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North Seattle Community College Early Childhood Education CCE 145 Music and Creative Expression

	When I read through the class assignments, I became very nervous. All the worries got together in my mind andmade me think I would embarrass myself doing something I clearly have no expertise in. I saw music as one of the exclusive, specialist fields for people with talent only. I clearly didn't have a place; I can't read notes; I can't play any instruments; I am only a bathroom singer. I was wrong. This class and its assignments offered me a new perspective on music and what it is to me. I found my confidence by searching for it in my experience and in myself. This class is the sun and water that grew my music seed. I didn't learn to be a musician; I learned I am a musician. — Sany Jo, International Student from Indonesia, and preschool teacher
	This class affected me a lot, personally. I now feel more comfortable and capable of finding different kinds of music that can bring great rhythm and give the children an opportunity to be exposed to a variety of music from around the world. I recommend that every teacher take this class. Once you expose children to a variety of music they love it and learn so much. — Marlene Vasquez, preschool teacher
	I had not placed much emphasis on music in the past. But now that I have taken this course, I have a different perspective on music for children. Music time will no longer be just doing sing alongs and gathering kids to just play, but it will be an important tool in educating children. — Ji Kim, International Student from Korea
	Found Sound is totally my style. My two kids and I were sitting at the table together, and I started blowing in my water bottle. It made a sound! Lucy (my 5 year old) was very intrigued. She wanted to try. We ended up getting a couple of bottles and some water and experimenting with more or less water in the bottle. When I blew she would say if it was a high note or a low note and what mode of transportation it sounded like (boat, train, etc). We also felt the bottle to feel the vibrations and if that changed with varying amounts of water. That turned into my assignment and we all began looking for things around the house that make noise. Silverware makes noise. We tied a bunch of different sized spoons, spatulas, knives, and forks to a string and tested that out by shaking them and banging them. Lucy decided that this would be the perfect thing for her show! Apparently she’s planning a show. Julian, my two year old, liked banging the backs of two spoons together. It was also interesting watching Julian through the week to see what he does to make noise. For him, it’s just part of what he does on a daily basis. He put on a bunch of bead necklaces and jumped up and down and walked with an exaggerated swagger. He runs his toys along the wall to hear the scrape. He pulls on the doorstop spring to hear it’s obnoxious twang. All of these give me great ideas. So, I got some corrugated panels to hang on my wall. The introduction to this was a success with Julian. He quickly turned it into a game of running past as fast as he could while dragging a wooden spoon along the panels. Of course this strip isn’t long enough. He runs out of panel and drags his spoon along what ever else might be in the path. I’m going to leave it up for a few days and see what the kids make of it. It’s also a clear fiberglass material. I’m guessing my daughter will want to paint it. We’ll see. —Aldona Mitchell, parent and preschool teacher
	I can not believe how many objects make music. From vacuum cleaner extensions, to washing boards, to milk jugs. Unique sounds are everywhere. I felt like a child all week. I could not keep my hands to myself to save my life. If an item was in my reach, it was in my hands. I would shut cupboards to see the sounds that they made. Before I would cook dinner, I would have to sample my pots and pans. And I actually had a child say, “Stop making all that noise.” This was very funny to me because usually the phrase is said the other way around. I am the one telling the child to stop. I noticed that by possessing such inquisitiveness I had a lot of additional energy through out the week. I felt like I just had to try something new. If I did not know about something, I would want to know. And then I would find out. I now embrace a deeper understanding of why children experiment the way they do, and as much as they do. If something is unfamiliar, there becomes a curiosity of wanting to make it familiar. This is the way we learn. Many times we do not see such activities as so. But with the assignment of looking for sound in all places, it brought back to me the innocence of learning through actions. Touching and Feeling is an essential learning component of a child’s life and my value of this technique has genuinely increased. This is why children like music so much. Music is experimentation. You can learn through singing, express feelings through movement, and become a community by working together. Music is definitely an essential part of learning. Music is a part of life. — Nitikka S. Hoyer, parent and educator
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