Students at Strings, Keys, and Melodies Complete the Sentence, "This Year I..."

A few weeks ago, I had my students think about what they had accomplished this year in their music classes.  I gave them a paper with the words "This year I..." written on it along with a stick figure.  Each of them took the time to think about what they had learned and accomplished this past year.  Then they colored the stick figure to make it look like themselves.

I taped the pictures on my front door.  The students and I love reading what everyone wrote and looking at their self portraits.  I wanted to share this with parents and readers so that you can enjoy what they came up with too!  

I am very proud of my students.  We really worked hard this year and made a lot of great music!

Fall and Christmas Recitals for Strings, Keys, and Melodies

 

Music is meant to be shared!

I have always believed that music is meant to be shared and it is an important idea to teach our students. Studies have shown that sharing music actually uses the brain in a different way then music created and played alone! Plus it is just a great thing to share with our family, friends and community.

Our programs and recitals will include all of our voice, piano, violin and Music and Movement students!

Our first Fall program will be at a Senior home. Music is a wonderful thing to share with older people because that is the last region in their brains to be touched. Stroke victims that can't talk anymore can often still sing! The seniors are eager to sing with us so we will include some folk songs and rhythm instruments so they can join along. We are going to play and sing at:

Sunrise at Laguna Creek

6727 Laguna Park Dr

Elk Grove, 95758

Saturday, November 3

1:30-2:30 (arrive at 1:15 for tuning)

This program will be mainly for the seniors and as a place for the children to practice playing in front of people. So we ask that only one or two adults accompany the students. The whole extended family can come to our Christmas recital!

Our Christmas Recital will be a great time to invite the whole family and friends! It will be held at:

Valley Hi-North Laguna Library, Community Room

7400 Imagination Parkway

Sacramento, 95823

Saturday, December 1

3:30-4:30 (arrive at 3:15 for tuning)

We are getting the details finalized for 3 more recitals and programs in the Spring for February 3, April 6, and Year End Recital on June 1. I will get you those details as soon as I can!

Thank you for supporting your children in their study of music. Creating music with others for others to enjoy is an important part of their education!

 

 

Title picture created using artwork by Trina Clark at www.digiscrapkits.com

All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in a Children's Song

All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in a Children's Song

Today, I have listed 10 skills that children can learn through a children's song.  There are certainly more than 10 but I thought this was a great place to start.  I actually wrote this post for Dandelion Magazine's Blog over at GoDandelion.com and hope you will go there to read the list of skills and song ideas. 

10 Skills Learned Through Children's Songs

Thank you for reading!

Bird Songs and Nature - Healthy for You and Your Mind!

Every weekend for the last few months,  my family and I have been visiting with wildlife in the middle of a beautiful preserve. There are so many wild flowers and trees. The whole walk/hike is serenaded by wild birds singing their signature songs. It is so pretty and so relaxing to be out in nature- even with 2 children who don't know the meaning of relax! The trails are just right for little ones and beginning hikers, even limited walkers could enjoy shortened trails. And we get to hear birds singing!

Enjoying the wildflowers

The place we have been going to is the Cosumnes River Preserve. If it is not close to where you live, then I would challenge you to find a bike trail or hiking trail near your home that gets you out into nature. We all need to get away from the noise of our neighborhoods and listen to the quiet! It is so healthy for you!

The other night, I was reading a chapter in The Power of Music by Elena Mannes that spoke about what happens to our brains when we hear birdsongs. Studies have been done to analyze brain activity when subjects listen to human song and to birdsong. She explains "the scans showed the listeners showed more emotion when they heard birdsong as compared to listening to beautfiul songs sung by a human voice. "

Walking the trail

Later she writes, "One possible explanation for the increased brain activity when subjects listened to birdsong is that they were trying to find the patterns in the birdsong: human song is more familiar."

I knew we were more relaxed and happy after an afternoon of listening to birds singing. But now, it is possible that we were also stimulating our brains while listening to the music of nature!

Looking at pretty flowers

By stimulating our brains, we are staying mentally healthy. Making new neurological pathways is always a great idea.

I want to challenge you this summer to find a place in nature for your family to enjoy. You can find an easy hike like we did, go to a quiet lake or pond in a park. Get away from the loud noises of city life and hear the birds!

Carolyn, at Wise Owl Factory has made a wonderful Nature Walk checklist and a Bird checklist.  Print them out and take them with you to add to the fun!

Free Bird Walk Pages

                        Nature Walk Take Along

I was so amazed at all the different birdsongs, I made a short video. If you can't see the video, click here.

