FAIRMONT — The new year brought a new opportunity for Fairmont area youngsters, and hopefully, it will help them become the well-rounded children most parents hope for.
Musikgarten classes, taught by Blue Earth resident Becky Jans, use music and movement to teach music awareness and to encourage brain development.
“Brain stems aren’t developed when a baby is born,” said Jans. “Rocking and movement, as well as music, are ways to fill up that space. We have all heard about how kids involved with music are better readers, better at math — just more well-rounded and confident. There are many reasons to immerse kids in music. One is that kids just love it.”
According to Jans, Musikgarten teaches the kids rhythm, echo, and pitch matching.
“Children learn through music,” she said.
And they learn early. One of the constants through all the age groups is the teaching of rhythms. Children in the class tap their legs with their hands and repeat “ba-ba, ba-ba-ba,” rhythms back to the teacher.
Addison Soma, 9-month-old daughter of Jennifer Soma, doesn’t even take part in the music class — she simply comes along and waits while her sister, Grace, participates. But according to Jennifer, Addison is beginning to reap the benefits and learn the rhythms.
“When she knows we are (coming to class), her eyes get real big and she says ‘ba-ba, ba-ba-ba.’”
Stacie Franta is experiencing something similar with her younger daughter, Lucia. Lucia waits in class for her sister, Josephine.
“I can see it in Lucia,” Franta says. “When she was less than a year old, I would say to her, ‘Lucia, we are going to music class.’ She would say ‘la, la, la.’ She was getting something out of it too.”
Musikgarten was created in 1994 by Dr. Lorna Lutz Heyge. Since then, the movement has spread all over the world, for even the youngest kids.
“(Musikgarten) has a curriculum just for babies,” said Jans. “The toddlers ... have a bigger age range, so there are nine different curricula for that age group. Moving to the 4-5 year olds, we teach them to play the xylophone.”
Musikgarten has offerings for kids up to age 9. Jans, who holds a degree in music therapy and runs a piano studio of 40 students in Blue Earth in addition to teaching Musikgarten classes, currently only offers the toddler curricula, but hopes to begin teaching other levels soon.
“With the different curricula, kids can keep coming back to the class without repeating a theme.”
“We all know adults who feel they can’t sing and don’t feel confident,” said Jans, who is a certified instructor for Musikgarten. “Musikgarten believes all people are musical and can be taught. Just as kids learn to speak by being spoken too, these kids are being spoken to in a musical language.”
Jans has taught the classes in Blue Earth since 2000, but last year she received a request from Franta, a mother of two and a Fairmont resident.
“I heard about the class and I called her up and was so excited about it,” said Franta. “It sounded like something my kids and I would enjoy. She said I could come to the classes in Blue Earth. I then begged her to come to Fairmont. There are so many moms who stay at home in Fairmont who are looking for something fun that is also a learning activity.” Franta contacted Red Rock Center for the Arts, which agreed to host the classes downstairs.
Musikgarten is slowly getting a following in Fairmont. Each semester brings new faces to the group.
“I just love it because it is fun and educational,” said Franta. “I just am always looking for things to do with my kids. I love that they are actually learning music. The first five years are so critical — their brains are just extra big sponges.”
