Music and the Young Mind Provides “Wonderful and Imaginative Musical Ideas” in a Practical Guide for Early Childhood Educators
RESTON, VA (May 14, 2009) — Music and the Young Mind: Enhancing Brain Development and Engaging Learning, a new publication by Maureen Harris and published by MENC: The National Association for Music Education and Rowman & Littlefield Education (RLE), describes an early childhood music program that is easily incorporated into the classroom routine. Written for the early childhood educator—experienced or trainee, musician or nonmusician—this book describes a music-enriched environment for teaching the whole child.
Author Harris, an educator and music professional, has dedicated 20 years to the education of the young child, earned a Masters of Education at University of Windsor, and studied early childhood music with Edwin E. Gordon at Michigan State University. She is the recipient of the 2009 Canadian Music Teacher Award. In her new book, Harris shows educators how to put research into practice and benefit from the wealth of knowledge and research acquired over the centuries on the power of music.
With easy-to-follow lesson plans, sing-along CDs (sung in a suitable pitch for the young child), and supporting literature, educators can gain musical confidence as they explore research on child development, learn how to create a music-enriched environment and build musical confidence, see a curriculum time-frame, and follow lesson plans with ideas for further musical creativity and exploration. In addition, the multicultural section shows how to set up an early childhood music setting that maximizes the benefits of a variety of cultural values and practices.
“I highly recommend this exciting new resource! Music and the Young Mind is an excellent, well-researched, and clearly presented guide for educators and students wishing to become music teachers. Music and the Young Mind is a must-read for all teachers (generalists and specialists) and music students wishing to become music teachers. This resource connects research to practice in a logical and meaningful way. It will also be a wonderful, comprehensive resource for college music education classes where the focus is on early childhood.”—Jonathan G. Bayley, Associate Dean, University of Windsor, Ontario
“Harris brings creativity and knowledge together in a format that is easily utilized by early childhood educators in their own classrooms. Wonderful and imaginative musical ideas.” —Bernadette Berthelotte, Department of Music, University of Windsor, Ontario
“A gem of a book. Harris draws upon a wealth of experience to provide readers with a useful combination of scholarly research, professional insight, and nuts-and-bolts classroom strategies.”—Sandi Curtis, Professor of Music Therapy, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
Music and the Young Mind is available from RLE in paperback for $21.95 and clothbound for $65.00. MENC members receive a discount of 25%. To order or for more information, call 800-462-6420 or visit www.rowmaneducation.com.
MENC: The National Association for Music Education, the world’s largest arts education organization, marked its centennial in 2007 as the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. More than 142,000 members and supporters include educators representing all levels of teaching from preschool to graduate school. Since 1907, MENC has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. MENC’s activities and resources have been largely responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education. MENC is located at the National Center for Music Education in Reston, VA.
