music therapy and nursery school: Can approaches be beneficial for educational work in schools?

Music accompanies us throughout our lives. Musical experiences play a formative role in a child's development. Experiences become memories, which always have an emotional component. Thus, a melody can evoke feelings that bring to mind times long past. However, music can also be a medium for expressing feelings when words may fail us. At a time when children are facing pressure to perform and stress at an ever-earlier age, and have to cope with problems such as poverty, separation or experiences of violence, there are often signs of psychological distress and emotional deprivation. What can music offer children to help them engage with enthusiasm and joy, and to feel that they are being listened to, understood and accepted? This book aims to explore music therapy as a potential methodological approach in nursery school work. Kerstin Finke seeks to encourage educators to venture into music therapy methods. For music is a wonderful medium for supporting children in their personal development, enabling them to be better equipped to face the challenges of the future.