Kindermusik Instructor, Lindsay Levin, Unlocks Children's Strengths Through Music Engagement

Kindermusik is a nationally renowned methodology and program that has been scientifically proven to advance brain development and promote social-emotional learning. Kindermusik provides musical and movement education to young children through multi-sensory interactive activities. As a result, children are able to gain countless developmental benefits, some of which include self-regulation improvements, increased literacy gain compared to peers, as well as a solid foundation for future musical studies.

In addition to being a rewarding experience for young children, teaching Kindermusik is a gratifying experience for teachers. Lindsay Levin is a Kindermusik teacher serving students and families in the East Bay. Miss Lindsay's studio has quickly risen to being one of the top Kindermusik studios in California, and Miss Lindsay herself has served in various leadership roles for Kindermusik Associations. Read on to learn how Miss Lindsay's love for music evolved into her career as a Kindermusik teacher, which she states is one of the main sources of joy in her life!

How did you first develop your passion for music?

My father used to sing with me as a very young child, and he taught me to love everything from Broadway musicals (particularly Barbra Streisand's vocals) to the Beatles. My mother forced me into violin lessons at age 5, and I used to make up songs to console myself about having to go to lessons. When I reached ten years old, she let me quit violin and take voice lessons instead, which I absolutely loved. Around the same time, the JCC in Indiana, where I spent the summers with my dad, developed a Broadway summer camp, and my father let me join that camp instead of the sports camps I had previously attended. I got the lead in the camp musical and felt so much more fulfilled than I had in sports camp; there truly are no people like show people!

What instruments do you play?

To quote a fellow voice major from Northwestern, I play the vocal cords. I can play a few poly rhythms on the drum, and I can hack out a few very simple tunes on the piano - slowly. Mostly, I play the same developmentally-appropriate instruments for toddlers and babies that my Kindermusik kids do, and of course I sing constantly.

What was your career and educational path like becoming a Kindermusik teacher? Are there any certifications necessary for being a Kindermusik teacher?

Great question! I entered Northwestern University as a voice major, not realizing that the program was focused on opera and not musical theatre. It wasn't the best fit for me, and my performance career was further complicated with vocal problems that I attribute to undiagnosed, untreated acid reflux and poor physical adjustment to Chicago's freezing winters. In my junior year of college, I officially switched to the School of Education, focusing on psychological services, and it was the best decision I could have made. After graduating and holding a variety of education-based jobs, I found my niche as a Gymboree music teacher, but I was frustrated with the low pay and lack of creative control that I held in that position. I went back to school to get my MA in Education and my teaching credential, but after working really hard only to get my car egged by high school students, I realized that I preferred singing and getting hugs from little ones to crying every day at my student teaching job. I am now pursuing an additional Master's degree in Psychology that will eventually lead to an MFT license, but I don't see myself ever giving up Kindermusik completely. Teaching Kindermusik is my passion and one of my main sources of joy in life.

"Teaching Kindermusik is my passion and one of my main sources of joy in life."

And yes, you do have to be credentialed to become an accredited Kindermusik teacher. Kindermusik was the first early childhood music program of its kind in North America, and Kindermusik International has spent decades refining their curriculum. Due to the changing needs of the market and our post-pandemic society, they are beginning to allow non-credentialed educators to license their curriculum, but I would not recommend going that route because the accreditation is what allows families to know that you are offering a quality program.

I read on your website that you didn't originally start your career as a Kindermusik teacher. What sparked your transition back into the music field?

I found positions outside of this field to be largely unfulfilling. I really only have a few major passions in the work world: children, music, psychology, and advocacy for human rights - particularly children's rights to be treated with dignity and respect, to be allowed to be children, and to have their uniqueness (e.g. neurodiversity) celebrated instead of pathologized.

"...children's rights to be treated with dignity and respect, to be allowed to be children, and to have their uniqueness (e.g. neurodiversity) celebrated instead of pathologized."

