Circle dances and singing create a sense of community

Even the very young begin to enjoy the pleasure of the circle, and listening and moving together. Rhythm, melody, and form are experienced directly in singing games. Because they are so joyous, the group will often want to repeat the games frequently. The repetitions of song combined with movement/dance are helpful in aiding auditory, muscular, and kinesthetic memory in a positive way. Forming a circle is an age-old way of playing together. Circle dances are tied to the tradition of folk dance, and both the songs and dances learned in that context are children's treasured memories. They are shared and passed on from generation to generation.

How to learn musical intervals

Musical intervals are easy when you use these mnemonics (memory aides) - the beginning(s) of "Oh When the Saints" is a perfect third, "Here Comes the Bride" is a fourth, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" is a fifth, and "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" is a sixth! - Thank you Allen Webber of Palm Beach Community College!

Encourage creativity in your child with music

When you notice your baby cooing vocal slides, imitate them. When your toddler or preschooler sings a song or a rhythm, reply in the same musical way. Any tune will do. Make instruments from things you find in the kitchen (I bet you already have). There are some great ideas for homemade instruments on www.familyfun.com
Provide simple instruments of good quality sound such as jingle bells, shakers, and rhythm sticks. You can keep these in your car and take them out one at a time when you and your child are listening to a CD. Explore just one instrument at a time. Explain that these are not toys, and they need to be treated with respect. (Thanks to Jan Boner and ECMMA www.ecmma.org for the above ideas from "Perspectives," Winter 2007)

Your child can sing

All children are innate singers! In fact, the cooing of a child is very light, high, and musical. By keeping the child in a singing-rich environment your child will retain his/her singing voice and gain control of it in an ever-expanding range. And singing songs, playing instruments, dancing, and rocking with you elevates these experiences so they live on in the mind of the child forever.

My blog on Yahoo News Reader

I just added my blog url to My Yahoo News Reader. You can too, and you will receive an alert whenever a new blog is published. http://susansmusik.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Keep your children happy in the car with music

Going on a road trip this summer with your children? Don't forget to take your favorite music with you. Before you starti hearing "Are we there yet?" just put in your cd or i-pod and play some broadway tunes, your Musikgarten CD, or whatever music you and your family enjoy together. If you are singing along with the CD, you will soon discover that your children will sing along too. Find a song that you ALL like, then turn off the CD and see if everyone can sing the song without the CD help. Have a contest to see who can sing all the words from memory! With music, you'll arrive at your destination happy, with a lot fewer sibling arguments.

Can Loud Music Hurt Your Ears?

Find out if loud music can hurt your ears
http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/rock_music.html

The Magic of Musikgarten - just one example

Tom, age 18 months, joined my youngest class just 4 weeks ago. I'm told he does not talk much at all yet, only some isolated words. I was also told he is extremely shy. On his first visit, he stayed outside in the hall and pretty much cried for 30 minutes. His second class, he did not cry, but he stood by the door, facing the door the whole time. His third class he came with his grandma June and sat next to her, but did not participate, he observed - no crying this time. Today, his fourth class, as we sang "Baa baa black sheep," he began to clap. For 3 songs after that one, he continued to clap in time with the rhythm. At one point, he went over to 1 yr old Heather and handed her an egg shaker. After using our scarves for "Peek a boo," he came and neatly put his scarf in my scarf bag. When we sang "Coming 'round the mountain," he distinctly sang "Toot, toot" when we did, as well as some other words that we adults did not fully understand. June's eyes filled up with tears of joy, as did mine. What a moment! This is just one example of why I LOVE Musikgarten. When we sing and dance to the right kind of music, we are speaking their language and magic moments really do happen. - Susan

Inspire Your Child to Compose and Create

We can inspire our children to compose and to create through music, whether it's on a piano, with a set of pots and pans, a recorder, or any simple instrument! Songs have a beginning, a middle, and an end. So do stories, so do term papers, business presentations, good speeches, the list goes on and on. Sing your favorite songs together, then ask your child to compose the drum accompaniment to go with the song - even if all you have are pots and pans.

Stay with your Musikgarten or music and movement class and progress through the sequential curriculum for as long as you can. A recent extensive poll found that 88% of all post-graduate students in college and 83% of all people earning $150,000 or more had in-depth music training. Their leadership skills began very early with the first music classes. These inspired in them the love of composing, new ideas, the ability to write about them, and to inspire others to perform those ideas.

Rain Sticks from Mailing Tubes

Your and your child can enjoy the sound of a gentle rainfall with this sound-alike “rain” instrument. You can create a noisy, kid-safe maze for falling grain with just a mailing tube and aluminum foil, and this gives toddlers plenty of crafting opportunities to "do it myself."
CRAFT MATERIALS:
16-1/2- by 6-inch piece of clear Con-Tact paper (optional)
Small pieces of colored tissue paper (torn or cut) (optional)
15- by 1-1.2-inch mailing tube (available for $1.50 at Staples)
2-1/2-foot length of aluminum foil
Broom
1/3 cup of rice
2 tablespoons of un-popped corn
Hot glue

Time needed: About 2 to 3 Hours (but oh, it’s worth it)

1. To decorate -peel the backing off the Con-Tact paper. Let your child decorate the sticky side with tissue paper. (Alternatively, have her paint the tube, then cover it with the Con-Tact paper.) Wrap the paper around the tube and tuck the extra length inside the ends (for ease, cut small slits around the overhang before folding it in).

2. Crush the foil lengthwise into a long cylinder, then wrap it around the handle of a broom to form a coil. (it will look like a long lock of curled hair, sort of) Slide the coil off the handle, stretch it until it's slightly longer than the tube, then push it into the tube. Use hot glue or masking tape to secure the ends of the foil inside the tube, about 1/4 inch from each opening.

3. Hot-glue a cap to one end of the tube, then help your child pour the rice and corn into the other end (a funnel or small pitcher works well). Hot-glue the other cap in place. Now turn upside down to hear the rainfall. And turn upside down again, and again!

Thanks to FamilyFun.com for this!

Teaching a child to wait

In many songs and activities, there are moments when a child will wait naturally, especially in the Musikgarten program. One example is the song, "Well you walk and you walk and you walk and you....STOP!" This same delayed pause pattern shows up in many of the songs as well, like "My Little Rooster."
Here are some simple daily activities you can add to stretch those moments of anticipation. With infants it might include playing little movement and touch 'games' like lifting them way up and then back down into your arms, or circling your finger around and then landing gently on their nose. Do things that bring joy, not tears. Later, they might be more willing to put on their shoes if it means they will get to take a ride or a walk. They will love it if you bake cookies. You may hear your child say, "It's so HARD to wait for cookies to get done!" If you hear that, rejoice. You are giving your toddler a priceless opportunity to practice waiting. - Miss Susan