Beginning the journey of music-making...
The Early Childhood Department – instituted in the early 1960s – offers an extensive selection of courses for introducing small groups of children and their families to the joys of music and art. By engaging in developmentally appropriate group music experiences (listening, singing, moving, playing percussion instruments, and eventually reading and notating music), students are given the foundation for a comprehensive music education.
Diller-Quaile's curriculum – incorporating the pedagogies of Emile-Jaques Dalcroze, Zoltan Kodaly, and Carl Orff - is taught through a repertoire of international folk songs as well as classical and modern music. Early Childhood classes feature pianists who improvise accompaniments in a variety of styles in response to the children's singing and movement activities, thereby fostering the students' musical creativity.
In courses where art is studied, children begin to develop skills and an appreciation of art concepts through hands-on experiences with a wide range of media, materials, and tools; viewing exemplary pieces of art; and exploring the creative process with their classmates and teachers.
Diller-Quaile's highly trained and devoted faculty is complemented by our early childhood development consultant, who works closely with teachers and is available for periodic class observations and parent consultations. An open house and orientation for parents of enrolled students are held prior to the start of each academic year, and other opportunities for families to come together – including a forum on child development – are provided through School events. Parents of children in the Music and Art separation programs are offered additional opportunities to meet with their child's teachers.
Key to the Diller-Quaile approach is the collaboration among teachers and students, which creates a unique musical environment within each class session.
2008-2009 EARLY CHILDHOOD ADMISSIONS INFORMATION
Diller-Quaile's 2008-2009 Early Childhood Catalog is now available. If you would like to receive a copy, please email your name and address to info@diller-quaile.org or call 212-369-1484.
A new school-wide application form is included at the back of the catalog, may be downloaded from this website or is available at the School. Please complete the application form and return it with the $60.00 application fee to The Diller-Quaile School of Music, 24 East 95th Street, New York, NY 10128 as soon as possible. We enroll children for a thirty week academic year starting on September 18, 2008 and continuing to June 9, 2009.
Applications are considered on a first come, first served basis. Admission priority is given to returning students and siblings; we welcome a large number of new children to our early childhood program each year. Our first round of contracts were mailed in mid-March; we are now continuing with rolling admissions.
SCHEDULE OF OPEN HOUSES FOR PARENTS OF PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
Evening:
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2008 (7:30-8:30 p.m.)
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2008 (7:30-8:30 p.m.)
Morning:
TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2008 (8:00-8:40 a.m.)
At the Open Houses (parents only) you will have an opportunity to meet our early childhood faculty, visit classrooms and learn more about Diller-Quaile.
We look forward to meeting you and hope you will join us in 2008-2009.
(No need to RSVP)
2008-2009 EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASSES
The Early Childhood Department offers group classes for children up to the age of seven.
A child's age as of September 1, 2008 is used for placement purposes.
Classes are conducted in the following formats:
Adult/Child: Children attend with a parent, grandparent or other adult.
Separation: Children attend unaccompanied after a gradual separation process.
2008-2009 Early Childhood Course Offerings(please click on the course titles for course descriptions, class schedules and tuition rates):
Please click here to download a 2008-2009 Application Form.
For more information on Early Childhood classes, please call Dorothy Appleton, Head of Early Childhood Admissions at 212-369-1484, ext. 43 or email
dappleton@diller-quaile.org.
