Temple University Early Childhood Music Classes to be Offered at Kimmel Center
December 20, 2005
Temple University’s Music Preparatory Division and the Kimmel Center announce the addition of Early Childhood Music Foundations (ECMF) classes to the Kimmel Center’s educational offerings beginning in January, 2006.
A leading source for introducing infants and toddlers to musical activity, the ECMF will, for the first time, expand the Kimmel’s educational outreach to include children in the 0-4 years age range.
This nationally recognized program develops the very young child’s potential in music and helps parents recognize and nurture their child’s musical strengths. The program provides a carefully planned sequence of music learning for children accompanied by parents or caregivers and uses the natural human inclination for chanting, singing and movement as the first steps in understanding melody and rhythm.
ECMF classes guide a child naturally through musical awareness in infancy to music skills development in the toddler and pre-school years. During infant classes (0-18 months) children and parents experience musical communication games that enhance family enjoyment of music and foster sharing and cooperation with others. Toddlers (18 months to three years) learn to interact musically using imaginative play, tonal and rhythm patterns, songs and chants, small percussion instruments, movement, and dance. Pre-school children (3-4 years) will be introduced to tonal and rhythm solfeggio and music reading and will experience greater emphasis on creative and imaginative play. Teachers sing, chant, move, dance, and play recorder and guitar.
Temple Music Prep Director Mark Huxsoll said, “It’s exciting that by matching our highly researched, University supported program with Philadelphia’s premier performance venue, we can reach a whole new group of children and families. This is a great example of two arts organizations working together to benefit the community.”
"We’re delighted to add these Early Childhood Music Classes in partnership with Temple University’s Music Preparatory Division to the Kimmel Center’s slate of education programs,” said Kimmel Center Director of Education Velma Simmons. “This enables the Kimmel Center to achieve its goal of providing quality arts education programs to community members of all ages
The Kimmel Center’s education programs provide hands-on arts training throughout the year and include free curriculum-based classes for middle and high school students, a teen summer arts camp, theme-based adult classes, two youth jazz ensembles, master classes and an annual series of student concerts.
Classes are planned for Monday mornings, in the Kimmel’s Merck Education Center, 260 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA.
For information on free introductory sessions and registrations, contact the Music Prep office at 215-204-1512 or musicprep@temple.edu .
Based at Temple University’s Center City campus, 1515 Market St.,Temple Music Prep provides lifelong, non-credit learning opportunities in music and dance to the Greater Philadelphia community. As a division of Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance, Music Prep is uniquely able to combine university expertise with Philadelphia’s outstanding cultural assets, assuring excellence in experience and results.
Temple Music Prep is a member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.
Kimmel Center, Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit organization, owns, manages, supports and maintains The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which includes Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, Innovation Studio and the Merck Arts Education Center. Kimmel Center, Inc. also manages the Academy of Music, owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association. The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the Academy of Music serve as home to eight Resident Company performing arts organizations, including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, American Theater Arts for Youth, PHILADANCO, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Peter Nero and the Philly Pops®. Kimmel Center, Inc.’s mission also includes arts in education, community outreach and a rich diversity of programming through its Kimmel Center Presents and the Cadillac Broadway at the Academy series of performances.
> index of news releases
> For more information, and to request high resolution images for press use, please
send us a message online.