Creating Little Mozarts

By Krystin Wiggs Ahwatukee Foothills News

What comes first, a baby’s first steps or a baby’s first song?
According to Kim Steedman, a Kindermusik teacher at Music Maker Workshops, enrolling babies in music classes can actually help them develop their motor skills and strength to prepare them for walking.
“For my own children, their language and cognitive thinking were developed through music,” Steedman said. “When infants learn to make steady beats and rhythms, simple things like cutting with scissors become easier.”
Click here to see a slideshow of the young musicians. Steedman’s daughter has found success in math at school, and Steedman believes there is a direct correlation between her daughter’s math and music skills.
“My daughter is 8 years old, and she has started doing incredible math and been admitted to the gifted program at school,” she said. “Math and music have a great relation.”
Beginning on Jan. 12, Music Maker Workshops will offer morning Kindermusik and Music for Little Mozarts classes. The Music for Little Mozarts program is designed for children ages 3 through 5, and the Kindermusik program is appropriate for babies through age 5.
“The children come and sing and dance, and learn steady beats and rhythm,” Steedman said. “They learn to appreciate music and care for instruments.”
Music for Little Mozarts allows children the ability to go more in-depth with the piano than Kindermusik.
“The students learn how to appreciate music with Kindermusik, and they learn how to play the piano in the Little Mozart programs,” Steedman said. “They learn the patterning of the piano, and how to read the notes.”
Kindermusik is an international award-winning program that is taught all over the world and Steedman is a licensed Kindermusik practitioner. Parents or caregivers are invited to attend the Kindermusik classes with their children and learn along with them.
“Parents are encouraged to take what they learn home and sing and play music with their children,” she said. “A home kit is provided to parents so that they can work with their children at home. They can expose their children every day to music if they want to.”
Kindermusik and Little Mozarts classes both start the second week of January. Classes at Music Maker Workshops are extremely small with three students to one teacher.
“We let the students move at their own pace,” Steedman said. “Some children are on the same song for a long time, but they grasp the concepts of soft and loud, as well as different beats.”
Steedman has been teaching Kindermusik for five years, and she has enjoyed watching her students grow over the years.
“Children are like sponges, and they absorb everything you say,” she said. “I have developed these great relationships with children who are now getting older, and it’s so exciting to see their minds begin to work. It’s the best job in the world.”
Music Maker Workshops is located at 3233 E. Chandler Blvd. in Ahwatukee Foothills. To find out class times and prices, call (480) 706-1224 or visitwww.musicmakerworkshops.com.

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