"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