All children have natural musical potential, and regular exposure to rich musical experiences grows tunefulness, beatfulness, and artfulness. Based on Dr. John Feierabend’s First Steps in Music, this session explores how to develop musical skills in children ages 3–9 using traditional songs, rhymes, and movement. Participants will learn strategies for fostering tuneful independence through pitch exploration, song fragments, solo singing, and arioso improvisation, along with techniques for developing beatfulness and expressive movement in a playful, interactive, and developmentally appropriate way.
Target Audience
Early Elementary vocal music teachers
Additional Notes
Clinician Info
John Crever
Feierabend Association for Music Education
John Crever is a driven music educator with over 30 years of experience coaching, instructing, producing, managing, and organizing music. He has a talent for connecting with students and teachers from diverse backgrounds and has successfully taught vocal music in various settings. Throughout his career, he has maintained his passion for the Kodaly approach, which he learned at Westminster Choir College, and continuously works to enhance music literacy and empower people musically. In 2008, John transitioned his teaching philosophy from Gordon’s Music Learning Theory and American Kodaly approaches to a Feierabend-focused approach. He is also a Feierabend Association-endorsed teacher trainer, leading regional and district workshops and certification courses on the Feierabend curricula. John aims to help others share their love of music through active learning with song and movement in the Feierabend way. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon.