Young children around the world are asking that question everyday. That's because Kindermusik children can't wait to explore, experience and express the incredible power of music. When it comes to choosing your child's activities, options seem endless. One choice provides more ways for your child to grow and thrive than any other: Kindermusik!

Each Kindermusik class is a world of discovery and adventure. In every class, you'll see your child's developmental evolution in language skills, listening, literacy, social skills, problem-solving, self-esteem and musicality - all within a nurturing environment full of energy, imaginations, music and movement.

Kindermusik materials include the highest quality music CDs, creative activities, beautifully illustrated children's books and specially designed instruments. By adding new concepts along the way, each age-approprate program acts as a stepping stone to the next - paving the way for a musical journey that can last seven magnificent years.

SINGING, MOVEMENT, INSTRUMENTS, LISTENING, CHANTING, DANCING AND MORE... are waiting for you and your child to experience at our next Kindermusik class. Come join the fun and open up the musical learning experiences for you and your child.

Kindermusik Village (newborn – 18 months)
What a parent and child will experience in a Kindermusik Village class:

• Variety of Music – Musical diversity builds strong neural in a baby’s forming mind, which is why each Kindermusik semester contains an array of styles, sounds and genres.
• Instrument Play – Age appropriate experiences with child-safe instruments enhance a sense of rhythm and steady beat, develops a keen awareness of the distinguishing qualities of sound and encourages spontaneity and creativity.
• Dance – A classroom full of baby and adult pairs dancing together helps a little body develop the muscle strength needed to crawl and walk and helps a little heart to fall in love with the sheer joy of responding to music.
• Together Times – A Kindermusik class is truly the essence of “quality time”, offering the parent a place to create special memories with their child, gain new insights into their child’s development, and nurture their child’s natural love of music.
• Expert Advice – A Kindermusik Educator explains “what-to-watch-for” every step of the way and how each activity enhances a child’s complete development.
• Learning Continues at Home – With the home materials, the learning continues at home with the child’s best teacher – the parent!

Winter 2012 Village Curriculum:
 Cock-a-doodle-Moo! -- Hop on the hayride—it’s time to head for the farm! In this class, you will sing songs about the farm, including “Old MacDonald,” “Hayride,” and “Clever Cows.” You’ll engage in rituals and playful activities with your baby, including infant massage, lap bounces, exercise, and quiet time.

Home Materials: A picture board book with charming farm animals and the sounds they make—Cock-a-doodle-Moo, a CD of the songs heard in class, a Sunshine Jingle instrument for music-making at home, and a set of Art Banners for the nursery wall.

DewDrops -- Stop and smell the roses—and lily of the valley, and tulips, and pansies. In this class, parents and babies will play and move together to songs about flowers, such as “Jasmine Flower,” “How Does Your Garden Grow?,” and “White Coral Bells.” You’ll also hear traditional Irish music, dance a jig and move to the “Irish Trot.”

Home Materials: CD of beautifully arranged songs from class, a board book of colorful flowers—DewDrops, a set of Art Banners for the nursery wall, and a Flower Bells instrument for music-making at home.

Kindermusik Our Time (age 1 ½ - 3 years old)
Our Time encourages toddlers to uncover an engaging musical world while building  confidence, self-control, and communications skills.  Singing, imitating sounds, rhyming and object identification foster language skills, while creative movement to various musical ”moods” develops a sense of balance, timing, and spatial awareness.  Listening and turn-taking encourage blossoming social skills.
Our Time reflects the emotional foundations of school readiness and the latest research on music and early childhood development.  Our Time is a unique opportunity for parent and child to interact and learn together in an unhurried and joyful manner.
What a Parent and Child will Experience in a Kindermusik Our Time class:

• Instrument exploration and ensemble skill development  - Children will explore the physical characteristics and sounds of age-appropriate instruments which will eventually lead them to discover their potential for beat, rhythm, melody and ensemble playing.
• Vocal play -  Through vocal play, toddlers learn to form vowels and consonants, say words and phrases, and imitate rhythm and vocal inflection.  In Kindermusik Our Time vocal play is presented within the context of songs, chants and activities done in class.
• Exploration  Time – Children will love discovering specially designed instruments, textures, sounds and movements.
• Story time and early literacy – Listening to stories enhances language and speech development and fosters awareness of sounds, teaches use of language, and sends the message that words and symbols have meaning.   The same experiences that help toddlers learn to read a book also help them learn to read music.
• Movement activities - Each class provides various opportunities for movement such as synchronized movement, group dances and circle games, and even expressive movement.
• Together Time – Kindermusik is the essence of quality time, allowing parents to make the most of the fleeting toddler years, giving them the time and the tools to make music and memories together in class and at home.
• Expert advice – A Kindermusik educator explains how the musically based activities enhance a toddler’s complete development.

Winter 2012 Our Time Curriculum (ages 1 ½ - 3 years):
Away We Go – Hop on the train, get in the car, board the plane, and Away We Go! This class focuses on transportation, a favorite topic for toddlers who are on the go, go, go! Sing and play along with favorite songs, such as “I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad” and “Wheels on the Bus”. Explore fast and slow, smooth and bumpy, and high and low. Read stories about ways to get around. Shiny Dinah tells the story of a train, and Giddy-Up! has a horse, speedboat, racecar, and more to help you get where you want to go.

