The Center for Musical Development offers Kindermusik classes for children ages 1 1/2 - 7 years of age. In 2005, a children's choir was formed for students who have completed the Kindermusik curriculum and wish to continue their study of music through singing in a group, building on the vocal skills they have developed while continuing to learn note-reading and related musicianship skills. The choir is open to any interested child, age 7 - 12. No audition is required.

Our fall term runs from September 10, 2008 through January 9, 2009. Our winter term runs from January 21, 2009 through May 7, 2009. Students can enter classes at anytime during the semester provided there are openings in the class they wish to join. A summer term of classes will be announced in March, 2009.

Special events include a parent evening to learn more about early childhood music education, an end of the year family night for graduates of the Young Child curriculum, choir concerts and end of the year picnics for Our Time and Imagine That students.

Any parent interested in learning more about our Kindermusik classes and/or choir should contact Patricia Heineman-Vernon at phvcfmd@aol.com or call her at 847-679-5121. If you wish to register for a class, you can simply print out a registration form by clicking on the registration tab above.

The classes are held at Central United Methodist Church, 8237 N. Kenton, Skokie. Please come to the classroom building, not the actual church itself, and come downstairs. Parking is available in the parking lot or on the street. Kenton is East of Skokie Boulevard and before Crawford and the actual classroom building is about 2 1/2 blocks north of Oakton.

Click here for a map of the area.

For additional information about Kindermusik, visit www.kindermusik.com.

ALL DATES AND CLASS TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Music program reaching area children of all ages

Skokie Review (IL)
January 25, 2007
Author: MIKE ISAACS; Staff Writer

The basement of Holy Trinity Church is not the first place where you'd expect to find children of all ages learning and performing music.

But tucked away on the residential street of Karlov Avenue, far removed from large classrooms and more conspicuous concert venues is where Pat Heineman-Vernon's The Center for Musical Development has been operating for years.

The basement classrooms where many of her students learn to play music for the first time, where they pick up string and wood and keyboard instruments, are simple in appearance. That, in part, is for practical reasons, the Skokie teacher says.

"You know what this place would look like if we had a lot of things sitting out with 2-year-olds around? It would be a mess. It's better this way."

Actually, some students begin their musical journey with Heineman-Vernon at well under 2 years old. The teacher offers Kindermusik classes at a very early age through age 7. She more recently began a children's choir for those who graduate from the Kindermusik program but want to continue on with their music education.
"We had parents who asked what do we do now that our kids have gone though the program?" Heineman-Vernon said.

The Kindermusik program is one of the first of its kind to offer music education for preschoolers and young children. All activities for babies, toddlers and preschoolers provide music, movement, singing and games.

"Fun games and relaxation exercises teach the child about their body parts and movement abilities," a Kindermusik web site states. "We also enjoy games and activities which improve the cognitive as well as emotional development of the child."

It's only fitting that Heineman-Vernon, 52, should teach such a class since she was exposed to music at such an early age -- before Kindermusik ever existed.
Her father was a professional trombonist, but had to give up playing in his 40s. At 94, he is the second oldest living member of the Chicago Federation of Musicians.

He went into retail music, but never stopped exposing his children to music.
Still, only Heineman-Vernon among the children pursued a career in the field. She was taking piano lessons as early as first or second grade, teaching piano by age 14.

"I loved the piano when I was really young," she said. "Every time, I saw a piano I just had to play it."
For a brief time, she played the cello, but returned to concentrate on piano. As a teenager, she thought she was going to be a concert pianist, but she always knew music would stay part of her life.

"I really have a love for classical music,' she said. "There's such a thrill in being able to bring music to life with my own hands and to share that with people."

Heineman-Vernon has been an active member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas since 1980. She also has been teaching Suzuki piano in private lessons for more than 25 years. She has served on the faculties of the Wheaton College Suzuki Program, the Suzuki Music Academy of Chicago, the Jack Benny Center for the Performing Arts and the Mundelein College Music Department.
She serves on the faculty of the Blue Lake Family Suzuki Camp as both Suzuki piano and early childhood music instructor.

At Wheaton College, Heineman-Vernon was asked to teach a rhythm class to 2-year-olds. That began her foray into the Kindermusik program.
"Children naturally respond to music," she said. "They are so spontaneous and relaxed. I've seen a 10-month old with perfect pitch."

Her original idea was to teach music to very young children under the belief that they would be better prepared for piano instruction in the future. But Kindermusik didn't become a means to an end, but part of the end itself.
In 1992, she rented space at Holy Trinity Church where her husband was an organist. The first class, she remembered, had seven students between 18 months to a little over 3-years-old.
Since then the program has expanded -- mostly through word of mouth. Her Center for Musical Development peaked at about 100 students at one time, but now has closer to 80.

"The program presents just a great holistic approach for young kids," said Skokie parent Laura Montgomery who has two children being taught by Heineman-Vernon. Tommy, 8, is now in the post-Kindermusik choir -- The Skokie Children's Choir -- while Charlie, 6, is still taking Kindermusik classes.
"We are all consumers of music. It's part of our world," Mongomery said. "Many of us never had the opportunity that this program provides."

Montgomery said she remembers taking piano lessons as a child and eventually regarding it as a chore. Her two boys look forward to class and see music as a big part of their lives, she said.
"Pat builds a great foundation for kids to later take independent lessons," she said. "That's a piece of it I really like.

We want our children to have an interest in music for a long time to come."
Heineman-Vernon now has additional staff. Her students range from 18 months to age 10, the oldest being members of the choir.

Her Kindermusik students learn three instruments during there years of education including the glockenspiel (pre-keyboard), the dulcimer (string) and the recorder (wood).
She knows she is not the only person to teach Kindermusik, but her program has had staying power because her customers are so satisfied.

"Here I am in the middle of a residential neighborhood," she said. "We don't have the same resources and a lot of our membership comes from word of mouth. But parents recognize how important and how much fun it is for their children to learn about music when they are young. It helps them in so many ways."

For more information about The Center for Musical Development taught at Holy Trinity Church, 8201 N. Karlov, call 847-679-5121 or e-mail Heineman-Vernon at phvcfmd@aol.com. Her web site is at www.centerformusicaldevelopment.com.

Copyright 2007, Skokie Review, Pioneer Press. All rights reserved. REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED.

All Kindermusik images are Trademark and Copyright of Kindermusik.

Site Administration and Design by SDP Inc.