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History of Kindermusik
& Kindermusik of Cambridge/KW
1960s
- A group of music educators in West Germany develop "Musikalische Fruherziehung," or music for the young child. The program helps children experience the joy of learning music before beginning formal music instruction. West Germany's community music schools provide the program.
1970s
- Due to growing popularity, the program is translated and adapted for American families and renamed Kindermusik.
- Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, provides classes for music educators to learn how to teach Kindermusik in the United States.
1980s
- Daniel Pratt, a Westminster faculty member and Fulbright Scholar, begins Music Resources International (MRI), to recruit, train, and supply Kindermusik educators with curricula.
- Kindermusik is revised for a more culturally diverse audience. The English version of the Kindermusik curricula and teaching method is in the US and Canada.
1985
- The first teacher training workshops takes place in Canada at York University in Toronto, Ontario. Michelle Jacques receives her Kindermusik Training and for the next two years teaches general music and Kindermusik to 600 children/week at Toronto Montessori Schools under the direction of one of the program's original authors, Lorna Heyge.
1987
- One of only 6 across Canada, Michelle sets up her own Kindermusik program in Cambridge, Ontario, starting with 3 classes of Kindermusik for the Young Child and 27 children in a basement studio. The following year, she relocates her studio in a church and hires on an additional educator.
- Michelle is made MRI's sole Canadian distributor of Kindermusik products operating a warehouse and ordering facility out of her basement. She also begins what will become a 6-year tour of duty as workshop coordinator, setting up and managing the training of new Kindermusik educators across the country.
1990
- Michelle relocates the disribution warehouse and her Kindermusik studio to a small unit at 180 Sheldon Drive, Cambridge, and hires on two more educators.
- A new curriculum, Kindermusik in the Early Years (for 18 months to 3-1/2 year olds), is introduced (known as Kindermusik Beginnings in the US).
- MRI moves to Greensboro, North Carolina, and is renamed "Kindermusik International, Inc." (KI)
1993
- Michelle becomes a Teacher Trainer for Kindermusik International, traveling across Canada to universities and colleges several times a year, for the next 8 years.
- Growing with Kindermusik (for 3-1/2 to 5 year olds) is introduced.
1996
- Michelle incorporates Kindermusik Canada and becomes an independent distributor for Kindermusik Int'l. Over the next 5 years, the number of Kindermusik educators in Canada swells to over 500. The Kindermusik Canada warehouse and Kindermusik of Cambridge studio are relocated again to their present location. Over the next 5 years, the studio grows to more than 500 students, 10 licensed educators and a full-time administrator.
1998
- Kindermusik Village (for newborns to 18 months olds) is introduced.
2000s
- Kindermusik International's 55 employees buy the privately held company from its 96 investors.
- Kindermusik Our Time replaces Early Years/Beginnings in 2001. Summer camps are developed.
- In 2001, Michelle becomes a Mentor for Kindermusik University.
2002
- Kindermusik of Cambridge purchases K-W Kindermusik from Pat Murray and the student base swells to almost 900 and 18 educators.
- Kindermusik Imagine That! replaces Growing with Kindermusik.
2004
- A team from Kindermusik of Cambridge, including Michelle Jacques, Deb Carbone, Janet Beretta and Hannah Hastings-Fuhr, are commissioned by Kindermusik Int'l to write a summer camp curriculum for 3 and 4 year olds, called "On the Road", which is distributed and taught worldwide.
2005
- Michelle Jacques passes the distribution side of the business to Allan Kissack, who served as Kindermusik Canada's Shipping and Inventory Manager since 1996. Allan is now president of Kissack Logistics Inc, responsible for KI's Canadian warehouse. Michelle becomes KI's Key Communications Representative in Canada and a member of KI's Speakers Bureau.
- Michelle is given KI's first-ever Service Award for helping over 200,000 Canadian children experience Kindermusik.
2006
- Kindermusik reaches 1.5 million children in 66 countries taught by 5000 licensed educators.
- Kindermusik of Cambridge/KW is recognized as one of the world's largest programs.
2007
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