We were amazed today to see a coyote playing with something in the grass!  We watched for about 5 minutes before he heard us and took off running.  It was awesome to see!

Coyote in the Grass

For another nature idea please read Take a Nature Sound Walk.

Fun with Music Series - 5 Classic Musical Games

5 Classic Musical Games

Welcome to our Fun with Music Series.

I have had a great time writing this series through the month of July with Angelique Felix at angeliquefelix.com. 

We have written posts all month long to help you play with music.

Today I am going to remind you of 5 classic musical games that children love to play.

Children love to play simple games that they know the rules to and can easily play.  But they also love a little twist to spice things up a bit. 

1.  London Bridge

Children love forming a bridge and going under each others arms.  The twist:  in this version the bridge keeps getting lower at each new verse so the ones going under have to crawl and wiggle their way under the bridge.  Watch the video to see a variation to the classic London Bridge.

Trouble seeing the video?  Click here.



2.    Musical Chairs

For this game you need to set up chairs in a circle for everyone minus one.  Play some fun music as the children walk around the circle of chairs.  When you stop the music all the children need to sit down in a chair.  Since there is not enough chairs, one child will be left standing.  Now for the twist- ask the child a question.  This question can be about music theory or any subject you are studying.  If the child answers the question correctly than she can go back into the game!

3.  Freeze Dance

This game is similar to Musical Chairs since the children have to listen for the music to start and stop.  Play some great dance music and have the children dance or hop around.  Stop the music without warning.  The children have to stop dancing when the music stops.  The twist:  call out different type dances for the children such as Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Break Dance.

4.  The Farmer in the Dell

Stand in a large circle holding hands.  Begin singing the song:

The farmer in the dell,

The farmer in the dell,

Hi-ho the dairy-o,

The farmer in the dell.

Pick a child to be the farmer and she gets to stand in the middle of the circle.  Then sing:

The farmer picks a wife,

The farmer picks a wife,

Hi-ho the dairy-o,

The farmer picks a wife.

The child/farmer gets to choose someone to be the wife.  Then the wife and farmer stand together in the circle.

The rest of the verses are:

The wife picks a child.

The child picks a nurse.

The nurse picks a dog.

The dog picks a cat.

The cat picks a rat.

The rat picks the cheese.

The cheese stands alone.

Each child picked gets to pick the next child.

The twist:  Use the animals from a different story such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear.

The order of animals for Brown Bear:

Brown Bear,

Red Bird,

Yellow Duck,

Blue Horse,

Green Frog,

Purple Cat,

White Dog,

Black Sheep,

Gold Fish,

Teacher

Children

5.  Ring Around the Rosie

Hold hands and walk in a circle while singing this song.  Then everyone falls to the ground when you get to that part in the song.  Children love holding hands with their friends and being a part of the circle!

In case you don't know the words:

Ring around the rosie,

A pocket full of posies,

Ashes, Ashes,

We all fall down.

The twist:  Think of different movements to do in place of falling down.

Ideas:  Jump up

Skip around

Hop on one foot

Clap our hands

Give a hug

Benefits of playing classic musical games:

Children get to socialize with friends.

Children learn to be part of a group.

Children learn to work together and act out a story especially in The Farmer and the Dell and London Bridge.

Games are a great way to be active and get moving.

Everyone has fun!

Visit the other Fun with Music articles!

Introduction

Sing with Your Child

Classical Music and Creative Art Project

Kid-Made Instruments and the Great Outdoors.

The title picture was created using artwork by Trina Clark at www.digiscrapkits.com



Fun with Music - Sing with Your Children!

This article is part of our Fun with Music series.  I have teamed up with Angelique Felix at angeliquefelix.com to bring you ideas on having fun with music with your children the whole month of July.

Read last week's Fun with Music post that introduced our series and listed a lot of different musical ideas for you and your family!


This week is all about singing with your children and inspiring them to create their own songs!


Visit Angelique's 8 Steps How to Write a Song with Your Child at www.angeliquefelix.com

Children love to sing!  Visit any playground and you will hear children singing and humming as they play.  Music is a social activity and children get so excited when an adult joins them in making music.  So if you need motivation to sing with your child then just think of the delight on your child’s face when you start singing with her!

Ms. Tonya leading music time at the local library.

Choosing a song:

Children love having their name in a song. I wrote about the importance of this in The Purpose of the Hello Song.

Pick songs that are simple and fun. They don’t have to be difficult. The Wreath Dance is a great song that gets everyone moving and calls each child by name. Watch this video to learn how simple it is.

