Music Program for Young Children Offers Open House

Five and six-year-old children who are interested in music are invited to participate in the Musikgarten program offered by the Children’s Chorus of Sussex County on Wednesdays, from 4:30 – 5:20 p.m., at Christ Church in Newton. An Open House will be held on Wednesday, October 5th, from 4:30 – 5:20 p.m. to allow interested students to sample the class. Families are encouraged to RSVP for the Open House to ensure that enough materials are available. The program will be directed by professional pianist and early childhood music and movement specialist Diana Greene.

Musikgarten is an early childhood music and movement program which teaches the fundamentals of music through singing, movement and guided listening. Simple instruments are incorporated into each lesson. Parents are invited to participate in the last ten minutes of each class. “The Musikgarten program provides a foundation for children to grow musically as well as cognitively, emotionally and socially,” notes Greene. “The curricula teaches active listening, develops balance, control and coordination, encourages social interaction and stimulates the imagination. It is a developmentally appropriate activity for young children, and also a great start for children who may wish to progress into choral and instrumental programs."

Diana Greene was recently elected President of the Early Childhood Music & Movement Association (ECMMA). ECMMA seeks to promote the best practices in all areas of early childhood music and movement and supports early childhood music and movement practitioners with resources, advocacy, professional development, and collaboration opportunities. Ms. Greene holds Level 2 certification from ECMMA and is a licensed and certified Musikgarten instructor.

The Musikgarten program is a component of The Children’s Chorus of Sussex County (CCSC), a comprehensive choral music program which serves children and teens in northern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. In addition to the Musikgarten program, CCSC offers the Bella Voce choir for beginning singers in grades 2 – 5, and the Concert Choir for advanced singers in grades 6 – 12. A new Young Men’s Choir has been added for boys with changed voices. Rehearsals for all ensembles take place on Wednesdays at Christ Church, 62 Main Street, in Newton; the Young Men’s Choir and the Concert Choir have additional rehearsals at the same venue on Sunday evenings. Auditions are not required for the Musikgarten program, although they are required for participation in Bella Voce, Concert Choir and the Young Men’s Choir.

Funding for the Children’s Chorus of Sussex County has been made available in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, through the State/County Partnership Block Grant Program, as administered by the Sussex County Arts and Heritage Council. To attend the Open House, to register a child for the Musikgarten program, or to schedule an audition for the Children’s Chorus of Sussex County, contact Deborah Mello at 973-670-4556 or at dmello435@gmail.com. For information about the organization, visit www.ccscsings.org.