Kindermusik and MusikgartenIn planning our futures, young singers are often advised to get a degree in music education to have something to “fall back on.” That’s what I did–but I discovered that I didn’t enjoy the classroom environment, or dealing with the politics of administration and uncaring parents. Many of my fellow graduates had the added burden of being music teachers at multiple schools in a public school district and not having their own classroom. Not only did they have to carry everything with them from school to school but often they would actually have to push the piano from classroom to classroom. Great for the biceps, but exhausting. So what are the choices for the singer who enjoys working with smaller children in a more intimate, controlled environment? Or for the singer without a music education degree who isn’t certified to teach general music in the schools?
http://www.kindermusic.com/With a growing amount of research demonstrating the positive effects of early exposure to music on child development, but the unfortunate contradiction of budget cuts affecting how and when (not to mention if) music is taught in the public schools, parents are often left to seek private sources of early music education. In response, an industry of private music education programs has sprung up.
One program that is enjoying great popularity is Kindermusik. Developed in Germany by music educators Lorna Lutz Heyge and Audrey Sillick as a curriculum for four- to seven-year-olds, Kindermusik came to the United States through Daniel Pratt, formerly of Westminster Choir College and now the chair of the Kindermusik board of directors. According to Libby Teague, a Kindermusik teacher since 1995, “Kindermusik is all about making music a natural part of your life.”
Since its inception, the program has broadened its focus to include children from birth through seven years of age. Instructors may choose to teach all ages or specific age groups, through four different levels: Village (0-18 mos., 30-45 minutes, class size 12 maximum); Our Time (18 mos. to 3, 45 mins., 12); Growing (3-5, 45 mins., 8); and Young Child (4-7, 60-75 mins., 12). If you have the space, you may teach at home or locate space elsewhere (church halls, community centers, and so on). Teachers may also opt to work in a preschool or day care setting, using the Music Box curriculum. Kindermusik also offers a summer music camp curriculum called Adventure Camps.
Teachers must go through training in order to become licensed. Training sessions cover two programs (e.g., Village and Our Time) and cost $395 per session. The sessions also include a business seminar in which the teacher is given ideas on how to market Kindermusik in the community and run the business. Teachers also have to purchase teacher’s manuals for each program offered ($55); instruments to be used throughout all four levels ($382); a home kit of materials, which the parents are also required to buy ($26 per semester); and instruments specific to the Young Child level ($85). Total investment for Kindermusik teachers will vary from region to region, but initial start-up costs will be at least $1,000 per grade level, not including the cost of studio rental (if one is used).
http://www.musikgarten.org/Parental involvement is a key component of Kindermusik. At the infant and toddler levels, parents are present for the entire time. For infants, parents and teacher incorporate vocal play, infant massage, exercise, and rhythm to reinforce both musical and vocabulary concepts. At the two highest levels, the teacher works with the children only for the majority of the class, with the parents coming in for the last 15 minutes. Parents purchase home kits of recordings and activities to be done with their children. Their level of involvement and commitment determines the child’s progress in the class.
Throughout the program, the emphasis on musical concepts increases, particularly in tonal and rhythmic patterning activities. At the final level, children are introduced to melodic instruments such as the glockenspiel, dulcimer, and recorder.
From a vocal standpoint, the curriculum has very high standards. Linda Swears, author of Teaching the Elementary School Chorus, was a prime developer of the Kindermusik curriculum. She identified two components of early childhood vocal development. According to Swears, singing is initially a listening experience, and a child needs to hear singing, preferably live and mostly informally. The second component is imitation–children often imitate sound first in a song-like manner prior to speaking. Swears believes that Kindermusik nurtures the parent-child relationship through constant vocal play and spontaneous vocalization, and identifies Kindermusik’s ultimate goal for a child’s vocal development as “guiding the child to independent singing.”
The income potential for Kindermusik is determined by the teacher. Some teachers bill per class per child, while some choose to bill on a semester basis. There is ongoing investment in materials, but this is true of any entrepreneurial effort. The company offers a forum for discussion to their licensed educators at their website, www.kindermusik.com.
As in any start-up business, there is considerable investment involved. One criticism by a former Kindermusik teacher is that the programs are frequently revised, necessitating the purchase of additional materials and equipment in order to implement the changes. However, other teachers have said that the investment is recouped in the first semester of teaching.
The fact that these programs are process- and not performance-oriented are among the factors to be considered by the classical singer looking for an alternative career. The programs are not short-term; the financial investment alone implies a level of commitment. The advantages include being able to set your own schedule, having interested parents and students, limiting (or not limiting) your hours based on your other performing obligations, and stimulating the development of young people. The disadvantages are that once you set your schedule, you have a schedule. Spontaneity can be hard to fit in.
Kindermusik has gone through tremendous growth in recent years. In 1993, it was sold to a group of investors. Since that time, several teachers have expressed concern that the focus is too heavily skewed toward selling materials, that teacher training standards are not high enough, and that there is less respect from Kindermusik International toward its teachers now than in the past. In an interview, one teacher expressed the opinion that the introduction of the instruments in the Young Child program was not age appropriate and was strictly a money-making proposition. Kindermusik is highly proprietary of their resources, only selling them to licensed Kindermusik teachers.
In 1994, Kindermusik’s originators, Heyge and Sillick, developed a new program in response to these perceived changes in focus. According to their website (www.musikgarten.org), Musikgarten is based on “two fundamental principles: Children deserve the best teachers and learning materials…Teachers, much like students, need the freedom to be themselves to reach their full potential.”
Musikgarten targets the same age group as Kindermusik and offers four classes as well as an additional class with a Christian emphasis called “God’s Children.” Training classes are $165 per session (except for God’s Children, which is only $40), with one level being taught per session, plus additional fees for registration and the optional purchase of materials. Sessions may be audited for a lesser fee, and discounts are offered if multiple sessions are taken at one time. The total startup cost for Musikgarten is in the range of $1895, which includes training, licensing, rental deposit (for space), and marketing and classroom materials. This amount covers training and startup for ages infant through four to five years old. The ideal of music being a natural part of life also figures prominently in Musikgarten, with children being encouraged to find music in natural sources, such as bird/animal sounds. Parental involvement is also extremely important, both in the classroom and at home. Materials are made available for purchase to anyone, not just licensed Musikgarten teachers. One criticism of Musikgarten is that it has gone too far in the other direction and that there is not enough focus on the business aspect.
Both Kindermusik and Musikgarten encourage the teachers to sing in head voice and not to pitch songs too low for the children to model. These programs also require that you use your voice for several hours a day–a factor for any singer who is concerned about vocal exhaustion as a result of teaching. Betsy Grizzell, a Musikgarten educator in Chicago as well as a mezzo soprano in the Chicago Symphony Chorus, recommends that teachers warm up before teaching a children’s music class just as they would warm up before a rehearsal or performance.
It is often said that it takes a special person to be a teacher. If one’s goal is just to make some extra money in the short term, the personal and financial commitment involved in these programs is probably too great. However, if you are committed to teaching the young child to develop the same love of music that has propelled you through your life, then either of these programs might offer the financial and personal success that you have been seeking.
For more information on Kindermusik, call 1-800-628-5687, or visit them on the web at:www.kindermusic.com
For information on Musikgarten, call 1-800-216-6864, or visit them on the web at:
www.musikgarten.org
