A Noted Departure
Kids, parents get a dose of fun, music appreciation at Petite Musician
By David Pollan
Columbine Courier

  In walked Frankie Spallone, donning what appeared to be a traditional AC/DC T-shirt – but instead of reading “AC/DC” it read “AB/CD.” The 1-year old strolled in fashionably late, making his appearance just as the class began. He entered the room with the aura of a movie star and a look of amazement, as he took in the surroundings and prepared for what was to come. Frankie, along with his mom, joined six other children and mothers for the beginning of a weekly music class that provides a fun and loving environment for children and parents and furthers the musical growth and appreciation of each child.
 
 These families are part of a program offered by Mark and Leah Biesterfeld called Petite Musician. Petite Musician offers music classes for infant, toddler, preschool and kindergarten children and their parents once a week for 10 weeks. Each class is 45 minutes long and incorporates singing, dancing and jamming by the children and their parents. A 10-week session for one child costs $165; the price decreases when multiple ids are enrolled. “Our goal is not to create a baby Mozart or the next musical prodigy,” Leah Biesterfeld said. “The goal is, through play and fun we instill a unique knowledge of music.”  Petite Musician is a local company based out of Wheat Ridge, but it teaches classes in Littleton and Lakewood as well.

  The company, started by the Biesterfelds, is an offspring of Music Together, which began in 1987 and is an early-childhood music program for children 5 and under. Music Together’s main purpose is not to create a classroom-like environment but rather a relaxed and playful one. “Such an environment, particularly in the home, is what nurtures musical growth and allows children to develop their music intelligence and a foundation for future music achievement,” reads Music Together’s website. 

  Mark and Leah Biesterfeld have been teaching in the Music Together program for more than four years, starting in Philadelphia and then making their way to Colorado and opening Petite Musician just over three years ago. Leah Biesterfeld is a former opera singer and holds a bachelor’s in music education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a master’s in voice from Indiana University. She has an extensive opera resume and appeared with New York City Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia and Opera Colorado.  Mark Biesterfeld also has a background in opera. He holds a bachelor’s in music from Indiana University and a master’s in voice from the University of Cincinnati. He has performed with the Cincinnati Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia and Utah Festival Opera.

  Mark, who is originally from Wheat Ridge, said the reason the couple moved to Colorado and opened Petite Musician was mainly to raise their two girls and do something they both enjoyed that was a little more secure than the opera lifestyle.  “Having kids caused the career change from being opera singer,” Leah said. “Becoming a parent would make the opera lifestyle very difficult.” The Biesterfelds found Music Together and Leah completed her training to be a certified instructor. Mark followed in her footsteps.  “We both love kids, we both love music and being goofy and showing kids how joyful music is,” Mark said. 

  After a little over four years, Mark and Leah have one other instructor working with them, Julie Schwabauer, and between them they teach approximately 22 classes a week, according to Leah.  The 10:15 a.m. class at Centennial Community Church in Littleton is taught by Leah, and from start to finish everything is sung by her. She sings the directions using different tones and pitches, and every song incorporates some type of interaction.  During some songs, everyone just tapes their feet, but other songs involve dancing or using scarves and improvising. Then around the middle of the class comes the best song of all, at least from the children’s perspective: It’s the jam-session song, when the children and parents pick from an array of musical instruments to play.  All songs focus on tonal and rhythmic elements of music to lay a foundation and give the child an appreciation for music. In some songs, it’s more subtle than others. “Music can be something to enhance your life,” Leah said. “This is a way to get the parents to interact with their children in a fun environment and also gives them songs to sing and games to play with their kids.”  She stressed that the most important goal of what these classes do is to teach parents more so than the kids on how to interact musically with their children and not be afraid to sing or dance. 

  “It’s a good family interaction and one that is very important,” said Mitzi Spallone, Frankie’s mother. “It’s a better education, regardless of what area of like you’re in.”  According to Mitzi Spallone, the class is helping Frankie interact with other children and has taught him how to put things in their places.  Letting their kids interact with more children was a common reason among parents for signing up for the classes.  Becca Heary, whose sons, Liam and Connor, are members of one the classes, enjoys the fact that the class gives Liam, 2, an opportunity to play with children older and younger.  “It’s a good way for him to express himself, because he doesn’t talk much,” Heary said. Liam has been enrolled in Petite Musician for more than a year and is thrilled every time he knows he’s going to music class, Heary said. 

The joy and sensation these children take from the classes is the reason Mark said he knows what they’re doing is working. “The fact that they (the children) are joyous about music – it will lead them to pursue it as far and as long as they want to.”