Developing a passion for music

Program helps youngsters combine musice and movement

By: Madeleine Johnson
   Barbara Lysenko knows what it’s like to harbor a love for music without having an outlet in which to express it.
   Eight years ago, Ms. Lysenko and her business partner, Marilyn Schwartz, decided to turn this experience into something positive. They wanted to help young children tap into their unexplored musical potential and came up with Kids’ MusicRound, which is offered at the Allstar Dance Academy, Route 27.
   "Kids’ MusicRound is a music and movement program for children ages birth through 4 with their parent or caregiver in attendance," Ms. Lysenko said. "It’s about introducing kids to music at an early age to stimulate musical brain connections."
   She believes that, like speech, the language of music must be fostered in a child as he or she grows older. According to Ms. Lysenko, the desire to make music needs to be taught and refined in the same ways as a child develops the ability to speak.
   "Eighty-four percent of our population is born with average to above-average musical ability," she said. "To stimulate the musical connections in the brain we must encourage an active response to music at an early age. Passive listening will not develop a strong musical foundation."
   Kids’ MusicRound turns music into a kinetic experience through "shaking tambourines, beating drums and twirling scarves," among other activities. While the active inclusion in music is a big part of the program’s success, parents’ participation is crucial.
   "Children watch their parents," she said. "Children learn language through listening to the adults around them and experimenting with their own vocalizations. If the adult models a sincere joy of music, the child will catch the enthusiasm and choose to make music an integral part of their life."
   Ms. Lysenko advocates a child’s immersion in music because she feels music is so much more than a passive way to occupy the aural senses.
   "Music stimulates children musically, socially, physically and emotionally," she said.
   Exposing children to music at an early age can have an array of other benefits, too. According to Ms. Lysenko, supplying a child with a musical background can set the stage for greater successes later in life.
   "Music builds self-confidence and becomes so personal," she said. "The opportunity to joyfully explore and play with music at an early age helps children to develop basic music competence — the ability to keep steady beat and sing in tune. This is extremely important because it sets the stage for the rest of the child’s musical endeavors."
   Kids’ MusicRound can leave a lasting positive impression on its young participants. According to Ms. Lysenko, one mother enrolled all three of her children in the program, only to wind up with three "excellent readers and students," one of whom is a guitar player.
   "Children, a lot of times, will continue with music later on," she said. "The early exposure, coupled with encouragement to sing and move to music on a daily basis (gives) each child the necessary skills to successfully participate in music for pleasure, in later formal music introduction, or in professional musical pursuits."
   Kids’ MusicRound is more than a sing-along class that features simple melodies.
   "Our research-based curriculum has been carefully constructed and our faculty is professionally trained," Ms. Lysenko said. "We have lots of fun singing and dancing to music ranging from original compositions to familiar Native American folk tunes and traditional music from around the world."
   Kids’ MusicRound meets at the Allstar Dance Academy, located in the Marketplace Mall. Tuition for 10 weeks is $160 and includes two CDs and a songbook. Each class is 45 minutes long. For more information or to register, call (609) 333-0100.