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Singing songs with children lays groundwork for language growth, reading, speaking and self expression. Making music also teaches math and science and could help your child do better in school. To read more about the advantages of music education read The Benefits of Music.

Song ideas:

The Wheels on the Bus
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
London Bridge
Ring Around a Rosie

Inspiring Creativity:

After you sing a song a few times, see if you and your child can change the words.  Put your child’s name in the song as well as some of her characteristics.  We love to do this with "The Good Day" song.

"The Good Day" song goes:

When cats get up in the morning

They always say good day.

When cats get up in the morning

They always say good day.

Meow, meow, meow, meow

That is what they say.

Meow, meow, meow, meow

That is what they say.

After singing this song using different animals, we like to put in different family members and try to think of what they would say in the morning.

Daddy asks “Where’s my coffee?”

Mommy says, “I love you.”

Big sister says, “What should I eat for breakfast?”

The little girls get so creative!  Plus, they remember what they made up days and weeks later.

For more ideas on writing songs with children visit Write a Song with Your Child.

I have found that children’s favorite songs are the simplest songs.  Pick a simple song or two and sing with them!  Then start changing the words and have fun being silly.  Your child will be delighted and you’ll have fun too!  Singing together shows love and creates wonderful memories!

Visit the other Fun with Music articles!

Introduction

Sing with Your Child

Classical Music and Creative Art Project

Kid-Made Instruments and the Great Outdoors.

5 Classic Musical Games

Music Classes and Special Events with Strings, Keys and Melodies

These are the classes we offer at our studio, Strings, Keys, and Melodies.  We believe children learn best while having fun and enjoying themselves. 

Lullabies
Ages Birth - 1 1/2 years

Lullabies is a parent participation class where the parents sing to and engage their baby in melodies and finger plays. We will relearn precious traditional lullabies and finger plays and learn new ones to add to our family collections. Singing songs to baby increases precious bonding, starts language and vocabulary learning and develops gross and fine motor skills.

Wiggles and Giggles
Ages 1 1/2 - 3 years

This class emphasizes fun!
Music involves singing, dancing, listening and play. Singing lyrics increases vocabulary and language skills. Dancing and games are beneficial for spatial development and gross motor skills. Listening to music develops listening and social skills. Making music with instruments develops the brain and thinking skills.
We will learn call and response songs, be introduced to different music genres, use musical instruments to work on rhythms, tones and pitches and play all kinds of musical games all while having fun!

Little Strings, Keys and Melodies
Ages 3-8 years

Music learning is fun! In these group classes children work on: singing, pitches and timing; rhythms and dancing with rhythm instruments and dancing ribbons; as well as beginning musical notation along with beginning instrument instruction. You choose which instrument your child focuses on-piano, violin, voice, ukulele or guitar!

Private Classes
All ages

Private classes are taylored for each individual student. Music is taught in an enjoyable, relaxed way with lots of games to reinforce music notation, rhythm and listening skills. Choose between piano, violin, voice, ukulele and guitar.

Special Events

Birthday Parties, Scout Meetings, One Time Music Classes will include singing, dancing, rhythm instruments, music and parachute games.

Or Customize your Event

Do you have your own idea?
Women's Night out Voice Class
Special Intro to Stringed Instruments
Intro to Classical Concert Music

We'll create a special class for your event!

Ms. Tonya
Strings, Keys and Melodies
(916) 812-2875
stringskeysandmelodies@gmail.com

Teach Your Child Using Nursery Rhymes and Children's Songs

Nursery rhymes and children’s songs are treasures waiting to be opened.  They contain huge amounts of educational wealth and can not be wasted and ignored.

Enhance vocabulary and motor skills:

Singing, chanting and rhythmic play can increase a child’s vocabulary even as motor skills are strengthened.

Examples:  Ring-Around a Rosie, The Wheels on the Bus, This Old Man, This is the Way We Wash Our Clothes,

Basic school skills:

Nursery Rhymes and other children songs teach the basics of vocabulary, reading, and math while having fun!

Examples:  I Caught a Fish Alive, Five Little Piggies, 10 Little Turtles, 1, 2 Buckle My Shoe

Language and self expression:

Singing songs lays a groundwork for language growth, reading, speaking and self expression

Examples:  If You’re Happy and You Know It, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone, Three Little Kittens

Pulse and Rhythm:

Rhymes strengthen the skill to feel the pulse of language.  It is as important to engage in the physical rhythm of rhymes and songs as it is to sing on pitch.

