The Marvel of Music

“Shabbat Shalom (hey!),” “Bim, Bam,” and “Hannukah, Oh! Hanukkah” are universally known and customarily heard year-round at the Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center. These songs have an indescribable power to them; they stick in our brains like super glue. They are silly, joyous, and familiar. Although these tunes are considered old hats, little voices breathe new life into them. Music notes reverberate down the hallways, ring in the classrooms, and lift high into the air when our smallest community members croon, “There is a dinosaur knocking at my door,” every Friday morning. Music is a force that educates and connects us across continents and through generations. 

Paula Voss, the Director of JCC Denver’s Early Learning School (ELS) explains how music is embedded into every part of the school day – upon entry to the classroom, during transitions, and to welcome Shabbat and other holidays. Paula describes that music creates “a familiarity and signals to the students what’s coming next – when we start singing ‘Here Come Baby Moses,’ it indicates that Passover is coming. Although we may not talk about the ins and outs of the Passover story, the tune combined with the cradling motion teaches the students about the holiday with a developmentally appropriate technique – sound and action!” In addition to driving educational opportunities, music has the power to provoke peace. It is a full– body experience, felt in the soul and the physical body. “In one of the new infant classrooms, I saw one of our educators humming while soothing one of the crying infants. It was miraculous – the sound helped regulate the educator, and the vibration soothed the infant,” Paula shared.