Solo Recital

Our solo recital last week went very well. Ten students performed in this recital with some playing 2 pieces. We had a few on this recital performing for the first time. Our group classes will be putting on a small recital during their last class. They have been preparing to play together as 8 hand ensemble classes.

Thanks to all who played! We had a great time!

Times are a changin'

If you have not heard by now, the Cherubs Clubhouse is closing down this week. It was about this time last year that we were just getting started at the clubhouse and so it seems so strange to be closing down. I remember driving over to the location every week before it was finished to check on the progress. My own children were so excited to be some of the first kids to get to play there. We had just finished Grand Opening at this time last year and were having piano and Kindermusik demo classes. Looking back at some of the pictures from last year, it is amazing to see how all of the kids have grown! Especially the Kindermusik kids!

But, like I have explained to my piano students last week, these things happen. Life changes and you just have to go with it. Miss Erika is continuing to teach Kindermusik at the Bell Center in Homewood and piano at Arts music on 280. Rita is continuing with her violin students in the Pelham area and is enrolling more students for violin and clarinet.

I will be continuing to teach private piano at Bruno Montessori and in the Oak Mountain area. I will now be adding my Thursday group piano students from Cherubs Clubhouse to the Oak Mountain location. Fortunately, this will not be too far from the Cherubs Clubhouse location and we should be able to keep close to the same schedule. I have my keyboards, computer lab and 2 acoustic pianos at this location so our classes should more over very well!

I am now also the ABC Music and Me account manager for Kindermusik in this area so I will be going to different schools to do demonstrations of our language and literacy program for at risk learners. It is really rewarding to bring Kindermusik to kids who may not have the opportunity to participate in a studio class.

I enjoyed teaching at the Cherubs Clubhouse and my children LOVED coming to play while mommy taught there! They really enjoyed getting to meet my students and their siblings during their class time. We will all have good memories and have enjoyed getting to meet new people there. Please continue to follow us on facebook to keep in touch and for more updates for new classes and locations! Have a great Thanksgiving!

Hearing with your whole body

After watching the video I posted earlier about Evelyn Glennie, a world famous percussionist who lost most of her hearing at the age of 12, I began thinking about some of our activities in Kindermusik classes in a different light.

As adults, we tend to focus on listening with our ears only. Many of us tend to be very reserved about the way we interact with music and sounds around us. Well, maybe interact is the wrong word. We often only just hear, rather than actively listen.

Children, given the opportunity, naturally interact with music and sounds around them. They spontaneously move to music and feel it in their bodies. They cannot contain the emotions that are brought about by music. They express it with their entire being.

With the simple percussion instruments featured in Kindermusik classes, the children are uninhibited in how they play the instruments. They explore not only the audible sounds, but the feeling of playing the instrument as they play rhythm sticks or egg shakers in different ways. As their arms and hands move in different ways, they explore hearing with their arms, hands and fingers.

This is really evident with the zig zag blocks. Some of their favorite ways to play the blocks make sounds so soft that they can hardly be heard but can be felt by the children. They tap them on their faces, their shoes, or their knees. They hear the sound in their bodies. With their shoes off in class they hear the sounds with the bare feet on the floor as the music causes the floor to vibrate.

In music class, they watch other kids keeping a steady beat with sticks or moving a scarf expressively. They see the form of the music in our circle dances as we move in different ways to different sections on the music. They are hearing with their eyes.

One thing that was mentioned in the video was experiencing the sounds around us- not just music. As adults, we do not stop to enjoy everyday sounds. Children are naturally drawn to different sounds in their world and enjoy listening to a train, running water, animals sounds or even the sound of feet walking like we do in class. They absorb these sounds and make them part of their very being.

I know I cannot do justice to the words that were expressed in this video so go see it for yourself! My point is, that somewhere along the way, as a culture we stop experiencing sound with the same wonderment and awe as we had as children. We need to nurture this tendency in children and as adults strive to be a little more childlike in our musical experiences.

