Music Together of Greater Danbury is offering a FREE Rhythm Kids Trial Class for children in grades K-2 this Saturday, September 29th at 11:15AM at Gymnastics Spectrum in Danbury. Program Director, Don O'Keefe, provided the below Q&A for parents interested in learning more about the program and its offerings. If you'd like to attend the free trial class and/or register for the fall semester, please visit www.mtdanbury.com and be sure to mention Macaroni Kid.
What is Rhythm Kids K-2?
Rhythm Kids is an exciting and comprehensive music, movement, and drumming program that helps children complete the pathway of early childhood music development from birth to age 8.
Rhythm Kids was created by Tom Foote and developed with Music Together founder, Kenneth K. Guilmartin. Rhythm Kids classes are designed to help children develop their rhythm skills and gain a deeper level of musical understanding, preparing them for formal music instruction.
The program includes:
• Learning drumming patterns through playful animal-themed rhythmic chants
• Experiencing and improvising with new repertoire using a range of percussion instruments
• Ensemble and solo singing and drumming
• Playing dynamic group and partner music and drumming games
• Engaging in group movement activities and folk dances
• Creating imaginative movements, improvising patterns, and sharing ideas with the group
• Learning to take charge and lead others (like a conductor) as well as listen respectfully and follow
peers/teacher when it is their turn to lead.
An exciting aspect of the program is its new curriculum content:
Approximately half of the songs and chants have been created especially for Rhythm Kids. The additional songs, which were selected for their appeal to this age group as well as their learning potential, are from whichever Music Together song collection is taught in the same semester—a great advantage for families who may have a child in each program.
Attendance by parents is optional; however, we are finding that most parents who opt to stay and participate are really enjoying it.
What materials do students receive each semester?
• Rhythm Kids K-2 CD/code (14 songs and 4 unique animal rhythm chants/drumming patterns)
• Rhythm Kids K-2 songbook with music /drumming activity ideas
• 12 interactive online video tutorials, accessible from the mobile App and Family Music Zone
How many song collections are there?
Following the Music Together structure, nine non-sequential song collections are planned over a three-year rotation. Each collection is named after an animal—Kangaroo, Elephant, Jaguar, Alligator, Tree Frog, Toucan, Hippo, Tiger, Camel.
How much class time is spent drumming?
While drumming is an important part of the class, it is not exclusively or even primarily a drumming class. The newest aspect of the curriculum (in comparison with other Music Together offerings) is the teaching of the drumming patterns adapted from or inspired by multicultural drumming traditions, as demonstrated in videos for the students which are almost like “a private lesson with Tom.” We teach the drumming patterns in chant form first and then transfer that rhythmic learning to the drum and into movement, including traditional folk dance. There are also plenty of your old favorite Music Together activities included in each class however.
What is the Rhythm Kids semester length and class length?
• The semester length is the same as Music Together: 10 weeks.
• Classes are also the same, 45 minutes in length.
We hope you can join us for a FREE Trial Class this Sat, 9/29 at 11:15AM at Gymnastics Spectrum.
Just Register at www.MTDanbury.com.
