Christmas Books I Love

I have a bunch of Christmas sing along books that I love to use in class and with my children at home.  Here are a few of my favorites.

http://www.amazon.com/Santa-Claus-Comin-Town-Coots/dp/0688149383/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-12&qid=1386884468

http://www.amazon.com/Feliz-Navidad-Stories-Celebrating-Christmas/dp/0439517176/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386884628&sr=1-1&keywords=feliz+navidad

My kids love these light up board books!

http://www.amazon.com/Little-Town-Bethlehem-Pageant-Lights/dp/0824918134/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386884669&sr=1-1&keywords=oh+little+town+of+bethlehem

http://www.amazon.com/Frosty-Snowman-Musical-Steve-Nelson/dp/0824966716/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386884793&sr=1-6&keywords=frosty+the+snowman

http://www.amazon.com/Little-Drummer-Ezra-Jack-Keats/dp/0140567437/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1386884890&sr=1-1

Holiday 2013

We have a great variety of songs on our Holiday CD.  Adding songs from many different Winter Holiday's around the world gives us a good variety of tonalities to listen to.  It is very important for kids ears to be exposed to lots of tonalities and meters.  We all have different songs we like and dislike, but it's nice to be able to understand and appreciate all of them so we have the privilege of choosing what we like.  I am really enjoying the Holiday mix of music.  My least favorite song to begin with was the version of My Favorite Things that is on the CD.  I guess I was expecting the Sound of Music version of the song.  But after listening to it several times it has started to grow on me.  Your little ones will probably gravitate to certain songs as well.

For those of you who may be interested in what holidays the different songs on the CD are from here is a list of Wikipedia answers.

"RAMADAN (Arabic):  In some Muslim countries today lights are strung up in public squares, and across city streets, to add to the festivities of the month. Lanterns have become symbolic decorations welcoming the month of Ramadan. In a growing number of countries, they are hung on city streets.^[29][30][31] The tradition of lanterns as a decoration becoming associated with Ramadan is believed to have originated during the Fatimid Caliphate primarily centered in Egypt, where Caliph al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah was greeted by people holding lanterns to celebrate his ruling. From that time lanterns were used to light mosques and houses throughout the capital city of Cairo. Shopping malls, places of business, and people's homes can be seen with stars and crescents, as well as, various lighting effects, as well.

It is believed that the first revelation to Muhammad was sent down during the month of Ramadan

DIWALI (India):The name "Diwali" or "Divali" is a contraction of deepavali which translates into "row of lamps".^[10] Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil.^[11] These lamps are kept on during the night and one's house is cleaned, both done in order to make the goddess Lakshmi feel welcome.^[12] Firecrackers are burst because it is believed that it drives away evil spirits.^[13][14][15] During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends.

HANUKKAH: The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. The typical Menorah consists of eight branches with an additional raised branch. The extra light is called a shamash (Hebrew: שמש‎, "attendant")^[1] and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest. The purpose of the shamash is to have a light available for practical use, as using the Hanukkah lights themselves for purposes other than publicizing and meditating on the Hanukkah is forbidden.^[2]

CHRISTMAS:   (from me)  belief that Jesus is the light of the world, and He cam here at Christmas.

OUR Message:   All the major religions have, at their core, the idea of light- light in the darkness, that lights our path, that shows the way.  And all of us have a light within, as well.  It is our hope to celebrate this light with our voices and dancing and laughter and sharing.  We have included some sacred music, but not with the lyrics sugn. The sacred songs are instrumental, and were chosen for their musical complexity, diversity and melodies.  It is our hope we are all able to shine our light a little brighter, when we are together and when we are in the world."

Diwali



Hanukkah





Christmas







There is also an African and a Chinese song on the CD.  My kids love to figure out where the songs are from.  I encourage you to turn it into a geography lesson as well!  

African Noel
 

Here are some fun Chinese dragon dance videos to enjoy at home.

Happy Halloween!

I have loved seeing the cute costumes this week in class!
Here are some of the fun songs we have played along with and danced to this week!



I feel like most kids may not know what an organ is! My mother and her mother, and so on, have all played the organ so I grew up with it. If you don't get to enjoy organ music any other time of the year at least listen to Toccata and Fugue by Bach for Halloween (not really a Halloween song!)

