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Families join
in music’s
healing art
Last Wednesday, nine families gathered at a church in Mililani for a whole lot of shaking, pounding and wiggling. Bells were strapped to ankles and wrists as little tykes and their parents made their way around the room. And then came the veil dancing. A rhythm session also included an array of shakers, tambourines, triangles and drums.
Ohana music togetherFree classes coming up:Mililani: 10:30 a.m. Thursday and 9:30 a.m. Dec. 1 Aiea: 11 a.m. Friday and 9:30 p.m. Dec. 3 Kapolei: 11 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Dec. 4 Call: 372-8767 or visit www.OhanaMT.com for reservations and directions. Space is limited.
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"And, it's definitely a workout," she added.
Lance Nakata can attest to that. "I get a lot of exercise," he said, having attended classes with his 2-year-old son Trent for almost a year.
"He likes the dancing. I don't like the scarves ... I'm not very good at it," Nakata said, as a few moms agreed veil dancing was a little too feminine for him. Nakata is the sole dad in the class but doesn't appear to mind. In fact, the adults seemed to be having more fun than the kids.
"I try to expose him to lots of things. It keeps him busy," said Nakata, who also brings his son to T-ball and an array of other classes. The male bonding time is something he has come to appreciate, though Nakata adds, "The best part -- he goes home and takes a nap." The class ends with a lullaby to calm the little ones down.
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BECKY ANDREW is celebrating her first anniversary as owner and instructor of Ohana Music Together this month. The 45-minute classes provides an opportunity for young families to sing, dance and play instruments together in a joyful setting.
Each child, from newborns to 5-year-olds, must be accompanied by a parent, grandparent or other guardian, who also learns to "let loose," enabling them to interact more easily with their children at home.
"I teach families to make music with their bodies and voices. They don't need a CD or instrument," Andrew said. "We don't expect the kids to follow along. They normally pick it up and go home and sing and dance. Kids are able to express so much through music.
"Sometimes three generations come together and share the experience," Andrew said, adding that it's necessary for adults to actively participate "because children instinctively respond to and imitate their loved ones."
Andrew started the program after arriving in the islands after a 20-year career in theater, music and dance that included appearances on Broadway, television and radio in New York City.
"Before I left the New York area, I was a part of a Music Together center that offered concerts for the benefit of the families of the victims of 9/11. It was wonderful to see the children momentarily forget the painful grown-up world while they were drawn into singing and moving with the music," said Andrew. "Music is a healing thing."
Many of the moms who now attend her classes have husbands in Iraq or Afghanistan. The class gives them a place to forget about what is going on in the world.
Aimie Hanson is one of those moms, attending classes for a couple of months. Her husband is in the 25th Infantry and stationed in Iraq. He returned on a surprise two-week R&R break, allowing the family to attend Andrew's class.
"He loved it, and my son loved showing off." Hanson said. "It was a wonderful experience."
Her 2-year-old son Jimmy is energetic and playful during class but doesn't always follow along, which is also fine with Andrew.
"The kids are not always focused. They run around crazy," Hanson said. "But when they get home, they are singing the songs or doing the motions. They learn it through osmosis."
Andrew is careful to blend a variety of rhythms, keys and tonalities. "Kids absorb it all ... learn what music is all about," she said. "They gain a basic enjoyment of music that can last a lifetime.
"There is no anxiety and no performance expectations," said Andrew. "We are all just having fun together, for the pure sake of it."
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