Friday, Aug. 22, 2008

Passion for Teaching Music Launches New Job; Woman Quits Financial Firm, Develops New Technique for Youngsters

Woman Quits Financial Firm, Develops Technique for Youngsters

By Carol Schorn

Contributing Writer

Jennea Potter, of Grapevine, was pursuing a successful career at Price Waterhouse, and spending her free time as a volunteer teaching music to young children at community centers near her home. Realizing that she was volunteering doing something she loved dearly, she decided to give up her career with the investment firm and pursue her passion as a music teacher.

Music has been acknowledged as an invaluable tool for teaching young children. It has become an integral part of most, if not all, successful preschool programs. Experts have recognized what parents have long known, that exposing children to music from birth can help them learn. Recent studies, such as that described in "The Benefits of Early Childhood Music" by Karen Stafford, indicate that children who have been taught music at an early age do better in school than children who have not.

Improved spatial abilities, early comprehension of fractions, and higher standardized test scores are not the only benefits to early music exposure. Focus, self-discipline, and happiness are all intangibles which young children gain from participating in making and listening to music, according to Potter.

In her efforts to spread music to preschool aged children, Potter started a business that she named Little Musicmaker. According to her Web site, Potter combines storytelling and puppetry with lively singing and musical games to teach. She and her staff travel to area daycare centers, where they present weekly classes involving rhythm activities and singing. The children play with various musical instruments, and are taught new songs as well as music composition.

Little Musicmaker is a program being used by all three local Primrose Schools, as well as at Nexgym in Southlake Town Square.

As both a teacher and a parent at Primrose, Cynthia Womack feels fortunate to have Potter’s program at her school. "My son is in the class, and he gets very excited about it. It’s reassuring to know that something he enjoys so much also has a strong, positive influence on his brain development." According to parent Dennis Smith, "When the puppets come out it’s like a rock concert. The kids just go crazy." Smith said that during class the children are fully engaged and eager to participate. "They just love it," he said.

In fact, Smith is so impressed with his 11-month-old daughter’s response to the program that he has taken on the volunteer position as media contact for Little Musicmaker so he can help spread the word about Potter’s approach to teaching music to families throughout the city and the nearby area.