Here at CMA, among our music classes for children, we offer a class called “First Steps in Music for Infants and Toddlers”, which is based on the Early Childhood Music Education curriculum of the same name developed by Dr. John Feierabend.
You may find yourself asking: “What can you teach an infant or toddler to do?”
In the First Steps in Music curriculum, the goal is not to teach specific skills, but rather provide the child a space to experience different aspects of music in a curated environment. Dr. Feierabend refers to this as developing “tuneful, beatful, and artful” people.
Children’s brains are designed to learn, especially in their first few years. The learning they do in this time will shape their brains for the rest of their lives. However, the ways in which the child learns will look different based on their age and developmental stage.
As laid out in the 4 Stages of Cognitive Development developed by psychologist Jean Piaget, young children do not begin to show a sense of logical thinking until about age 7, which means that traditional, skill-based teaching modes like private lessons are not really appropriate for children this young. Unstructured exploration, play, and imagination are the main ways in which young children learn about and navigate the world. Even children who are not yet walking or talking can be led through songs and activities by their caregiver(s) and store the experiences away to be used again in the future. Though it may not always look like it from the outside, children are always learning!
Dr. Feierabend’s thought behind this curriculum was to provide a space for children and their families to experience and participate in musical activities that we used to do organically in our homes and communities, in a way that comes naturally to the child. To learn more about Dr. Feierabend and his curriculum, visit the Feierabend Association for Music Education website: https://www.feierabendmusic.org/first-steps-in-music-for-infants-and-toddlers/
If you have further questions about this methodology or would like to sit in on a class, please reach out to Instructor Becca Kronyak at becca@comusic.org
Becca holds a Bachelors in Music Education with a focus in early childhood music education, and is a current member of the Feierabend Association for Music Education.