The Art and Psychology of Musical Play with Julie Wylie

When: Monday 9th September – 10am – 2:45pm
Where: Whanganui Central Baptist Kindergarten, 285 Wicksteed St, Whanganui, 4500
Cost: Free for MENZA members or teachers who are part of an institution that is a MENZA member, first year teachers and those currently enrolled in an education degree, or $30+GST for non-members
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The Power of Musical Play

The keys to a child’s learning are:

1. Being calm and alert (controlled by the lower brain).
2. Being in happy engagement with adults who value and respect them (controlled by the mid brain).
3. Forming memories (including language, literacy and numeracy) through experiencing the world (controlled by the mid brain and cortex).

This workshop is designed to help participants gain an understanding of how music can be used in very specific ways to arouse or calm, and regulate the brain. Many children in our schools and ECE centres are experiencing anxiety and stress. Musical play activates every part of the brain and promotes healthy brain growth and development.

Participants will discover enjoyable ways to:

• Interact musically;
• Use the elements of music so that they become a natural part of children’s play;
• Use instructional songs in daily routines;
• Match children’s energy levels and arouse or calm children through musical play.

The Art of Musical Play

Musical play is the child’s first language and is a natural part of the life and culture of children. It opens up an imaginative, magical world of possibilities. Sensory musical play helps children to listen, express, feel, move and develop a strong sense of self in relation to others. It structures the moment, helping children to make sense of their world. Musical play can occur inside, outside, anywhere, any time, and is a wonderful way to support daily routines such as tidying up, washing hands and learning to start or stop on cue.

This workshop will offer many practical ideas about what to include in a musical play session and how to make mat time relevant to young children. It is designed to help participants understand the purpose of group music and musical play, and how music can support numeracy and literacy. Musical play can weave all the strands of learning together and provides the warp and weft of the Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whāriki.

Julie was awarded the MNZM last year for services to Music Education and Musical Play Therapy and has presented numerous  workshops in New Zealand and overseas. Julie is a former Early Childhood Music Advisor for The Ministry of Education and lecturer in Early Childhood Development at the Christchurch College of Education.