Harmony Road’s “Toddler Tunes” and “Music in Me” are quite different from all the other toddler/preschool/kindergarten programs. We do everything the other programs do–but so much more. Here are a list of the main differences:
1. The requirements of certification–Harmony Road’s teachers have to go through extensive training and be good all around musicians with previous performance and technical/theory knowledge. Other teachers may not have this broad based training. Many of the teachers in Kindermusik and Musikgarten are instrumentalists or singers with little orno keyboard background, and there is a segement that may be only able to do some rhythm and singing and storytelling–as daycare workers. A friend of mine took a MusikGarten training seminar–2 of them were music teachers, the other 20 were daycare workers, many with no musical skills, some barely knows how to read music.
2. All the Music Materials are written to convey and to promote an understanding of specific music concepts. So Children learn music concepts through fun and games, singing and movement without knowing that they are actually learning something. Other programs are fun but the students don’t necessary learn music concepts.
3. Harmony Road introduces keyboard skills and keyboard geography on top of introducing rhythmic instruments. Other programs only introduces rhythmic instruments.
4. Music Reading–Harmony Road employs active physical movement, directional pitchsinging, and construcion/tactile activities to help the students develop an understanding of basic note reading concepts. In other programs, music reading concepts may not be developed.
5. In Harmony Road Program, many of our music and activities are layering for later experiences with singing and keyboard playing. Students of all ages are most confident when learning experiences go from familiar to unfamiliar. Other music programs provides musical experiences with different music at each age.
6. The music in all our CDs are performed by children, which keeps the students excited to listen while the other programs music are sung mostly by adults.
