Let's Talk About Music

Caring Connections Podcast 7: Let's Talk About...Music

[Music]

Laura Annunziata: Hi, my name is Laura Annunziata.

I'm a senior training specialist at the Early Head Start National Resource Center. I'd like to welcome you to this, podcast seven in the Caring Connections series. As we've mentioned in previous segments of this series, we've also created an information sheet to accompany each podcast that will direct you to resources that we refer to, and Head Start Program Performance Standards that are relevant to the information we cover. This segment --Segment Seven --explores music.

Through music, children can haveexperiences and explore concepts that help them with building capacities that range from everything to social-emotional expression, pre-literacy and math skills, and physical development, and all kinds of things in between. Recently, the Office Head Starthosted a webcast entitled, "Little Voices for Healthy Choices: Nurturing Bodies and Minds from Birth to Three." The purpose of which was to share information about the newly released materials for Little Voices for Healthy Choices, a national initiative focused on the areas of music, movement, nutrition, brain development, and sleep.

One of the highlights of the materials are the music and arts experiences created by Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, designed to share music, chants,and opportunities for creative and dramatic expression with infants and very young children. One of these arts experiences is called Aeroplane. It's a simple song with accompanying movements and dramatic components that can be adapted to be used with infants and toddlers of a variety of ages. Let's take a moment now to look at a few clips of the teaching artists demonstrating their interpretations of this experience. First, we'll see Maria Tripodi as she demonstrates using this experience with a young infant or very young child.

Maria Tripodi: Here we go. You ready? And, one. Two. Three. Four. Five. Wooooosh.Aeroplane, aeroplane, wings so wide. Aeroplane, aeroplane side to side. Let's do it again. Are you ready? Here we go. And, one. Two. Three. Four. Five. Wooooosh. Aeroplane, aeroplane, wings so wide. Aeroplane, aeroplane side to side.

Laura: See how Maria gets right down to the level of the child, making direct eye contact with them and engaging them in this experience as they share some tummy time? She's available and engaged so that the child knows that's she's right there for them as they share this experience together. Next, let's watch Kofi Dennis, also a Wolf Trap teaching artist, as he demonstrates how someone might use the same experience with aslightly older child.

Kofi Dennis: Ready? Here we go. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Woooosh.Aeroplane, aeroplane, wings so wide. Aeroplane, aeroplane side to side. Again. Let's go! One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Woooosh.Aeroplane, aeroplane, wings so wide. Aeroplane, aeroplane side to side.

Laura: Did you notice how he tailored this experience for a slightly different developmental stage? It's interesting to see how two different artists delivered a very similar experience in their own unique way, just aseach of us would do it differently. Let's watch one last set of adaptations of this experience. Sylvia Zwi, another Wolf Trap teaching artist, will demonstrate another interpretation of Aeroplane.

Sylvia Zwi: We're going to fly around the room. You ready? Here we go! Count with me. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Wooooooooosh. Aeroplane, aeroplane, wings so wide. Aeroplane, aeroplane side to side. Now you're going to add a little up, and a little down. Are you ready to fly through the room? Here we go. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Wooooooooooosh. Aeroplane, aeroplane, wings so wide. Aeroplane, aeroplane side to side.

Laura: Each one of the teaching artists made small adaptations to address the different developmental stages and needs of the children they were targeting with this experience. Each one of them engaged in the experience in a way that was unique to them. How do you think you would do it?

One of the programs that participated in the Little Voices for Healthy Choices Initiative told us that they'vechanged the Aeroplane imagery to imagery of a bird, that it worked better for their setting that way, and resonated with their desire to share elements of the natural world with the children in their care. We hope that you'll take a look at the many otherrich music experiences contained in the Little Voices for Healthy Choices DVD and the webcast, and will find inspiration there for endless adaptations and opportunities to engage the families and little ones in your care, and musical experiences.

You can look us up at www.ehsnrc.org, or on the ECLKC, or Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center at www.eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov for more resources to assist you in your work.

Stay tuned for the next podcast on "Empathy," hosted by Amanda Perez. Until then, we wish you all the best in your work.