• This free six-week, in-class program is designed to engage students through rhythm, movement, and song.

• During each class, students will focus on a specific rhythmic element while integrating new instruments. This rhythm-based approach helps students establish strong foundations at a pivotal age of 3-6 years, which is one of the largest gaps in music education nationwide.

• Classes can be adapted to fit the school’s needs and can be integrated into the school day or offered as an after-school program.

From 2022 through June of 2023, Selkirk School participated in the Educational Outreach Program offered by the Festival at Sandpoint. Paul Gunter visited our school once a week and presented lessons appropriate for three classes of young children. The needs of our 3 schoolers differed greatly from those of our preschool and pre-kindergarten/kindergarten students and Paul addressed those needs with lessons that were dynamic, motivating, and just plain fun for each specific group of children. In a lesson about music, it would be easy to have the focus be on entertaining the children. After all, that is a function of music. Paul’s lessons, however, were not focused on that aspect of music. They were focused on instruments, rhythm, and the how of making music. Each lesson facilitated participation by the children throughout the lesson. Music was made accessible and the children loved having the opportunities his lessons provided.

Each week Paul brought in instruments. He went through the percussion, brass, string and reed families. Paul began with percussion and rhythm. Then he brought in other instruments. My class drew the bow across the strings of a violin, plucked a guitar, blew into a trumpet and French horn, and pursed their lips to vibrate the reed on a clarinet and flute. Their faces were studies in concentration and effort as they produced sounds from the instruments they were allowed to play. Children are curious and once they had touched an instrument they were ready to learn more about it. Information about the instruments was part of Paul’s lessons too. He talked with them about how they worked and why they were able to make sounds. With the instrument in their hands, the children were ready and motivated to learn about it. This was my class’s introduction to music, and it was powerful.

The Educational Outreach Program from the Festival at Sandpoint is outstanding. It is unique in that very young children are actively engaged in learning about music. We are extremely fortunate to have such an opportunity for our children in Sandpoint, and I am very grateful to have had these lessons at Selkirk School.

Sharon Williams

Pre Kindergarten/Kindergarten Teacher at Selkirk School