What the Experts Say..............................
"Kindermusik provides the sound nutrition to improve movement, listening,
and expression in young children. Through activities and music making,
skills for parents and children alike create inroads for the great
orchestration of a family's hearts, minds, and bodies."
—Don Campbell
World-renowned authority on the transformative power of listening
and music, and author of The Mozart Effect® for Children
"One of my strongest impressions of Kindermusik's work is the variety of
musical selections that are there for children. The selections are of high
quality and of considerable diversity, such that children can listen and
respond to the music of Bach, Mozart, contemporary composers and cultural
traditions around the globe. Kindermusik understands that children deserve
opportunities to know a palette of musical colors, and thus through the
program provide windows to the world of people and their artistic
expressions. This rainbow of musical colors is the stuff that surrounds
children through their Kindermusik training, so that their listening,
movement, singing and playing possibilities are grounded in history and
across cultures. These musical beginnings set children straight for a
lifetime of well-considered choices in their musical and cultural valuing."
—Patricia Campbell, Ph.D.
Professor of music at University of Washington and author of
Songs in Their Heads: Music and Its Meaning in Children's
Lives, Lessons from the World
"A major task for toddlers, that can confuse parents at first, is
resolving the conflict between their passionate desire for closeness to
their parents—after all, they are still barely out of babyhood—and their
equally fierce drive for independence. Activities such as those in the
Kindermusik Our Time curriculum provide toddlers this opportunity. A child
can move into the circle during story time and actively participate if he
wishes, or he can stay close to Mom or Dad and listen to the story being
read. Given this security, most toddlers will naturally move to greater, and
more appropriate, independence as they approach preschool age."
—Melissa R. Johnson, Ph.D.
Pediatric Psychologist, Cary, NC
"Current research has shown that movement is the key to learning at any
age. Our brains fully develop through movement activities such as crawling,
rolling, turning, walking, skipping, reaching, and much more. When children
and adults participate in Kindermusik classes, they are developing both
sides of their brains through structured and creative music and movement
activities. Television, video games and computers have helped to produce a
generation that struggles with learning problems, hyperactivity and obesity.
Many of these problems can be helped through systematic music/movement
exercises and patterns. Kindermusik classes have always been fun. Now I feel
strongly that they are also part of our essential learning process!"
—Anne Green Gilbert
Movement specialist, author of Creative Dance for All
Ages, and director Of Creative Dance
Center
"As an early childhood advocate, I have found good music invaluable as a
teaching tool. Kindermusik has taken the art of combining music with
learning to a new and higher educational level. When children experience
music in their early years, it lasts throughout their lifetime. Recent
literature may attempt to refute the value of music as it relates to IQ, but
experts cannot deny the effect music has on the development of a child's
complete well-being. Kindermusik is pioneering a movement that will prove
valuable to children for many years into the future. As a trainer, with more
than 20 years' tenure, I thank Kindermusik for its contribution to holistic
learning."
—Jim Powell, Ed.D.
National director of assessment and evaluation, Kaplan Companies
"When introduced appropriately, music and literature play an amazing role
in the development of infants and toddlers. I'm happy that Kindermusik has
extended their programs to include this time of life when brain development
is most vulnerable and parents are most in need of support and direction."
—Claudia Quigg, M.Ed.
Founder and executive director of BabyTALK, a program dedicated to
helping parents become better parents to their children
"Kindermusik brings parents and children together for fun and education.
The learning is active, engaging and developmentally appropriate. Children
are exposed to diverse materials and are provided with rich opportunities
for hands-on experiences with developmentally appropriate instruments. The
joy is in the process of learning and the result is children who are more
attuned in reaching their full potential."
—Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
International family educator and author of Raising
Your Spirited Child, Raising Your Spirited
Child Workbook, and Power Struggles: Winning
for a Lifetime
"Kindermusik is elegant in its integrated approach to a child's
development. Physiologically, touch, movement, rhythm and sound are the
keystones to developing a healthy vestibular system and optimizing nervous
system and brain growth. The importance of having families working together,
where everyone benefits from the sense of belonging, gets directly at the
heart of what we, as a society, are needing at this time to raise healthy,
loving children and ensure a world of peace. All of this is provided in the
Kindermusik program."
—Carla Hannaford, Ph.D.
Biologist, educator and author of Smart Moves: Why
Learning Is Not All in Your Head and The
Dominance Factor
What Parents Say.........................
"Each week, we look forward to a time of singing, dancing, reading
stories, and other activities. The music is diverse and helps us learn to
appreciate other cultures in addition to being just plain fun. Kindermusik
is cultivating in our son a lifelong appreciation of music and a love of the
complex rhythms of our world. And, interestingly enough, I'm finding that
you're never too old to learn."
Mae Miller Claxton, Mother of Brannan, age 2½
"Kindermusik has become a special part of our lives. Sarah and I look
forward to Monday evenings. It is our very special time together. During the
week, we continue to share the songs, chants and rhymes that we do during
class. I cannot imagine what we did before Kindermusik."
C. Shoobridge, Father of Sarah, age 2½
"Ryan has learned so much these past two years! We are amazed at her
wealth of knowledge. Her confidence and self-esteem have also grown. I wish
all learning experiences could be so joyous."
R. Miller, Mother of Ryan, age 5½
"Your program is wonderful! My daughter and I have thoroughly enjoyed
taking my two-year-old twin grandchildren to Kindermusik and will do so
again in a few months. One of the children has Cerebral Palsy. Kindermusik
allowed her to just be a kid and have some fun . . . a welcome change for
her from endless therapy sessions."
Grandmother of twins, one with Cerebral Palsy
"I almost forgot about my Kindermusik Our Time: Away We Go!
CD that was given to us until recently. My children and I are in the car for
almost two hours every weekday. One day, my 1½-year-old daughter was going
crazy being stuck in her car seat! I found the CDs, began playing the music,
and she happily clapped and bobbed her head all the way home. Now, when I
pick her up in the afternoon, she points at the radio, bobs her head and
sings, ‘Aaaahhh.’ My kids love it...all of the Kindermusik music and the
sounds!"
—Emily, mother of a Kindermusik Our Time
child
"My child has been taking Kindermusik classes since he was 18 months old,
and I have been so happy with the whole program. Our Kindermusik educator
used to be a speech and language pathologist, and since my son has also been
in speech therapy, it’s been great to have her as his music teacher. When
most other people couldn’t understand him, she could. She has known how to
work with him and has also been a great source of information to me. He is
now almost 5 years old, and he wants to have some sort of musical birthday
party because he loves Kindermusik so much. And he’s telling me he wants to
take harp lessons, so we’re looking into that possibility as well! Thank you
for all the effort all of you have put into making this program work so
well. There are lots of parents out here who appreciate what Kindermusik has
done for their children."
—Kathy Streckfus, mother of a Kindermusik student