What was your experience in college with music?

It was rough! I went from easily hitting high F's in "Glitter and Be Gay" in high school to struggling to hit A's in college, which was so embarrassing. I am pretty sure I had acid reflux, and my vocal instrument definitely did not like those Chicago winters, which felt like they stretched from late October through early May. However, I think this ended up being a blessing for me, because as I reentered the world of musical theatre as an adult, I noticed that performing did not hold my interest or heart the way that teaching Kindermusik does.

The non-performance side of my college experience with music, however, was amazing. I learned so much about music theory and music history and gained a deeper understanding of and appreciation for music and its complexities. My college music experience also empowered me to begin writing my own music again, which was an amazing creative outlet. In addition, I studied with a lovely mezzo-soprano, Mignon Dunn, who taught me how to sing through the mask and access a richness to my voice, particularly in the middle and lower registers, that I had never known I had before working with her. What exactly is the Kindermusik method? How does it compare to other traditional music methodologies, such as Suzuki or Kodaly?

Kindermusik is primarily grounded in the music programs in West Germany that our founder, Dan Pratt, encountered during his college years as a student in Cologne, Germany. He brought these programs to North America in 1978, and they continued to grow and evolve with the input of talented and compassionate Kindermusik educators like Carol Penney, who has an extensive background in flute, education, and yoga. She is my main role model as a teacher, because she always puts the child's best interest first. The main ideology of Kindermusik, with which I entirely identify and support, is that we follow the child. If my Suzuki teacher had been able to follow my interest, developmental needs, and learning style when I was a five-year-old violin student, perhaps I would still be able to play the violin today. Instead, I was told to go home and practice my bowing arm by stroking a broom. I was bored to tears. The same thing happened at my first ballet class - we were taught to point our toes and stand in first position. That was about it. Where was the leaping, the twirling, the freedom?

This is where Kindermusik comes in. We start by engaging the kids with what they really want to be doing. It's not about technique, and it's not about pressure or performance. It's about building their confidence in themselves, building beautiful memories and stronger bonds with their grownups, and tapping into the natural passion that they have for music and movement.

"It's not about technique, and it's not about pressure or performance. It's about building their confidence in themselves, building beautiful memories and stronger bonds with their grownups, and tapping into the natural passion that they have for music and movement."

I could talk about Kindermusik forever, but I am not always great at nailing the methodology down exactly, because I've been doing it for nearly 20 years now. A great deal of what I do feels natural and instinctive. At the same time, Kindermusik is a structured program. We always have lesson plans, and the lesson plans always include certain elements such as singing, movement, instrument play, and rocking time.

Pictures via Miss Lindsay's Kindermusik Facebook

What is your favorite part of your job?

There are so many things! I received a video the other day from a mother whose two-year-old daughter had spontaneously memorized a fairly complex song that we introduced only once or twice right before the break. The child was singing the song beautifully, but what I loved the most was the way in which she would interrupt herself to gleefully comment on the lyrics. She was so engaged! Then she started to forget the words, and her mom prompted her with the next lyrics of the song, and the child picked up the thread immediately and sang the whole thing! I shared that video with my fellow KM educators, and it got over 50 likes and comments right away. I think I can safely say that all Kindermusik educators delight in seeing children and their parents connecting with the music, and each other, at home, outside the classroom.

Most of us don't want to be entertainers. We want to change lives.

And as a student of psychology, I know that the early childhood years are the most important years for building those primary relationships with caregivers and for building important lifelong skills like speech, movement, and of course, music.

"... early childhood years are the most important years for building those primary relationships with caregivers and for building important lifelong skills"

Another favorite part of my job is when I can take a child who seems really shy and scared and open them up through gentle, loving acceptance. I have learned over the years that children (and adults) need permission to feel their feelings. They need the opportunity to have spaces where they can feel safe, now more than ever. I love seeing those more reserved children feel safe enough to open up, and I love getting hugs from the kids - but I also love when children feel confident and safe enough to tell me that they don't want a hug. I see Kindermusik as a vital opportunity to help teach kids and parents how to respect children's boundaries.

