Music at home-The highs and lows of it

 This week our lesson focus was all about levels in movement.  So much of life is experienced without exploring the extremes of high and low.  Stretching outside of the normal range of movement can enhance awareness of our bodies in space, coordination, balance, and creative expression through movement.  Moving high and low translates fairly easily to children of all ages.  Hands and arms can be moved high and low; babies can be lifted into the air; and movements can incorporate crouching and stretching, crawling and walking high on tip-toes. On the piano, high notes are to the far right, and low notes are to the far left. If you have a piano or other instrument at home, try playing High and low notes, and encourage your child to move in response to the music. Scarves, streamers, or pieces of ribbon (with supervision, of course) can add another dimension to this activity. And if you have one, a Slinky is great to stretch and snap back to demonstrate levels in sound AND levels in movement!

If you haven't done so yet, visit play.kindermusik.com and use the card from your home materials to download the CDs from class. While this is the same music you have on your class CDs, you will also be able to download the lyrics from all the songs and extra activities to sing, play, move and groove. As mentioned in class, these are wonderful for those cold, wet or otherwise out of sorts days when parents and kids both need a break, for babysitters who might appreciate a little extra help in finding some way to play with a child, or for visiting grandparents.

Have a wonderful week!

Music this week-Movin' and Groovin'

We sure "moved & grooved" in class this week!  Thank you all for your creative ideas and enthusiasm in class.  Have you noticed all the moving words in our songs?  "Hop Up My Baby", "Jing Jang" and "My Pony Joe" to name just a few. 

Words are simply sounds until they are associated with an object, action, experience or feeling.  Combining sounds, movement, and language, such as fast and slow, high and low, and smooth and bumpy, gives children an opportunity to make connections between the action and sounds.  When similar events and sounds are repeated together, words begin to have meaning ("The Meaning of Words." presented by Bruce Perry at the National Early Childhood Advisory Board Meeting on May 19, 2000).  

For more Family Time fun at home, enjoy fast and slow “family jams” (play-alongs) to your favorite songs using container drums.  Find ways of playing your drums fast and slow, high and low and moving to the 1-2 beat and the 1-2-3 beat. Putting beans, rice, or even cheerios inside gives a range of sound opportunities as you shake and tap.  There are a wealth of possibilities that will reveal themselves as you explore together.  

Enjoy your new home materials. I strongly suggest that you copy the CDs to your computer or make a back-up copy, as I have not yet been able to get the download from the Kindermusik cafe to work. It can be very frustrating to have a favorite CD go missing or be unplayable when your child wants it! Enjoy the books and the balls, too. The more you use the home materials, especially by listening to the recordings at home, the more your child will be able to participate in and enjoy class, and it's helpful to parents, too! 

The home activity book and game are great "rainy day activities". Don't feel that you have to do the activities in order, or do them each day or even each week as "homework". But when you need something extra to do, something fun, or when everyone is a bit out of sorts, pulling that book out and finding a good activity to share can be a life saver, especially with a cranky toddler! I've also found that the activities in home materials can be great idea starters for babysitters, visiting relatives, or when you have an extra child or two over for one reason or another.

Have a fun time taping, shaking and playing together. I look forward to seeing you next week!

Ms. Donna