Music with Ms. Jennifer

Greetings! I feel so blessed to be here at All Saints School, teaching music to such incredible children. My husband and I have been singing at All Saints with the St. Gregory Choir since 2006. Music has been an integral part of my life, having received my Bachelor of Music from Stetson University and additional training at New England Conservatory. As a mother myself, it is amazing to watch your little ones grow and learn through music and play. I hope to instill in each of our little saints a love of music that they will carry with them throughout their lives. They are truly a joy to teach! 

 

Ms. Jennifer

Why Start in Early Childhood?

The following in an excerpt from a recent article presented in Early Childhood Connections, a journal for early childhood education.

  • Music is language and children instinctively recognize & try to imitate spoken language & communication. 
  • Music evokes movement, and children delight in and require movement for their growth and development. 
  • Music engages the brain while stimulating neural pathways associated with higher processes such as abstract reasoning, mathematics, and empathy. 
  • Music’s melodic and rhythmic patterns provide exercises for the brain and help develop memory. 
  • Music is an aural art and young children & babies are aural learners.  Since hearing is fully mature well before birth, infants begin responding to the sounds of their environment in the womb & continue to do so throughout their early development.   
  • Music is perfectly designed for training listening skills.  Good listening skills and school achievement go hand in hand. 
  • Developmentally appropriate music activities involve the whole child – the learning of language, the desire to move, the brain’s attention to patterns, the ear’s role in communication & response to sounds, as well as the eye-hand coordination associated with playing musical instruments specially designed for little hands. 
  • Making music is a creative experience which involves expression of feelings. Children often do not have the words to express themselves and need positive ways to release their emotions. 
  • Music transmits culture and is an avenue by which beloved songs, rhymes, and dances can be passed down from one generation to the next. 
  • Music is a social activity which involves family and community participation.  Children love to sing & dance at home, school, in the car, and at church.  
  • ...and, unlike cribs, strollers, and clothes, children will never outgrow music and its many benefits!