First Steps In Music

The Benefits Of Our Preschool Music Program

When a child is involved in music, it increases their self-esteem, self-motivation, and self-efficacy. Creative participation in music improves self-image and self-awareness and creates positive self-attitudes.  Each child develops social, emotional, and intellectual skills that foster good health and well-being and, ultimately, success in life.

Music education is fundamental to a child’s growth. Children start recognizing pitch at the same time they acquire language, happening roughly between the ages of one and four. Clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Sherry Kelly recently reported that music stimulates the centers of the brain that develop language, attention, organization, spatial awareness, emotions, planning, and motor skills. This distinct connection between music, language processing, and reading during childhood promotes listening skills and enhances learning throughout life.  Dr. Elizabeth Carlton’s work proves that learning music in early childhood stimulates the brain for “optimal brain development”. Early and routine exposure of Northeast Florida’s children to these proven methods of music education is key if we are to foster our next generation of music lovers, choristers, and teachers.

Music ignites all areas of child development: intellectual, social, emotional, motor, language, memory, and overall literacy. Exposing children to music during early development helps them learn the sounds and meanings of words. Dancing to music helps children build motor skills while allowing them to practice self-expression. For toddlers and Pre-schoolers, music-making is a dynamic social learning experience. When making music as a group, children learn teamwork while they contribute to a song. Also, music helps children learn that together, they can make something larger than the sum of its parts.