[ccfic caption-text format="plaintext"]
By Amelia Tarallo
Hometown Weekly Staff
Music can be one of the best things for children. It helps develop vocal coordination, provides them with a creative outlet, and is a consistent source of fun. On Monday, November 25, kids and their parents came to the Medfield Library to get their own fill of music, with some fun activities thrown in, at Music Makers.
After singing the “Hello Song,” Jen Tower led the group through the story of Mr. Wiggle and Mr. Waggle. Living identical lives but on opposite sides of town, each one took turns visiting the other. Using her thumbs to represent the characters and making fun popping noises, Jen told the story of how Mr. Waggle traveled to the east side of town, only to find that Mr. Wiggle was nowhere to be found. He returned home, a bit discouraged that he couldn’t find his friend. The next day, Mr. Wiggle made his way to the west side of town to visit Mr. Waggle. He got to his friend’s, only to discover that Mr. Waggle was nowhere to be found. Eventually, the two friends were reunited. Kids joined in, using their thumbs to gesticulate the route of Mr. Wiggle. As their voices dipped up and down, the kids were unknowingly developing their vocal range.
The next song was perfect for Thanksgiving. “Find a lap, we’re going for a horsey ride!” Mrs. Jen instructed. All of the kids gasped in excitement over the new activity. Climbing onto their parent’s laps and clicking their tongues for sound effects, the kids began the journey to grandma’s house. The song told the story of coming all the way to grandma’s house, only to find that she wasn’t there. As their parents bopped their legs up and down, their kids couldn’t stop themselves from giggling with excitement.
Kids then grabbed scarves, handing any extras they had to their younger friends, before starting their next activity. Ms. Jen began, leading the kids right back in by snapping her fingers to a tune. Telling the story of Little Johnny Brown, the kids carefully followed the instructions of the song. Transitioning from squishing the scarf into a ball, to folding it, to taking a brief “nap” on the scarf, and finally throwing the scarf into the air. Kids who had previously been distracted during songs were now far too busy with the story of Little Johnny Brown to stop singing along.
Whether or not they will ever know it, these kids were developing their musical skills for every second of their Music Makers session. In just a half hour, they had used rhythm, vocal range, and plenty of fun sound effects. Years from now, some of these kids may have Music Makers to thank for their wonderful music careers.
