Ladies and gentlemen — Seedling Symphony.
Tulsa Community College’s string-piece Signature Quartet is launching the early childhood educational program.
Cellist Erica Parker said the music alone stimulates many areas of young brains.
"But then when you add motion skills and behavioral skills and emotional skills into what they're listening to, then that's only going to make them smarter and get better and faster at their skills in a classroom environment," Parker said.
Seedling Symphony incorporates research that found complex serve-and-return activities greatly benefit young brains. Adult performs a gesture, child copies it, and the pattern repeats.
"The exciting part is, children that are within birth to 3 and then even on to 5 years, if they have these interactive, supportive relationships and experiences early in life, it really lays down a solid, steady brain architecture that lasts for life," said TCC child development professor Debbie Deibert.
The musicians get children to pop, sway, bounce, clap and dance along as they play the cello, viola and violins.
Deibert said this program will also help parents reap those benefits at home.
"We're opening that door and giving them some aids — in this is where you can find this music, this is what you can do while playing this music — that will hopefully make them more comfortable with it," Deibert said.
TCC child development students worked with the quartet to develop materials about using music beyond nursery rhymes and lullabies in the classroom.
