CSUN Classes Introduce Children to World of Music

It’s been a sad song in recent years for music education--fewer students are joining high school bands, and only one-fourth of Los Angeles elementary schools offer instrumental music instruction.

But Cal State Northridge has a way to get kids interested early. The music department’s Community Music School is offering a variety of low-cost programs for children as young as age 4 and a special course for developmentally disabled children.

The classes, taught by CSUN faculty with help from college music majors, are held after school and on Saturdays in the CSUN Music Building. They begin in mid-February.

“It’s critical that kids have music instruction at a young age,” said Frances Ulrich, director of the Community Music School. “Otherwise just the peer, popular music takes over, and that’s a very limited menu.”

For 4-year-olds, there’s “Music Play and Puppet Magic,” a course that develops awareness of musical sounds through creative games and hands-on activities with instruments. The kids are also introduced to classical music.

Children ages 6 to 8 can attend “Adventures in Music and Movement,” which involves singing, folk dancing, and playing xylophones, electronic keyboards and percussion instruments. Ulrich, who teaches the course, introduces traditional and modern music and teaches the children about instruments in an orchestra.

Ulrich said it’s important for children to become exposed to music before age 8. “At that age, kids are pretty well set at what they are open to developing later,” she said.

The course, which starts Feb. 10, runs six Saturdays for $30.

The Suzuki String Program, which is also offered, provides individual violin and cello lessons for children ages 3 to 12. For the first year, they learn to play without reading musics.

“It’s not like the old-fashioned, rigid teaching,” Ulrich said. “And it’s very natural for them to handle a string instrument at that age.”

The lessons cost $13 for 30 minutes of instruction.

Also offered is “Music for the Special Learner,” a class for children with various mental, emotional and physical disabilities. Instructor Ron Borczon, a music therapy professor, integrates music activities with social and academic skills. “It’s good socialization, where they can experience music in a group setting,” Borczon said. “Sometimes they’ll sing into a microphone and they think they’re on stage, and everyone claps for them. It’s a great self-esteem thing.”

The children learn songs and make instruments such as maracas and drums. The class, which begins Feb. 22, meets at 4 p.m. Thursdays.

The university also is offering beginning guitar for children ages 8 to 13 beginning Feb 22. Preparatory orchestra for children with at least one semester of previous instruction begins Feb. 13.

For more information, call (818) 885-3170.