Family Music Classes
Towards creative musical development
Does you child like explore neat sounds? Is your child drawn to music and creativity? If so, join us for our FREE family music classes held virtually throughout the year. Our goal is for each child to experience the joy and creativity of musicking!
We enjoy giving back to our community. We do this by offering programming throughout the year that is completely free of charge. If you would like to be notified of the next time we are offering our free family music classes, sign up here:
What to Expect
Each class starts by singing hello to each of our friends before putting on our “music goggles.”
These goggles help us to explore around our homes to see the musical potential of every day objects.
We will explore to find:
One thing that shakes (ex. box of pasta, rice in a tub)
One thing that drums (ex. empty margarine tub, couch cushion, empty box)
One thing that cuddles (ex. favourite blanket, stuffy or pet)
Near the end of our class, we will put away our musical items, take off our musical goggles,
and end with some quiet time before singing goodbye to our friends!
FAQs
Do we have to be musical to participate?
You do not need previous musical experience to participate in classes. Each activity encourages participants to work on the basic functions of rhythm, pitch and movement. By participating, you may be even be working towards your own musical competencies!
Do we need musical instruments to participate?
You do not need to have any instruments to participate. This class is focused on exploring toys and every day items that families already have and how they can be used musically. If you have any instruments already, you are always welcome to bring them!
Will this encourage my kids to misuse objects in my home?
This is a very valid concern and one that was of utmost importance when developing this program. Ultimately, you know your child the best and if you believe this may happen, please contact us so we can problem-solve together and come up with personalized alternatives.
There are parameters we put in place to help parents create boundaries around activities. First of all, we use the idea of “musical goggles” to mark the beginning and ending of this imaginative play. This imagery is helpful for parents to use when setting boundaries around play that happens outside of class time, as it is reinforced each class. This imagery is also helpful as it can be used by children to initiate play with their parents.
Secondly, we leave it up to the parents to set boundaries around participation during class in a way that works for their family. You can do this by setting out several objects for your child to choose from, or specify which area of your home that you explore (ex. only look for items in the pantry, in your toy box, in your bedroom, etc.). We always look for items that are both musical and safe. These criteria are reinforced during each class.
How much do these classes cost?
These classes are completely free to participate in. Twice every year, we offer a round of free classes for parents to participate in. This usually happens during the winter break, and during spring break. You can either keep an eye on our social media for notifications of upcoming classes or you can sign up here to be notified when classes are scheduled.
The Importance of Musical Development for Children
Children’s musical development is intertwined with all other areas of development.
Musical development can both influence and be influenced by other developmental domains, such as cognition, fine/gross motor skills, communication, and emotional development. In fact, for the first few months of life, infants’ communication is musical. They are not aware that there is a difference between music and communication.
Music development usually happens in predictable stages. For example, as babies gain mastery over their movement, they are able to keep more precise rhythm and match increasingly complex rhythmic patterns. Motor mastery also helps to gain control over vocal production, narrowing the range of pitch that babies use when cooing. As children learn to integrate wha they hear (sound discrimination) with the music they make (vocal production), they learn the ability to follow the shape of a melody.
For more information on the general pattern of musical development, take a look at The Timeline of Musical Development. *Please note that the ages listed are approximate and are not to be used as an indicator of delayed or advanced development.
