Importance of music education….

Music is a human birthright. From the time we are born we coo with pitch or tone. Our first fully formed sense is hearing at four months in utero. Babies born into my Music Together classes recognize my voice from birth since they have essentially have completed two terms of Music Together classes by the time they are born. As a result, I rarely ever have babies cry in class.

Music Together’s first and foremost philosophy point is: All Children Are Musical. If you have spent time in my classes or workshops, you know I take this to mean: All Human Beings Are Musical.

Dr. Dan Levitan, author of This is Your Brain on Music and Six Songs that Changed the World, among others, postulates that the first human communication was based on tonality and rhythm derived from the world around them via pitches of birds and clicking of insects, predating hieroglyphics by a millennium. Simply, we learn and evolve from the environment around us.
There is a not a civilization on the planet that does not have music as a central touchstone in their day to day lives and to celebrate major events.

In the western world since the 1940s, we have increasingly become consumers of music due to the advent of radio and recorded, reproduced music. In the 21st century, we can download some of the best music ever produced, past and present, and enjoy it at our leisure. We consume a monumental amount of music because we love it. But, we are not active participants.
Prior to WWII, we did not have air conditioning, garage door openers, television, cable, video games, DVRs, or cell phones. Often today, we rarely even know or socialize with our neighbors. In pioneer days as we moved west across the country, we would gather in the cool of the evening. We sat outside waiting for cooler temperatures and made music with whatever was at hand: saws, washboards, buckets, stringed instruments and wind instruments of all types. The kids played and ran around, literally soaking in the sounds of their environment until they were old enough to learn an instrument. It was this saturation of tonalities and rhythms around the children which connected and bound the synapse pathways which enabled them to take the next step toward Basic Music Competence, the ability to sing in tune and keep a beat.

In winter after the harvest was in, we gathered inside around stoves, shared dinners from the bounty of the harvest, told stories and made music as a community of neighbors. Post-industrial revolution, many homes had pianos and we gathered there to make music.
Here and now in the 21st century as we face budgets cuts, the import of music and arts are leaving the public awareness as schools are forced to achieve artificial testing scores in order to preserve federal and state funding.

Music is an essential part of being human. Dr. Oliver Saks’ movies Awakenings and The Music Never Stopped, based on his research, and most recent book Musicaphilia asserts, “Ongoing, somewhat challenging, musical study is the best way to enhance and grow the connections in the logic centers of the brain." In the land of Music Together, thanks to the songs we sing repeatedly with the rich variety of tonalities and rhythms, my classes qualify as somewhat challenging.

Many, many studies of piano students show increased connections and facility in key areas of the logic centers of the brain.

It has been long believed that music was a higher brain function skill. In a research study conducted by Harvard University with Dr. Saks involving brain mapping of professional musicians, amateur musicians and non-musicians, it was discovered that music is processed and stored by the brainstem or what researchers refer to as the “lizard brain.” Even in an isolated environment with only background music, the brain stem pulsed in rhythm with the music even though the subject was not consciously aware of the music. This infers that music is essential to humans since the brain stem regulates all autonomic functions such as heart rate, breath and other essential body functions.

Most of us are terrified of singing openly in public, in part, due to celebrity worship. Thanks to reality television, the fear of being judged and “voted off” keeps many of us silent consumers of music, thereby making the mission of Music Together all that more important!

There is something so sweet, so essential to the being of human when we make music together. We toil together learning new music, getting to know one another, exploring our abilities, trying new things that we have never tried before and finally reaching a moment when we “sing!” As we gladden the hearts of others, the music in turn “sings” back to us and it is a part of us for a lifetime!

So many families share with me, with oh so much pride and love in their voices, that sweet moment when their child starts spontaneously singing, and often times those songs are from a previous year or semester that hasn’t been listened to recently. Or, parents’ share they found their child holding music class with their stuffed animals and playing teacher Craig, making it clear to all of us that their music is most essential to their young beings. So, plan some family music time, play, be silly and make some Music Together!

Subject: The First Music Together Preschool in Oregon
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Bringing Harmony Home^®


Willamette River Music Together Announces:


Oregon's First Music Together Preschool
I am pleased, and thrilled to announce the first Music Together Preschool in Oregon.

Starting in June Children's Hour Academy in Lake Oswego will become the first Oregon Music Together Preschool at their Jean Road Infant and Toddler Campus.

Music learning supports all learning. Music Together meets or exceeds 7 NAEYC standards!

Each family will receive 2 CDs, an illustrated and musically notated songbook which supports preliteracy as well as future musical study, and a Parent Guide DVD and booklet.

Children will have music as an ongoing element each day and a weekly class led by a registered Music Together teacher trained in both developmentally appropriate practice and skilled in leading participatory music activities

Classroom teachers will receive on-going musical mentoring and support led by the Music Together Specialist so that teachers can easily interweave music thoughout their weekly lessons and activities.

Each classroom will receive the Music Together Preschool Guide, Teacher mix CD, 3 sets of family materails that can be placed in the various activity centers.

Children's Hour Academy


A bit about Children's Hour Academy:

The Children's Hour Academy is a small private school with limited enrollment. Our classrooms are small, maintaining low teacher-to-child ratios. We are a child centered developmentally-appropriate program for infants through elementary school. This program facilitates positive growth and care for children. We are licensed by the state of Oregon and have our Private School Accreditation. Our Christian setting is non-denominational. We welcome children regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, marital status of parents or special needs. Parents are encouraged to visit anytime.

Parents will be welcome to come and join in the Music Together classes.



Children's Hour curricullum and approach in educating young children blends nicely with the Music Together's "Research Based and Developmentally Appropriate" practices.

If you, or someone you know is looking for a really great preschool please forward this e mail and let Robin Van Houten and Briana King know that, "You heard it here!"

Since 1999 Willamette River Music Together has been offering parent child classes in Lake Oswego, West Linn, Tigard and Wilsonville.

Music Together LLC is a pioneer in early childhood music starting in 1987 in Princeton, NJ

The November issue of Metro Parent features an article on Music Together.
“We Heart the Arts.  Exploring the Arts at Every Age.”  


http://www.metro-parent.com/issues/nov08/index.html