Examples:  Five Little Monkeys, Three Blind Mice, Hot Cross Buns, Old MacDonald’s Farm

Extra Advantage:

Music has the potential to convey feelings of love, delight and security to children and has the ability to bond families together.

Examples:  Hush Little Baby, Angels Watching Over Me, I Love You-You Love Me,

If you enjoyed this article, you might enjoy Do You Hear What I Hear? , The Purpose of a Hello Songs, or Using Music to Improve Social Reading

.

Music + Family = Love

Music and family time go together like peanut butter and jelly.  They were made for each other.  There are so many musical activities families can do together.  Children want their parents to sing and dance with them whether at home or in a class designed for the whole family.  Parents’ involvement is an important part of the pleasure of music for children.

Family Music Night

Listen and sing to your favorite albums together.  Children want you to hear their favorite music and they also want to hear yours!  It doesn’t always have to be about children’s music even though that can be fun too.

Dinner Variation

Have everyone bring their favorite song or two to dinner and play everyone’s songs through out dinner.  Everyone will feel important picking and playing music for the family.  The dinner music might be extremely varied from Bach to The Wiggles or from Taylor Swift to Cold Play.  But your kids will love knowing you cared to listen to their music.

Follow the Leader

Put on dance music and take turns being the dance teacher.  Let your child be the leader and follow his moves.  Then take a turn and teach them some of your moves.  The moves can be real dance moves or simple movements such as jumping up and down, twirling and kicking.  The important thing is to have fun!

Take in a Parade

Go to a parade together and listen to the marching bands and other music.

Free Concerts

Many park and recreation departments put on free concerts in the summer time.  Go together as a family and enjoy listening to live music.

For Babies

Sing lullabies as you cuddle and rock your baby to sleep.  It’s okay if your voice will not get you on American Idol.  To your baby, you will sound like an angel!

Children are so happy when parents sing and make music with them.  Music brings families together, creating memories in the process.

Using Music to Improve Social Reading

Is my friend happy?

Is my brother sad?

Did I just make the grocery clerk angry?

To read these people’s emotions, we need to look at their facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice and feel the tension in the air.  It takes a combination of insights to accurately read how a person is feeling. Some children are really good at seeing how people feel and other children walk through life unconcerned about anyone else’s emotions or feelings. Using music is a  great way to practice social reading.

Music conveys emotions and feelings and we can make a game out of figuring out what the music is trying to tell us.

Does this song sound happy or sad?

Put on some music without lyrics and ask how the music makes you feel.  Music is full of complex emotions and is a great place to start. Either simply listen to the music or have your child act as the conductor as you play the music.  Explain that the conductor doesn’t dance but helps the musicians know what emotions and feelings the music is conveying.

Just like our tone of speech tells if we are happy or sad, the key the music is written and played in tells if it is happy or sad.  Major tones tend to be happy and carefree.  Minor tones are often heard as sad and gloomy.

As you listen to the music, ask:

Is the music fast or slow?

Is it happy or sad?

Is it bouncy like a rabbit or flowing like an ice skater?

Is it loud or soft?

Is it peaceful or agitating?

Is it soothing like a lullaby or upbeat like a marching song?

How does the music make you feel?

Classical music is full of emotions, changing from one emotion to another and then back again.  See if you and your child can follow these emotional changes.

In the beginning you should point out these feelings and then after some practice your child might start understanding and pick up on the emotions himself.  Music is a great tool for teaching and practicing social reading.  With some practice your child will be able to better understand the people around him.

Song ideas to start with:

Bach’s Toccata in D Minor – written for the church but because of the minor tones we associate it with Halloween music

Haydn’s Surprise Symphony – loud and soft and full of surprises!

Leopold Mozart’s Toy Symphony- happy music for children- full of birds and cuckoo clock sounds

Handel’s Minuet from Water Music – written for royalty, your child will want to get up and dance the Minuet

Rodeo by Aaron Copeland- very patriotic- your child will want to gallop like a horse

Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons – Can you pick out the seasons by the music?

Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata -full of emotion

Which Music Will Calm My Child? Which Music Will Get My Child Moving?

Music has the ability to change our feelings and behaviors.  Slow, soft music can make us feel calm and relaxed.  While fast music with a lot of rhythm can make us feel energized and get us dancing.  Parents have asked me to suggest music for their child to listen to while falling asleep or to get them moving. 

We all know each person is made up of body, mind and spirit.  Did you know that music is made of three components that match those parts?  The three parts of music are rhythm, melody, and harmony.

