Discover the Joy of Music with Maria Winder:
Your Child's Musical Adventure Begins Here!
At our preschool music classes, we offer an exciting and refreshing approach to music education for preschool children. Led by experienced music educator, Maria Winder, our classes are designed to immerse your child in the magical world of music, creating a strong foundation for their musical journey, wherever it takes them. This is an ideal first step into any music participation, including singing, dancing, and instrumental lessons, building confidence and deep musical understanding.
Maria is a registered primary school teacher with many years’ experience and a fine singer who continues to sing in several premier choirs. She has now added an Australian Kodály Certificate in Early Childhood Education to her arts degree and teaching diploma, bringing a wealth of specialist knowledge and expertise to our classes. You can read more about her here.
The basis of our approach
Inspired by Zoltán Kodály's philosophy that singing should form the foundation of music education, our classes present lovely songs, rhymes, and music games for young children. We believe that musical instruction should begin as early as possible in life, and the Kodály method works gracefully with children’s natural way of learning.
Just as children learn to speak by immersion in a language-rich environment, very young children catch on to singing by immersion in a singing environment. Our carefully crafted sessions include activities which allow your child to experience music in a way that nurtures their singing ability and builds a strong musical foundation.
Parents and caregivers: vital partners in your child's musical development
Research shows that parents and caregivers play a crucial role and that's why they are an essential part of our music sessions with Maria. You don’t need to be a musician or a singer with any level of training or experience at all. If you don't feel comfortable singing in the sessions, you can simply listen - there is no pressure to be a singer yourself, but we hope you will gain confidence as you come along with your child.
Singing with babies and toddlers (0-2 years)
Our classes for babies and toddlers are filled with bouncing, tickling, and peek-a-boo rhymes and songs, lullabies, finger plays, circle games, and action songs. These activities not only enhance musical development but also contribute to language development, creating a rich and stimulating learning environment for your little ones. You will also gain a repertoire of rhymes and songs to use at home, making music an integral part of your daily routine.
Singing with preschoolers (2-5 years)
As children's language and mobility develop, our preschooler classes introduce circle games, line games, guessing games, partner and group activities, all combined with loads of songs and rhymes. This interactive and engaging experience encourages children's physical coordination, social interaction, and confidence. You and your child will grow and develop in confidence and musical skill, with the lovely bonus of strengthening the bond between parent and child.
Singing at home
We load all of the songs from our sessions onto this website, so you can access them at home. We have an app which you can download, so that you can play the songs from your phone and even make a playlist for in the car! New songs added weekly as the class learns them.
Singing in your preschool centre or playgroup
Would you like a one-off session in your own preschool group? We are happy to come and do a free 10-minute demonstration session, or run a longer session for a small fee. Please contact Kate for more details, and to arrange a time. kate@thechoir.co.nz
Fees:
There are two ways to pay fees: casual or in advance by the term
0 to 2 years: $10 cash per session or $70 for the term (if paid before the first session)
2-5 years: $15 cash per session or $105 for the term (if paid before the first session)
Please note that we offer 9-10 sessions during the term. If you pay your fees in advance and attend all classes, you can count on getting 2-3 sessions free.
Access to our app is included for everyone who is enrolled, whether you pay casually or by term.
If you would like to attend these classes but are unable to afford the fees, please contact Kate in confidence, as support is sometimes available. kate@thechoir.co.nz
Classes for 2024:
At the moment we are running only Tuesday mornings at Grey Lynn Community Centre.
Classes are separated into 2 age groups:
- 0 to 2 years: 10.30am to 10.50am.
- 2 to 5 years: 9.45am to 10.15am.
The last class of Term 1 is on Tuesday 16 April (the first week of the school holidays), and is a combined class of both age groups, beginning at 9.45am.
Term 2 begins on 30 April and finishes on 11 June.
In the future, we hope to run Thursday morning classes as well - this will happen once we have enough enrolments!
JOIN THE MUSICAL ADVENTURE TODAY!
Our classes will not only spark your child's love for music but also equip them with essential skills to thrive in their musical activities. And they will give you the skills and confidence to support your child’s musical development in these early years.
As a member of All Together Now, you will have access to our website and app, which means we can provide recordings of all the songs learned in class, direct to your mobile! All the songs you and your child have learned, at your fingertips.
Together, let's build a musical foundation that will last a lifetime.
To register, just click on the button and complete the form!
