Meet Mr. Phil, Ellis's Favorite Musician

Mr. Phil (left) and his music liven up many Ellis celebrations.

Phil Berman – “Mr. Phil” to all Ellis children – followed a winding path to his career in music and early childhood education, but once he found his way, he knew he was where he belonged. After studying and working in serious adult theater, Phil found work at the Brookline Puppet Showplace and quickly produced 10 programs for 10 weeks, all targeted to children under three.

“That was a trial by fire! I was totally new to this age group,” Phil says. “But children are the best teachers. They let you know immediately whether something works.”

Phil decided he loved working with young children and retooled his career. He educated himself in music theory and education and met teachers who brought him into the Dalcroze Theory for building a deep, intuitive musical understanding by connecting the body to music. Phil made himself into an entertainer who develops young children’s bodies, minds, and social skills as they experience the joy of music.

Three years ago, Ellis began participating in a pilot early childhood music program launched by the New England Conservatory’s Expanded Education Department. Through its partnership with NEC, Ellis gains access to a structured, age-appropriate music curriculum grounded in movement, ear training, and improvisation, and delivered by a professionally trained teaching artist. 

When Phil saw a job posting for this program, he leapt at the opportunity. It was an ideal next step after nine years as Music Director at Rock & Roll Daycare, a Montessori school. An added draw was that Phil wanted to work with mixed-income children in a school with a social justice mission. Ellis was a perfect match!

In his first year with Ellis, Phil was the teaching artist in 18 classrooms, spending 30 minutes with every child every week. His skills and personality quickly made him the local “rock star” who drew children of all ages under his spell. The program was successful and expanded the next year, and Phil added curriculum development and teacher training to his classroom work.

“The goal is to instill the cultural habit of music as part of life, not an extra,” Phil says. The lessons are geared toward each age group, but the educational goals are the same: intellectual, physical, and emotional-social development. “Neuroscience research shows that musical activities build brains and math and language skills. After all, music is about counting, fractions, patterns, and lyrics,” Phil says. Meanwhile, the rhythmic and expressive qualities of music develop children’s physical and emotional capacities.

Infants sing along with a guitar and play chimes, bells, and drums. They sing in neutral syllables – like ma-ma-ma – that make it easier for them to listen tonally and imitate. Because all children want to move their bodies, movement is key to the Toddler program. Games like Start/Stop, Spin, and Change Direction are both fun and challenging. Children giggle as they make mistakes and bump into each other, but they are developing listening and comprehension skills. Over time children listen better, improve their reaction times, and gain greater mastery over their bodies.

Phil supercharges the musical environment to help all children hear more and respond better. “Typical children’s songs like ‘Twinkle, Twinkle’ are in major keys and 4/4 time. We add minor key songs, songs in different and changing rhythms, and songs from different cultures and countries. For Haitian Independence Day the folk song ‘My Hat Fell Off My Head’ was a big hit!”

At a deeper level, these classes allow children to put their feelings into their bodies and their voices. “There is a tremendous social-emotional immersion piece to these classes,” Phil says. “Children’s emotions are real, but in this safe space they have a chance to reset their nervous systems. For children experiencing trauma, music is a particular relief.” For all Ellis children, music with Mr. Phil brings joy every week.