Kindermusik in the UK and Ireland: Hear from our educators

"Teaching Kindermusik is the perfect job for me.

It combines my love of music with the business skills I acquired in my previous career. I love being my own boss and  creating a part time career that fits around my family. It is  tremendously rewarding job  watching  children thrive with the programme and  also  provides me with a  reasonable  income."
 - Vanessa Webb, Surrey, UK"

 

I became a Licensed Kindermusik Educator on 1 November 2004, having spent my career up until then working within the medical/pharmaceutical industry. I decided to make this huge career change when the commute to and from the office took up too much of my day, leaving no time for the things I actually enjoy; music, dance and my beautiful cottage and garden. Instead, I decided to harness my musical talents and combine them with my scientific knowledge and training skills to launch my ‘Kindermusik with Lynn’ classes.

I started teaching at the end of February 2005 and currently run Village and Our Time classes in Stony Stratford on Thursdays and Village, Our Time and Imagine That classes in Potterspury (my home village) on Fridays. In addition, I have just gained approval to start Village and Our Time classes within the crèche complex in the main shopping centre in Central Milton Keynes on Monday afternoons.

Although my class sizes are very small at the moment – between 2 and 6 families per class – the enquiries keep on coming and the mums who attend love the music, the activities and the quality of the instruments. They especially like the home CDs, where they and their children can listen to and learn the music and songs in their own time. One mum told me that her daughter was teaching the songs to her older brother!

Personally, I have enjoyed the challenge of learning something completely new and the experience of setting up my own business. The guidance provided by Kindermusik International as part of the training was excellent and the ongoing support from other Kindermusik Educators in the UK is invaluable. It is absolutely brilliant to see the huge smiles on the children’s faces and the words “again” or “more” when they are really enjoying an activity. I hope my programme will continue to expand and that I can bring Kindermusik to as many children in my area as possible."
- Lynn Swain, Buckinghamshire, UK

 

When I fell pregnant with Ellie, I knew that I would never want to return to full time school teaching. I knew what I wanted to do. I had always been passionate about music education and set about finding a programme suitable for young children. I looked at lots of programmes, most were franchises which I did not want to get involved in. Nothing inspired me, most seemed to focus on entertainment and I could find nothing which valued children as inquisitive individuals eager to learn.
I stumbled on Kindermusik quite by chance. There were only 3 people teaching it in the country back then. As soon as I saw it I loved it. I loved the way it was so securely linked to child development. I loved the way it encouraged individuality and creativity. As a musician I also loved the depth and breath of the musical repertoire. I never thought I would enjoy listening to a CD aimed at children, but here were recordings rich in acoustic live music with such diversity.
Research suggests that regular musical activity is crucial for the developing brain. I believe this wholeheartedly and I also believe in all the smiles, cuddles, inquisitive gazes, kisses, bounces and tickles we enjoy in class.
Never have I had more job satisfaction.
Kate Pavey, Musikate, Colchester

Like a lot of Kindermusik educators, family life really spurred me on to join the training. I loved my previous job - education work in a museum - but the commute to work was really difficult for me and my 2 small children, and I sometimes felt stuck in a series of meetings, checklists and bureaucratic policies. After licencing, I taught Kindermusik 1 day a week alongside my other job for a year, and then felt more confident to make it my main job.
Eighteen months on, I've really settled into my 'new life'! I can organise my classes around my children's school and nursery times, and I feel empowered and in charge of every part of my programme - marketing, finances, delivery, and research! Although it has been hard at times building up a solid programme, I feel I've really carved a niche in my local community now. I teach about 70 families plus a couple of nursery classes, doing 12 classes a week. One of the most rewarding parts of being a Kindermusik educator is the personal impact - when parents comment on how supportive they find the Kindermusik classes, and when toddlers come in having learned to say my name because they know they're coming to see 'Mich' today! I feel constantly challenged in both the business and teaching side of my programme, and I love being part of the UK network of educators.
Mich Mazzocco, Kindermusik with Mich, Egham

 

Kindermusik has been such a joy to me over the last few years. Watching children growing in confidence and a real love for music has been wonderful. It makes me so sad when families leave for school or move away and time doesn't permit them to carry on. So often I've seen them since they were only a few months old and have grown a relationship with them. When they only have eyes for you in class and mum is forever having to swivel round so they can see me as well as mum as they laugh with glee at bouncing on laps in time to the music. The joy of seeing a relationship develop between mother and child as they discover music together. Seeing the growing respect the mother has for the wonderful ideas their child has.
Having nearly finished my 2 year Young Child course has been a highlight though. To see young children learning to see those symbols as music and being able to sing them at sight, in tune, and in time has been amazing. I teach the piano from 7 yrs on but it doesn't compare with what I have seen develop in these little ones. Truly awe inspiring and uplifting for me the teacher.
Leonie Hain, South Wales

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