Musikgarten, Family Music for Babies class

Today, my Little One and I had the privilege to attend a Family Music for Babies (FMB) lesson at Bloom School of Music & Arts, accredited by Musikgarten, a leader in early childhood music education in the US.

The Musikgarten curricula, adopted by Bloom School of Music & Arts, boasts of parent-child bonding with simple, repetitive, age-appropriate songs, dances, rhythms and stories, which aim to help students gradually enhance their learning abilities.

While I was trying to sneak-a-pic (pun intended), it was pointed out to me that no photography was allowed during lessons. A slightly embarrassing moment there, but I can see why; it was a fumble to use the phone camera with one hand, and it also hampered the bonding with my Little One. Why try to capture a moment when you can live the true moment? Which reminds me of this thought-provoking comic by Michael Leunig.

So, give your eyes and your phones a rest while you concentrate on singing, and spending time to bond with your little ones.

I like how the teacher, Irene, introduced the use of various instruments (bells, drums, to name a few), various materials (balls, pom poms!), and musical elements (fast and slow, loud and soft) in a stress-free, non-threatening manner through songs and music. Songs are repeated during the lesson, such that even the shyest of children will feel bold enough to eventually join in the activities. I also like how individualized the lesson is despite its group setting; Teacher Irene allowed for one-on-one interaction with every pair of parent and child. This means that every child gets an opportunity to interact with the materials in the class.

After a check with another attendee, I found out that they have been attending the music class for some time. Which explains why the other parents were singing along during the lesson while I just ogled at my Little One’s positive responses to the teacher. But despite this being just our first lesson, I reckon there wouldn’t be a problem for future lessons as the songs are catchy and easy to remember, and the musical activities can be easily replicated at home. It’s been weeks since our trial lesson, but when I start singing and doing some of the songs and activities from the lesson, my Little One still gives the same warm response.

Here are the sneaked pictures: