Laurie Berkner's 'The Music in Me' Kids Classes to Launch this Fall in NYC

Families who love children's music superstar and preschool television favorite Laurie Berkner will soon have the chance to take their children to classes FILLED with her music and guided by her educational philosophy. Laurie Berkner's The Music in Me will launch at four Manhattan locations, beginning in September. (See details below.)

Laurie Berkner's The Music in Me, a "Me and My Grownup" style program designed by Laurie Berkner, is a natural extension of Laurie's many years as a preschool classroom teacher and children's music performer. All classes will be taught by teachers personally trained by Laurie.

Before Laurie Berkner began her life as a full-time performer and recording artist, she was a preschool music specialist who spent over ten years as the music teacher at Rockefeller University's Child & Family Center, The West Side YMCA, and multiple NYC preschools. During that period Laurie learned a tremendous amount about early childhood music education and was inspired to write many of the songs that have since become beloved classics. She also developed a successful teaching style and a sensible and pragmatic teaching philosophy.

Says Laurie, "I've named these classes The Music in Me because my goal is to bring out the unique musical expression that's in each child. I want kids to uncover their own special version of the music that's in them and to feel proud of it! Each class session will be a personalized experience, with a teacher who is able to assess the energy in the room and use my songs in a dozen different, creative ways, so that kids who come to class charged wtih anticipation will leave with a great sense of accomplishment."

Laurie Berkner's well-loved songs encourage children to sing, move, and express their feelings, and Laurie Berkner's The Music in Me classes aim to harness that action to engage the whole child. Children will learn about melody and rhythm as they work with their voices, bodies, percussion instruments, and other imaginative props, and they will develop gross and fine motor skills through movement and finger-play. Most important, they will have fun in a setting where every class is imbued with the same excitement as though Laurie herself were the teacher.

Laurie Berkner's The Music in Me classes will also address the social and emotional dynamics of a young child's life through such favorite Laurie Berkner songs as "I'm Not Perfect," "Me and My Energy," and "We Are The Dinosaurs." Children will take home songs that provide a springboard to family music making and imaginative play. As a special treat, Laurie Berkner will attend one of the last classes of each session to join in the fun and meet all the students!

Each Laurie Berkner's The Music in Me location offers its own enhancement to the music class experience.Freshmade NYC will include a snack creation activity, while The Art Farm in the City will feature petting zoo time. AtChildren's Museum of Manhattan kids will have access to museum exhibits, and Third Street Music School Settlement will present opportunities to explore different musical instruments.

Through the years, Laurie Berkner has received tremendous critical acclaim. Time Magazine lauded Laurie as "a kind of sippy-cup Sheryl Crow ... Berkner inhabits a kid's curious perspective in her lyrics and pens folk-pop melodies that bear repeated -- very repeated -- listenings." The Wall Street Journal called Laurie "one of the most popular children's performers in America ... her music is distinctive because it speaks to kids without talking down to them, charming youngsters without boring grown-ups."

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