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Sophia Dicuirci
On March 29, OHIO’s Marching 110 visited the Child Development Center for a music education session. The band performed iconic songs, like “Stand Up and Cheer” and the “Avengers” theme song before splitting off and interacting with the children. The kids got to see marching band instruments up close, and even take some of them for a spin.
“I think music is very important to kids’ development,” Elena Carrick, a first year Early Childhood Education major who works at the CDC twice a week and plays the trumpet in the 110, said. “Personally, I’ve found that it’s a great way to share and express emotions…I find that some words are hard to say out loud, especially at a young age.”
According to Carrick, some kids at the center are particularly fascinated in marching band and were extremely excited to meet their marching heroes.
“We had some (kids) that said they wanted to be in marching band one day, and were showing us how they march, which was adorable…I think the kids had a lot of fun with it,” she said.
Chelsea Murden, one of the CDC’s lead teachers and the organizer of the event, also noticed some children with an interest in music.
“I think it’s great that we can also show those kids some more tailored experiences that we know they’re going to enjoy,” Murden said.
Carrick found it moving to watch the kids who are typically less talkative find a connection with the music. Murden said Carrick’s mutual involvement in both the center and the band was especially helpful for those kids.
The annual 110 visit to the CDC was put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Murden was eager to put the event back into motion.
“Something that’s really great about being connected with the University is that you have all these different areas that you can connect to…we’re able to have musical instruments be used and things the children may not see on a regular basis,” Murden added.
In addition to exposing children to music at a young age, Carrick believes the 110 has another important lesson to impart.
“The 110 is amazing at creating connections between new people and forming strong bonds,” Carrick said. “Everyone is working together toward the same goal through hard work and dedication, and that is an amazing lesson to demonstrate for young kids as well.”
Both Carrick and Murden believe that not only did the children have a great time with the event, but the members of the 110 enjoyed it as well.
“They did really well with the kids and seemed to really enjoy showing them how the instruments work,” Murden said.
Not only was the experience a fun one, but Carrick believes it was also a rewarding one for the band members.
“All of these small interactions that these kids are going to be talking about for so long because I let them see my instrument, it’s really like watering a seed…so I think it was a really positive experience all around,” Carrick added.
Murden believes events like these are important to continue fostering connections between the CDC and the surrounding area.
“We really value community within our school…and being connected to the Athens community through different events…so I think keeping these connections to the other parts of the university makes it feel like a broader community space,” Murden said.