Monthly Archives: October 2020

An Open Letter to Musikgarten Teachers

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Down the river, O, down the river, O, down the river we go….

down the river, O, down the river, O,  down the Ohio….

When everything started to change this past March, I was teaching several children whose parents had paid for a full 45-week year of lessons. Like many teachers, I moved everything online, thinking it would be temporary. I recall setting up seven weeks of Zoom meetings for each class and every private student, and laughing with a co-worker that seven would be more than we would need.

The river is up and the channel is deep….

I was up for the challenge, operating in a sort of “emergency mode”, happy to apply what I knew about teaching online to my own studio, assuming it would be for a short time. The first few weeks were full of successes, and I participated in worldwide music education forums to address online teaching strategies and best practices during a pandemic. I was going full steam, with little let-down.

…the wind is steady and strong….

In May, we reached the end of the school year, and I noticed many of my colleagues “calling it a day” on their online teaching. Easy for them to say, I thought, but my families go until August 1! I kept moving forward- adapting, learning, changing my approach, talking to parents and making every connection I could online with the children. Parents were tired, children were at one moment frenzied, the next, glazed.

…O, won’t we have a jolly good time, as we go sailing along?

I shifted some of my thinking to create order and purpose for parents and their children. I held an online Parent Orientation. I trusted the Musikgarten curriculum, and kept purposefully applying the tried-and-true philosophies of music learning. And soon, the children started simply amazing me. They learned, they listened, they sang, and they danced! We laughed, improvised, and played games. Parents began smiling more, dancing more, participating more.  

After a particularly engaging and enjoyable class, I went for a walk, on a bit of a “high” from the joyful music-making that had just taken place in our Cycle of Seasons class. Suddenly, I realized that I don’t actually have a choice- I must keep teaching, even if it’s online for now. Why? Because the children don’t have a “Pause” button. Children are going to keep growing. Like the water in Down the River, the current continues to flow! I have to set aside my frustrations, my desires, my dislike of the “screen”, and my longings for in-person teaching, because …the children can’t wait. They can’t just “pause” and pick it up later. The current is flowing, and I don’t want to miss any of it, or rob them of the nurturing gift of music at this time or any time.

I reflected on all that happens in a normal Musikgarten class in just 8 to 10 weeks. As the passionate Musikgarten teacher that you are, I invite you to do the same. Think of the strides the children make in that time, all while they are developing and growing in every way. We always are aware that we teach the whole child- so picture the children going 8 to 10 weeks without the influence of music and movement. That is a dismal picture! We really cannot afford to short-change them. They need us.

It’s not about me as a teacher; it’s about what I can bring to these students as they continue to grow and develop. Sure, they may be able to physically wait for in-person, but at what cost? Developmentally, there is no waiting. They are growing – with us or without us. Let’s be with them to bring to them what they need as they sail along in their ever flowing and deep current.

Contributed by Amy Rucker: Musikgarten Teacher Trainer, teacher, and past President for the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association (ECMMA)

Understanding the Nature of the Young Child in Teaching Music

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Maria Montessori, the acclaimed Italian physician and educator best known for the pedagogical philosophy that bears her name, once wrote “follow the child.” The statement is acknowledgement that children have their own particular pattern, of which careful observation is key to understanding in the classroom. Many childhood music programs approach and develop their curricula based on this philosophy. But the story, however, of each child begins even before the classroom – with the family in the home. At birth, babies are immediately exposed to a world of senses, each of which influences their process of self-construction. The environment in which they are submerged has a fundamental effect on the rest of the child’s life. Over the next several posts, we will explore how those early years are so formative, what influences that growth, and how the role of parents and caregivers is so important.

Phases of Childhood Development

Throughout time, psychologists and academics have sought to divide childhood development into phases, stages, or periods. Whether it is Piaget’s 4 stages of Cognitive Development, Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development, or Montessori’s Sensitive Periods of Development, each differs slightly from each other, either in behavioral approach or developmental milestones. But all of these agree that the most formative stages occur in the earliest part of life. While there is slight variation in the exact milestones, for discussion we can identify two major phases in childhood development:

Phase 1 – From birth to age three are years of intense activity and absorption.

Phase 2 – From age three to six years is a time to consolidate the gains from the first period

Whether cognitive or social, there is no more significant phase in human development than these early years, and even more influence is placed on the first three years of life.

A Child’s First Three Years are Critical

An incredibly complex stage of development takes place during the first three years of life, as a child becomes consciousness of being separate from others and builds competencies off of stimulating experiences. In the creative process from newborn to three-year-old, a series of transformations take the child from helpless infant to becoming a confident person in his or her own right. During this time they experience a growing sense of selfhood with an ability, through language as well as mobility, to communicate their individual needs and desires.

