A partnership between Slippery Rock University and the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum is bringing music experiences to children through a series of events at the museum. Two SRU music education students will lead “Sing.Move.Play” programs for early learners, 11:30 a.m. to noon, Feb. 9, March 9, April 13 and May 11, at the nursery inside the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum, located at 10 Children’s Way, Allegheny Center, in Pittsburgh.
“Sing.Move.Play” is included in the price of admission to the museum and no registration is required.
This drop-in music experience takes early learners on a journey in song, movement, sound exploration and musical play. Individuals can stop by for a few minutes or stay for the full session. While the “Sing.Move.Play” event is designed with early learners in mind, all are welcome to attend.
Leading the events this year are Taylor Pastore, a senior music education major from Canonsburg, and Rachel Kroner, a senior music education major from New Castle. The programming is part of SRU Early Childhood and Elementary Music Community Engagement Initiative.
“‘Sing.Move.Play’ is designed to provide children with meaningful, musical experiences that are fundamental for cognitive, social and emotional development,” Pastore said. “This extends beyond the classroom by equipping parents with resources to continue musicking at home. By immersing both caregiver and child in diverse musical experiences, play and interactive activities, we aim to create a foundation of lifelong love of music in families.”
“As music education majors, the opportunity to be involved in this initiative has strengthened our abilities to engage young learners and find solutions to unpredictable challenges within the classroom,” Kroner said. “Not only do we introduce children to music through our activities, we also lay the foundation that allows them to flourish as musicians and learners. By leading these sessions, we’ve grown in our ability to create engaging lessons and will use these experiences to learn and refine our teaching strategies.”
For more information about the Early Childhood and Elementary Music Community Engagement Initiative, visit the community engagement section on the SRU Music Department webpage or by contacting Cassandra Eisenreich at 724.738.2440 or cassandra.eisenreich@sru.edu.
More information about the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum is available at pittsburghkids.org.
