TSU Band Members, Music Education Majors Entertain 114 Children to Celebrate Week of the Young Child

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – More than 100 area kids came to Tennessee State University’s main campus on Monday in observance of the national Week of the Young Child, April 16-20.

The event, which is usually in April, is sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and celebrates early learning, young children, their teachers and families.

At TSU, the children, ranging between ages 3-5 from North Head Start in Nashville, listened to nursery rhymes and children songs like “Old McDonald Had a Farm,” “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” performed by members of the Aristocrat of Bands and music education majors.

About 25 TSU students interacted with the children and demonstrated musical instruments like the clarinet, the French horn, trombone, and trumpets in the band room at the Performing Arts Center.

According to Dr. Reginald McDonald, director of Bands, the kids also participated in a demonstration of percussion instruments and saw clips of the TSU marching band.

“The joy on the kids’ faces showed that they were very happy with how they spent their time,” said McDonald.

He said the goal of the invitation and the interaction with the kids was to let the community know that “TSU’s music and band programs” are accessible.

“I believe that we should be accessible because there are others in the community who genuinely benefit from our accessibility. You never know, some of these kids might be here in a few years as members of the band just because of this experience today,” McDonald said.

He said the visit also allowed “our music education majors to get ‘live hands-on’ experience teaching general music.”

Throughout the week, Nashville community partners, departments and agencies will be making “fun” presentations to students at various schools and sites.

On Sunday, the city kicked off the week’s events at the Nashville Zoo, with Bouncy houses, table activities for the children, and of course, the “wonder of nature and animals to explore.”

Department of Media Relations

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About Tennessee State University

With more than 8,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 25 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.