Parents with little ones will have the chance to get the year shaking with Music Together Mid Island's music and movement classes which will run out of Lake Cowichan's Intention Wellness Space on Tuesday mornings from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. until March 11.
Late registrations will be accepted until Jan. 28.
The Music Together program was first introduced in 1987. Marnie Setka-Mooney has been making a difference with young families through music for nearly two decades, first teaching in Victoria for 15 years which first began when she had her second and third child attending a Victoria co-op pre-school and came across a flyer for a Music Together demo class.
Setka-Mooney who was on the faculty with the Victoria Conservatory of Music at the time was thrilled to her take her eldest child to this fun, and educational demo class. She was instantly hooked, and took her training with both of the founders of the program in Seattle.
"I was blown away by the research and the training I took," said Setka-Mooney. "It quite literally changed my Life, and attitude towards how all children are musical. Children need to move, and some kinesthetic research shows that it stops their learning if it insisted that they stay still. Music is a birthright, and it is never too early to start."
After attending her second class, she was approached by now retired instructor Jennifer Hobson-Roy who knew she would be a perfect fit to lead these classes due to what she described as her 'silly quotient' as anyone who has worked with children of early years know instinctively that the best way to communicate is through play. With being trained to teach up to a second year university or diploma level in music, her first thought that teaching early years might not hold her attention.
"Was I ever wrong," said Setka-Mooney. "It is not only absolutely fun, but the quality of the music is fantastic. I have professional music friends who have said they have joined with their kids before, because the music is both age-appropriate, and so good."
Setka-Mooney began teaching with Music Together Mid Island in 2021, and taught at two different valley venues before moving to Lake Cowichan with her family seven years ago. This will be her fifth time offering these classes that is geared for newborns up to six years old inside the Intention Wellness Space located across from Saywell Park.
"It's a beautiful, airy place that is easy for parents to get to with strollers with plenty of parking across the street," said Setka-Mooney. "I noticed families here needed to drive to Duncan in order to partake in classes. I saw there was a need for this type of program for families here, and I wanted to fill that need. It's a beautiful, down to earth warm community here."
Nine classes are offered for $180, which includes the cost of the materials, and an illustrated songbook for the collection of songs/dances/chants that will be taught for that semester. There are 15 collections in all, and these upcoming classes will focus on their 'drum' collection.
The benefits to these classes include cognitive such as making music with both the voice and body (body percussion) which Setka-Mooney says according to vast research is the only activity that uses both sides, and and lights up all parts of the brain. Movement benefits include the development of both and small and gross motor skills, which is where egg shakers come into play. These classes also are good for coordination, breath, the heart, cardio, not to mention that singing helps with speech and the sense of community felt by mothers and other family members.
"Anyone who has held a newborn knows how very strong their grip is," said Setka-Mooney. "When holding and shaking an egg shaker or another percussion instrument for a newborn under six months, that child is quite literally feeling the beat from their parent — a very bonding experience.
Over the span of her teaching career, Setka-Mooney says she has felt honoured to witness the same parents return year after year to let their new additions to their family to have the same experience. She says she has literally been able to see so many children in the valley grow up in music, and has been recognized and approached by several families in the community who have benefited though these classes which she always finds rewarding.
It is truly heartwarming, and reminds me how extremely honoured I am to work in music," said Setka-Mooney.
Her favourite parts of what she does is offering families a safe and welcoming space where they can let their guard and hair down and truly play with their child through the use of music, as well as creating the lesson plans for each unique class a she get to know the various children and learns what musical "vitamins" they need for that semester especially when it comes to what musical skills and tools returning families need to up their game.
"I love that I can give them the tools so that they easily teach it to their child through the fun of singing and dancing," said Setka-Mooney.
For more information on Music Together classes visit musictogethermidisland.com.
"I hope that parents do read about the incredible research that has been around for decades that shows how it's a three-year continuous time needed for children to truly feel comfortable with music in the same way it would also apply to learning to read or write on their own," said Setka-Mooney. "After that, they will go into further music learning just like a duck to water. As a parent you just need to know how to support them in their music journey, and that's what I'm here for."
