Here at GroovyBabyMusic, we are constantly discovering ways to share music with children and families. This Fall, we are pleased to announce the premier of the Music Together® Preschool Program! This program is designed to bring the world-renowned Music Together teaching method into the classroom. Many preschools hire music specialists to come in and perform for children, but this program is so much more! Music Together Preschool is unique because it builds bridges between the music specialist and the other classroom teachers, and breaks barriers between the school and home.
Each week the Music Together teacher leads weekly, well-planned, well-paced and fun lessons for the children. Like a parent/child class, the Music Together teacher will lead the children in enriching activities where they will sing, dance, and get exposure to different musical instruments each week. The classroom teachers, don't just "drop-off" the children in music class, but actively participate in the class alongside the children. The school becomes familiar with the Music Together recording and the songs become a common language among children and school staff. Moreover, each semester, I meet with the classroom teachers at the school to develop ways to integrate music into their core curriculum. The teaching staff at the school will use the Music Together songs throughout the day---as a greeting, at circle time, and for clean up. In this way they utilize music as a tool to ease transitions, focus attention, and set a mood, whether it be before nap time, or before dance time! Teachers use the CD and songbook in the classroom too; they may listen to the Music Together recording of "Mr.Rabbit" while making construction paper bunnies in an art class, or sing "the Drip-Drop" chant before a science lesson on weather. Whatever the activity, these music experiences provide teachers with a new arena for observation, evaluation, and appreciation of each child's cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development.
Parents are involved too! They receive the songbook and CD of songs, chants, tonal and rhythm patterns, so they can learn the music their children sing at school. They also receive the Parent Guide: Music and Your Child, so they become familiar with the current research on early childhood music development. Parents are encouraged to listen to the CD, and use the songbook as a resource for music activities so they can enjoy making music at home with their child. Parents are also invited to drop in on parent/child classes on the weekend, so they can experience a complete class with their child. Each semester there will be a different music collection, so that the children are challenged throughout the year at school, and parents continually learn new music to share with their children at home.
In this way music builds community! Parents, children, and school staff ALL learn the same songs, and this shared repertoire becomes a part of school culture and home life. That's why I am so impressed with the Music Together Preschool Program, by unifying school staff, music specialists, children, and parents, it lets music do what it does best...bring us all together!
Sincerely,
Laura Sabini
Director, GroovyBabyMusic
