Parents looking for a new musical alternative to Barney, Teletubbies or their kitchen pots and pans for their young can find a solution right in their own hometown.
Stephanie Miconi, an Oxford elementary music teacher for the past six years, is beginning a Kindermusik program through the Oxford Township Parks and Recreation Department.
Kindermusik is for children newborn to seven years of age and their parents. The program provides child-centered educational classes and materials that nurture the cognitive, emotional, language, social, physical and musical development of children and involve families in their children’s musical learning.
‘A friend told me about Kindermusik and thought I would be perfect for it,? said Miconi. ‘I decided to check it out and went online, and then spoke with a Kindermusik teacher in Berkeley.?
Miconi recently became a licensed Kindermusik instructor. This will be her first time teaching the program. For Kindermusik Village through the township Parks and Rec. department, Miconi will be offering three sessions:
n Zoom Buggy for Newborns-18 Months. The cost is $100 for residents plus a $32 supply fee. A parent or caregiver must attend the entire class with their child. The class is on Wednesdays from 5:45-6:30 p.m. and begins September 7.
n Dream Pillows for Newborns-18 Months. The cost is $100 for residents plus a $32 supply fee. A parent or caregiver must attend the entire class with their child. The class is on Wednesdays from 5:45-6:30 p.m. and begins October 27.
n Milk and Cookies for 1?-3 Years. The cost is $185 for residents plus a $49 supply fee. The course encourages children to uncover an engaging musical world while building self-confidence, self-control and communication skills. The class is on Wednesdays from 6:45-7:30 p.m. and begins September 7.
‘My hope is to gear my program to working parents,? said Miconi. ‘I work full time myself and I have a 15-month-old (Samuel), (so) I know how important it is for parents to do things with their children and Kindermusik is a great opportunity for that.?
Miconi, who has only lived in Oxford for the past four months, decided to host the program through the Oxford Township Parks and Rec department because she doesn’t have the facilities in her home. The classes will take place in the music room at Lakeville Elementary.
‘I want to really try and get this started,? she stated. ‘This is an awesome opportunity for newborns up to the age of seven to get introduced to music. Then they can move easily into private lessons.?
‘My goal is to enrich music in children’s daily lives, and this a great opportunity for parents to be involved in that,? Miconi added. ‘Parents will be able to see how well their child grows in learning music.?
Miconi emphasized that the Kindermusik program is process, not performance, based. The program does not strive to demonstrate how well a child can perform a piece of music, on an instrument or vocally, the program focuses on how your child develops and experiences music.
‘That’s what matters, it basically grows with them,? concluded Miconi. ‘It’s probably the single best choice parents can make for their children – to expose them to music.
‘It’s fun, it’s engaging and it’s enjoyable – just what music should be.?
For more information or to sign up for Kindermusik Village, please contact Oxford Township Parks and Recreation at 248-682-1720, or go online to www.oxparkrec.org.