CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2010 by Wendy Ensz

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” William Butler Yeats

Time flies. The first children I taught who graduated from Kindermusik (Kindermusik Class of 1999) are now graduating from High School. Over the years, many Kindermusik alumni, and their parents, have kept in touch. All are still involved in music in some way, shape of form. YES – that is what the journey is all about – learning to love music, learning to love learning, learning to love making music as part of a group, and keeping all of these things in our hearts forever.

Since then, eleven other graduating classes have brought joy and special dynamics to our program. This year, of course, we have our own Kindermusik class of 2010. While the general curriculum and Kindermusik philosophy {“follow the child”}has remained in tact for all these years, every single graduating class has had its own special set of: requests, favorite activities, different directions they've taken the music, and different relationships that have evolved. But all learning to love music, learning to love learning, learning to love making music as part of a group, and keeping all of these things in their hearts forever.

Some of the children in this year's graduating class started in Kindermusik as babies; we have thoroughly enjoyed watching them grow up, in so many ways, over the course of their lifetimes. Some of the children joined us as toddlers; we got to witness that first official jump, share in the language explosion, and laugh together. Some of the children joined us a preschoolers; we got to watch them learn to take turns, feel comfortable in the freedom of the structure, tie their shoes, and start writing their names. Some of the children joined as recently as this past Fall, and it has been awesome watching the love and understanding of music unfold in such a short amount of time. But no matter how long each of these children were with us, we have been so thankful to bring music into their hearts, and we cherish the music and love they have brought into ours.

You blink... That's exactly how I feel. I've blinked and now my first Kindermusik graduates are High School graduates. I'll blink again, and this year's Kindermusik graduates will be the Senior Class (2021? - oh my!). Every smile, every note, every ounce of effort, every musical moment, every goodbye hug or hi-five from every Kindermusik child has been a treasure. May whatever aspect of the music that lights their fire keep burning bright, always. Congratulations to the High School Class of 2010, and to Keyra, Riley, Ellie, Crosby, Augustan, and Hannah - THE KINDERMUSIK CLASS OF 2010!