In the last month we have explored a lot with improvising and mixed meter songs.  You can improvise (create on the spot) new verses to any song.  Create new verses to help you get through your day.  The head teacher at the Montessori school I teach at directs her students by singing to them all the time.  Her soft singing is so awesome to listen to!  (Much better than loud fussing).

We have improvised with Jim Along Josie a lot!  It is an easy song to change the words too.  It is also an easy song to play on the guitar or ukulele.  Enjoy jumping along with Pete Seegers version at home.  Add your own verses if you haven't already done so!

Here is a link to the play along version of Jim Along Josie we used in class.  You can preview and purchase it on Amazon or iTunes.

http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Along-Josie/dp/B0014N9FRG

Mixed meter is also a lot of fun to play with.  I have two music degrees and reading mixed meter music would always stress me out.  It wasn't until playing with mixed meter as a music together teacher that I became comfortable with it!  

Dance To Your Daddy is a mixed meter song.  It is in triple meter for a few phrases and then has a duple beat stuck in there.  When we danced with the song we bounced on the duple beat.  When we rolled balls with the song we felt the rhythm by 

roll (2,3)

roll (2,3)

roll (2,3)

bounce, bounce (or bounce pass) 

catch (2, 3)

Try this again at home.  When you can get your body to move with the beat and feel it the music becomes easy to understand and enjoy.

Rocketship is also a mixed meter song

Improvise

As you came into class this week we were listening to a recording of Simple Gifts by Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss.  It is on the Album Classic Yo-Yo.  The best price for the whole album is on Amazon.

You can listen to Air and Simple Gifts played at President Obama's Inauguration by clicking the video below.

Maestro John Williams arranged a piece based on Aaron Copeland's arrangement of the old Shaker Tune "Simple Gifts" as "Variations on a Shaker Melody". Yo-Yo Ma performs along with Itzhak Perlman on violin, Gabriela Montero on piano and Anthony McGill on clarinet.

In class we talked about simple improvisation.  If you have been following this blog for any amount of time, or involved in my classes for more than one session, you may notice this is a common topic!  Improvisation is important for young children.  As parents we have to be ready to improvise with more than just the songs we are singing with our children.  Improvising (creating something in the moment) new verses to the familiar songs you are learning in class can help with your day.  You can make up verses to songs about cleaning up, going potty, going to sleep, eating food, something you see while you are learning to wait patiently!  We improvised with the songs Rocket Ship, Hey Lolly, Lolly, and a little bit with Ran Tin Tinnah this week.  Pick your favorite song and see if you can make up a new verse to help you get through your day.

We also sang I've Been Workin' on the Railroad this week and I promised I would add more specific musical terms here for what we did.  Your children are playing with huge musical concepts in class (odd meter, mixed meter, form, many tonalities, elongation, diminution, accelerando, ritardando, and many more).  Being exposed to these large musical concepts through play at a young age will help them understand them as they get older.
In this song we had 3 main sections A, B, C.  We played the egg shakers differently in each section.
A - tapped on the floor.
B - shook back and forth in the air
C - tapped together.
We repeated the B section 3 times.  Each time we got faster.  The musical term for this is accelerando.
Between sections we did a choo-choo whistle sound.  We slurred our voices between the same pitches we use when we clean up.  These are also the first pitches you can expect to hear from your infant/young child.
We also held two notes for a really long time.  This would be indicated in music by a fermata.

These are all great musical terms and ideas you can explore with older kids, and discuss with your children as they get older and want to understand more about what they already know how to do!

Some fun guidelines for being involved in class.

Turn your cell phone off in class or you may be asked to improvise based on your ringtone.




Sing and play along with your kids.  It's really a lot of fun!



 You will learn so much about how your child learns by being involved in the Music Together class with them. Together we will get the chance to learn by being still, by moving, by using lots of repetition, by singing, dancing, and having a hands on experience. You are with them and involved every step of the way in this class and that is the most valuable part for both of you! Music Together has made me a much better parent, musician, and teacher! This TED talk takes a look at how we all learn differently. Watch for how your child learns. My job is to help you watch for that too and point out the amazing things (s)he is doing.

