A report on music lessons with Kathrin Bleschke

At the primary school in Bad Fallingbostel, we encounter many children—naturally, as it is a school. Yet the children who attend here could hardly be more different. They come from a wide range of countries, cultures, and social backgrounds. This naturally brings certain challenges, especially when language barriers and neurodivergence intersect, or when some children—who in part already have complex life histories—simply have no energy or concentration left after several hours of lessons.

For about a year now, primary school music teacher Kathrin Bleschke has been deliberately incorporating the kalimba into her music classes—with remarkable success. In her classes, which are characterized by a particularly heterogeneous and sometimes burdened student body, she was looking for a way to make music lessons more accessible, calming, and at the same time supportive.

She lives in the Heidekreis with her husband and two children and has been working passionately as a music teacher for over 20 years. She discovered her love of music early on: as a child and teenager, she learned guitar, sang in various choirs, and loved dancing.

After studying primary education in Oldenburg and completing her teaching traineeship, she began her professional career at a musically oriented primary school. Even though music was not her main subject, it has always been her personal passion and continues to strongly shape her teaching today. With great dedication, Kathrin Bleschke organizes small musicals and repeatedly succeeds in inspiring children to sing, make music, and dance.

Music also plays a central role in her private life: her family makes music together, and her children are already following in her footsteps to some extent. Today she works at Düshorn Primary School and is occasionally assigned to Fallingbostel Primary School. She particularly values working with a wide variety of children, which continually enriches her daily life.

Movement and hands-on activities are especially important to her. Children need variety, body awareness, and moments of well-being that provide them with security, structure, and a sense of achievement.

Her idea to integrate the kalimba into her lessons arose after encountering the instrument at a spring fair at the Forellenhof, where she became aware of HOKEMA kalimbas. Originally intended as a calm introductory ritual, the kalimba quickly became a permanent part of her teaching. Compared to the glockenspiel used previously, the small, handy instrument impresses with its gentle sound, ease of use, and positive sensory effect—especially for highly sensitive and neurodivergent children.

The effect on the classes is clearly noticeable: the children work more attentively, listen to one another, and treat each other with greater appreciation. Even in challenging learning groups, a calm, cooperative atmosphere emerges. It is particularly impressive that even withdrawn or linguistically disadvantaged children actively participate and experience success. Learning the instrument primarily engages the children’s senses rather than requiring language skills.

Especially striking and moving are the moments when children—whose attention span is usually very short—become completely absorbed in the sound and playing, immersing themselves in the instrument for extended periods. The beautiful sound motivates them to learn small melodies, which they then successfully present to the group and which are also included in their assessment. In this way, all children experience their own personal sense of achievement.

Some children have already developed such a musical ear through working with the instrument that they can immediately hear when one of the tines is out of tune. These small moments are a gift for the music teacher and show her that her work is bearing fruit. Because the tines are labeled with note names, the children more or less learn the scale automatically.

In addition to musical progress—such as learning simple melodies—social and personal developments are particularly evident: increased self-confidence, better cooperation, and greater perseverance. The kalimba thus becomes an instrument that has an impact far beyond music lessons and supports learning in a holistic way.

Kathrin Bleschke therefore hopes that similar projects and creative approaches will be more strongly supported and integrated into everyday school life in the future.

1. How do the children respond overall to making music together with the kalimbas?
From the very beginning, the children responded with great appreciation. It is a joy to see how much they enjoy the instruments and how carefully they handle them. Even classes that are usually rather restless show no problems or discussions before playing. All students wash their hands before receiving the kalimbas, share the instruments among themselves, listen to one another, take turns, and interact with focused attention.

2. What musical skills or developments have been particularly noticeable since the start of the project?
There has been clear progress in fine motor skills and musical understanding. The children learn to play simple melodies, which works particularly well within the framework of the fourth-grade curriculum. Compared to the glockenspiel, they find it much easier to approach the kalimba. They also develop a better sense of rhythm and the ability to listen consciously and contribute musically.

The children handle the kalimbas with great care and responsibility. They prepare consciously (e.g., by washing their hands) and treat the instruments gently—none have been damaged so far. They are often highly focused, practice quietly, and are hardly distracted. Concretely, they learn small rhythmic patterns or even invent their own melodies. They also use the kalimba playfully or as an accompanying instrument for songs. Its use is very versatile, and the young musicians greatly appreciate working with this small instrument.

3. Are there changes in social interaction during music-making?
Yes, social interaction improves noticeably. The children listen to each other, show appreciation through applause, and actively support one another in learning. A respectful and appreciative atmosphere develops. Making music together fosters cooperation, helpfulness, and teamwork, and even children with linguistic, motor, or emotional challenges achieve great success.

4. How do differences between individual children become apparent—and how do they develop?
Differences are visible, particularly among children with language barriers, neurodivergent profiles, or social-emotional challenges. However, many of these children develop positively:

• Reserved children become increasingly active.
• Children without German language skills can participate and experience success independently of language.
• Autistic or highly sensitive children show more openness and engagement.

Overall, those children who often struggle in traditional lessons benefit the most.

5. What effect do the kalimbas have on the overall learning atmosphere and emotional experience in class?
The kalimbas have a clearly positive effect on the learning atmosphere. Lessons become calmer, more structured, and more focused. Emotionally, the children experience relaxation, security, and joy. At the same time, self-confidence, motivation, and perseverance are strengthened. A trusting environment emerges in which children feel comfortable and are better able to learn.