One of my strongest impressions of Kindermusik’s work is the varity of musical selections 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 colours, and thus through the programs provide windows to the world of people and their artistic expressions. This rainbow of musical colours is the stuff that surrounds children through their Kindermusik experience, 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.

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.

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 programme.

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 story time in the Kindermusik Our Time™ curriculum provide toddlers this opportunity. A child can move into the circle during Music and Movement Story Time and actively participates 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 pre-school age.

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.

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. As we approach the millennium it is even more important to keep moving and making music! 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 and movement exercises and patterns. Kindermusik classes have always been fun! Now I feel strongly that they are also part of our essential learning process!

Our son, Ethan, enrolled in Kindermusik about a year ago under the Village curricula for newborn. He participated in two themes – “Cock-a-doodle-MOO!” and “Hickory, Dickory, Tickle & Bounce”. Subsequently, he moved on the Our Time curricula, “Fiddle-dee-dee” and “Wiggles & Giggles”. He is currently still in the program. In all his lessons, we were fortunate to have him under the tutelage of Ms. Shauna. Her classes are great as she puts in the effort to make them enjoyable. Her lessons have all been very enthralling and engaging. I see all the many musical activities she carried out in the class and how Ethan is drawn to it. Ms. Shauna is also able to connect with the babies and toddlers under her charge and gain their trust and attention. She is able to adapt to their many temperaments and still make them smile and enjoy the class at the end of the day. In the past one year, it has been our joy to see our son become enchanted with music (and dance too!). At home, he would jump about to the rhythm of music and played or mimic the instruments that were taught in the class. He would especially look forward to each Sunday’s lessons. Even though he was just beginning to speak, his eyes will light up whenever we tell him that he will be “seeing teacher Shauna tomorrow”! And that is why we return Sundays after Sundays as he is obviously enjoying himself. More than that, I have also observed Ethan becoming more expressive and self confident, something which are partly attributable to Ms. Shauna’s teaching style and her constant encouragement of him and the other kids. Thank you, Ms. Shauna

My 3 year-old, Jordan has been in Teacher Shauna’s class since he was 15 months old. He enjoys her classes, and from a young age, he has learned to appreciate the different tones and timing in music. Over time, this has led to him develop an interest in music and singing. He can sing confidently with the right tones at the right timing! As Teacher Shauna is also a mother of two young children, she understands and has great patience with young kids. She has awesome rapport with the children and they love her beautiful singing voice. Her classes are very fun and engaging for the young ones. Jordan always looks forward to Teacher Shauna’s class, he sometimes even asks for her on days when we have no class! 🙂

My daughter, Kate, who’s now almost two and a half, has been attending music classes with Ms Shauna since she was six months old and has always loved them. She has responded so well to Ms Shauna who has drawn so many smiles and giggles from her over the past two years and who is now rewarded with the biggest hugs at the end of class. As a result of the consistent structure of the class, albeit with new songs and routines, Kate has learnt to listen and respond to instructions as well as anticipate the next activity – sometimes I almost think she runs the “hello song” session by saying “And stop!” at the end of each action! We often sing the songs we have learned as we drive along so the classes have definitely helped with learning and remembering. There are so many different classes available to children in Singapore, but Kindermusik with Ms Shauna is the one I consistently recommend to other mums and the one I always attend.

Miss Shauna is an absolutely wonderful music teacher! We have been so very lucky to have her as Ruby’s teacher and Ruby adores Miss Shauna and her weekly classes. Each class we attend is filled with so much fun, joy, energy and excitement. Miss Shauna has so much patience with each and every child and is so very kind to everyone. We look forward to attending many more classes in the future with Miss Shauna and I know my daughters love for music will keep growing thanks to her. Thanks Miss Shauna!

Isabelle started her music class at Kindermusik with Teacher Shauna when she was around 1 year old. Through her weekly classes, Teacher Shauna was very quick to realize that Isabelle was very sensitive to sound and was afraid of loud sounds. This of course posed a challenge to a music teacher who had to expose toddlers to the loud beats of drums and the like. Teacher Shauna, with her positive and cheerful disposition, made subtle changes in her teaching method towards Isabelle. For example, Teacher Shauna will play an instrument a little softer or a little further away when it is Isabelle’s turn to interact with the instrument.Now, Isabelle is 3 years old, no longer afraid of loud sounds and still loving her classes with Teacher Shauna. Before her “Imagine That” class (a class whereby she has to attend independently and the recommended starting age is 3 years old), a care-giver has to sit in the class (in our case, I sat in all the classes with Isabelle). Through these lessons, it is not difficult to sense Teacher Shauna’s passion in her classes and her love for her students. Although repetition is required to reinforce teaching materials, Teacher Shauna’s class is never boring. She devises different ways to reinforce the same concept. Isabelle started her Image That class before she turns 3 years old. Despite Isabelle’s timid nature, I was not hesitant to have Isabelle attending her classes independently without my presence. I feel assured that Isabelle is in safe hands of Teacher Shauna.Many thanks to Teacher Shauna for her dedication which resulted in Isabelle looking forward to her “Teacher Shauna Day”.

Chloe has been exposed to music classes since she was 6 months old. We went through a few trial classes around different music/learning centres and finally, we found Kindermusik. Chloe has developed to become more sociable and attentive to her environment and also reactive to music. Kindermusik has provided a chance for me, her dad, to spend time together and form the bond ever since May 2007. You have been a very wonderful teacher for Chloe and her cognitive skill has rapidly developed through learning and listening to music. Her motor skill also improved throught he variety of dances and movement to music.

Shi Xuan and I have been attending Kindermusik Village since she was 5 months old. Our teacher is so much fun and is committed to make music learning a joy, and her enthusiasm for the programme was strong. She always ensures children learn music in a fun way by combining the dynamic of music with physical movements. Parents and kids got involved and everyone had a great time shaking instruments, dancing in circles and singing together. The children are able to learn while at play. Shi Xuan has become a music lover and will start to bounce and clap whenever she hears music playing around her. We are lucky to have you in our musical journey…

I knew from the very first class that Kindermusik was a hit with my son, Adam, because he was able to stop and focus. The class is upbeat, friendly and fun without being too loud. And there is plenty of variety for my son without it overwhelming him. (He particularly likes playing with the musical instruments). We have participated in 2 semesters and will choose to sign on again because it provides him some gently-enforced structure in his week, and because both Adam and Mummy enjoy the classes! Many thanks!