December 25, 2002
Kindermusic delights tiny dancers
Holiday program helps children gain motor skills while having fun
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Leaving the shopping stress and the holiday hustle-bustle behind, parents and children gathered Saturday for a holiday dance and wriggle, courtesy of Kindermusic teacher Melinda Lise.
With Lise's bell-like voice and boundless enthusiasm leading the way, parents, grandparents and children, ages infant to five years old, shimmied, skated and sang their cares away. A variety of props, including scarves, shakers and sand blocks, were incorporated in the program to help children learn motor skills while having fun. Lise also read a holiday story to give everyone a breather from the dancing and interspersed a mix of sit-down and move-around activities.
Lise merged three of her regular Kindermusic curriculums for the program. Usually classes are divided into ages newborn through 18 months, toddlers and preschoolers. However, for this program, she encouraged participants of all ages to just have fun with the music and moves, adapting as needed for their child's age.
"My descriptions of what to do are just a suggestion, you are free to interpret it in any way you want," said Lise, a resident of Bear Lake.
The Kindermusic holiday program was just the ticket for Maddie Medler. Attending the class at the Sun Radius International studio with her grandparents and parents, the 23-month-old threw herself into the hour-long program.
"She loves to dance, she is very musical," said Janie Tavener of Traverse City, Maddie's grandmother. "We thought this would be fun for her."
Lise has been a Kindermusic teacher for five years and also teaches in Ludington and Manistee. She has been teaching in Traverse City for two years. Calling it a job she truly loves, during the holiday season this year she decided to give something back by offering the holiday program for the community.
"I want to do something special for people who might not be able to come to class for whatever reason," noted Lise, who also plays principal clarinet with the Holland Symphony Orchestra.
Starting from the philosophy that all children are musical, Kindermusic teachers begin their pupils with the first instrument: their voice. Using repetition of song, movement and dance, the Kindermusic program reinforces motor skills, musical development and self-esteem. Even infants, who grow and change so quickly, enjoy the social time with their parents and other babies.
"It is so fun to watch them develop," Lise said. "Children of this age group, the more you repeat something, the more comfortable they feel. The more they listen or read the same thing, the more confident they become as they start singing the words or doing the moves."
Another goal of Kindermusic program is to encourage the whole family to participate. The program includes an extensive array of take-home tapes, compact discs, books and suggested activities.
"The whole purpose is to have fun and bond with your child," said Lise, who also majored in music performance, management and economics at Albion College. "My philosophy is to have fun and enjoy it and let the music be a fun avenue for learning for everyone."
Kathy Perez of Lake Ann has been attending Kindermusic classes with her son, Rene, 15 months, for nearly a year. From the first session, her then-four-month-old infant zeroed in on the teacher. Perez believes that the class has enhanced her son's development in a number of ways. She said his speedy transition to walking from crawling at 12 months was helped by the physical confidence he gained in class and at home doing the moves.
"He loves Melinda's voice, her voice sounds like a bell," Perez said. "He really likes the music and dances to all the CDs, all the songs - we know them by heart."