FALL RIVER: A music studio in Fall River that has spent more than two decades helping children and families discover the joy of making music is celebrating an accomplishment that reaches far beyond Nova Scotia.
Joyful Sounds Music Studio has been named the No. 1 Kindermusik program in Canada and one of the Top 20 Kindermusik programs worldwide by Kindermusik International, the world’s leading provider of music-based education for infants, toddlers and young children.
For owner and Kindermusik Accredited Educator Louise MacDonald, the recognition is a milestone for a program built around a simple idea: that music can make a difference at every stage of life.
MacDonald founded Joyful Sounds Music Studio in Fall River in 2005.
What began as a passion for creating joyful and meaningful musical experiences for local families has grown into an inclusive music school serving hundreds of children, youth and adults throughout the Halifax Regional Municipality.
Today, MacDonald and her team reach more than 300 Kindermusik families each year, offering classes designed for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and young children.
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The studio’s reach also extends well beyond its Fall River location.
Joyful Sounds educators bring music into the wider community through partnerships and outreach programs at childcare centres, senior living communities and other community spaces.
The studio has also been involved in programming connected with organizations including Ronald McDonald House and the IWK.
For MacDonald, those opportunities are an important part of what makes the work so rewarding.
“Being able to bring the magic and joy of Kindermusik to our amazing community is the most meaningful work,” MacDonald said.
“Intentional early musical play isn’t just about keeping babies, toddlers, and preschoolers entertained; it’s about nurturing empathetic, confident, and self-regulated kids who feel connected to the world around them.”
She believes those connections are especially important in today’s world.
“Now more than ever, we need humans who are in tune with themselves. Kindermusik helps with that,” she said.
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The Top Program recognition from Kindermusik International celebrates programs around the world that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to bringing the developmental benefits of music and movement to children and families.
“At Kindermusik, we know that consistent, age-appropriate shared music-making supercharges the brain and positively impacts every aspect of development,” said Kelly Green, president of Kindermusik International.
Green said the programs receiving the recognition are committed to more than simply helping children develop a love of music.
“They’re committed to helping children and families experience the academic, social-emotional, and whole-body benefits that happen when we connect and create together through melodies and rhythms,” Green said.
“That’s the kind of commitment that can change the world.”
While the international honour recognizes the strength of Joyful Sounds’ Kindermusik program, it also reflects the philosophy that has guided the studio since its beginnings.
For more than 20 years, Joyful Sounds has worked to create opportunities for people of all ages to experience the benefits and enjoyment of making music together.
The studio’s philosophy can be summed up simply: music for life, at every age and every stage.
