Lovenotes – Unique Prenatal Music Class Presented By The Children’s Choir Of Chico

Beginning in January 2012, The Children’s Choir of Chico will offer a new prenatal music class called Lovenotes™. Developed by Kodály Educator Sister Lorna Zemke, and designed to promote bonding and early exposure to music, the Monday evening classes will feature rhythmic exercises, the use of megaphones, and singing. “It’s my intention to create a soothing, rich environment where families can really be present with each other and celebrate the bonding process using the beautiful language of music,” says Jennifer Anderson, early childhood music instructor for the Children’s Choir of Chico and mother of three.

[sws_pullquote_right] “We now know that the unborn child is an aware, reacting human being who from the sixth month on (and perhaps even earlier) leads an active emotional life. Along with this startling finding we have made these discoveries: The fetus can see, hear, experience, taste and, on a primitive level, even learn in utero . . . Most importantly, he can feel – not with an adult’s sophistication, but feel nonetheless.” -Dr. Thomas Verny, in The Secret Life of the Unborn Child [/sws_pullquote_right] In 1981 Dr. Thomas Verny’s book, The Secret Life of the Unborn Child deeply impacted the life of Lovenotes™ creator Sister Lorna, an early childhood music educator at Silver Lakes College in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Sister Lorna was already enriching the lives of up to 100 families each year with music classes that taught young children to use their tuneful singing voices, to move rhythmically, and at the same time to enrich their social skills and emotional health, and she came to realize that it was time to expand the field of music education to include the unborn child.

During the second trimester, a child can sense gentle motion and sound. According to Sister Lorna, “You might ask, for what reason should we stimulate those senses?  Well, to assist in the development of the child, so that the child is a totally healthy human being – physically, mentally, psychologically and emotionally. But a more significant and more important reason to me is what it does to the family unit. The mother, the father, the family members and the relatives can all get involved in creating music, to make the child feel secure, loved, cared about and wanted, and to feel they’re waiting for the child with eager anticipation. Because music is a language, it communicates, and because it communicates, you can begin to set up a bonding between the parents and the child.”

The Children’s Choir of Chico offers music classes and choirs for all ages, newborn to adult women.  For more information visit childrenschoirofchico.org or call (530) 342-2775.