Seniors Invited to Make Music Together
With Parents and Children
A fun-filled intergenerational music program for seniors and children takes place Tuesday mornings at the Smithfield
Senior Center,
in Deerfield Park,
Smithfield RI. The class is essentially a parent/child
Music Together program with one difference--seniors! Seniors are invited to
join the fun and share music with the children and their families during this
class.
Research on aging and health indicates that
intergenerational relationships provide positive health benefits for both
children and older people. Intergenerational programs provide opportunities for
young and old to share experiences that build bridges of understanding and
respect. By bringing people of diverse ages together who
might otherwise never meet, intergenerational programs strengthen the community as a whole.
Sharing music is one of the best and most joyful ways to
bring people together. Families enrolling in the Music Together class at the Smithfield Senior Center
will have the opportunity to meet seniors who love music too. We play drums, shakers, rhythm sticks,
bells, and tambourines, We move with scarves, march and dance in circles.
We share our favorite songs. We make Music Together and forge new
friendships.
What is Music Together?
First offered to
the public in 1987, Music Together
pioneered the concept of a research-based, developmentally appropriate
early childhood music curriculum that recognized the importance of adult
involvement. The Music Together
approach is based upon these beliefs:
♪ All
children are musical and can achieve the basic musical competencies of singing
in tune and keeping the beat.
♪ The
active involvement and role- modeling of parents and other primary caregivers
such as babysitters or grandparents is essential for activating children’s
musical development
♪ Young
children learn best in a playful, musically rich setting free of direct
instruction and performance pressure, where learning activities are interesting,
and fun
♪ Children’s
music development benefits greatly from early exposure, beginning with infancy
A typical Music Together class provides
informal musical experiences which include singing, chanting, moving to music,
and playing rhythm instruments. The emphasis is on play and creativity,
repetition, and joyful interaction between parent/caregiver and child. The
group is comprised of children from infant to age 5. The teacher helps adults
understand how to participate, regardless of musical ability, and to relax and
enjoy the activities with their children.
If you are interested in learning more about Music Together and the intergenerational class at the Smithfield Senior Center, please contact Anne-Marie Forer, tunesntales@hotmail.com.
