Living In Las Cruces- Spring/Summer 2008

EDUCATION

By Charlotte Tallman

Kids are fascinating creatures, and they appreciate fascinating things. That's why the arts seem to get their attention more than anything else. Swooshing their hands in paint then rubbing it on paper to create a picture, looking at photographs of trains, planes and automobiles and then finding them out in the real world or singing a song over and over again. The arts, and especially music among babies, is a major part of a child's growth, and while there are not any cold hard facts that say a child immersed in the arts is instantly smarter, any parent can tell you a child that experiences art is happier, if not smarter.

For some time, music has been at the forefront of children and the arts, with newer steps like the introduction of Mozart for babies, and much older ones like repetitive singing of The Alphabet Song. It is something parents have known from the earliest time - taking a crying baby in the arms and rocking back and forth while humming or singing a calming song. The result is usually the same. Somehow that music reaches deep down.

Throughout Las Cruces, organizations like the Las Cruces Symphony Association and Orchestra acknowledge the connection between children and music and reach out with their Sound Learning: Educational Outreach Programs, as well as music classes for babies and young children like Musical Beginnings.

Leslie Kowalski, owner and lead teacher for Musical Beginnings, is passionate about implementing music as children develop. Musical Beginnings, a part of the internationally known Kindermusik program, offers full Kindermusik curriculum from babies to age seven, as well as a 10- week Sign Language course, Sign & Sing, for babies and toddlers as a communication bridge. (Leslie also offers a pre-musical theatre choir program for ages seven to nine called TrebleMakers and Beyond Kindermusik, an Orff and recorder ensemble.)

"Parents who have attended our classes from birth and on into early elementary school might describe Kindermusik as child development classes with music as the tool," Leslie says. "Because participating in a variety of musical activities stimulates development in every area of the brain, it is the perfect way to enhance child development."

What makes programs like Kindermusik unique are the parental interactions with their children and the music. Parents are able to experience music with their child during class, and then take home the guidance they learned and continue on throughout the week. Through music, parents are able to see how their child develops through the music, and a unique bond is created through the interactions.

"Kindermusik is an early childhood music and movement program based on the beliefs that all children are musical and that the parent is the child's most important teacher," Leslie says.

While some parents may wonder why it is so important to introduce music as early on as with a newborn, no baby is too young to experience the calming nature of music and the developmental experience they will foster as they hear it. Enrolling babies and children in a music class like Kindermusik just adds to those experiences.

"In a Kindermusik class, parent-child interaction is fostered, socialization with other children is encouraged, fine-motor and gross-motor development is enhanced, and language skills flourish," Leslie says.