Our Music Connections Mission
We believe that music has the power to illuminate and enhance the lives of children and families in a powerful way, and that the Kindermusik curriculum, in particular, can be the vehicle for bringing about such change. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to know, enjoy and benefit from exposure to quality music in a positive, educational setting. The mission of MUSIC CONNECTIONS is to provide such quality music education to an increased number of children in the early childhood years, thereby enhancing their cognitive, physical, social, emotional, language and musical development. Music Connections seeks to increase and expand its programming to increase sponsorship of children and families with special needs and in low income situations who would otherwise not be able to afford Kindermusik.
To further our Music Connections mission, we wanted to broaden our Kindermusik reach to include groups of people with special needs whose lives can be so deeply touched through it but who, for one reason or another, have been unable to participate. To this end, we became a Not for Profit Foundation in 2008. To date, we have drastically increased our service to low-income families via individual Foundation Scholarships, to families of children with special needs, adopted children, at-risk two year olds, Autistic children, Hispanic families, Single Moms, and to Seniors. Partnerships with outside organizations have included MarcFirst/SPICE (now Lifelong Access), Mid-Central Community Action/Neville House, Heritage Manor, Luther Oaks, The Village at Mercy Creek, Evergreen Place, Westminster Village, Western Avenue Community Center, Heartland Head Start, Evangelical Free Church, East White Oak Bible Church, Illinois State University’s Music Therapy Department, the Autism Society and CIDSO (Central Illinois Downs Syndrome Organization).
Because of our emphasis on "process" rather than performance, AND because parent participation is such an integral part of our classroom experience, children with disabilities can feel successful in the Kindermusik environment. The developmental benefits of Kindermusik promote many therapeutic goals as well. A college textbook from the American Music Therapy Association cited the following facts under a heading of "Therapeutic Implications of Kindermusik Programs":
The curriculum promotes language skills, symbolic thinking, coordination and social interaction. Because of the developmental approach, Kindermusik can be adapted for all children, including those who are developing at different rates. The structure of the curricula allows children to participate and develop at their own pace, making it appropriate for children with a variety of disabilities.
They further cite specific ways that Kindermusik can be successfully implemented with children with sensory problems, cognitive or developmentally delayed children such as the Downs Syndrome child, and children with motor disabilities such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida and other birth defects.
Kindermusik with Grandfriends
You're never too young — or too old — to enjoy Kindermusik! Music and children are a powerful stimulus for the minds of seniors, who are always in need of this crucial interaction. Our Seniors Program brings the Kindermusik classroom into local senior centers and retirement communities. Parents and babies enjoy a unique, multi-generational class where they can foster valuable musical learning experiences while building personal relationships with loving and caring seniors..
Music Therapist Robin Gentile says, "I have found music to be an incredible tool when working with seniors. Music can motivate, provoke feelings and memories, increase motor movement, and encourage social interaction."
What happens when you add infants to the equation? Something even more incredible and beneficial for both.
During the summers of 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 Music Connections took classes of children and their parents/caregivers to Heritage Manor and were delighted with the reactions of the Heritage residents and the mommies/babies alike. Veteran educator and MCF Board of Directors Andrea Ringer, remarked, "I was concerned that the babies would not be interested in the seniors, but to my delight, they eagerly explored canes, faces and gave smiles and hugs. The seniors talked about their grandchildren, childhood musical memories, sang and danced. The connection was magical!"
In the fall of 2015, School year programming for seniors at Heritage Manor began, and moms volunteer to bring babies and toddlers, free of charge, to a fall or spring session. The program soon expanded its service to Westminster Village, and in the fall of 2021, to Luther Oaks' Memory Care Unit. In the fall of 2024, Kindermusik with Grandfriends expanded to serve THREE senior centers weekly, adding The Village at Mercy Creek and Evergreen Place. Says Director Katie Henderson: "This program is a win-win for seniors and children/families. If we could fund this program I would do it every day of the week in as many senior centers as we could service. It's a big dream, I know, but one that would reap big rewards!"
