Registration open for UNT's Early Childhood Music program

Tuesday, June 28, 2016 - 13:38
Category:

What: University of North Texas' Early Childhood Music program for children from birth to 5 years old. Children will play games and interact with their parents while learning about music.

When: There will be two five-week sessions held Fridays from July 8 – Aug. 5 and Saturdays from July 8 – Aug. 6.

Where: Room 115 of the Music Annex Building, at the corner of Avenue C and Highland in Denton (1630 W. Highland St.).

Cost: $75 for newborns and babies up to to 24 months old and $85 for children ages 2 to 5 years old. Families who enroll more than one child will receive a 50 percent discount for each additonal child. Visit the Early Childhood Music program registration page. Registration is preferred by July 4. An adult should be present for each child.

Parking: Friday parking costs $2 an hour in the Highland Street Parking Garage, 620 Central Avenue, Denton. Saturday parking is free in Lot 26, across Avenue C from the Music Annex Building.

Contact: To receive a discount code when registering two or more children from the same family and for more information on the classes, contact Assistant Director Kateri Lavacek at ecmusic@unt.edu.

DENTON (UNT), Texas -- Helping young children develop an inherent musical understanding has long been the purpose of the UNT College of Music's Early Childhood Music Program. This fall, a new face will continue building upon that goal.

"This program helps children learn music similarly to how they learn language – through fun, play and exposure to a variety of tonalities and meters," said Kateri Lavacek, new assistant director and instructor for the program. "There is a critical period in early childhood where exposure to music vocabulary is essential, and this program provides the opportunity for children to develop those neurological connections. Through music, they can bond with their parents and socialize with other children while developing the connections in the brain that will serve them the rest of their life."

The program will be held in two five-week sessions on Fridays starting July 8 and Saturdays starting July 9 in Room 115 of the Music Annex Building. The building is located at the corner of Avenue C and Highland in Denton on 1630 W. Highland St.

UNT has classes on Fridays, so attendees will have to pay for parking, which is available for $2 an hour in the Highland Street Parking Garage. A map of the parking garage location can be found here. Parking for Saturday classes is free in the lot across from the Music Annex building, Lot 26 at the corner of Avenue C and Highland Street.

The sessions will be divided into four different age groups:

  • Infant – 0 to 24 months
  • Nursery – 2 to 4 years
  • Pre-K – 3 1/2 to 5 years
  • Multi-age – 0 to 5 years

The program is $75 for infants and $85 for all other groups. The sessions for infants will be 30 minutes in duration, and the other sessions will be 40 minutes.

The schedule for the classes is listed below:

5 Week Friday Session

  • Infant: 9:10 – 9:40 a.m.
  • Nursery: 9:50 – 10:30 a.m.
  • Multi-age: 10:40 – 11:20 a.m.
  • Pre-K: 11:30 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.

5 Week Saturday Session

  • Infant: 8:30 – 9 a.m.
  • Nursery: 9:50 – 10:30 a.m.
  • Multi-age: 10:40 – 11:20 a.m.
  • Pre-K: 11:30 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.

Older children will play drums, rainsticks, tambourines and other instruments while the leader of the class gives them pattern instruction, a method of teaching which requires the children to repeat melodies or rhythms back to the teacher with their instruments. Younger children and infants under 24 months will engage in more age-appropriate activities, including dancing, moving to rhythms, playing with colorful scarves and listening to songs.

Parents are asked to be present with their children for each class. To register, visit https://musiced.music.unt.edu/ecmusic/calendar.

For more information, call 940-268-3785 or contact Katari Lavacek at ecmusic@unt.edu.

About UNT's Early Childhood Music Program

Directed by Warren Henry, associate dean of academic affairs in UNT's College of Music, the Early Childhood Music Program aims to maximize children's musical learning opportunities. Classes differ according to the age levels and readiness of the children, but all classes include songs, chants, movement and instrument exploration.

About Kateri Lavacek

Assistant Director Kateri Lavacek holds a B.M.E. in music education from Indiana University. Lavacek taught middle school choir in Indiana for five years before moving to Texas. She teaches private lessons in voice and piano and is an accompanist for Denton area choirs. She is also an active clinician and adjudicator. As a music teacher, she incorporates movement, games, and singing to foster a holistic learning experience.

About the UNT College of Music

The UNT College of Music is one of the world's largest and most respected comprehensive music schools. The college offers fully accredited degrees from the bachelor's to doctoral levels and are home to the world's first jazz studies program. Faculty includes internationally-acclaimed artists and scholars in performance, composition, conducting, music theory, music history, ethnomusicology and music education. The College of Music enriches the community by producing more than 1,000 diverse recitals and concerts annually. Distinguished University alumni can be found around the globe in impressive, award-winning careers across a wide-range of music professions.

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