Suddenly, your child never seemed so musical - she has a song on her lips all day, and every movement has rhythm and drama. When the radio plays she listens for trumpets and recognizes the sound of the violin.

Year 1, Semester 1 (Fall Semester)
What could be more natural than the child who explores his world through music? Children love singing favorite songs such as "Come and Follow Me," "Star Light, Star Bright," "Train Is A-Comin" and "Bell Horses," echoing vocal patterns and singing games like "Farmer, Farmer". This semester, Mozart is the featured composer and we listen to many of his compositions, including "A Little Night Music" and selections from "The Magic Flute." Other listening repertoire includes "The Clock" by Haydn, "Cloudburst from "Grand Canyon Suite," by Grofe, "The Aviary" from "Carnival of the Animals" by Saint-Saens and the percussion and brass families and their individual instruments. The children's favorite activity is playing various percussion instruments for ensembles such as "A Weather Story," "The Birds" and a barred instrument called a glockenspiel for playing melodies. Children love to move to newly composed music for stories like "Into the Woods" and "Magical Dancing Clocks." Other singing games are "Dr. Foster," "Tideo," "Here Comes a Bluebird" and "Wild Bird." Parents will love the musical concepts that the children learn as we lay the foundation for future instrumental study. Concepts in Semester 1 are quiet/loud, steady beat, fast/slow, long/short, high/low, singing/speaking, melodic direction and actual reading and writing non-traditional and traditional rhythm and staff notation.

Year 1, Semester 2 (Spring Semester)
At this age, the young child learns music best when he is actively engaged in making music! Songs and activities that encourage solo singing are "We Sing Hello," "Ten in the Bed," "We Are Dancing" and "Good-bye." Songs and activities that reinforce tonal or rhythmic concepts for music reading and writing are "Lucy Locket," "Mouse Mousie," "Ten in the Bed," "Go to Sleep" and "Sing and Celebrate." Songs that encourage echoing or a response are "Che Che Koolay," "I Have a Little Melody" and "We Are Dancing." Songs that are playful or familiar and call the children into joyful participation are "Jingle Bells," "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," "Happy Birthday, "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmitt," and "If You're Happy and You Know It." Songs used in singing games are "Lucy Locket," "Mouse, Mousie" and "Circle Round the Zero." Beethoven is our featured composer as we listen to "Symphony No. 6." Other listening selections include "The William Tell Overture" by Rossini, "The Four Seasons" by Vivaldi, "The Elephant" from "Carnival of the Animals" by Saint-Saens, "Peter and the Wolf" by Prokofiev and "The Young Perons's Guide to the Orchestra" by Britten. Other listening repertoire includes listening to the woodwind and string families and their individual instruments. Children delight in moving to original compositions for learning concepts, "Piano and Forte Dance" and "Dancing Staccato and Legato." Two highlights are the instrumental ensembles, "The Elephant and the Waterfall" where children make sounds to express the story and "Sing and Celebrate," an ensemble for singing and playing different parts. Concepts in Semester 2 are piano/forte, crescendo/decrescendo, staccato/legato, graphic notation and reading the traditional rhythms of quarter and eighth notes and quarter rest and staff reading of f, g, a, c and d.

Year 2, Semester 3 (Fall Semester)
Children now receive a two-string dulcimer and learn to play chords and tunes like "Twinkle, Twinkle." Children continue with the glockenspiel, playing melodies and using mallet-crossing technique. Songs and activities which encourage solo singing include "Old Blue," "Who's That?" and "I Got a Letter This Morning." Songs and activities that reinforce tonal or rhythmic concepts for music reading and writing or include a call and response are "Hop Old Squirrel," "King Kong Kitchie," "Land of the Silver Birch" and "Mallet Dance" and "Tahboo." Familiar and joyful songs are "Scat Singing" and "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." Tchaikovsky is our featured composer this semester as we listen to many selections from the "Nutcracker." Other listening selections include an Appalachian story in song, "Cumberland Mountain Bear Chase," sung by David Holt; "Sea Interludes" by Benjamin Britten; "And God Created Great Whales" by Hovhaness; Spirituals, New Orleans Jazz and Jazz Scat Singing. In Semester 3, children explore the various cultures of Appalachia, sailors, Native Americans, African-Americans, New Orleans jazz and ballet, tap and jazz dancing. Multicultural dances such as "Old Lady No-Nose," "The Long-Legged Sailor," "Tahboo," Trampin," "Little Feather," "Land of the Silver Birch," "Jazzy Dance" and "Music for Tap Dancing." Concepts in Semester 3 are added staff notes b and low d, Half Rest, Whole Note, Half Note, Dotted Half Note; Three- and Four-Beat Meter; improvisation and composition.

Year 2, Semester 4 (Spring Semester)
Children eagerly receive a new instrument for melody playing: the recorder. Many songs that represent diverse cultures from around the world are "Kupulu Kane" from Hawaii, "See the Rabbit Running" from Hungary, "Magic Tom-Tom" from the Congo and "The Chirimbolo" from Equador. Songs and activities that reinforce tonal or rhythmic concepts for music reading and writing are "Momotarosan," "Rain, Rain Go Away," "See the Rabbit Running," "Bow, Wow, Wow," and "Up and Down the Scale." Songs that call the children to joyful participation include "The Alpine Song," "My Head and My Shoulder," "Twinkle, Twinkle," and "My Farm." "The Alpine Song" encourages vocal explorations (yodeling) and "Up and Down the Scale" utilizes the major scale. Dances and patterned movement activities include "Kapulu Kane," a Hawaiian game; "Heel and Toe Polka," an Alpine dance; "Bow, Wow, Wow," "My Head and My Shoulders," "Che, Che Koolay," "Mexican Hat Dance," and "The Chirimbolo" from Central and South America. Children will love participating in ensembles such as "Momotarosan," "The Alpine Song," "The Story of Don Gato," "Twinkle, Twinkle" with a wider variety of percussion instruments such as xylophones and metallophones. Children listen to the music and instruments from the Pacific Islands, Europe, Africa, and Central and South America. Our featured composer in Semester 4 is Johann Sebastian Bach, whose music contains pipe organ and harpsichord. New concepts of reading and writing music are introduced as we learn the staff notes of e, low c, b flat and f sharp; drawing the treble clef; and reading syncopated rhythms. When children complete the two year curriculum, they are prepared for instrumental study. The background is rich and the skills so developed, that learning to play an instrument is much easier; and hence, a lot of fun!

Kindermusik for the Young Child At Home materials include a folder full of activities, an illustrated family songbook, a games bag, professionally recorded music on CD, a musical instrument (varies by semester), and a carry bag. Instrument for Semester 1: glockenspiel, Semester 3: dulcimer, Semester 4: recorder.