Charlotte Symphony Lollipops Concerts

I highly recommend attending the Charlotte Symphony Lollipops concerts with your children.  Lollipops concerts are full orchestra concerts for kids.  It's the perfect way to teach them about the orchestra, without having to worry about them being a little wiggly or having to go out for a potty break.  We have taken our kids since they were tiny.  The hour before the concert they can play the instruments, do drum circles, make instruments, color, and explore!

https://www.charlottesymphony.org/SeasonCalendar-S.asp?s=Lollipops

ADVENTURES IN OUTER SPACE

Saturday, November 16, 2013 11:00 am Knight Theater

TUBBY THE TUBA

Saturday, February 01, 2014 11:00 am Knight Theater

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

Saturday, April 05, 2014 11:00 am Knight Theater

Lili's Book Reviews

Check out this book review by Lili Levinowitz, co-founder of Music Together.

http://www.musictogether.com/nurtureshock

"Just as parental responses to attempts at speaking are critical for the development of language, similar responses to music behaviors may support children’s music development. Sometimes, however, parents may find it difficult to identify music behaviors in infants or older preverbal children; many adults are not aware of what early music-making sounds or looks like, since children cannot yet sing a whole song."

I love my job, helping to identify and enrich early childhood musical ability! Check out Music Together if you haven't before.
Lili's book reviews are interesting for fellow educators and interested parents.

Register your child for class @
musictogetherofcharlotte.com

Ready For Fall!

If you haven't registered yet for Fall Music Together classes you still can.  They start the second week in September and there are still a few spots open.  Music Together always puts together great collections of songs and I'm excited about all the new songs for Fall.
http://musictogetherofcharlotte.com/classes.htm

It's always fun to add in an extra song for the play along or dance.  Maybe we will try the Baby Elephant walk this year.  It has a nice steady tempo to work on putting the beat in your feet to.

Improvise With Crawdad

This Summer we have worked on simple improvisation by looking at the pictures in the Music Together book and picking our favorite thing(s) to sing about.  Last week we looked at the picture for Crawdad.  I love making up fun rhyming verses about the pictures, but I feel like it is a lot easier to make up one word repetitive verses in class.  Repeating your favorite thing over and over is easier to sing and easier for others to follow along with.  It is also easier for the kids.  

At home however, I encourage you to come up with fun rhyming verses!  It can be about a Music Together song, something your child drew, or a part of your daily routine.

Here are my made up rhyming verses for Crawdad.  Try them at home.  Feel free to add your creative verses in the comments below the post for others!

Crawling like a turtle really slow honey 

Crawling like a turtle really slow babe

Crawling like a turtle really slow, I've got no place I've got to go

Honey oh baby mine

Jumping like a frog up and down honey

Jumping like a frog up and down babe

Jumping like a frog up and down, we'll jump right up then sit back down 

Honey oh baby mine

Hopping like a bunny up and down honey

Hopping like a bunny up and down babe

Hopping like a bunny up and down , we'll hop hop hop all over this town

Honey oh baby mine

See the sun up in the sky honey

See the sun up in the sky babe

See the sun up in the sky, wear sunscreen or you will fry 

Honey oh baby mine

I'm a tree blowin in the breeze honey

I'm a tree blowin in the breeze babe

I'm a tree blowin in the breeze, I'm full of pollen that'll make you sneeze

Honey oh baby mine

I'm gonna get my bucket full honey

I'm gonna get my bucket full babe

I'm gonna get my bucket full, while you use that line and hold that pole 

Honey oh baby mine

I've caught something on the line honey

I've caught something on the line babe

I've caught something on the line, I'll hold on tight and make it mine

Honey oh baby mine

Fell in water oh no honey 

Fell in the water oh no babe

Fell in the water oh no, It's really wet in the crawdad hole

Honey oh baby mine

What We Do At The Montessori School

I wanted to share with you some of the fun things your children have

been working on in music this Spring.

We began listening to, and identifying instruments by reading the book

Zin, Zin A Violin.  The TV show Reading Rainbow has an episode

available on iTunes that I recommend
.   

https://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/reading-rainbow-vol.-9/id563699274

Each week we have been listening to a piece of music from

Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals.  We are working on listening,

instrument identification, and movement.  Before I tell the students what

animal the music is about they are invited to move with the music,

tell me what instruments they hear, and guess what animal they think the music

is about.  They come up with some amazing answers!

I would also recommend exploring the San Francisco Symphony’s kids website, sfskids.org, to play with instruments and musical terms.

We are working on small two and four beat rhythm patterns.

Children develop the ability to speak rhythm patterns first and then

put them in their bodies.  

