About Us
About Me
A mom with three small children and a lifelong love of singing, I have joined my two worlds of love of music and love of children by becoming a Musikgarten teacher.
I became a mom in July 2003, again in May 2005, and again in September 2007. I live and teach in Decatur and Atlanta, Georgia. In 2007, I became a certified and licensed Musikgarten teacher. I teach four different classes--Family Music for Babies, Family Music for Toddlers, The Cycle of Seasons, and Music Makers--during the school year.
I am fully insured, 1st Aide trained, and CPR certified.
Several of my students have been bilingual in English and Spanish. Their parents have valued having another place to reinforce learning Spanish. If you are teaching/speaking Spanish to your child, please let me know if you would like me to speak Spanish to your child in class when you register.
I also have experience teaching children with disabilities.
In the fall of 2009, I began teaching the Cycle of Seasons Musikgarten curriculum to all 9 of the City Schools of decatur Pre-K classes. It has been fun learning 180 new names!
About Musikgarten
Musikgarten is a curriculum and registered trademark, developed to inspire a love of music in children. It is based on research of music and of child development and combines the two to appropriately teach children to keep rhythm and sing in proper pitch. Each Musikgarten class includes singing, movement, focused listening, and intruments.
Since children feel the rhythm of music in their bodies, classes involve age-appropriate movement such as jumping, running, galloping, spinning, as well as more creative movement like "crawling like a cat" or "growing like a flower."
Focused listening is listening while doing nothing else. Since culturally we are becoming more and more visually stimulated, Musikgarten curriculum includes a time in each class to develop the child aurally. For a 2 year-old this may be as simple or brief as 3 seconds of listening to the recorded sound of a crying baby. As the session continues, the time to sit still and listen increases as the child develops this ability.
Instruments are included in every class. Occasionally, the child will be exposed to a new instrument played by the teacher, but usually each child experiences playing his or her own shaker or rhythm sticks or playing with a scarf. Musikgarten believes in hands-on learning.
To learn about Musikgarten's history or philosophy, please logon to their web site at www.musikgarten.org or contact Julie Vazquez from the Contact Me page.