A MUSICAL HEAD START

A new initiative for the Australian Boys Choral Institute launched proudly in the Choir’s 80th anniversary year, 2019. Welcoming pre-school aged girls and boys to its ranks as part of an Early Learners’ Program had never been done before but now, nearly two years on, the benefits have been obvious.

Highlighting the key impact of music in early childhood, ABCI Director of Training Choirs, Naomi Heyden reflects, “Learning music has wonderful benefits for many aspects including language development, motor skills, and social interaction. A singing-based focus establishes a solid foundation and can begin as young as infanthood.”

Having provided quality music education to young Australians for over eight decades, the ABCI felt well-placed to offer these benefits to younger children. An adjunct to the Choir’s main activities, the Early Learners’ classes are open to both boys and girls. “The prospect of one day having a student in the Australian Boys Choir who started with the organisation as a pre-schooler, or even younger, is a lovely possibility,” muses Naomi.

Commencing weekly, daytime classes, students aged three to five along with their parents, were welcomed as the inaugural program participants. Strong interest saw an after-school class for students aged five to seven added to the timetable for 2020, bringing in a second group of enthusiastic young music makers.

With the advent of COVID-19, the Early Learners’ Program took a brief hiatus before offering online classes to smiling young singers via Zoom. In 2021, these classes again returned in the interactive online format, with the convenience of this mode of delivery remaining popular.

Now that face-to-face classes are once again possible, the Institute is pleased to finally welcome its youngest students back to Choir House from Term Two. Recalling the eagerness of the participants’ responses to the program, Naomi reflects, “It has been a delight to see the enthusiasm of the children, to hear requests for particular songs, and to see participation from the most outgoing students to those still building their confidence.”

“The Early Learners’ Program incorporates similar principles, processes, and benefits to the Kodály-based education that all ABCI students experience,” says Naomi. Working at an age-appropriate level, the classes instil a love of song and ground students in fundamental musical concepts within a nurturing environment as the program continues to expand.

For more information, please see www.australianboyschoir.com.au/our-programs.