© 2010 Your Child Needs Music l Listen Like Learn l Your Baby Needs Music | Rahel Limor | Executive Director
Barbara Cass-Beggs Music Program for Babies and Young Children
LISTEN LIKE LEARN
The title of this program sums up the Cass-Beggs philosophy of teaching music to babies and young children. First they must LISTEN, as music is a listening subject. Then they must LIKE listening, otherwise they will not learn, and from listening and liking they will LEARN.
One must start with the child as every child has a body and a voice therefore movement and singing are of prior importance. However, to enjoy music a child needs to understand the basic elements of music - rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics, expression and form.
These elements can be acquired easily and happily through listening, moving, singing and participating in a program which encourages experimentation of sound, using a variety of percussive and melodic instruments.
By degrees the child learns to read music through the Paris Chevre time names and the Cass-Beggs Musical Family combined with the Curwen Solfege.
Because young children do not distinguish between music and other arts, the L.L.L. program relates closely to the arts of poetry, painting, dance, movement and drama.
Musical ability is important but the aim of these classes is to assist the development of the WHOLE child so that s/he can gain a sense of self-confidence and security.
YOUR BABY NEEDS MUSIC
Before birth the fetus is aware of pulse, movement and sound. At birth these familiar experiences can be recreated through music. Music stimulates movement so important for the baby's physical and mental development, while singing to the baby triggers speech.
Music encourages the ability to listen and thus to concentrate. Songs encourage speech and auditory discrimination. In every music class babies are introduced to high, low and medium pitch through vocal and instrumental sounds and learn to distinguish between quick and slow, loud and soft.
Music helps the baby to understand a variety of concepts, such as high and low, fast and slow, loud and soft. Music classes provide babies from birth to two years of age with a sociable non-threatening form of communication. A music group helps both mothers and babies to socialize, and most of all, such a group provides enjoyment.
These classes, given by trained teachers, help parents to get to know the songs, rhymes and musical exercises of babyhood.
Six babies and their mothers or fathers constitute a good group for eight to ten sessions of one hour each. Babies are grouped according to age and as far as possible kept in their own area.
