Early Childhood
The early childhood curriculum offered at the VSO School of Music is Colourstrings Early Years Music and Movement, an innovative, “child-friendly” approach to music teaching that incorporates Kodaly, Orff and Dalcroze Eurhythmics.
Colourstrings is the only internationally recognized music education program that can take a child from the earliest music experiences all the way through to instrumental study.
Children age 3 months to 6 years develop core music skills through a variety of multi-sensory experiences – singing, instrument playing, dancing, improvising, listening and creative movement activities that captivate each child’s imagination. Each fun-filled class is split by age, which allows us to take into account the intellectual, musical, emotional and social development of each child at every stage.
All the skills of musicianship are incorporated into each class without the child even realizing that they are actively “learning”. Classes progress in very small logical steps from sounds to symbols, from imitation to improvisation, from the simplest to the most advanced musicianship.
We believe that ALL children can learn to sing in tune and achieve basic music competence. Our unique approach entices each child to embark on musical adventures that will enable them to fulfill their musical potential without any pressure, developing confident and creative individuals who are excited about sharing their music-making with others.
By the age of 5 or 6, ALL Colourstrings-trained children can read and write basic music notation, are able to feel musicality, have a highly developed sense of rhythm and pitch and will be ready to progress naturally onto an instrument with ease.
Instructor: Laura Hasthorpe
Classes Offered
Colourstrings classes are offered in 3 sessions throughout the year:
Session 1 September 16 to December 2, 2011 (no classes on November 11 or 12)
Session 2 January 6 to March 16, 2012
Session 3 April 13 to June 22, 2012
Children, especially those 3yrs and older, are encouraged to attend all 3 terms starting in September, as material providing a smooth transition into music reading follows on from term to term.
Age limits for each class are a guide. Please contact the Registrar to find out more, and ensure your child is placed in the best class for their needs.
3-14 months
Smiles, gurgles and coos result from the bouncing rhymes, lullabies and dances with a strong beat, experienced by both adult and infant. Our interactive classes inspire babies’ curiosity and represent the beginning of a solid musical progression with the introduction of loud/soft, high/low and fast/ slow through multi-sensory activities using bubbles, scarves, puppets and baby-safe instruments like bells, shaker eggs and drums.
The focus is on stimulating babies' natural response to music and enhancing your baby’s all round development (early speech, concentration, memory, gross motor and social skills) whilst you bond with your baby.
Parents gather information each week on infant musical development and learn activities to share in class and use at home.
Fridays: 12:15-12:45pm
Fee: $137.50 (+ $10 registration fee)
1 to 2 years (walking independently)
Children and parents are immersed in a musical world of discovery as skills and activities from the 3-14 months class are built upon and designed to bridge the natural connection between music, movement, and early learning. We use songs and engaging props like balls and parachutes to enhance timing, coordination and language skills. Creative movement develops a sense of balance, timing and spatial awareness while affirming the young child's urge to move. Plenty of opportunities are given to explore new sounds and instruments in creative and imaginative ways.
The focus is on developing a strong sense of beat while musical concepts such as high/low, loud/soft, fast/slow are experienced through engaging multi-sensory activities.
Parents gather information each week on musical development and learn activities to share in class and use at home.
Tuesdays: 9:30-10:10am
OR
Fridays: 9:25-10:05am
Fee: $137.50 (+ $10 registration fee)
2 to 3 years
Each week children are taken on an imaginary adventure where they continue to explore musical concepts through singing and creative movement activities using balls, hoops and new instruments like triangles, rhythm sticks and tone blocks. Children meet the rhythm bears for the first time who introduce the basics of rhythmic development. Interactive role play games develop confidence and self-esteem and also encourage children to become independent of their parents. The ensemble aspect of music making is gently introduced and world instruments are presented and explored.
The focus is on developing anticipation and timing while puppets gently encourage each child to find their own special voice - their first musical instrument.
Tuesdays: 10:20-11:00am
OR
Fridays: 11:15-11:55am
OR
Saturdays: 11:30am-12:10pm
Fee: $137.50 (+ $10 registration fee)
3 to 4 years
Singing and movement activities tap into your child’s creative spirit and boundless energy, and puppets, ribbons, instruments, and parachutes are an integral part of each class. For the first time young children are encouraged to sing, move and play instruments independently of parental support, however parents may attend until your child feels comfortable. Through our playful approach children are unaware that we now progress onto specific musical details in the Colourstrings songbooks such as dynamics, tempo, form, pitch and beat which ultimately lead towards a deep musical understanding. Children enjoy interactive games in partners or small groups. Musical stories captivate each child's imagination and encourage them to share ideas in a supportive musical environment where individual creativity is encouraged.
The focus is on developing pitch through creative movement (body sol-fa) and preparing the concept of rhythm by connecting speech patterns through clapping and instrument play. Activities with the rhythm bears introduce the children to reading picture rhythmic notation.
Fridays: 10:20-11:05am
OR
Fridays: 1:30-2:15pm
Fee: $154.00 (+ $10 registration fee)
4 to 5 years
Singing games, dancing and musical fairy tales are immersed in weekly classes that challenge children's aural perception and develop musicality using basic musical concepts. Children are encouraged to explore and create rhythmic patterns with xylophones, body percussion and their voice. The introduction of basic solfège (do, re, mi) underpins the subconscious understanding of pitch and hand signs are learned for each pitch, which help children to sing more accurately in-tune and visualize when the pitches of songs go up and down. Beat and rhythm are now combined together in partner games and the children start to do two different things at the same time, which leads to 2-part singing. The ensemble aspect of music making is emphasized through the creation, reading and performance of music together
The focus is on developing accuracy in pitch and rhythm. The rhythm bears lead the children to read and write rhythmic notation and the first elements of melodic notation are introduced through songs and pictures. Creative ideas are put into musical language so that children see what music means when they see it written down.
Fridays: 2:45-3:30pm
OR
Saturdays: 9:15-10:00am
Fee: $154.00 (+ $10 registration fee)
5 to 6 years
Playground style musical games challenge children’s aural perception through more complex songs and creative movement. Our dynamic, high energy classes use colourful resources, parachutes, glockenspiels and some of the most beautiful instruments from around the world to help bring alive the musical points. Through creative movement, improvising and composing children develop awareness of musical form and expression as they become more involved in making choices about the use of dynamics and tempo within a song. The group is frequently divided to develop 2 part singing (rounds), ostinato (a repeated rhythmic or melodic pattern) and performing pulse and rhythm simultaneously.
The focus is on developing music literacy and reinforcing music concepts. Musical vocabulary is familiarised using pictures, flash cards and movement games. Now that their ears have been ‘finely tuned’ we sing in Solfege (do,re.mi) with hand signs which enables children to listen to music and transcribe it onto paper, and to look at sheet music and hear it internally without the use of an instrument.
At this stage children are well equipped to progress naturally to instrumental instruction.
Fridays: 4:00-4:45pm
Fee: $154.00 (+ $10 registration fee)
Please note that Colourstrings classes are limited to 12 children per class, and spaces can fill up quickly. To register for your place in a class, or for more information, please contact the School Registrar, Louise Ironside, at 604-915-9300 ext. 111. Alternatively, please click here to send an email.
"Colourstrings is an exceptional method in the training of young musicians and I have yet to experience a more successful approach to developing musicianship, aural awareness and solid musical principles in the very young"
Derek Aviss, Principal, Trinity College of Music, London
"The contribution that Colourstrings makes to early years' education has been invaluable. The part that Colourstrings will play in the future is of vital importance to the cultural life of this country"
Nicolas Chisholm, Headmaster, The Yehudi Menuhin School
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