S1Ep19: Top Tips For Music With Babies & Toddlers with Katie Verner

In this episode of 'Heard It Through The Grooveline,' host Will Bennett, founder of Grooveline Music Education, converses with Katie Verner, the owner of Little Music Stars, about the importance of early childhood music education. Katie shares her journey from musical theatre to founding Little Music Stars, highlighting the organization's unique approach to making music education engaging for children and their parents by incorporating diverse music genres and interactive activities. They discuss the benefits of music on children's cognitive and physical development, the positive impact of parental involvement, and provide tips for parents to enrich their child's musical journey at home. The episode also touches on the challenges and successes of running Little Music Stars, the importance of re-socialization post-pandemic, and ends with information on how listeners can learn more about their classes and resources online.

00:00 Welcome to Heard It Through The Grooveline!

00:19 Meet Katie Verner: From Musical Theater to Little Music Stars

00:39 The Journey of Little Music Stars: Music for Kids and Parents Alike

03:05 The Impact of Music on Children's Development

05:31 Engaging Parents in Musical Education

07:05 Music at Home: Tips for Parents

12:05 The Pandemic's Impact on Socialization and Music Classes

14:33 Expanding Little Music Stars: Classes and Online Resources

17:03 Celebrating BFA Accreditation and the Future of Little Music Stars

18:28 Closing Thoughts and Goodbye

Here is the link to the website - www.littlemusicstars.co.uk

Facebook page  - https://www.facebook.com/littlemusicstars

Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/littlemusicstars/

www.groovelinemusiceducation.com
@groovelinemusiceducation on social media!

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Transcript

  Hello and welcome to another episode of Heard It Through The Grooveline. My name is Will Bennett and I'm the founder of Grooveline Music Education. I'm here to help you know how to best support the musical education of your child, even if you are not musical yourself.    Today I am talking to Katie Werner, who is the owner of Little Music Stars. I'm excited to learn from you today, Katie.   So could you perhaps just tell us a little bit about yourself and perhaps your journey through music, your own experience of music education and how that's led you to, starting Little Music Stars. 

Yes, sure. So my background is musical theater. So I spent, I went to ballet school and then I went to a dance college and then went out into the big city. Bad world, wide world of showbiz and I was in lots of musicals in London and on tour. So predominantly singing, dancing, being exposed to music every day of my life, eight shows a week, et cetera.

And loved it. Absolutely loved it. And then I got pregnant. Had my child and thought, well, what am I going to do now? I can't work in the evenings because obviously I need to be with him. And so I started teaching preschool music classes because it's still. My career in musical theater is still transferred quite well over to the preschool genre. 

And I love kids and, you know, just like having fun with them and it, yeah, it was, it's, it was a really good fit for me. And then I decided to write my own franchise. I moved to Los Angeles with my son, Samuel, and I  reconnected with an old friend of mine, Jan Friedman, whose husband was a music producer and together along with Rich Jaxx, Grammy award winning Rich Jaxx we wrote A lot of the original music for Little Music Stars, and we wanted to sort of create something that was Really adult friendly as well.

I didn't want  lots of sort of squeaky kids music that you sometimes hear. I wanted the parents to come along with their children  and be exposed, expose their kids to music as well as them sitting there and really enjoying what they're listening to. So different genres of music like rock and roll, acoustic pop, disco, reggae, you know, all types of, of, of music.

And. It's really, yeah, it's worked really, really well. And  it was a long road writing the franchise. I'm not going to lie. It's been, it's been very hard work, but it's been so worth it. And. There is nothing better for me to go along to a class and watch the children and the parents  absolutely have the best time. 

The kids to really respond to the music, the parents really responding to their kids responding to the music. It's, it's brilliant, absolutely great. And we obviously use musical instruments as well in the class. We have percussion time. We have a gathering drum. We use claves. So they are exposed to that as well.

As well as lots of singing and dancing. We do loads of movement as well to the music, which I think helps the kids exercise, keep fit, and it helps them with the music. 