(If you took Music Together with your child when they were younger you may remember that we always keep the beat on instruments, but only speak rhythm patterns, never play or clap them.)

We began by doing a simple chant called Can You Do What I Do?  Ask

you child to teach you how to play.  Animal sounds are fun to make up four beat rhythms with!

Some of the older children are ready to clap, stomp, and tap the rhythms that they can say.

We are looking at simple notation.  The students all identified that the dot, or

circle, is the note, and how many notes are written on the paper.  We

notated rhythms to go along with the books Gobble, Gobble Crash and

Jump, Frog, Jump.  Each child clapped along with the story and took

a turn pointing to the rhythm at the end of class.

Today the kids got to notate their own names!  Each name is two beats

long.  Most of the class has names with two syllables and notated

their name with two quarter notes. A few friends have names with three

syllables and used two eighth notes and one quarter note.  All of the

kids were very proud of their work, and so am I!

Last Lollipops Concert Until Fall! Don't Miss Out!

I highly recommend the Charlotte Symphony Lollipops concerts.  We have taken our kids since they were tiny.
Starting at 10:00 kids can explore, touch, and play instruments of the orchestra.  They can also join in drum circles, make their own instruments, and do coloring pages.
The concert is designed specifically for kids.  There is usually a story, puppets, dancers, or something else engaging.  This one will have dancers.  Since it is for kids it is a great opportunity to teach your child about the orchestra without worrying too much about a little noise or having to leave for the bathroom.

http://www.charlottesymphony.org/EventDetails2.asp?ID=680 ONCE UPON A TIME, WITH NCDT SCHOOL OF DANCE
Jacomo Rafael Bairos, Conducting
Date: 5/4/2013
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Knight Theater
Cost: $15.50 - $24.50
BUY TICKETS	Details: Maureen O'Boyle, NarratorOnce upon a Saturday May morning, the Charlotte Symphony joins students from North Carolina Dance Theatre to present beloved fairytales from throughout the land. Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling, The Frog Prince by the Brothers Grimm, the Russian folktale The Firebird, and other stories will have your family living happily ever after.  Series Information: Entertaining and educational, the Lollipops series introduces children to great music while expanding their hearts and minds. 3-concert subscriptions starting at $36. Additional Information: Pre-concert festivals begin at 10 a.m. in the Knight Theater Lobby; children explore music through hands-on activities including a lively drum circle, music-related arts and crafts, and The Symphony Guild of Charlotte's "Musical Petting Zoo." Stay after each concert for engaging art activities next door during the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art's Family Day event. Free for kids; $4 for adults. Info at 704-353-9200.

Extra Activities To Try

Here is a list of extra activities from class to try at home, in the car, and about town!

Sneekin' Round the Room:

If you haven't tried using the sneaky beginning of this song to get your child to switch gears I fully recommend it!  If you need them to focus or calm down try singing the beginning phrase and the "shhhh" and see if it works.  It works great in our family!  It's a nice song/trick to have when you need it.

Stick Tune:

You copied me doing some rhythmic improvisation with this song last week in class.  This week you get to try a little.  Put the CD on and try it along with the CD.  When that becomes easy try it without the CD.  A little rhythmic improvisation is great to do back and forth with your little one in the car.  I always love using animal sounds for this too.

Betty Martin:

This song has a some great melodic improvisation on the CD track.  We also did this in class last week.  Try making up your own while the voices on the CD make up theirs.  

We also changed the name Betty Martin to your children's names.  That is a very simple way to improvise.  What else could you say "Hey" to by changing the name?

Hippity, Happity, Hoppity:

Hopefully this odd meter song is getting (or will become) more familiar to you after trying it in class for several weeks.  It's a fun way to explore odd meters.  The song Blue Rondo Ala Turk by Dave Brubek has the same meter to it.  You may have heard it playing before class.  Check it out below and see if you can match our movements, or come up with new ones, from Hippity, Happity, Hoppity.

Our play along this week was Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy sung by the Andrews Sisters.  Enjoy watching, singing, playing along, and dancing at home!

Odd Lullabies

Phyllis, one of the teachers and co-owners of Music Together of Charlotte, sent the following "Lullaby Challenge" to her families this for the Spring session.  

