Musical Exploration for the Very Young at Little Timbre Music Studio
Musical Exploration for the Very Young at Little Timbre Music Studio
by Sarah Nicholson, EDN
Just because you can’t dance (or sing, or play an instrument or tap your foot in rhythm) doesn’t mean your child can’t learn. As with any language, learning the language of music requires a certain exposure. And while musical geniuses obviously possess some talent that us non-geniuses clearly lack, “Music,” writes Pia Robbins of Eugene’s Little Timbre Music Studio, “Is important, and is not simply a gift bestowed upon a chosen few.”
Tucked away in the annex at Tamarack Wellness Center, a cluster of children dance, sing, and toss scarves playfully into the air. This is Little Timbre Music Studio: a space for kids to freely explore and creatively express themselves through music. Pia Robbins gathers the group into a circle, leading rhythms with her voice and with her hands. She pats out and vocalizes a simple beat and invites the group to join in with a repeat. When she asks if anyone wants to try it alone, a brave little girl steps forward and performs a solo echo to Robbins’ beat.
Not all the little ones are so bold, but what impressed me most on our visit was the level of engagement all across the board. I’ve been to wild story times, where the children would rather run around the room than listen to a book being read, and I’ve been to story times where most of the babies or toddlers kick back and express only mild interest in what’s going on. But this was different. Here children have the chance to actively engage themselves with their minds, their bodies and their voices, with each little personality adding its own dynamic to the group. At 16 months and not quite walking, my daughter couldn’t fully keep up with the kids who danced with their scarves or pranced in a circle, but she fully enjoyed the songs that used my lap as a bouncing prop, had a kick banging on the rhythm sticks, and drank in the movement songs and repetitive rhythms. She was also fascinated by watching the older children move and dance, and jumped right into Robbins’ quality collection of musical instruments brought out for exploration at the end of the class.
Little Timbre’s musical exploration program is based on the Musikgarten curriculum, which acts on the belief that music and movement are an essential part of a child’s development by using a series of sequential classes that focus on the benefits of musical literacy for the whole child. What drew Robbins to the program was her experience teaching music lessons, where she started to see that many children lacked a foundation in the “language” of music. Robbins says, “Piano and violin lessons are wonderful, but if a child has not had the opportunity to interact and play with music before studying an instrument, they have a lot of catching up to do. Studying an instrument for the first time without previous exposure or experience with music can be like learning to read before learning to speak.” She goes on to say, “Music is a language, and as with any language, time to play and experiment with that language is crucial.”
Robbins started Little Timbre in 2008 and has since worked with over 150 families in the Eugene area. No stranger to music, her impressive musical background includes early musical training and performance, studying music for the theater with the composer of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and a role as a vocalist/performer on a Broadway tour. Teaming up with her husband Jason, the Robbins’ have recorded two albums as The Comforters, and manage a recording studio in town called Big Timbre. In addition, Robbins has completed a graduate program in education, taught in a public K-8 school, and soaked up some additional studies of language and literacy development.
Robbins’ resume does more than impress – her extensive musical training and educational background are just what she needs to pass on a love and understanding of music to young children. Her Musikgarten-themed classes span an age range of babies to first graders, all aimed at developing that musical literacy at an early age. The first class in the series is the Baby’s Music class, geared toward babies from brand new to 17 months. It includes rocking, chanting, and movement to increase your child’s curiosity about music. Babies spend a half hour with their caregiver and then have 15 minutes to explore. The Toddler class includes children from 17 months to 3½ years and adds dancing, listening, and playing simple instruments to the mix, increasing the child’s sense of beat and listening abilities, among other things.
For children between 3½ and 5, the Cycle of Seasons class begins to focus even more on rhythm and singing in tune, adding musical games and dramatic play in a slightly longer session for their slightly elongated attention spans. As children progress through this class and into the following Music Makers class (for Kinders through first graders), they are encouraged to participate even more on their own as caregivers take a small step into the background. The learning and exploration continue to expand on previous classes, as Music Makers delve further into rhythm patterns, poetry, listening games, instrumental play, and even discover ensemble creation and musical notation.
As children move through the sequence, Robbins has experienced “the pleasure of witnessing children (and caregivers!) gain more confidence with rhythmic and tonal patterns, develop and maintain a steady beat, sing in tune, move with more grace and control, listen with intent, tell stories through expressive movement, rock, tap and dance to music, and sing with pure joy.” Children learn to “hear the ‘story’ within the music”, which fosters not only a greater musical comprehension, but also a greater passion and appreciation for music.
But as the founders of Musikgarten note, the benefits of early musical literacy do not end there. As they mention on their website, early music and movement education can also positively impact language development, self expression, memory skills, concentration, social interaction, listening, problem solving, teamwork, coordination, confidence… the list goes on. Robbins adds pattern recognition (and therefore a mathematical foundation), body awareness, self-control, joy and belonging to that list, along with the added bonus that singing increases lung capacity and releases endorphins.
For families who already engage in music-making at home, Little Timbre classes offer developmentally appropriate guidance and structure, as well as the opportunity to be a part of a music-making community each week. For folks who feel lost when it comes to creating music with their children, the classes offer a solid foundation, with sequential activities that build upon previous ones, all the while “respecting the needs of the child at each stage of development”, without any sort of pressure to “perform.” Robbins encourages the music making to continue after class is done – families receive quality recordings of all the songs “so that the music making can continue in the most important and safest place for the child – the family home.”
In addition to the Musikgarten classes, Robbins offers lessons for music learners, and also does musical presentations for schools, libraries, and community groups. (The “Wonderful Ones” Story Time at the Downtown Library was where we first enjoyed Robbins’ music.) Classes are offered multiple days during the week and on weekends, and Robbins is willing to schedule an additional class if five or more families are interested. Not to fret if you can’t attend an entire session – join a class anytime and your tuition will be prorated, or take advantage of flexible tuition for summer classes. To join in on the singing and dancing and music making, check out Little Timbre Music Studios for class times and schedules for you and your little one.
Classes meet at Tamarack Wellness Center, 3575 Donald St, Eugene, Oregon 97405
Contact Pia here for more info.
All pictures courtesy of Pia Robbins
