Face the Music

‘Sing, sing a song, make it simple to last a whole life long…’ or at least sing so your kids can remember and repeat.

Music is an integral part of your child’s development from birth onwards, and as parents we can use it to ease transitions, lull to sleep and work through daily routines.

Besides singing, kids also benefit from learning instruments. Get them started on the kitchen floor and then nurture their musical nature with a class at Music Together. This wonderful music program has been on the scene in the USA and other Canadian cities for over twenty years and is making its debut in Calgary on September 29. Music Together focuses on the power of role modelling by teaching parents how to musically interact with their children while making music together.

Jodi Howard, the director of Music Together in Edmonton and now Calgary, believes that kids of all ages are musical beings. Jodi trained at MT headquarters in New York State with her son before bringing the program to Canada, and follows the belief that music need not be performance-based (and reserved for those with talent). Rather, music making should be fun for all.

A typical Music Together class consists of singing (hello and goodbye songs), finger-play movement, rhythm instrument interaction, free dance, and a lullaby and a jam session where your child’s natural and nurtured abilities become apparent. Parents should expect to participate in every element of a Music Together class (no sitting on the sidelines).

Classes run Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 10 am at the Calgary Youth Singers studio (close to Crossroads Market). The ten-week session costs $170 for one child and $120 for the second in the same family. Babies under nine months are free. All Music Together classes include children from birth to age five, which is perfect for sibling groups. There is currently space in both classes beginning next week.

Musical intelligence has been identified as one of the eight forms of intelligence. So nurture your child’s natural abilities and get your family’s toes tapping, fingers snapping and voices in tune as tools to get you through the day.

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