INTRODUCTION In a perfect world, music is part of young children’s lives: mothers and fathers sing to babies as they are fed, changed, bathed, and put to sleep; songs, games, and dances are an integral part of playtime; students entering elementary school can sing, chant, move, and improvise in the musical context of their culture. In reality, music is bought, downloaded, and played via electronic devices; children’s songs are performed on Barney and Sesame Street; families are glued to couches and recliners while watching “Dancing with the Stars”; students entering elementary school do not “speak” the language of music, as they lack the very foundation of audiation: listening and speaking vocabulary. Musical Age vs. Chronological Age natasha sigmund natasha sigmund The term musical age refers to students’ musical development regardless of their age. However, most resources are presented in a format according to chronological age and grade level. Teachers who work wit...

I was introduced to early childhood music in 1997 at Temple University, where I observed music enrichment classes based on Dr. Gordon's Music Learning Theory. It's been over two decades, but I still remember the feeling of excitement and wonder as I watched the beautiful and interactive "dance" of songs, chants, patterns, movement, and play. It looked so easy, but as it turned out, leading a rich and meaningful early childhood music class is not easy at all. It requires an enormous amount of preparation, from understanding how very young children learn music to developing a repertoire of tunes to learning to improvise in every tonality, meter, tempo, and keyality in the moment and on the spot. Over the years of leading early childhood music enrichment classes, I have noticed that each class had a similar shape. While songs and activities varied from week to week, the overall shape followed somewhat of a classical sonata. The following "map" is based o...

New song is like a new adventure Do you ever get excited about teaching a new song to your students? For me, developing teaching ideas for a new tune is as intriguing as going on an exotic road trip. There are so many possibilities! You never know what you will find along the way. Often, my best guides on this journey are my students. The challenge is to keep a good "travel log": remembering to write down all the different music games we end up creating and exploring. The song "Get Rolling" from my new Songbook collection is one of these songs. It started as a simple movement activity. On our musical journey, my students and I discovered many fun ways to play with this tune. I hope you enjoy it with your students. Please feel free to share new discoveries in the comments below! Get Rolling Early Childhood Emphasis  Take a nap:  Sing this tune during a “nap” activity. Turn down the lights, and invite everyone to lay down. Once the song becomes fami...

Songs without words are a wonderful opportunity to focus solely on music and movement. This week, we are musiking with the song "Bouncing Ball" from "Growing Up With Music" songbook, and experimenting with form, movement, resting tone ostinato, and rhythm. Originally, I composed this song for an early childhood setting, and often used a stretchy band to enhance it. With upper elementary students, I begin by singing to them, and exploring the song's phrasing throrough locomotor and stationary movement. There are many creative ways to modify this activity. Below are just a few examples. PHRASE 1 STRETCHY BAND: Seated in a circle, gently bounce stretchy band to macrobeats. MOVEMENT: Swing arms to macrobeats. Bend knees as you swing. PHRASE 2 STRETCHY BAND: Move the stretchy band in curvy pathways in front of you. Use indirect, bound flow. Avoid moving to the beat. MOVEMENT: Give a smooth ride to an imaginary object in the palm of your h...