     I want to issue the Lullaby Challenge (my invention---not a 'real' thing).  The two lullabies on this collection are   

     rare, not found in most typical homes.  BUT, if we don't learn them, then the last song before the Goodbye 

     Song is just going to a clock-watching event, because if the adults aren't singing, then the kids will be a little   

     nutty coming off of the playalong. Adult singing is imperative to bring the energy into focus, calm us all for our 

     last sweet moments together for the week. So, please listen to the lullabies; at least shoot for knowing the 

     melodies so we can 'loo' and 'la'.

     CRADLE SONG is actually a William Blake poem, set to a melody (I've mentioned this in some classes), so 

     that's kind of neat. A tad wordy, but not unapproachable.  The full poem, for the truly ambitious:   

     http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-cradle-song/

     RAISINS AND ALMONDS is just lovely, and could open a good discussion about why is a white goat going 

     grocery shopping?  A couple of sources, if you're interested- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raisins_

     and_Almonds, 

     and from a Q&A blog:  In the Orthodox synagogue, in those old sexist days,the women were not allowed in the main   

     area, but they had a "peanut gallery" up above. There was one ceremony, where the little boys are supposed to have 

     reached a certain point in their religious development (not the Bar Mitzvah--that is when they are no longer little boys.) 

     The women shower the little fellers with small bags of raisins and almonds from above. It is a traditional gift for boys 

     who reached that stage.      So the lullaby is the mother telling her infant son how proud she will be of him someday.

My hope is that this information will help you understand the lullabies in this collection a little better.  They may be a little different than what you are used to, but they are lovely songs to soothe your child.  

Please make sure you sing lullabies to your children in class and especially at home.  Some day's it may take many repetitions, but hearing a loved one sing a lullaby is soothing to every child.  It is a gift they will keep for a lifetime!

Ten Little Indians?

In the second week of Spring classes we sang Hay Ya Na from the Music Together collection.  I enjoy singing Native American music because you get to use your chest voice.  Using your chest voice instead of your head voice is different than the way we normally sing today.  I feel like I'm forcing louder sounds out when I'm singing with my chest voice.  Have fun with this different style of singing at home and in class!



Our free dance was a fun polka version of the song 10 Little Indians.  I don't have a link to listen to it all for free, but you can buy the mp3 on Amazon for under a dollar if you're interested.

My kids love this version of 10 Little Indians.  The regular version of this song was a standard preschool counting song when I was a kid.  You can use it to teach your kids counting forward 1-10 and backward 10-1.  It's also a great way to work on fine motor skills by showing how many with your fingers.

The word Indian is no longer considered "politically correct."  But as a home school mom I think omitting the term completely does my children a great disservice.  When Columbus sailed to America he thought he was in India.  That is how we got the term Indian instead of Native American.  

We have a dry erase map at our house and I had my preschooler and kindergartner simply draw a line from Europe to America and then look for India.  They could very easily see that America is in the way if you are trying to get to India.  We discussed why Columbus wanted to get to India, to buy and sell goods, and how his train of thought to go around the world would have been right if America wasn't in the way. 

Correct map of the World

What Columbus thought.

US History Images website has other great information to explore.

Here is one of the first maps of a round world from 1482.  It was made by Ptolemy long before Columbus thought the world was round.  Click here for more information

  

This Train

Fun video of "This Train," a great song from the Winter collection!



 We have another spiritual in the Spring session.  These songs are important because they are a part of American history.  "This Train" began as a spiritual and then was adapted to by Woodie Guthrie, and others, to be a folk song as well.

African American spirituals often had code words.  Sometimes in reference to the underground railroad.  To learn more about spirituals and their meanings click here.

Rest

Most of my days are packed full of activity.  I am sure most of yours are as well.  I plan as much as I can and expect a fair number of curve balls from my three lovely children.  In thinking about how I would describe most days with a piece of music Buggy Ride fits well.  It's fast, non-stop, going from one instrument to another and back again, but enjoyable to listen to!

However, one thing I always try to plan in the day is time for my kids to rest.  Time for the baby to take a nap and the rest of us to snuggle up in my bed to read books and work on schoolwork.  Most parents make sure there is rest time for their young children.  It is a necessary quiet time for the children and the adults.  Think about the days when your child does not take a nap.  You probably didn't get chores, phone calls, emails, or some other adult quiet time activity done.  Most Mom's don't like to think about their little ones not napping.  We need that quiet.

Similarly, we need that quiet in music too!