 I think, I think one thing that's good there is, you know, as the kids kind of move with the music, if you like, it kind of helps develop them musically, obviously they're starting to understand where beats might fall, but also obviously at that young age, they're still developing as little small humans who need to develop their muscles and all the rest of it as well.

So quite good from that aspect as well, which is not something that I really ever considered to be honest, because. By the time we teach them,  you know, they're normally, they're still obviously growing, but it's not like we're trying to teach them fundamentals of how to move, you know, but I guess you guys are, and that's something I've never really considered before. 

Exactly. So with the music, it really helps with their confidence because obviously you do get some shy kids sitting with their mums, I don't really want to leave their mums, but as soon as that music starts, you know what it's like, you kind of, It, it, there's a rhythm and they kind of start, wow, yeah, and they can't help themselves.

So they're moving around, which is themselves improving their confidence and development. So that's really great to see you get some kids that just get up straight away and start jumping up and down and stomping and marching around.  But you do get some that are really, really shy. So the music definitely helps with that.

Physical development as well.  So even as a small baby, if they are Just lie down on their tummies  and they've got their heads up and say, if we're playing music and there's bubbles and then looking at the bubbles coming down and like, wow, fantastic, you know, it's  all trying to grab an instrument and shaking an instrument.

That's really, really good as well for physical development. So there's cognitive development is great. It enhances their skills such as memory and attention, spatial awareness in children. Rhythms, patterns, movements in music. So yeah, it has a fundamental effect in their development. Absolutely. Yeah, for sure.

And I, you know, obviously anyone who's listening to this, if they have a child under the age of five, this is most relevant to them. And so, You mentioned though a little bit that the parents come along to your classes as well. So how do they get involved? Are they generally actually taking part in the music as well?

Oh yeah, we absolutely encourage all the parents to come along and really join in because  ultimately if they're joining in, their children will join in as well. I mean, yes, they'll watch the teacher, but if mum's doing it, if mum's clapping, if mum's swaying to the music, Or getting up on her feet and stomping and marching around, they'll do it too.

So yeah, parents are integral in our classes. We also offer preschool music classes where we actually go into a preschool and nursery, and then we have all the assistants and teachers helping in within the class as well. That's nice. Great. Yeah. We also do parties. So we get like to get the dads.

Joining in as well, because the dads are usually either at work or in the week. So Saturdays or Sundays, if that's when the parties are, I always try and encourage the dads to join in and get after the mums, go and have a coffee.  Not that we're encouraging any stereotypes whatsoever. Oh no, but that honestly does happen.

Yeah, no, that's, that sounds good. Yeah, it's really great. I it has been, I went to a class literally two or three days ago, and it was packed. It was about 18 mums and dads and grannies sitting there, and they were all just having the best time, you know. Nice. That's good. That's what it's all about, isn't it?

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.  So how would you say, for example, that a parent could, you know, ultimately the point of this podcast is to give advice to parents about how to help their children. So what are some of the things apart from attending your classes, what could they do to kind of help?  Outside of the classes when they're spending time with their child in order To kind of help them develop with a kind of bit of music, you know within the context Yeah, absolutely. So if they are coming to our classes regularly, they will most definitely be picking up songs.

We do original music, but we also have nursery rhymes that we know. So they could be singing those to their children at home, their babies. Maybe a nice lullaby before, after bath time, just soothing the baby. And with their older kids stick on our little music stars album. Get into that front room and just start dancing.

Even if it's a tea time, just, you know, the distraction technique, you know, just do a lot of singing, dancing, clapping. And that's always good, isn't it? At home when you kind of, or in the car's a good one. Put some music on in the car, sing to the kids. I always used to sing to my son Samuel. When we were in the car, it was like the best thing for long car journeys.

So anything like that, you could also maybe purchase some, you know, Musical instruments.  some maracas, tambourines at home, have them in a box in the front room, get those out, have a little play just to get the rhythm going, singing along to the songs. Anything like that, just it's kind of mother child, father child, grandparent child bonding. 