If you have connections with senior centers and/or organizations for children with disabilities, or personally know people in these areas who could benefit from the gift of Kindermusik, please email us.
Niños y Musica
Niños y Musica is a program offered in partnership with Western Avenue Community Center, and has been partially funded with a grant from Illinois Prairie Community Foundation — Mirza Arts Fund. This class is offered to members of the Hispanic Community in Bloomington-Normal with children birth - 5.
The goal of this Kindermusik class is to encourage and promote the use of the English language in the home for young children and their parents, to further readiness for entering the Public School system. A translator assists the Kindermusik educator in facilitating this class, a ‘word wall’ is used, and Kindermusik’s quality home materials, including a literature book each month to every child, aid in practicing English at home throughout the week. Get a glimpse of this beautiful program and its current Accredited Kindermusik educator, Molly Ramirez, below.
Here's what former Kindermusik parent and Western Avenue volunteer / supporter says of Kindermusik and our partnership at Western Avenue Community Center:
Dear Kindermusik families:
Over two and a half years ago our family brought home our son, Elias, who was born in Ethiopia. He came to us scared and speaking Amharic, one of Ethiopia's many languages. Since our older children had been Kindermusik kids, we enrolled Elias in Our Time. I knew Kindermusik would be something fun we could do together, but I had not anticipated how key Kindermusik would be in help us form a strong mother/child bond and in helping Elias develop English language skills. I also have the privilege of working at Western Avenue Community Center (WACC), a social service agency on Bloomington's West Side that has served our community since 1929. One of the Center's unique services is Hispanic Outreach, and WACC provides assistance for a growing population of low-income Hispanic families, many of which are struggling to learn English. As I was walking with Elias after Kindermusik one day, these two experiences merged in my brain, and I thought, "Wouldn't it be powerful if Kindermusik and Western Avenue partnered to provide the Kindermusik experience to some of Western Avenue's families?" I mentioned the idea in passing to Katie, and within a couple weeks we were sitting down with Amy Cottone, Director of Western Avenue, brainstorming the possibilities! I have been blessed to witness the amazing possibilities in store for these families, and thank you for supporting this effort by supporting Music Connections in their Foundation initiatives.
God Bless,
Christy Komnick, Kindermusik mom
Kindermusik Class at Heartland Head Start
One of our newest collaborations, begun in 2019, is teaching weekly classes for at-risk children (birth through three year olds) being served through Heartland Head Start and Heartland Early Head Start. In addition to bringing Kindermusik to 60 - 80 children weekly in six classes, MCF also has as a goal of this program helping the HS staff understand how to use music in their daily interactions with the children, both to ease the stresses associated with teaching AND to boost the optimal development (in physical, language, cognitive, and social-emotional areas) of these children.
Kindermusik Class at the Neville House
One of our desires has always been to help young Moms in crisis to understand how the use of music can be a powerful, positive influencer, and to help them learn how to incorporate music, literature and movement to navigate times of stress and transition. To that end, Music Connections sought out a partnership with Mid-Central Community Action and, in the fall of 2016, offered its first "Family Music Night" class session at the Neville House, a shelter for victims of domestic abuse. To provide a basic need and further the ability to build rapport and relationship, MCF brings in a healthy, homemade meal for Moms and their children, followed by a 45 minute Kindermusik class. The session is once a week for six weeks. In November of 2016, MCF received the "Women to Women" grant from Illinois Prairie Community Foundation to subsidize this program.
Going International - Ethiopia Mission
In the summer of 2018, Music Connections embarked on its first International mission, partnering with seven licensed Kindermusik educators from around the country. The team of 8 traveled to Ethiopia, where they spent a week at ESM Africa, bringing Kindermusik to orphanages and helping staff understand how to use music to enhance development of the children there in loving and joyful ways.; in 2022, Music Connections again returned to Ethopia - ESM Africa - with a Kindermusik team from all over the country. It would be our desire to make such International Missions a regular, periodic part of our outreach initiatives.
