world needs MORE connection, not less. And so we stretched ourselves and changed our protocols and pivoted each time a new challenge presented itself. Our commitment to your families and your children has been our guiding light.
And so at this end of year we want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU for sticking with us this year. Thank you for trusting us. Thank you for being part of our tribe. Thank you for sharing your children with us and letting us love and teach them. Thank you for giving us a reason to keep our doors open. Thank you for providing the means for us to keep our doors open.
In this coming year we renew our commitment to our studio’s values and will strive with each class to bring you HEART, JOY, CONNECTION, FAMILY, and GROWTH. May your family’s eyes continue to shine and your children flourish with each Kindermusik class.
GROWTH – it’s the work of childhood and if you think about it, it’s really the work of life. As parents, we are constantly growing and stretching and learning. We think we have this parenting thing down and then the baby gives up a nap, the toddler decides that biting is acceptable behavior, a preschooer develops separation anxiety, and a school-age child has friend issues. Ack! If we have the attitude that learning is a life-long endeavor then those moments become catalysts for our own growth rather than time for a good cry. Well, maybe we’ll have an itty bitty cry BEFORE we grow.
We are all about FAMILY growth at Kindermusik and we have oodles of resources to help you continue that growth at home. Our Kindermusik Online Parent Guides are chock full of parenting tips, child development information, and delightful activities to help both you and your child GROW through these priceless early years. We share them because we are all for anything that helps make good parenting even better – easier is nice, too.
We’ve always known that music is a great tool for GROWTH and research continues to prove that it is so.
“Music reaches parts of the brain that other things can’t. It’s a strong cognitive stimulus that grows the brain in a way that nothing else does, and the evidence that musical training enhances things like working memory and language is very robust.” Read more about that here