Often in early childhood music we talk about the sounds and movements the children are producing.  The lesson plan moves quickly (and hopefully efficiently) from one song to the next.  There are songs with more movement and some with less but we are making noise and moving continually.  Sometimes the rests are forgotten.

When I teach preschool children I have begun to have them lay their head on their hand like they are resting during rests in the music.  Saying SHHHH for the rest still puts a noise there, which defeats the purpose.  Shhhh might prepare us for listening, but it is not quiet.

When I sing a tonal pattern or speak a rhythmic pattern to you in class, you need a moment of silence (even if it's a tiny one) to audiate that in your head and prepare to sing or speak it back to me.  If I filled that necessary silence it would impair you brains ability to process what I asked you to copy, consequently making it difficult to repeat back to me.

So I encourage you to think about silence in music this week.

The other day I was frustrated with my kids.  Their needs were continual.  There was no silence in the house.  So I stopped talking.  Not to be mean, I just needed quiet.  What happened next was amazing.  As they played outside together, near me, they would ask questions, then answer them themselves.  They would ask where something was, then go find it themselves!  When I didn't immediately jump up to get it for them or continually interject words between theirs they did things (they were able to do) for themselves!  And after being quiet for awhile my nerves were calmer too!

So I encourage you to think about silence in general this week.

I actually had a hard time finding songs with good silences in them.

In class our play along was Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious which has a part where the music stops and one of the characters continues speaking.  We typically stop playing instruments and listen during that part so that will suffice for a type of silence.



Similarly, when we danced to the song Jump In the Line the music stops (around 2:45) and the beat continues, giving you another type of silence to listen for.


STOMP is a rhythmic group.  If you have never seen them before I encourage you to search for them on YouTube.  They keep complex rhythms going together with fun found objects.  As discussed above, they must have some silences to be able to process what comes next and how to stay together.  Look and listen for the silence in this video.



And lastly, this was a video I stumbled across that is a relaxing reflection on silence.

Where Did Last Week Go?

Is it next week already?  Wow, that went by fast.  It's also time to start thinking about registering for Spring Music Together classes (early registration starts Feb. 11)!  If you would like to have any say on Summer class schedule or next year please let me know what days and times work best for you.  I am working on scheduling now.

This week in class we working on audiating the melody of She Sells Sea Shells while continuing to keep the rhythm with the finger cymbals.  The ability to audiate, or keep the music and beat in your head, is a major goal your children are working on achieving.  Having the adults audiate in class gives the children a chance to work on that skill, as well as giving the adults some insight into what their little ones brains are doing.  We are going to continue to work on this skill in class!

Our dance last week was Harry Belafonte's "Jump In the Line."  Such a fun song to dance and play instruments to!

ENJOY!

My family loves the Muppets so I can't resist sharing these awesome videos too!

Now do some rhythm patterns!



 
Try singing an ostinato along with Harry and the Muppets.  An ostinato is a repeated part.  Listen starting around 1:42 while Fozzie talks to Harry, the other characters continue an ostinato behind their conversation. Another great ostinato to use would be singing, "Daylight come and me wanna go home."

Our lullaby this week has steel pan drums in the accompaniment on the recording.  As promised, here are some videos with steel pan music.

Different Tonalities and Meters

This week in class we sang Pussycat.  I told you that the most important part of this song was to sing it because it had a tonality that our ears are not used to.  Pussycat is in e phrygian.  If you are interested in understanding more about the structure of the phrygian scale I have added some information below.  I encourage you to click the play button under the notated scale, listen, and then try to sing the fifth note of the scale and then the first like we do when we clean the instruments up.  These are the two pitches from any song that will stick out the most to your child.  These will be the pitches you will most likely hear them sing first. 

Modern Phrygian mode

Modern Phrygian modal scale on E  Play (help·info).

In modern western music (from the 18th century onward), the Phrygian mode is related to the modern natural minor musical mode, also known as the Aeolian mode: the Phrygian scale differs in its second scale degree, which is a semitone lower than that of the Aeolian.

The following is the Phrygian mode starting on E, or E Phrygian, with corresponding tonal scale degrees illustrating how the modern major mode and natural minor mode can be altered to produce the Phrygian mode:

E Phrygian
Mode:  E  F  G  A  B  C  D  E
Major: 1 ♭2  ♭3 4  5 ♭6  ♭7 1
Minor: 1 ♭2  3  4  5  6  7  1

[edit]

This weeks dance!
Tip toe, kick, wiggle, and jump to French composer Jacques Offenbach's Can-Can.

