Early Childhood Music

Come join us for fun games and activities that introduce young students to the joy of music through Music Play! Students ages 0-8 can build a strong musical foundation while developing important social and motor skills through chanting, singing, moving, and listening!

Early Childhood Music

CMSD Early Childhood Music instruction utilizes a curriculum called Music Play developed by Edwin E. Gordon and his students: Wendy H. Valerio, Alison M. Reynolds, Beth M. Bolton, and Cynthia C. Taggart. This approach is informed by extensive research and current scholarship in the field of Music Learning Theory. Children grow musically through vocalizing (including vocal play, chanting, and singing), movement (including creative movement and rhythmic movement) and listening (particularly to live music making).

Musical development is best fostered through informal guidance when a caring and responsive adult offers activities that create opportunities to follow the child’s lead by incorporating the child’s sounds, movements, ideas, or interests into the music making.

The musical expertise of the facilitator contributes important components as they ensure that there is a variety of tonalities and meters in the space, and they monitor pacing to maximize child engagement. The teacher also offers opportunities for musical (vocal and rhythmic) interactions and playfully extends these interactions to engage children in group and individual music making and creation.

Early Childhood Piano

CMSD Early Childhood Piano instruction builds on the musical foundation laid in Early Childhood Music Play classes. Early Childhood Piano classes will help children develop foundational keyboard skills and musicianship in a playful, developmentally appropriate way. In this class, students will move, sing, chant, create, and explore the piano. Students will develop awareness of the keyboard through touch and exploration, learn preparatory technique and body awareness, and will continue to develop music audiation through music play. No at home keyboard is needed.

Please note: The prerequisite for participating in this class is a minimum of one year (two semesters) of prior early childhood music exposure at CMSD.

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CMSD Early Childhood Music Team

Christie Lower headshot.

Christie Lower

CMSD Early Childhood Music Program Manager

Christie Lower (she/her) is the Early Childhood Music Program Manager at the MSU Community Music School-Detroit. Since 2013, Christie has been actively working on site in our classrooms, and off site in various child care centers with young children in the metro Detroit area. Prior to this, Christie taught elementary music in the Dearborn and Ann Arbor Public School Districts. Christie graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education at Michigan State University in 2014. She has also completed level one certifications in early childhood music and elementary music from the Gordon Institute for Music Learning.

Dr. Karen Salvador headhost

Dr. Karen Salvador

CMSD Early Childhood Music Faculty Advisor

Dr. Karen Salvador, a nationally recognized early childhood expert on the faculty of Michigan State University’s College of Music, is the faculty advisor for the MSU Community Music program. Rooted in extensive research findings of music learning for the very young, Dr. Salvador uses Music Play to teach MSU undergraduate students, graduate students, and practicing teachers about Music Learning Theory and its applications. In addition, with faculty supervision, MSU students engage in experiential learning by interning and teaching in the Community Music School’s Early Childhood Music programs in Detroit and Lansing.

A still image of Stephanie Erspamer playing a string instrument

Stephanie Erspamer

CMSD Early Childhood Music Teacher

Stephanie Erspamer (she/her) teaches ukulele and early childhood music classes, including Musical Foundations and Vocal Village at Michigan State University’s Community Music School-Detroit. She also teaches off site early childhood music classes around the metro Detroit area. Before expanding her work at CMS-D, Stephanie was the elementary music teacher at Auburn Elementary School in the Avondale School District. She attended Michigan State University where she earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and studied the trumpet as her primary instrument. For five summers Stephanie taught trumpet lessons, music theory classes, and ensembles at various music camps in Haiti, in partnership with BLUME Haiti. She continues to pursue a love of brass music by playing the tenor horn in the award-winning Five Lakes Silver Band.