October/November 2012 Timaru Tots - Parents Centres New ...

TIMARU TOTS PAGE 40
music and movement:
an interview with Dale
As most of you will know we offer Music and
Movement for 0-2 year olds and 0-5 year olds
each week (except during school holidays). Since
the beginning of the year we have been very
fortunate to have Dale McKay taking these classes.
We wanted to find out a bit more about
Dale so we asked her to answer a few questions
...
Tell me about you - what is your background and
how did you get involved in music?
I have a Bachelor of
Music degree from
Canterbury University,
majoring in early
childhood music
education. I loved
learning about how
babies and children
learn and discover
through music and all the benefits of having a
music-rich environment...language skills, social
connections, emotional well-being, gross motor
skills through movement etc.
When my son was a busy toddler we attended
music and movement classes and it was a highlight
of the week. For me, I got to talk to big people
and get out of the house and we had fun together
with a bunch of parents who understood
that there are good days and then there are others.
What do you enjoy most about teaching music to
children?
I love it when the children break out in spontaneous
singing or go out the door humming a song.
Kids say what they are thinking and aren’t held
back by inhibitions the way we are as adults. They
give us permission to play...where else in the
world do you get to dance with scarves?
What instruments do you play?
Piano is my main one, but give me a guitar, ukulale,
recorder or kazoo and I can make something
happen.
Does your family share the same passion for
music?
My daughter is a gorgeous pianist who fills our
home up with beautiful music, so we’ll miss that
when she leaves home next year. She also plays
the flute. My son is good on a drum kit and is
persevering on violin but it’s not his first love. All
are music appreciators.
Apart from taking the Parents Centre Music and
Movement Classes, what else do you do with
your time?
I teach 19 classes a week involving about 400
children. A couple of them are preschool classes
for Plunket, and the rest involve children from 5
to 8 years of age, doing 4 afternoons a week at
Bluestone
School.
I also teach
about 12 students
a week
on keyboard,
singing and
recorder. Then
in the evenings