Play along and dance to Kingdom Dance from the movie Tangled.
Did you notice in class that the meter changes in the middle of the song?  Did it feel like couldn't find the correct beat for a minute during the play along?  Around 1:12 the music changes from triple meter (1,2,3) to duple (1,2,3,4).  See if you can hear and feel the change at home.

Turn you day around with a Waltz and a Lullaby

It can't be said enough how important singing lullabies is.  The sound of your voice is soothing to your child.  (Even if you don't agree).  Singing lullabies to your child before bed helps them relax and fall asleep.  I encourage you to also sing tonal patterns after the lullaby.  Singing tonal patterns after a song gives your child an idea of the tonal structure of that song.  Give it a try the same way we do in class.  It may be simply singing the fifth and first notes of the key the song is in like we do in class.  Don't over think it if that doesn't make sense, just try it.

Below is a link to the New York Philharmonic playing Arirang in Korea.  Arirang is a traditional Korean folk song.  We have sung it as our lullaby in class for the past two weeks.  It is a beautiful song.  It also introduces your child to lovely Asian tonalities.
Play the video while your child is playing something else in the room.  They will enjoy listening even if they are not actively involved in watching the orchestra play.
If they are watching, point out what instruments you see in the orchestra while you listen.  Try conducting like the conductor.  Pretend you are playing the harp, violin, flute and other instruments you identify.




For our dance this week we waltzed!  I love waltzing with my children in my arms.  My favorite memories of when my oldest daughter was a baby was waltzing around her room with her and seeing her smile, laugh, and enjoy the movement of the music together.  She still loves it when I pick her up and waltz, but we also enjoy holding hands to dance through the kitchen together.  If you hit that 5:00 fussy hour and don't know what to do, try waltzing!
Here is the waltz from this week for some inspiration.

Welcome to Winter!

Music Together classes in Lake Wylie were fantastic this week!  I'm so glad to see both familiar and new faces in class.  Thank you for being engaged in the musical activities we are doing in class.  The more involved the adults are in the class the better all of the children will learn.

Some tips to make the most of class:

*Sing, dance, and make sure you're playing instruments too!

*Let your children be free in class as long as they are safe.  You do not have to force them to do the activities.  The only big rules are no running, and be nice to others and the instruments.  Some children will wonder around and come back while others will sit still and watch.  As long as the adults in the room are engaged in class they will all learn!

*Please bring extended family!  Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles, that lady next door that your child calls Grandma.  Children learn best from the adults they are closest to.  Your child will learn much much more from experiencing music with family than they will from me.  I am just here to guide the class, pass out the instruments, and point out the awesome musical achievements your children are making.  Music class would not work without all of the wonderful adult involvement.  

*Invite a friend.  If you have a friend that would like to try a free class please invite them.  If they sign up you get a discount on your next session!

Thank you all for trying the little musical experiment we did in class.  Below is the link to the video it came from.  While I did not execute it anywhere near as well as Bobby McFerrin does, it was still fun to try.  It definitely worked better in some classes than others.  I think that had to do with where it was placed in class and the need to be watching children at the same time as watching me and singing.  Either way it is a neat insight into how the human brain works.

Our dance this week was Greg and Steve's version of the Chicken Dance

Our play along was Old Joe Clark (The tune Clap Your Hands comes from)
There are many versions of this classic song.  I encourage you to check them out on iTunes or Amazon.
The version used in class was a bonus track from the Rambling Boy CD.

Here is a fun version you can play along with at home!

Lastly, this weekend the Charlotte Symphony is having a Lollipops concert.  Their Lollipops concerts were created specifically for children.  At 10:00 there is an orchestra petting zoo, drum circles, instrument making, and coloring.  The concert begins at 11:00 and is a fabulous way to introduce children of all ages to the orchestra while not having to worry about them being a wiggly or leaving for the potty!  This concert will feature, "Beethoven's iconic Fifth Symphony theme with a modern twist along side other orchestral favorites like Rossini's William Tell Overture and Brahms' Hungarian Dance."  Click the links below to check out Project Trio, who will be the guest artist for the concert, more information about the Lollipops concerts, and some of the music you will be hearing!

A fun old cartoon that includes William Tells Overture
 If you watch Little Einsteins with your child you may recognize the Hungarian Dance from there!