Schools

Willow Dale Hosts Family Concert with a Message

Musician David Kisor used his music to teach the children about controlling their bodies and relying on themselves to solve problems.

Armed with a keyboard and a microphone, Dave Kisor had the always tough task of capturing the easily distracted attention of small children. Fortunately, his years of experience and carefully created interactive songs quickly won the young crowd over as he performed his original music at Willow Dale Elementary  on Wednesday night.

"I like to keep the styles contemporary so they never run out of style," said Kisor before the concert. "It makes things fun and interesting. If the kids aren't enjoying it, it doesn't work."

What the children in the audience may not realize as they sing and clap along to the music is that they are learning valuable lessons about themselves. Kisor is the creative director for Growing Sound, a Kentucky-based organization that uses music to teach important life skills like persistence, initiative and self-control.

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"Music enters the brain like nothing else does," said Kisor. "I meet with our research director and make sure we are incorporating the latest findings in child development. When the songs are completed, we field test them around the schools in northern Kentucky before taking them on the road."

The show capped the end of Kisor's two-day stop in Warminster. The visit was organized by the Bucks County Association for the Education of Young Children (BCAEYC), a group dedicated to the promotion of early childhood development in Bucks County schools, to celebrate April as the Month of the Young Child.

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"We want to build positive behavior support programs," said Kathy Bryner, president of the BCAEYC. "David's music supports emotional and social development and empowers young children to trust their own abilities and use their skills to problem-solve."

The BCAEYC advocates the importance of education for children from birth to eight-years-old. The group, a 375-member chapter of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, believes those early years in children's life are crucial for their development, and every child needs to have equal access to valuable education. The members create education support programs for children and offer scholarships and grants and organize workshops and conferences for early childhood teachers.

As part of his stop in Warminster, Kisor met with teachers from Willow Dale and Leary elementary Tuesday night to talk about strategies and the use of music to encourage young children to learn self-control. On Wednesday, he visited classrooms in both schools during school hours and performed for the kids, then took a trip to Elbow Lane Academy to entertain the students there.

After his Bucks County stop, Kisor heads next to Elmira, N.Y., then down to Texas for some performances. The shows wrap up a particularly busy month for Kisor, who has been on the road for 20 days out of April. While it takes time away from his own family, he is encouraged by the growing interest in the positive results of Growing Sound.

"It's great to be all over the country and see the music working everywhere we go," he said.


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