La Peña Cultural Center

Welcome to La Peña! Promoting social justice & intercultural understanding through the arts since 1975.

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Mariela’s Music Time: Bilingual Circle for Children – NEW CLASSES!

Mariela’s Bilingual Music Circle for Children is now offering 2 classes:

9:30AM: Bilingual Circle for the Whole Family (Babies, toddlers, parents, aunties, etc) $15

10:15AM: Rhythms & Songs: Ages 4 & Up $12 (This is a drop-off class, just children 4 and up. Parents are welcome to wait in Los Cilantros Restaurant or in our Lounge space)

This educational event for children is based on folk songs, tales and popular games based on cultural traditions from various regions in South and Central America.

“Mariela’s Music Time is an educational, energetic and interactive bilingual performance for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and their families. It’s filled with rhythms and multicultural sounds, along with with the rich traditions of our Bay Area. For the past decade, Mariela has drawn upon her background in music and studies of Early Childhood Education to create a program that not only explores the music, but also addresses the kids’ curiosity by telling the history of the instruments and their cultures. She uses kinesthetic techniques in her bilingual storytelling to make foreign words understood. In no time, the kids are singing in another language as they dance and have fun!” – San Mateo County Libraries

Goals: Invite the new generation to learn and enjoy Latin American Culture. Experience social exposure in a fun and participative way through popular rounds, popular games, retahilas, folk songs with Latin-American roots.

Introducing children to music at an early age to encourages a life-long love of music as an art form. Encouraging them not just to sing, dance and play music, but also to understand some of the aspects of our multicultural traditions by exploring different instruments, rhythms, sounds and soul.

Teaching folk dance, interacting, and engaging with the act of making music is an important step in child development. It is a good early appropriated developmental way to unfold their physical abilities and coordination. It is also important for them to enjoy physical exercises. Folk dance teaches basic concepts of rhythm, repetition, sequencing, patterning, predictability, anticipation, musical cues, auditory discrimination, and counting.

Children will be exposed to a multicultural understanding of different historical and social time periods. They will to learn how to appreciate all cultures, nations, and how people are connected and interrelated .
About the Instructor