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Kindermusik for the Young Child is the crowning jewel in the Kindermusik curriculum. A four semester
series suited to the child aged 4.5 years until 7 years, this class takes the skills developed in the earlier levels and expands
them to include music theory. Students continue to use singing, simple instruments and rhythmic activities as before. At a
very comfortable pace, students learn the members of the orchestral families of instruments through visual aids and listening
examples. They also discover the musical terms involved in creating music, such as crescendo, decrescendo, staccato, legato,
piano and forte. Notation is introduced one tiny step at a time until the student is reading musical notation and identifying
rhythm. Some students will read and write music before they read and write language. Songs are introduced that the group will
be able to read rhythmically and to read and sing on note names.
Three instruments are introduced within this
program. the glockenspiel, which serves to introduce the student to percussion and keyboard instruments, is introduced in
the first semester and used throughout both years. The dulcimer, a string instrument, and the recorder, a wind instrument,
are introduced in the second year. Each instrument will be used and explored in class and will be the property of the student.
The duration of each lesson is 1 hour. Students spend the first 45 - 50 minutes with the teacher and family members
are asked to join in a sharing time during the final quarter hour.
At the completion of the Young Child sequence,
students have a working knowledge of music theory that will ease their transition into traditional music lessons whether vocal
or instrumental. It is the consensus among music teachers that children should wait until at least age 7 before taking individual
music lessons. Kindermusik bridges the gap for children with a high level of interest who are not yet old enough to enter
formal lessons.
In the Fall, we will offer Young Child 2 and Young Child 4. Semester Two -- Playing simple musical patterns and songs on the featured
instrument from the first session—the glockenspiel—is a central focus this semester. While learning to sing a
melody, and then play the pattern on the glockenspiel, we'll delve deeper into the understanding of musical concepts such
as piano and forte through orchestra-style music such as the William Tell Overture and Peter and the Wolf. Music appreciation
and understanding continues with a complete introduction to the instruments—and the families in which they're grouped—of
the orchestra. Even if your child has missed Semester 1, your child may still enroll at this time.
Home
Materials: Children’s Folder with stickers, games bag, and Music At Home Cards, Family Songbook, and Home CD of
music from class.
Semester Four -- In
this final semester, we'll introduce the recorder instrument. As your child is introduced to basic methods of playing simple
melodic patterns and songs on this wind instrument, we'll also incorporate the instruments, concepts, and songs from previous
semesters. With a special emphasis on multicultural music, your child will learn to improvise and write music, as well as
experience the musical styles of the Pacific Islands, Europe, and Africa; plus play special dances and children's games from
around the world, including Alpine dances, Mexico, and Ecuador. We end this 2-yr time together with a graduation ceremony!
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Dancing staccato and legato with scarves
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