It is not hard to find a musical activity in full swing at Morning Pointe of Hixson assisted living, and the same goes for First Baptist in downtown Chattanooga. They have offered Kindermusik classes for years. Now the two groups are partnering together, bringing Family Time Kindermusik classes to Morning Pointe. Every single student and their family will pair up with a resident at the assisted living community weekly for these musically educational classes.
“We are so excited,” said Frankie Parrott, executive director of Morning Pointe of Hixson. “Young children and music are already a big part of our community and so this is really the perfect fit as we continue to find new ways to create meaningful days for our residents.”
Kindermusik at First Baptist Church in downtown Chattanooga is looking forward to expanding its classes and offering them in a new location. “It’s exciting too, because children need to have exposure to people that are different from them," said Jennie Leano, a First Baptist Kindermusik teacher, “and to be able to relate on a personal level and realize this person is just like me and they like music and we can play together.”
Already an introductory Family Time class was held at Morning Pointe of Hixson as the assisted living community prepares to start hosting the 45 minute weekly sessions in March. The class was a huge hit.
“It was all nice,” said Lou Dilsaver, a resident, “I liked it all especially when the children seemed so interested and they would come up and smile at me; that made me happy.” Resident Dick Tonsberg who was up and dancing with the children at one point during the class absolutely agreed, saying, “I have had a great deal of fun with the children. When you get to this age, you enjoy the children that you didn’t enjoy when you were young."
Right now, Kindermusik at First Baptist and Morning Pointe of Hixson are taking reservations for the new Family Time classes coming to the assisted living community. The full program is open to ages birth to seven years old. It lasts eight weeks and costs $140. There is a discount for additional children in the same family.
The Family Time program is set to start on March 3 at Morning Pointe and run every Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. As the program grows, more sessions will be added. You can also register online at kindermusikatfirstbaptist.org.