Of all the curriculums and approaches to music, why choose Musikgarten? And why does it start at such a young age? Quite simply, we chose Musikgarten because it was beautiful. As two professional musicians, we didn’t have to be convinced on why music was good for our children’s development, we understood the neuroscience behind it; but which approach should we take? We have seen (and taught) many methods—traditional piano, classroom music, choirs, Orff, Suzuki, Musikgarten—and we were capable of doing any of them with our children. Of all of them, though, once our children were ready, we chose to begin offering Musikgarten classes so we could use this method with the children we loved the most. It integrates so simply into daily life: we love including our children in our songs and activities, singing to them as we cook dinner, play toys, give night time tubbies. There isn’t really an age when music is not part of a child’s life! The Musikgarten approach includes them from the youngest ages and teaches them through play—we sing songs with them, tap rhythms, repeat pitch patterns, play with instruments and manipulatives. Even tiny little ones can sense the rhythm and tap back! And toddlers are able to match pitch and sing back far younger than we give them credit for. Plus, there is no age at which children do not love to sing and dance. Musikgarten takes advantage of the natural loves of a child and guides them, along with the parents, to do them in a well-ordered way. By the time they are 6, they will begin to name all the things they’ve learned since before they could talk: solfège, letter names, duple and triple meter, major and minor, and so much more. They didn’t know they were learning advanced theory…they played it. The Music Makers at the Keyboard classes continue this approach, splitting the oft-boring “piano lesson” time into part circle time songs and games and part piano lesson, building off the same songs they’ve sung for years, letting them to continue to learn alongside their friends. At the completion of the Music Makers at the Keyboard program, students are able to read music, play by ear, harmonize using primary triads, and transpose.
Want to learn more about the Musikgarten program? There’s a wealth of information on the curriculum, scope and sequence, and benefits for children on the Musikgarten official website!