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Spring 2009 Schedule

About Grow With Music

Grow With Music is a developmental music program.  Sessions are structured around the domains of development, using age appropriate music interventions.  Songs/activities learned will help with speech/language development, social skills, cognitive/academic acquisition, fine and gross motor skills and basic music skills.  Within the 15 weeks, 4 themes will be explored with each age group.  All sessions utilize many folk songs in original form or with adapted words.  This way the parent is more familiar with the music and our folk music heritage is kept alive.

The philosophy of Grow With Music is to provide a music program that enhances the every day growth and development of a child and parent/child relationship.  The program reflects Mrs. Pappas’ philosophy that music belongs in all areas of a child’s life, whether it be a purely music moment or developmental steppingstone.  “Children love music and music is play and play is a child’s ‘work’.”

About the Music Therapist

Joan Pappas MA, MT-BC, NMT is a board certified neurologic music therapist specializing in early childhood intervention, special education and older adults.  Her private practice includes work in numerous pre-schools, early childhood centers, special education programs, nursing homes and rehabilitative centers in Iowa, Mississippi and Indiana.

In addition to her work as a music therapist, Mrs. Pappas is also a music educator, having taught pre-K-12 general and choral music in Dubuque, Iowa, and has served on the music education faculty at Mississippi State University and Ball State University.  She is currently serving a dual appointment as adjunct faculty for the Department of Music and clinical faculty for the Department of Communication Disorders at Marshall University.

Mrs. Pappas received her bachelor degree in music education and vocal performance from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan and her master of music education with an equivalency in music therapy from the University of Iowa.