To watch the entire video, click here.

Great Kindermusik Deal!

Have you wanted to try out Kindermusik but not had the chance? Our Kindermusik playdates are the perfect solution! Playdates are a single session "pay to play" Kindermusik class. Just like all of our other Kindermusik classes, playdates include a research based curriculum, a take home instrument, recorded music from class and a lot of fun! Classes are scheduled all over Birmingham on mornings, afternoons, evenings and even weekends! This is perfect for mom's group activities, gifts, or just for trying Kindermusik with low cost or commitment.

Each 45 class is regularly $15.00. For today and tomorrow only, you can purchase your playdate at 53% off through Big Bham!

Once you have taken advantage of the deal, visit our playdate website for a list of classes and locations. Choose what is best for your schedule. When you register, be sure to indicate that you purchased through Big Bham and enter your gift certificate code.

Then, forward the information to all of your friends, post it on your facebook page and let everyone else know about it. Playdates are always more fun with friends!

Family Time Starts Soon

Its time! Our Family Time Kindermusik class will be starting back up this week! Family Time is a one room schoolhouse experience. This is our mixed age class for "only" children as well as families with more than one child. Only one home kit is purchased per family which makes this class a great deal for families wit mulitple siblings.

I enjoy teaching this class, and observing the younger children learning from the older children as well as seeing the older children become leaders in the classroom. Last year as we offered this class at the Cherubs Clubhouse, we played at the water table during our aquarium unit, visited the play equipment during our trip to the park, had a bunny rabbit visitor during our farm unit and had demonstrations on the trumpet and violin. I particularly enjoyed hearing the students learn the welcome song during the term, seeing them make friends with each other, and being a part of the new connections being made by the moms in the class.

We still have room in our class so don't miss out on the fun! Come join us at 9:00 am for Family Time!

ABC Music and Me and language development

Ms. Erika attended a conference on teaching English as a second language this summer and had these thoughts about language and ABC Music and Me


Communication is a vital and essential part of each of our lives! Since I have been overseas 8 times, I have experienced firsthand the joys and trials of communicating to those of other languages and cultures. I first discovered my love for working with Internationals at 17 years when I went on my first mission trip to Taiwan. Since that time, I have been overseas 6 more times and at one time, I even anticipated living long-term in the Middle East. I did not end up living in the Middle East but I have had the opportunity to work with Internationals stateside! While living in Auburn the past 2 years, I loved working within an ESL ministry in my former church with those learning English as a second language.

The training I recently received was designed to equip us to teach Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced levels in English language proficiency. We learned how to conduct student placement interviews, basic language learning skills, planning our ESL lesson, how to introduce new vocabulary, teaching pronunciation and communication practice activities. There are four basic skills that are necessary to learn a language - listening, speaking, reading and writing. When we learned our first language, listening was the first and foremost foundational language skill. We then slowly learned how to create and mimic sounds that we heard. It is important to hear the language's individual sounds, rhythm, stress and intonation patterns so that we learned how to speak the language correctly. So it is when learning a second language! It is vital to develop and practice listening skills for any language learning.

Now that I have been teaching with Kindermusik, it is so rewarding to see that one of the major focuses of the ABC Music and Me is listening! According to Kindermusik's ABC Music and Me research "Learning to listen is a prerequisite to listening to learn, " stresses research Mayesky (1986). Listening is the first language mode that children acquire, and it provides a foundation for all aspects of language and reading development. Listening is a very large part of school learning, with students spending an estimated 50 to 75 percent of classroom time listening to the teacher,to other students, or to media" (Smith, 1992). ABC Music and Me is actually a research driven and proven method for increasing language and vocabulary. During classtime, the children are exposed to actively listening to music as well as non-musical sounds and language. We develop routines to help focus the children's attention on listening and following directions, reading stories out loud and even imitation of sounds and words, developing new vocabulary. The best part is that the child is having fun the entire time while learning!

