About the Author
Joan Koenig
A pioneering music educator reveals how music can supercharge early childhood development—and how parents and educators can harness its power.
Since opening her famed Parisian conservatory over three decades ago, Joan Koenig has led a global movement to improve children’s lives and minds with the transformative power of music. With a curriculum and philosophy drawn from cutting-edge science, L’Ecole Koenig has educated and empowered even its youngest students, from baby Max, whose coordination and communication grow as he wiggles and coos along to targeted songs and dance, to five-year-old Constance, who nourishes her empathy, creativity, and memory while practicing music from other cultures. In The Musical Child, Koenig shares stories from her classrooms, along with tips about how to use the latest research during the critical years when children are most sensitive to musical exposure—and most receptive to its benefits.
A gift for parents, caregivers, musicians, and educators, The Musical Childreveals the multiple ways music can help children thrive—and how, in the twenty-first century, its practice is more vital than ever.
L'Ecole Koenig
Baby Musicking | Kindergarten | American Conservatory
Joan Koenig founded L’Ecole Koenig-The American Conservatory in 1986 with a total of 10 students. By the beginning of the following school year, L’Ecole counted 100 enrollments.
L’Ecole Koenig has never ceased developing and expanding its programs. Joan Koenig’s research and innovative work with music and early childhood, along with her talented teaching team, have earned the conservatory a solid reputation in the Parisian community.
Further fruit of this research, the Preschool for Music & Art opened its doors in 2008. The results of the program are exemplary both musically and linguistically. The Preschool for Music & Art, which became the Kindergarten in 2013, is so successful that a second campus was opened in the fall of 2013 and a third was inaugurated in September 2016.
Today, L’Ecole Koenig American Conservatory & Kindergarten comprises 400 students and 300 families.