 Rhythm affects our body and stimulates our arms and legs.  Percussion is the group in the orchestra that provides rhythm.  Percussion instruments include the drums, cymbals and shakers.

 Melody affects our mind and stimulates our head.  The woodwind instruments, such as the flute, clarinet, and oboe provide melody. 

Harmony affects our spirit and touches our hearts.  The string instruments provide the harmony in the orchestra.  Violin, viola and cello are string instruments.

The goal is to select music to stimulate or calm the body, mind and spirit in order to create balance.

Not everyone will react the same way to a piece of music.  So I can suggest pieces to play for your child but you will have to see her reaction to it to determine if it is right for her.

Most of these suggestions are classical music and that is because classical music usually contains all three parts:  rhythm, melody and harmony that is necessary for balance.

Stimulating Music

Children who are lethargic or have weak limbs need to be stimulated with rhythm.  They need rhythmic percussion to invigorate them.

For children with weak muscles and limbs and to energize sleepy bodies play stimulating music with the volume slightly louder than usual.

“Bolero” by Ravel-orchestra

“Mephisto Waltz” by Liszt – piano

“Stars and Stripes Forever” by Sousa-marching band

“German Dance” by Mozart- orchestra

“The Toy Symphony” by Leopold Mozart-orchestra with horn and glockenspiel calling out “cuckoo”

Calming Music

Hyperactive children can be calmed by playing music with more melody and harmony and less rhythm and percussion.  Instead of being physically and mentally active she will be relaxed and soothed.

“Romeo and Juliet” by Tchaikovsky-symphony orchestra

“Carmen Suite” Nos. 1-2 by Bizet – orchestra with a lot of wind instruments

“Andantino from the Flute Quartet in C Major” by Mozart-orchestra with a lot of flutes

Music for Anxiety

Anxious children respond well to music that has pronounced rhythm and melody

Waltzes by Strauss- orchestra

Anything by Mozart but you can start with the “Adagio from the Divertimento in B Flat (K. 287)” The Italian word adagio means “to put at ease”.

Music for Chronically Ill

Soft music is wonderful for chronically ill children

“La Mer” by Debussy-orchestra

“Andantino from the Flute Quartet in C Major (K.171)” by Mozart-orchestra

Music for Emotionally Sensitive Children

Children who are emotionally sensitive need a lot of harmony in music.

“Jupiter Symphony” by Mozart-orchestra

My Favorite Sleeping Music.

Classical music has a calming effect that helps children fall asleep.

Some studies also show playing classical music as children are falling asleep and waking up can reduce the incidences of seizures since episodes frequently occur just before or after falling asleep and soon after awakening.

My girls’ favorite nighttime music is “Classical Naptime for Tots”.  It has a variety of classics from Bach, Debussy, Beethoven and Puccini

They also love Jewel’s Lullaby CD from Fisher Price

My Favorite Stimulating Music

“Jazz for Kids” is a favorite to play while using all kinds of rhythm instruments like sticks, bells and maracas.  It features Jazz greats such as Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong singing child friendly jazz songs.

“First Steps in Classical Music:  Keeping the Beat!” is a favorite full of classical pieces to play with rhythm instruments.

Everyone has different musical preferences. Try these suggestions and see how your family responds.  If the song doesn’t work for you and your child then skip it and move on to another piece.  In order to save costs, you can find most of these songs on You Tube and these CD’s at the local library. 

The Benefits of Music

The benefits of music are endless but they are especially wonderful to growing and developing children.

Music has the ability to fill us with energy and really get us moving which is great for those who are undersensitive and need extra stimulation or for those who have been sitting in school all day.

On the other side, music can calm us down and relax us which is great for those with ADHD, Asperger's and those in pain or stress.

Music helps us express our emotions even when words fail us.  There is nothing like banging on a drum when angry, dancing with a scarf when happy or swaying to a lullaby when tired or scared.  So, for children who have a hard time expressing themselves, music becomes their language.

Studies show music creates new neurological paths in the brain, stimulating our brains and therefore making us smarter.

Playing an instrument helps develop eye-hand coordination as well as confidence and great self-esteem.  It also develops discipline as the student practices and realizes a goal.

Music is also a vehicle to learning other subjects.  Practically every child learns the alphabet by singing the ABC Song.  There are numerous songs to learn colors, numbers, adding, subtracting, geography and other important facts.

As parents and teachers, we need to expose our children to music in all kinds of situations.  And continue to encourage them to explore and make music on their own.