Special to the Reporter

Musikgarten, a music and movement program for young children, is being introduced to Shelby County and the Birmingham area by Traci Cornett, a certified and licensed Musikgarten instructor.

Classes will be offered to infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers at SportsBlast on Highway 280.

Musikgarten provides a musical foundation for children by exposing them to fun and traditional songs, dancing, focused listening exercises and instrument play.

Parents are a vital part of the program as they work with their children in class under the direction of the teacher.

Research has shown the early exposure to music increases a child’s lifelong potential not only in the study of music but also in all areas of academic pursuit. As the child gets older, however, the window of opportunity to develop that potential begins to close.

Musikgarten is designed to tap every child’s natural musical ability and expand their mental development. Even newborns are stimulated by the music and begin to internalize the beat and sound they can both hear and feel.

&uot;Musikgarten is a wonderful way to introduce music to children &045; even infants &045; in a way that is both fun and exciting. It will have real long-term benefits for them,&uot; Cornett said. &uot;Parents benefit, too, as developing the parent-child bond is a key element in the classroom.&uot;

Cornett recently moved to the county from the Lexington, Ky., area where she served as a Musikgarten instructor.

She studied piano at the University of Kentucky and received her Musikgarten training on the campus of Wheaton College in Chicago, Ill.

She is married to Alan Cornett, evangelist at the Wilsonville Church of Christ, and is the mother of two daughters, Haydon, 4, and Molly Katherine, 1.

For information on Musikgarten, visit www.musikplay.com or contact mailto:traci@musikplay.com or by phone at 670-5791.