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Singing and dancing up a storm Denise Davy The Hamilton Spectator
Martha Krueger had an idea. She'd start a
program for young children that would enhance their innate love of music
through song and dance. That was one year ago. Today, more than 100 children make the trek with their parents up to that second floor every week to sing, dance and play instruments. Krueger credits the program's success to her background and training. "I think it works so well because I'm both an educator and an entertainer," she says. "In order for the kids to have fun they have to be able to see I'm into it and they can tell I'm into it 100 per cent." Krueger has a degree in psychology and education and studied Music in Early Childhood at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. She also has hands-on training from teaching the Gymboree program in Hamilton for six years. It's easy to see why her program is such a success. Follow the sound of music to the top of the stairs and you find Martha kneeling on the floor playing a child's wind instrument. The next second she jumps into the air and, in turn, so do the children. When the song is over she pulls out a guitar and sings London Bridge is Falling Down. There are about 10 children in this class, all with one parent. This class is for toddlers -- that childhood stage when temper tantrums can be frequent and kids can be easily distracted. The kids are enraptured. Most follow Krueger's every movement and try to sing or dance along. Ingo Ehrenberg is among them. He's two and a half years old and is in his second class with the music program. His mother, Caroline, has been bringing him here since January. He bounces through the class like Tigger on caffeine. His mother tells me afterward that her son isn't feeling well today. So you can imagine what he's usually like, she says, laughing. "He's very high energy so this class is perfect for him," she says. "It's also something for us to do together." Krueger has three goals and the first is to introduce children to music. She believes music can help children develop their gross motor skills and enhance their self-esteem. It can also provide an outlet for emotions and help develop language skills. Second, it can help develop the bond between child and parent which is why she designed the program so parents can fully participate. One parent compared it to a 45-minute aerobic class. Krueger even encourages parents who play an instrument to bring it to class and play for the kids. Her third goal is simply for the children and parents to have fun. "Music is a phenomenal medium to release joy and to develop socially," Krueger says. That's why she teaches songs that parents can use at home, at playtime, bedtime or mealtime. "So many parents say they can't sing. I tell them, it doesn't matter what your voice is like, just sing to them. "Children don't know the difference." And move. Krueger says that rocking your child while you sing, dancing with them while music plays can have amazing physical benefits. She believes something as simple as bouncing your child stimulates their balance system. She wanted to offer a program that allowed the whole family to get involved so last summer she started Jam with the Fam. Halfway through the class Krueger pulls out a box of silk scarves and walks around and hands them to the children. Later they all put on finger cymbals with the help of their parents and 'clap' along to a song. When that's over they join hands and walk around a circle while singing Ring around the Rosey. "The first three years of your child's development are such an important time for brain development," Krueger says. Open Door Music classes are held Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday for different age groups starting with kids as young as five months. They start at $108 for a 12-week session. So how does Krueger keep up? "Thankfully, I get energized by working with kids." An open house will be held today to celebrate the first anniversary of Open Door Music. It will run from 3 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. at Binkley United Church on 1570 Main St. W. across from the Swiss Chalet restaurant. It's a potluck buffet, so bring along food or refreshments. The cost is $5 for a family. Check Krueger's Web site at www.opendoormusic.ca for more information or call 905-628-0330. Denise Davy's parenting column runs every Saturday. You can reach her at 905-526-3317 or by e-mail at [email protected]. |
OPENING
DOORS FOR CHILDREN THROUGH MUSIC
By April Almeida
Did you know that between the ages of birth and three years a child's brain
is at its most crucial state for learning? Have you ever considered that
music can be vital to a child's emotional and intellectual development? If
not, maybe you should. If you are curious about encouraging your own
children and want to know how to help further their development, there is a
new program here in Hamilton that you should know about.
Open Door Music (located at Binkley United Church, 1570 Main St. W) offers a
unique and stimulating music program for children aged five months through
four years of age. Martha Krueger, Creative Director, integrates her own
musical knowledge with her training in childhood development and teaching.
She has an endless love for children, which is what led her to create Open
Door Music. Martha has five years of post-secondary education in psychology
and education, and has studied Music in Early Childhood at the Royal
Conservatory of Music in Toronto. She previously taught for the local
Gymboree programs.
"I began Open Door Music in September 2000 because music in early childhood
is something I feel passionate about. After teaching young children in
Gymboree Play Programs for six years, this seemed like the natural next
step. I have been amazed at the rapid growth of this new business. It's
encouraging to me that there are so many families in the Hamilton area who
want music to be an integral part of their children's upbringing and believe
in its benefits."
Many people don't know music has many non-musical educational benefits, some
of which are self-expression, aesthetic or appreciative senses, motor and
rhythmic skills, vocal and language development, conceptual thought and
social skills. By simply incorporating music into your lives and encouraging
your children to listen, sing or dance to it, you can actually enhance their
brain development.
Recently, a study out of UC Irvine's Center for Neurobiology of Learning and
Memory published a report in the British journal Nature on something they
called "The Mozart Effect." What this report established was that by
listening to a tape of Mozart's Sonata's, college students preparing for
exams scored higher on IQ tests than those who studied in silence or other.
Now research is being done on babies and young children. It is believed the
earlier a child is exposed to such forms of music, as well as some sort of
training or music-development classes, the greater the chances they will
learn more readily and develop socially and intellectually.
There is a book explaining this. "The Mozart Effect for Children" written by
Don Campbell. Campbell makes a few key points:
-Music can calm or stimulate the movement and heart rate of a baby in the
womb.
-Long before an infant can understand the meaning of individual words, he is
fascinated by rhythms and melodies, the musical qualities, in the speech of
those around him. The language and music centres of the brain are separate
but adjacent, and their development proceeds in a roughly parallel manner.
Scientists believe this may be one reason why listening to music seems to
stimulate language skills.
-Young children who receive regular musical training demonstrate better
motor skills, math ability, and reading performance than those who don't.
Open Door Music focuses on exposure, exploration and the enjoyment of music.
Children's ages and developmental stages make up the curriculum.
I am fortunate enough to be the mother of a child who has benefited
enormously from attending such classes. We started out by joining Gymboree
where Martha was taught when my daughter was 4 months old, and after that
program was cancelled (Hamilton), we were excited to learn Martha was
creating her own music program.
Martha Krueger has designed something evolutionary for every level starting
at infancy right up through pre-school, the most impressionable times in a
child's intellectual and emotional growth. I have found my own daughter's
development to be far greater because of these classes.
Martha Krueger can be reached at (905) 628-0330 or email [email protected]
