Music teachers create tale to make lessons fun
Two local teachers -- with the help of a wise old owl, a young boy named Leonardo and some musical instruments -- hope to instill a love for music in children.
Grace Bardsley and Larry Dieffenbach will begin teaching their recently composed music program, "What if We: The Quest and Questions of Leonardo and Athena," this month.
The program, open to children 5 to 8 years old, is centered around a story written by the duo about a young boy, Leonardo, who is guided through his time travels by an owl named Athena.
Leonardo and Athena start in the Middle Ages and travel to the present. Along the way, they are exposed to different types of music and meet composers and musicians like George Handle Bach and members of The Beatles.
Dieffenbach and Bardsley are teaching the curriculum as a replacement to the Kindermusik program for older students. The two have been teaching Kindermusik in the area for the last 15 years.
"It's a wonderful program," Dieffenbach said of Kindermusik. "But through the 15 years worth of teaching we had ideas of our own that we wanted to implement in a program."
The two will continue to teach Kindermusik at Baker Memorial Church for younger children. Their new program, which has been in the making for three years, focuses on the keyboard. Students also use a box drum called a cajon and are taught how to sing.
Dieffenbach and Bardsley met through their work at Baker Memorial Church; Dieffenbach was the organist and Bardsley led the children's choir. It was through their work together that they decided to offer a music program for young children.
"We definitely saw a need for some early education for children in music," said Dieffenbach, who teaches music courses at Elgin Community College.
Though music is the focus, each week's lesson also offers a broader view of history. For example, in his travels, Leonardo also meets other important figures for that era - such as Christopher Columbus or Pablo Picasso. Each stop in Leonardo's time travels also offer some life lessons for students.
"Larry and I both value the opportunity to make a difference in a child's life not only musically … but in learning about themselves and encouraging their strengths," Bardsley said. "We're really trying to incorporate life lessons -- ideas about not quitting, viewing life as a journey -- that hopefully will empower a child."
Both said they are considering adding a second year curriculum to the program. They also hope the story becomes an animated series for children's videos and that their program is published for use in public or private schools.
Registration for the hour-long classes, which begin Aug. 28, is $200 and covers tuition and materials. Students also must purchase a keyboard available at Pianoland in Geneva for $130.
To register, contact Grace Bardsley at (630)513-1268 or by e-mail at moimom@aol.com or call Larry Dieffenbach at (630)208-9761 or by e-mail at lsdieffenbach@sbcglobal.net.
Class times are Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Space is limited to 10 students per class. All classes will meet at Baker Memorial Church, 307 Cedar Ave., St. Charles.