Home Materials: Double CD featuring songs from class; two interactive story books—Shiny Dinah and Giddy-Up! to develop early literacy skills; Home Activity Book, and two harmonicas designed for toddlers.

Kindermusik Imagine That! (3 ½ to 5 years old)
 What a Parent and Child Will Experience in a Kindermusik Imagine That!  class:

• Pretend Play – Pretend play activities are integrated with music, vocal development, storytelling, listening, movement, and literacy aspects of each class.  When based upon a child’s real life experiences, pretend play helps develop language, sensory, motor and cognitive skills.
• Musical Variety and Singing – Activities include a mixture of musical genres and styles and provide a setting for children to explore their many voices and to use a “singing voice”.  Singing helps with memory and recall, physical development, creativity and socialization.
• Storytelling and Literacy – Each class is built on the development of a story, so you’ll hear preschoolers search for the word to say what they mean and try to keep up with their busy minds, emerging wants, needs, likes and dislikes.
• Parent involvement – Preschoolers are learning to be self-sufficient in a group setting of peers, while many times still needing the emotional security provided by a parent.  The preschooler experiences both in Imagine That!   Caregivers participate in the last 10 – 15 minutes of class.  Plus, the At Home Materials ensures the learning continues at home with each child’s best teacher – the parent!

Winter 2012 Imagine That! Curriculum:

Toys I Make, Trips I Take -- Think of it like taking a course inside a child’s imagination. We’ll use the theme of a toy shop to make our pretend-creations, using rhythm and songs with every imaginary saw, hammer, and nail. The result is building the preschooler’s sense of a sequence of events, which is good for storytelling, as well as making his ideas a reality.

Home Materials: Two books—If I Had a Big Blue Boat and Tippity Tippity Too, Toys I Make, Trips I Take Play Set, Two Home CDs, Family Activity Book, and a drum.

Kindermusik for the Young Child (ages 5-7)
Build a Musical Foundation:  Using a small-group approach to music education, Kindermusik for the Young Child provides a pressure-free class where your child can develop a strong musical foundation by learning the concepts, language, notation and vocabulary of music and its greatest composers.

This program is designed to prepare the young child who is eager for first experiences with musical symbols and instrument discovery, but is not yet ready for formal lessons and traditional music reading with an instrument.  Kindermusik for the Young Child offers four sequential semesters. Parents or caregivers attend the last 10 – 15 minutes of class.

What a Parent and Child Will Experience in a Kindermusik
for the Young Child Class:

• Singing and Vocal Development – It may sound like a foreign language when a child sings “ta” and “ti-ti”, but this is the language of professional musicians and composers and getting young children ready to read and write simple rhythm patterns.
• Movement – See children dance expressively to music, giving them the practice they need to coordinate their body movements to the sound of music.  This kind of musical play not only improves musicianship, but physical coordination, as well.
• Reading and Writing – Young children will learn melodic notation and identify pitches such as the C, A, and D notes on the treble clef, plus rhythmic notation – eventually, even composing their own music.
• Focused Listening – Children will learn to identify a range of orchestra instruments and their sound qualities, while also gaining an early awareness and knowledge of composers and masterworks in Western arts tradition.
• Exploring and Playing Musical Instruments – Authentic percussion, string, pre-keyboard and woodwind instruments expose children to the many choices for future musical study, and at the same time provide them with the opportunity to musically succeed before taking on more formal instruction.

Kindermusik for the Young Child  Unit Descriptions
(Ages 5 – 7)

Semester One: - Everything your child learns later in semesters 2, 3, and 4 begins with this early introduction to singing, reading, and writing music and rhythm.  Through dances and games that focus on rhythmic development, we’ll learn a tuned percussion instrument – the glockenspiel – which will be used throughout all the Young Child classes.  Your At-Home Materials provide the music, instruments, stickers and activities for a home version of the same playful activities you’ll hear about from class, so your child – and you! – can learn where you’re most comfortable:  at home.
Home Materials:  Children’s Folder with stickers, games bag, and Music At Home Cards, Family Songbook, Home CD of music from class, glockenspiel and canvas bag.

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.
Home Materials:  Children’s Folder with stickers, games bag, and Music At Home Cards, Family Songbook and the Home CD of music from class.

Semester Three:  Appalachian music is a featured musical style this semester. First, you and your child will build a two-stringed dulcimer instrument with materials that we’ll provide.  Then in class we’ll learn to play chords and simple melodies on the instrument you built together.  We’ll also explore rhythm concepts through dance with an introduction to the basic steps in jazz, ballet, and tap dances.  Your Home Materials include dulcimer-making materials, activity cards and music that features recordings from Appalachia, African-America, and Native American music, as well as the music of the Nutcracker Suite.
Home Materials:  Children’s Folder with stickers, games bag, and Music At  Home Cards, Family Songbook, Home CD of music from class, and dulcimer.

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 Mexico and Ecuador and Alpine dances.