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ADDING AN INFANT CLASS
Hello Diana. Thank you for offering to participate in our pre-convention interviews.
How long have you been teaching infants, and how did you get started?
My early childhood teaching has largely focused on 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old children, though I’ve had some infants in multi-age classes. I’m currently in my second year of teaching self-contained infant classes. Really, I began teaching them because there was demand from parents and that demand has grown steadily.
What do you mean when you say “demand from parents” prompted your decision?
My classes are at a community music school that offers music education opportunities for students of all ages. Classes for toddlers and preschoolers had been offered, but parents with younger children were interested in an infant class. The class has grown and the parents have responded quite positively.
Have you been surprised by any of your experiences with infant classes?
I am a steadfast believer that children are naturally musical and highly capable music makers, but children still surprise me with their engagement and abilities. The infants are no exception. I suppose what surprised me most was their level of focus during our classes. They can easily engage for 30-40 minutes, though a nap is often needed shortly after! Also, their desire to try to vocalize with me was surprising. I remember an exchange with a 3-month-old girl, wherein I would sing a couple of pitches, and then she would vocalize in response. Her utterances were so exploratory at the time, and she seemed to put her whole body into producing those sounds. It was thrilling to watch her vocalizations increase in terms of quantity and range. Her family – and even her pediatrician – remarked at how vocally communicative she became.
You state that “she seemed to put her whole body into producing those sounds.”
What else have you noticed about infant’s physical responses?
After singing a song, I often sing the dominant, then tonic of the song. I’ll raise my arms up as I sing the dominant, then drop them with the tonic. One of the first movement responses I’ve noticed is children imitating this behavior. I’ll sing as they move their arms and they delight in having me (and the pitches) follow their movements. Children will also move their arms and legs with songs and once they can stand with assistance, they like to bounce along with songs and chants.
What would you recommend for those who want to expand to infant teaching?
In general, I recommend a ‘less is more’ approach. The class should be streamlined to consist almost entirely of singing, chanting, and moving – lots of toys, accompanying instruments, recordings, etc. aren’t really necessary at this age. Sing and chant songs and patterns (untexted songs are great), and leave lots of time for the infants to respond. It may take awhile, but that’s okay. They are absorbing everything and overt response will happen when they are comfortable and ready. Some of the infants’ first utterances during class will occur in the silences between repetitions of songs. If you pause and wait, they’ll often chime in. I’ve learned that the silence during early childhood music classes can be as powerful as the music-filled moments.
You mention “untexted” songs. What is the point of leaving out texts?
There are two key reasons to omit text. First, because these infants do not yet speak words, songs or chants performed on a neutral syllable (I use ‘bum’ for singing and ‘bah’ for chanting), are more accessible. Untexted songs are important for toddlers with emerging language as well. A child’s ability to sing a song should not hinge on his/her ability to articulate text.
Secondly, the use of untexted songs can aid young children in perceiving qualities in the music that might otherwise be overshadowed by the content of the text. Young children tend to focus on a single aspect of a visual or aural stimulus. By paring down the musical elements of a song (such as removing text, or not using accompaniment), children may be more likely to focus on the melodic contour or pitch relationships of the song, which aids tonal literacy development.
You talked about pausing and waiting for their responses. What would be a normal space of time before the infants “reply,” and what indicates that they are actually replying, and not just making random noises?
I don’t observe infants making many ‘random’ noises. They squeal in delight, fuss if they’re tired, hungry, or uncomfortable, or make playful, exploratory sounds (which I encourage). Their sounds tend to correlate with what’s occurring internally or in the class. When I was singing with the 3-month-old that I mentioned, I was singing dominant-tonic with the dominant very sustained. She was not yet matching my pitches, but the melodic contour was the same and her sounds were sustained in a very similar way. Usually the responses come during a moment of silence (maybe after 5-10 seconds of quiet), rather than while we’re singing, which indicates to me that the infants are listening and responding to the change in sound. Also, quite often, infants will chime in with a sung pitch that is either tonic or dominant of the song that they’ve just heard. If there’s any difficulty interpreting an infant’s vocalization, a parent/caregiver can be of great help and point out novel responses.
Thank you for your thoughts. Any final advice for those who might want to expand their studio to include infants?
Those who are considering expanding to include infants shouldn’t be afraid to begin with a small class. Parents of young children are well-networked and news of quality learning opportunities travels fast. Once class begins, stay very tuned-in to the infants because initial responses may be subtle and different than those of older children. Remember that, while having a child respond is exciting, the primary goal is to provide a rich musical environment for children to absorb and process. Encourage caregivers to participate and model enjoyment for singing and music-making. Discourage caregivers from pressuring children to respond or moving the children’s bodies in ways that can be constraining. Consider videotaping class with the caregivers’ consent. Reviewing the tapes afterward can allow you to catch behaviors that you may have missed, evaluate your approach, and share clips of the children’s growth and musical behaviors with caregivers throughout the process. You can share clips by emailing them, posting them to a password-protected website, or burning them onto CDs. I’ve found that parents who are unable to accompany their children to class are particularly appreciative of this and tend to feel more connected to the experience. Finally, relish your time with the infants, be honored by the opportunity to shape their early musical lives, and have fun!
Submitted by Rick D. Townsend, PhD
ECMMA Managing Director
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