Trying to teach a lesson in music theory, Meredith Haynes gets down on all fours.
“Let’s get down like a turtle,” she enthusiastically chirps to her pint-sized pupils, who plop onto the carpet in the music room at the Libertyville Sports Complex and chant their first word in musical dynamics, the term for “very soft.”
“Pianissimo,” the kids, ages 1 to 2, whisper. “Pianissimo.”
On cue from Haynes, their voices escalate until they’ve worked their way up to “Forte!” the musical term for “loud,” which they shout at the top of their voices.
The happy hollering is part of Music-in-the-Box Music Makers, billed as “music classes for very young children” and their parents.
Developed by Haynes seven years ago when she couldn’t find a local music class for her infant son, Music Makers is taught by Haynes or teachers trained by her in Libertyville, Vernon Hills, Gurnee, Chicago and elsewhere. A day-care center for the children of Motorola employees will start offering the weekly classes in March, Haynes said.
Haynes estimates between 700 and 1,000 toddlers already have gone through Music Makers. The classes combine song, dance, books–and lots of giggles.
The program also emphasizes America’s musical heritage and traditional nursery rhymes.
“I think there’s a generation or two that’s forgotten good old Mother Goose,” said Haynes.
“My sense is that mothers are overwhelmed and don’t know what books or CDs to buy,” she said. That’s why Music Makers, found at www.musicinthebox.com, loves when parents come along, too. “It’s all about teaching moms and dads stuff to do at home,” she said.