And it's a great thing to do outside of the sessions as well. And then when the children come to our class, they're going to be even more familiar with the music. singing and dancing. Yeah. And enjoy it even more. I think there's obviously a big correlation between being good at something or at least feeling like you're good at something and enjoyment as well, which kind of is a self serving  cycle there.

And so I guess what you were saying is about immersing  them in music, creating that environment in which music is celebrated and is fun and all of that sort of things. Yeah. More specifically. So if there's someone listening and they're  Do you have like an actual game or something that you could explain to us that they could do or an actual action or A song that they could maybe try out with their child.

But you want a little bit of that. Yeah, that's okay. So with the really young ones, such as babies, what we tend to do and just say, like one of our songs, we just tap their legs to the music. So they're just picking it, even if it's pat a cake, pat a cake, baker's man. And so they're just tapping their baby's legs in time with the music.

And eventually the babies will pick up on that rhythm.  The older kids I'm just all for a bit of just getting in, in that front room and just maybe holding their hands, stomping together, stomping to the music. Maybe even if it's just wheels on the bus, I mean, who doesn't know that? Lots of actions with that, teaching them the actions, looking into their eyes, making like, just making the whole experience fun as well, because this is all about confidence building. 

The world is a little bit of a crazy place. So as long, if you're at home doing these  certain exercises or songs with them, that will only increase their confidence and getting out into that when they're going into the school situation. So a lot of our classes, we do tend to just really encourage them to sit and listen as well.

So now we do, we have like a flashcard with boards and a flashcard in there. They're looking at the pictures to music and so it creates that preschool kind of situation where they're having to sit and listen for a little bit before we then stand up. So that could be done at home as well. Yeah. Yeah.

Looking at, looking at pictures at home in a book to music, and then maybe identifying one of those pictures with a song. As well, maybe it's a picture of a bus and then you can tell it's on the bus. So yeah, it's yeah, it's all sort of connecting up and it is just about really. Getting those kids confident and ready for when they do have to go to preschool or nursery.

Yeah. Yeah, because we actually got up to four years on our classes. We don't go up to five. We got up to four years old. And so there is a big leap, isn't it? Cause some kids, if there's some kids are born in say June, July, they have to go to school so young,  even at four years old, so to have that kind of confidence building in our preschool classes is really important.

It's a great thing. Definitely. I bet you can see the difference, you know, between kids who have done that kind of thing and kids who perhaps haven't when they attend, you know,  your reception and then you can really see those who are more confident than others, I guess.  Yeah. I mean, I hate to bring it up, but the pandemic was a really big eye opener because A lot of babies were born in the pandemic and then they'd been at home.

They'd not been out. They'd not seen any other children, any other babies in the moms. Hadn't seen any other new moms. So we were really busy when we went back into class, obviously being super careful with  making sure everything was sterilized and clean and  everyone was sort of spread out around the room,  but that really helped  the moms.

and dads and carers and grandmas and granddads to so re socialize their children and also socialize the ones that have never actually seen any other babies or any other kids, young kids. So that was a real eye opener. And again, with the music and movement element to it, it just helps with that confidence because  As soon as you start hearing music, it's a universal thing, isn't it?

We all just kind of start moving and it does something to our cognitive senses and we're like, yeah, this, it just, it helps with bringing everyone together. And I think during that time or just after that time, it was, it was wonderful to see and great that they could come in and trust that it was a safe environment as well.

Yeah, yeah, I'm glad that that period of time is over for sure and I think, you know, the very young people are probably the most affected by it, you know, especially like if you're born into a pandemic, it's all you've ever known. You don't, obviously at that age, you don't even realize that it's not normal. 

I know it really, it really was actually looking back, it was really it was challenging, but I just felt so bad for these new mums that, you know, had just had the baby at the beginning of the pandemic and hadn't gone out for a year, can you imagine? And not met anyone else or seen anyone else with another baby.

