Singing, Dancing, Sharing and Learning Through Kindermusik

If you think kindermusik is only music education for young children you’d be less than half-right. You see, learning instruments and foundational principles like rhythm and tempo only scratch the surface of what you see  taking place in any given kindermusik class, according to Terri Isenburg, a licensed kindermusik teacher in Gales Ferry.

“They don’t even know they’re learning things,” said Miss Terri. “They learn to look outside the obvious and have a vision.”

Miss Terri said that parents bring their children to the classes for a variety of reasons and not specifically for musical education. She said that on top of the musical aspect of the classes, there’s a lot of socialization, creativity, group activities and “children often make their first friends in class.”

Tess Hand of Norwich has been bringing her 2-year-old daughter Adelynn to the class since she was 7-months-old.

“She loves it, she has learned a lot from doing it,” said Hand. “She has learned some sign language, and she’ll put her toys away to the song and she shares.”

Miss Terri herself got into kindermusik by bringing her children to the classes when they were young. She saw an opportunity to be closer to home and was inspired to teach kindermusik after seeing the effect it had on her young children.
 
“This is a great opportunity to do something I’m passionate about,” she said of her choice. “This is something I could learn to do.”

Her background in music and ability to play instruments helped her leave a high powered job in marketing for days filled with music and dancing. She applied to the program, passed all the tests and auditions and was able to get licensed to teach kindermusik, which she has been doing for five years now.

Miss Terri’s students range in age from 0 to 5-years-old and said the youngest classes do spend time learning to recognize the rhythm and the beat and so forth but they also learn how to let those principles guide their creativity as they dance, bounce, swoop and twist. They learn that some music is exciting and some music is good for relaxing.

Classes for older students focus on letting music unleash their imagination while they also learn instruments and terminology. All classes have activities children and parents can enjoy together at home.

Children may learn a lot during each session but since they don’t know they’re learning, parents likely get the most benefit from kindermusik.

“I think they just love to watch their kids flourish,” said Miss Terri. “It all just blossoms right in front of them.”

But don’t take my word for it, see for yourself. Miss Terri is holding a free class and demonstration today at 10:30 a.m. in her studio in the former Gales Ferry School. If you want more information or to register, check out Miss Terri’s website.