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Registration is now open for the fall sessions of Pathways to Music, a series of developmentally age-appropriate classes designed to teach the joy of music to children ages 6 months through 5 years old. Classes will begin Sept. 16 and 20 in the gymnasium of the Campus and Community Children’s Center.

Three classes will be offered this fall: Pioneers, 6 to 24 months, will meet Saturdays from 9:30 to 10 a.m.; Explorers, 2 and 3 years old, will meet Saturdays from 10 to 10:45 a.m.; and Adventurers, 4 and 5 years old, will meet Tuesdays from 6:15 to 7 p.m. The total cost for the 10 week course is $95 for Pioneers and $125 for Explorers and Adventurers.

Modeled after John Feierabend’s “First Steps in Music,” Pathways to Music utilizes a holistic approach involving songs, finger plays, dances, bouncing and circle games, vocal and instrument exploration, lullabies and more to guide children and parents to discover the joy of music. What feels like a weekly play group also encourages the development of language, motor, creative and social skills in young children. Each class session is designed for the child to be accompanied by one parent or guardian.

Parents have responded in a very positive way to this program, saying that “the quality parent-child time is something special,” and that it is a “fun way to expose my child to music.”

“In Pathways to Music, children are encouraged to explore creative expression,” says Sonja Inglefield, the director of Pathways to Music. “Every year, more research confirms the positive influence of music and movement on the healthy development of children.”

Faculty members for Pathways to Music have extensive training and experience. Inglefield earned a master’s degree in early childhood music pedagogy from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. She spent almost 10 years teaching early childhood music for the Peabody Preparatory and in the Baltimore City Schools before moving to Western New York.

Kay Barlow, a Pathways to Music instructor, has Level One certification from the Center for Music and Young Children and the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, in addition to Master of Music and Bachelor of Music Education degrees. She has also been a recipient of the Chautauqua County Early Childhood Award for Excellence in teaching.

Pathways to Music, now in its fifth year, is conducted by the Musical Journeys Program of the Fredonia School of Music.

For registration or for more information, visit www.fredonia.edu/music, or contact Inglefield at 716-673-3599.