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Frequently Asked Questions |
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1. Music education for children under the
age of 5 - is that possible?
On a daily basis, we see evidence that music
education for children under the age of five
is not only effective, but vital.
Children are introduced to sign language,
shapes, symbols and letters from a very
early age. Why should we wait to
introduce them to the language of music
along with the associated symbols?
"Research shows that music is among the
first and most important modes of
communication in infants. As young
children grow and develop, music continues
not only as a form of communication, but as
a form of self-expression as well.
Music expands memory and assists in crucial
language and reasoning skills. We have
learned much in recent years about the human
brain and cognitive growth that has yet to
be incorporated into educational offerings
and planning-at all levels. The fact, for
instance, that the “infrastructure” of the
brain is already half developed by age 5 is
rarely factored into the nation’s
educational planning."
Report from the Early Childhood Music
Summit, MENC, June 14-16, 2000.
2. Will this help with learning an actual
instrument?
Yes! The Little
Musicmaker program is designed to build a
strong foundation is music so that a child
is prepared for their first year of an
instrument study. Music theory
concepts included on Music Teachers National
Association theory exams are introduced to
children in our classes from day 1. Learning
to speak the language of music provides for
a much more positive first experience in
instrument study.
3.
Why not just listen to music?
Research shows that for
benefits such as music making children
smarter, increasing spatial reasoning
abilities, increasing standardized test
scores, etc. to be long lasting, they must
be obtained through active music making.
Passively listening to music only results in
temporary benefits sometimes lasting for
only a few minutes. Active
participation - singing while playing
instruments, keeping the beat, analyzing the
patterns - is the key!
4. What makes Little Musicmaker classes
different?
Our innovative program
is designed to insure a quality, music
education program for children over the
course of three years. While our
classes are dynamic, high energy, full of
laughter and fun, our goal is education, as
opposed to entertainment. Whether it
be for hobby or career, we want to nurture
our little musicians as early as possible so
they can enjoy the many benefits of making
music for life. If a class of two year
olds can identify a quarter note, tell you
it receives one count and clap the count,
while laughing uncontrollably at Max the
puppet holding the quarter note in his
mouth, we know it's a success!
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