Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic KIDS CORNER

Dear Parents,

I know that you take a great deal of pride in your child's accomplishments in school. I would like you to know that you can also take pride in the program that your school offers to help all our children grow and develop. In particular, you can take pride in the fact that your school offers your child a full, balanced, sequential curriculum that includes music.

Research today is providing new evidence to reinforce the fact that all of us who care for children have always understood: the simple fact that an education in music helps children succeed in school, in society, and in life. Children who are active in music programs have been shown to achieve higher scores on some measures of intelligence and on standardized tests, and to have fewer disciplinary problems in school and beyond. But all this is secondary to the animation we all see in children when they are actively experiencing the joy that only music can bring to their lives.

I hope that you will encourage your child to share our ongoing class work in music with you. And I hope that you will share your musical ideas and experiences with your child

For example, you can:

Talk to your child about the music that you enjoy and value—and listen with an open mind to the music that your child loves. Open a discussion on the fact that practically everyone in our society (and in societies around the world) thinks that music is an important part of life.
Take your child to performances of live music. You may be able to attend a classical or pops concert presented by the Northeast PA Philharmonic. You may be able to find enjoyment at formal or informal concerts in the local parks. And, of course, you can share with your child the fun of seeing and hearing other children perform in concerts of our local school ensembles.
As your child grows, encourage experimentation with different kinds of music, not only by active listening, but by singing and playing music. When the time comes to choose to join the chorus, band, or orchestra, you may want to help your child try out a variety of instruments to find the one that is the best fit. Your school music department stands ready to help in this.

And most of all, have fun learning and growing with your child.

How to Use These Lessons

The lessons in this Guide are aimed at students in the elementary and middle-level grades. They are designed to help music teachers take advantage of the enthusiasim young people have for music. You will find ideas for encouraging parents to explore the music with their children . Feel free to photocopy any pages as many times as needed to encourage parents to interact musically with their children. In addition, please remember to:

Develop your own lessons, start discussions on musical issues brought up by the programs that parallel your students' current work, or ask the students to pose questions that occur to them as they learn. The lessons printed here were created to serve as a catalyst to your creativity. Feel free to derive your own practices to make them best suited to the needs of your ongoing curriculum and your own students.

If you have time during a back-to-school night , engage the parents and their children in a discussion about your musical curriculum. This sort of activity can provide an enjoyable and effective window for adults into the educational goals of your program, gaining parental allies in your efforts to provide a high-quality music education for their children.

In addition to providing parents with ongoing information about what is being taught in your class, send home the “Parental Letter”. It asks them to take an active part in supporting your music program.

The Lessons

These lessons are in PDF format.

NEPA Philharmonic Performance Information

See the full schedule for Kids Concerts