Come and join the fun and play with us on our big drum!
Early Years music classes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers that support your child's learning development through musical play
Helen Polatajko
Helen Polatajko
Hi, I’m Helen and I am currently studying for a Certificate for Music Educators at the Centre for Research in Early Childhood at BCU.
Music has been a big passion of mine since I started playing the cornet at 9 years old. I achieved my Grade 8 Distinction in Cornet and an A grade in my Music A level. I went on to study music at university, but found it wasn’t right for me at the time.
Life took me on an incredibly different journey, and I gained experience travelling and working with children in various settings. This has included working multiple times as an Au Pair, volunteering in a childcare facility in Kenya, and also teaching English online. Most recently, while living in India, I began holding music classes at an alternative education kindergarten. I would take in a variety of instruments including trumpet, flute, guitar and keyboard, and really enjoyed encouraging them to explore all the different sounds and discover their innate ability in music.
We all connected over songs and fun music-play and it was a really beautiful experience, inspiring me to follow this path into early childhood music. This is why I am so excited to study and join the Kiddibops family because I know music is so important for early development, and provides so many benefits and joyous experiences!There was a big live music scene in India, so I played lots of gigs, mostly in a duo band. We later started to play Hindi songs, which I loved singing! I also started to learn guitar and found I really enjoyed writing and performing my own songs. I have also taught trumpet and guitar lessons and just love helping people on their musical journeys. During my school years, I was a part of many different ensembles, including being principal cornet for a first section Brass Band. Looking back, I can really see how having access to these musical opportunities was imperative to my development; socially and academically, and this is why I’m so passionate about encouraging music from an early age. I am so excited to be part of the Kiddibops team and engage in fun, imaginative music-play with you!