Explore Music Camps in Elk Grove and Sacramento CA

Explore Music Camp

Come join us for a week of exploring music.

Learn musical notes, rhythms, and singing skills.

Explore the piano, violin, ukulele and voice. All in one week!

Summer Camp Classes available:

Wiggles and Giggles (1 ½-3 year olds) M-F 9-9:30am $20/wk

Little Strings, Keys and Melodies (3-8 yr olds)

M-F 9:30-11am or 11am-12:30pm $50/wk

Early registration: Take $5 off when you register early!

Drop ins: $15/day: Please call to insure available space

Camp weeks:

June 18-22, Early registration ends June 1

July 16-20, Early registration ends July 1

July 30-Aug 3, Early registration ends July 1

Aug 6-10, Early registration ends August 1

To register for camp or sign up for on-going classes

Call Ms. Tonya at (916) 812-2875

email: stringskeysandmelodies@gmail.com

Sacramento, CA
Call for studio location

Dancing - One Body Part at a Time!

Dance to the music using one body part at a time!

Play some fun dance music.

Music Ideas:

Jazz

Pop

Hip Hop

Children’s music such as The Wiggles

Listen to the rhythm.

Now begin dancing to the music.

As your child is dancing call out a body part and have her move only that body part while dancing to the music!

Idea list of body parts:

Finger

Hand

Knee

Face

Shoulder

Leg

Toe

Arm

Head

While everyone is having a lot of fun, this exercise will strengthen so many learning skills! 

Cause and effect

Cognitive/thinking skills

Emotional expression

Fine and gross motor development

Problem solving

Self-awareness/body image

Social interaction

Write a Song With Your Child

It’s easier than you think!

Our names represent us! Children love to hear their names in a song. For more information on hello songs read The Importance of a Hello Song.  Writing a song with and about your child will help instill a positive self-worth as well as show your child how much you love her!

Write your own song to sing with your child using her name as the basis. It is easier than you think!

• Start with a popular tune such as Jingle Bells, BINGO, Mary Had a Little Lamb etc.
• Find some words that rhyme with her name
• Find some words that describe who she is or what she likes to do
• Fit the words in with the tune

Here is a song I wrote with my daughter Angel. Sing it to the tune of Jingle Bells.

Angel Joy, Angel Joy

She likes dolls and toys

She's so good at drawing and art

She reads with all her heart!

Angel Joy, Angel Joy

She loves to play outside

She has lots of sisters

And she's always by their side!

Angel was delighted to do this project with me. She was smiling the whole time and felt really important singing our finished product to Daddy.

Here is another song, written for my daughter, Shelli.  Sing it to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb.

Shelli has a great big smile,

Great big smile,

Great big smile.

Shelli has a great big smile.

She makes me laugh all day.

Shelli rides a scooter,

Scooter,

Scooter.

Shellie rides a scooter.

She rides with Daddy all day.

Shelli is a reader,

Reader,

Reader.

Shelli is a reader.

She reads books all day.

Shelli has 3 sisters,

3 sisters,

3 sisters.

Shelli has 3 sisters. 

She loves them all day.

It is important to allow your child to help you as much as possible!

Write the song together.

Sing it all the time.

You could incorporate musical instruments to make it more complete!

But most importantly: Have Fun!

If you enjoyed this article, you might like Music + Family = Love,  Teach Your Child Using Nursery Rhymes and Children's Songs,  and Game:  Match the Sounds

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

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Game: Match the Sounds

This "Match the Sound" game helps children listen carefully and pick out differences in the sounds.  The children in my classes have always enjoyed playing it.  It can get messy if they open the eggs quickly.  So be prepared!

Start with a bag of empty Easter eggs.

Gather different objects to put inside the eggs. Ideas: pennies, buttons, beads, beans, rice, cut-up straws, safety pins, barrets and cut-up toothpics. 

Caution:  be careful using small objects with little children!

Fill at least 2 eggs with the same objects.

The Game: Have the children take turns shaking the eggs and finding two that sound the same. Carefully open the eggs to see if they guessed correctly!

Have fun!

For more spring ideas check out the Linky Party hosted by Mrs. Lirette's Learning Detectives.

10 Habits for a Healthy Voice

As humans, we have been created to use our vocal chords to talk and sing all day long.  As singers, our voices are our instruments.  Other musicians can replace their instruments if they wear out but singers can’t.  We have only one voice for our lifetime.  We need to take care of our voices so they stay healthy and do not wear out before their due dates.

10 Healthy Habits

5 Do’s

1.       Drink lots of water.  Stay hydrated all day long.  Don’t just drink water while you are singing.  You need to get and keep your vocal chords hydrated before you begin singing.

2.       Eat a healthy diet.  Your voice is a part of your body so keep your entire instrument healthy.

3.       Exercise.  Again, keep your entire body/instrument healthy!

4.       Warm up your voice.  Hum, do lip trills, and sing gently before bolting out your performance song.

5.       Take care of allergies and colds so you can breathe correctly.

5 Don’ts

1.       Avoid straining your voice and singing at the top and bottom of your range for long periods of time.

2.       Avoid screaming and shouting for long periods of time.

3.       Avoid coughing and clearing your throat.  This might be hard to do during cold and flu season, but do your best!

4.       Avoid singing when you have a sore throat.  Give your throat a rest.

5.       Avoid smoking!  It’s bad for your vocal chords as well as your entire body.

Bonus Habit!

Smile!  Feel great about all your hard work and enjoy making music with your voice.

For more practice ideas visit 5 Essential Steps for Voice Practice at Home

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Do you hear what I hear?

The other evening we were driving home with the classical station playing on the radio when I heard my 4 year old daughter say from the backseat, “That is a flute.”  “That is a cello.”  “That is a violin.”  “That is the flute again.”

She was naming the instruments as they were featured in the song.

I was delighted that she could recognize and name the different instruments.  She is actually paying attention to all the music we play at our house and studio!

You can do this at home!

There are several ways to practice hearing the instruments played in a piece.

One way is to do what my 4 year old did and just start naming all the instruments you hear and recognize.  The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra is a great one to start with since each section of the orchestra gets featured one at a time.  It is easy to pinpoint which instrument is playing.  Hint:  The first four sections are woodwinds, brass, strings and percussion.

Another way to practice hearing instruments is to pick an instrument and follow it all the way through a song.

My Little Musicians classes really enjoy following the cuckoo clock throughout The Toy Symphony by Leopold Mozart.  I have them raise their hands over their heads every time they hear a cuckoo.  They really enjoy using their bodies!

Another great cuckoo clock song is Polka Francaise by Strauss.  I have the students do a little hop every time they hear the cuckoo clock.

Make it a habit to point out which instrument is playing whenever you listen to music.  You may be listening to rock when there is a guitar solo.  Point it out!  Say, “Listen to that guitar solo!”

When you label the instruments, your child will learn to recognize their sounds and will soon be delighting you with their knowledge of instruments.

Give it a try!

If you enjoyed this you might like Family + Music = Love  and Take a Nature-Sound Walk