My biggest challenge is when I have a student or a behavior that I haven't figured out how to properly engage with yet, because I feel like I am failing that child. I was taught by Carol Penney and education expert Becky Bailey that all behavior is communication. When a behavior frustrates me, I know with 100% certainty that there is something important about this child that I am missing, which saddens me because that child is probably being misunderstood by other adults and professionals as well. At the same time, this "least favorite" aspect of teaching also drives me to want to learn more and to continue to offer curiosity and compassion instead of judgement. A few semesters ago, with the help of the Kindermusik educator community on Facebook, I was able to unlock new strategies to engage children with ADHD in my classes, and seeing the relief on those children's faces when we used those strategies was enormously fulfilling. What is a typical day in your life as a Kindermusik teacher?

Rush to get ready, making sure to include coffee and a protein bar in my breakfast so that I have enough energy to get through my classes. I usually teach two or three classes back to back, and I have to get to my locations early to set everything up. I teach the classes, clean everything in between classes, and then clean everything again after my last class in the set. Then I pile all of my instruments and other teaching gear back into my car, go home, throw my scarves and parachutes into the laundry, have lunch, and teach my afternoon class if I have one. I put so much energy into my classes that I usually crash after that. After my nap, I do any data entry - updating payments, nametags, emails, lesson plans, etc. - send out my class emails for the next day, figure out what materials I'm going to need for the next day's classes, print out my nametags, pack up the car, and get to work on my studies for my Master's program. I also try to squeeze in a little yoga every morning and every night, and I walk my daughter's service dog 3-5 times a day. Why do you believe it is important for young children to start music early, and what are the benefits to participating in the Kindermusik program?

As I said before, early childhood is an absolutely critical time for brain development, which includes language development, social development, and musical development. If children do not participate in Kindermusik during their early childhood, it is simply a missed opportunity. For babies, music helps organize the brain, helping them make sense of the world and learn how to self-soothe.

For toddlers, learning how to sing on pitch and keep a steady beat means that they will internalize these abilities and carry them with them through the rest of their lives. If you try to teach an adult how to sing on pitch or keep a steady beat, and they don't already have those skills - yes, it can be done, but it will be so much harder and take much, much longer. Learning music early, and in a way that emphasizes joy, gives children the building blocks they need to reach their musical potential later on. But for me, it's less about that than about building joy, confidence in themselves, and connection with their loved ones, and also learning how to receive unconditional love and respect from a teacher. It's about building a lifetime love of music and learning.

"It's about building a lifetime love of music and learning."

It's about learning how to care for others in our class and work as a team, and also knowing that it's okay to be different, and that each of us has something beautiful to offer the world. I feel like this approach empowers many of the adults in our classes as well. We all have an inner child that yearns to be acknowledged, accepted, and celebrated.

What advice would you give to a middle or high school student interested in becoming a music or Kindermusik teacher?

It's important to develop a deep love and respect for children. I recommend reading Alfie Kohn's "Punished By Rewards" and Becky Bailey's "Conscious Discipline" to start. These two educators do a good job of explaining that the goal should not be to change children through power and manipulation, but to unlock their strengths through engagement, connection, encouragement, and validation.

Also, I think it's important for students to know that teaching Kindermusik can be challenging financially. Like many jobs in the arts, you need to know that a lot of your income is going to come in the form of personal satisfaction and not in actual money. This is important to recognize, because unfortunately, we need actual money in order to survive, pay for health insurance, etc. So make sure you have a financial plan for yourself. At the same time, if you have the Kindermusik gene, as I call it, know that this is one of the most satisfying jobs in the world! I haven't seen people burn out on teaching Kindermusik, but I have seen people continue to teach it into their 80's!