This formation is possible at a pre-conscious level because nature directs the development in the earliest stages of childhood. These are “critical” periods, where the developing child focuses on the necessary factors in their environment that direct the work of inner construction. The first three years of human life are so critical because it is a period in which intellectual growth rapidly occurs and cognitive functions are being established. Therefore, early experiences within an interesting and stimulating environment promote optimal development physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually and intellectually.

The Senses are the Child’s Window to the World

Even before they are born, babies have some senses in the womb. They can hear their mothers voice and music being played, they can also sense vibration when their mother rubs her belly, and often engage in self-touch as their skin gradually becomes more sensitive to stimulation. At birth, they begin to absorb their surroundings with enthusiasm during every waking moment. Through exploration and manipulation, sensory information (taste, smell, touch, vision, and hearing) is confirmed though movement. This sensorimotor exploration is a way for babies to learn without language and begin to develop the symbolic system that is the basis of concept formation and cognitive learning. In just three years, babies have organized what their senses have taught them in ways that encapsulate their own understanding.

The process by which infants and toddlers learn is based on an important and impressionable phase during the first three years of life. It is during this formative period that the child organizes information that has been gathered through their senses to begin to establish selfhood and identity. During this time and the next three years of life, several factors determine how the child will learn and grow physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually and intellectually. Continuing to explore the Nature of the Child, our next post will expand on the important factors that influence these critical formative years.

Much of the content for this post was based on the introduction to Family Music for Babies and Family Music for Toddlers, an early childhood music curriculum developed by Musikgarten.

The Philosophy of Early Childhood Music Education Programs

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There has been a great deal of research and publication on the importance of music in early childhood development. Whether it is the educational, social, or emotional benefits that exposure and participation in music provides to children throughout their development from birth, there is an even deeper and more transcendent component that is not as easily measured. In the most basic terms, all of these musical benefits are greater than the sum of their parts, and have been ingrained in humanity since the earliest recorded times. This holistic, “whole child” approach is reflected in many of the persons and organizations dedicated to providing parents and families with early childhood music curricula. The philosophy of early childhood music can be seen enthusiastically in the core beliefs communicated by Musikgarten, and serve as a good example of the approach:

All Children are Musical

Closely tied to human expression, body movement is a natural outlet for children to express feelings. Children begin communicating effectively through body language long before they can with spoken language. Parents and adults get a glimpse into a toddler’s perceptions of the world as they observe body language and the child’s musical sounds. These observations illustrate that all children are innately musical from birth, with a biological ability to sing and move rhythmically. When children are exposed to an active music making environment, they learn to make music both freely and naturally.

Music Meets the Needs of Children

Psychological studies tell us that children learn more in a pleasant and non-threatening environment. Music-making is a naturally joyful experience for both children and adults. Furthermore, the combination of music along with movement creates an even more pleasing experience for children and provides important benefits for social development. This is not a new concept, by any means, as music has been a central part of family and community in the varied cultures across the globe. So as children engage and enjoy a musical environment, they are more open and interested to learn about the world around them.

Music Makes a Difference

When we as adults look back at some of the most memorable times in our lives, we hear music. Whether it was lullabies to ease us to sleep, the birthday song, top pop hits of our era, or even a commercial jingle, music has been a memorable part of our lives. But we also saw the funding and emphasis on music education dwindling over the years. The good news is that music is once again being recognized by parents, teachers, and researchers as a way to improve overall development while decreasing learning problems and enhancing brain function. Music touches not just the “whole child,” but also has a positive impact on family and the building of our community. 

Music Making Belongs in the Family

Providers of music curriculum for children understand that parents make the best teachers. In this digital age, with so many online and screen-based offerings, many well-meaning parents have placed too much faith in technology. Often the result is missing out on the joy of simply being with each other. However, parents and the public are becoming more aware of these consequences. As a result, early childhood education programs are making greater strides to provide more opportunities for parents to learn how to interact musically with children at home. These tools encourage and empower parents to reap the benefits of early childhood music from the earliest age.

Programs that encourage music and movement with the family and community can help deepen a child’s appreciation for music and the natural world around him/her, building a foundation for life-long music making. The goal of the most beneficial early childhood music programs is to provide an appropriate musical experience through a carefully sequenced approach towards music literacy, allowing a child to participate fully in musical experiences of all kinds. The first step in this holistic approach to “following the child” through their musical growth starts in the earliest stages of life at home, making joyful sounds and movement together.