So that, I think that really helped and just having that music sort of tied everything in, you know, it just kind of brought us all together.  There was no sort of quiet moments, no awkward moments because we always have music playing, even if it's the teacher's going to get something some new props or instruments for the kids to play with.

There's always music playing throughout the classes. That's great. I'm glad you're back up and running and able to help. Yeah, no, we're all back up and running now. We've got five. I think we've got, we've got around 700 kids coming each week and we've got five franchisees now. Fantastic. That's good. And so how can people kind of find out more like obviously about the classes and how to attend them But also just about the topic in general Do you have resources online or is there a website they can visit and find out more and kind of get some ideas about this?

Yes, of course. So we are at little music stars dot co dot UK  There's loads of information online. There is Each sort of age group. We've got three different age groups and it explains what we do in each age group. There's videos. There's even music on there. Our albums are on there so you can have a listen to the music.

And yeah, so there's lots. And also social media. Now, obviously,  It's, it's a great marketing tool, but it's another way for parents to really tap in to what we are about and they can listen to music online as well. So our Facebook page or Instagram page, if they're say the kid's ill and they can't get into class, they can always play music through our social media channels, through our videos.

So it just gives them that extra bit of.  Layer of doing things at home. Yeah, that's brilliant. And that's what it is. I mean, yeah, if you're listening and you've got a little music stars in your area, check it out, but if you haven't then, you know, that, that kind of online thing will at least give them some good ideas about, you know, building up that confidence and stuff.

Exactly. So we have classes in Kent. And we have we have two franchisees in Kent, we have Andrew's up in Manchester, Kate is in Newcastle,  Northumberland, Nicola and Lucy are in Kent, and we've got Charlotte over in Exeter, so we're kind of spread out over the UK. You have to do a lot of driving when you have to go and visit them all. 

I'm just about to fly up to Manchester, flying is actually cheaper than getting the train these days.  I'm going to fly up to Manchester in a couple of weeks and see Andrea. But yeah, it's and I love doing that. It's like my favorite thing going to just see them all experience what we've created. You know, there's nothing better to  see the effect that music and movement can have.

on the children. And it's interesting as well, because sometimes, you know, you'll go and watch the start of a class, there'll be a kid just like not wanting to really join in. And by the end of it, they're up on their feet, they're joining in, they're playing their instruments, they're dancing, singing and moving to the music.

And you know that you've done your job when you see that happen. Yeah, that's great. And also the parents can know they're in safe hands because you are No less than one day ago BFA accredited, I understand. Yes. We got our accreditation yesterday, expanding member, which I am so thrilled about because it was quite an intensive process joining.

Yeah. Congratulations. I was doing an A level actually, but it was like, it was really, I was thrilled. I got a phone call. I was in a well known supermarket. And Andy from BFA said, yeah, it's all been approved. So yeah, that's really great because it just gives us that kind of trustworthy factor with the parents.

They know they're coming along to a class that has had all its systems and processes checked and that we are A viable business,  and we do what we say we're going to do, so  yeah. Yeah, well, congratulations. That's great. Well, thank you so much for sharing with us today your kind of thoughts and expertise and top tips, you know, specifically around this topic of, you know, much younger, you know, from babies to quite young children up to the age of around.

I think that's something that I, you know, haven't really talked about because it's not something that I'm involved with. So it's great to be able to hear it from someone like yourself who's actually out there doing it and, you know, has, you You know, a successful business doing this as well.  And hopefully by the time they come on to you guys, they'll be super ready.

Yeah, exactly. Next stage of music education. Yeah, exactly. That's brilliant. Well, thank you so much for your time today, Katie. And everyone listening will be very grateful as well. So thank you. And we'll speak soon. Speak to you soon. Bye. 

  Thank you for listening to another episode of Heard It Through The Groove Line, the podcast that helps parents like you best support your children's musical education, even if you are not musical yourself.  To find out more, you can follow us on social media, and don't forget to hit like and subscribe.