Our ABC classes are all taught in English but we love to diversify and sometimes incorporate songs and instruments from other cultures. Occasionally we have Spanish speaking children and it is fun to see their eyes light up when we start singing a Spanish song. Kindermusik also offers Spanish home materials to help with reinforce the child's first language at home and help Spanish speaking parents connect with their child at home. No matter your first language, we hope you come join us for ABC Music and Me to Listen, Learn and Love music! We believe that music's affect on cognition and skill development is undeniable!

Erika Stewart

Reaching every child with the magic of music!

I am excited to say that in addition to the private lessons and classes that I teach, I will now be this area's representative of the school edition of ABC Music and Me, which is our language and literacy program for preK and Kindergarten classrooms! This research based program has benefits for all children, but particularly benefits those who have intellectual and physical challenges, as well as those who are learning English as a second language.

One of the unique aspects of this program is that it uses music and movement as the vehicle for learning. It is not an official "music curriculum"- it simply uses the magic of music to reach children in all areas of development. This program also involves families at home with the use of the family magazine and home materials.

I look forward to visiting schools in the area to present the program in the classrooms! If you are a teacher or an administrator in a school and would like to have a demonstration of the program, please let me know!

Check out the ABC Website: ABC Music and Me

Kindermusik Demo Class September 8 at the Cherubs Clubhouse

We are having bring a friend week to kick off a new school year of Kindermusik at the Cherubs Clubhouse!

Join us for a Carnival of Music September 8 at 9:30 for babies and 10:15 for kids of all ages. Feel free to invite a friend!

Just a tip, particularly if this is your first time at the Cherubs Clubhouse, please arrive just in time for your class and come straight back to the classroom. It always takes kids a few minutes to adjust to a new place, and if they start by playing on the play equipment they sometimes have a hard time switching gears to class time. We will play after class!

Kindermusik Birthday parties!

The Cherubs Clubhouse is THE place to have your child’s birthday!
Add Kindermusik to your child’s birthday party at the Cherubs Clubhouse for an additional $4.00 per child for up to 12 children. Additional children add $2.00 per child to the price. There is a minimum of 8 children. The Kindermusik session of the party is 30 minutes long.

Kindermusik birthday parties at the Cherub Clubhouse include:
Music and movement with scarves, hoops, parachute and/or bubble machine.
Puppets
Dress up
Instrument play along and exploration
Happy birthday sing along
Imaginative play
Currently enrolled Kindermusik students can book their party for only $3.00 per child! These rates only apply to parties hosted by the Cherubs Clubhouse and are in addition to the price for booking the Cherubs Clubhouse.

Themes include:
princess
cowboys and Indians
animals
transportation
Star Wars
Sesame street
Seasonal themes (Christmas, Halloween, and so forth)
Dinosaurs
and more!

Themed parties include Kindermusik songs and activities as well as your child's favorite songs, themes, characters, props or activities!

Kindermusik Conference

I am back from Kindermusik conference in Biloxi, Mississippi! My family and I went down early and enjoyed one day at the beach and visiting with relatives that live in the area. I enjoyed getting to meet so many ladies (and gentleman :) who teach Kindermusik in the southeast. The Birmingham area had 6 educators present at the conference! We spent the weekend getting to know each other, sharing ideas, and attending classes. I really enjoyed the drum circle/bondfire at the beach Friday night!
~Lauren

Kindergarten readiness skills: Part III: Steady Beat

Why is steady beat a Kindergarten readiness skill? What does steady beat have to do with academics?

First of all, working to develop a steady beat has more than just musical benefits. Of course if your child becomes a musician steady beat is an essential on any instrument. But did you ever think about the other benefits of steady beat?

Any repeated action in our everyday lives requires steady beat from the simplest activities such as walking with coordination, dribbling a ball, cutting with scissors, to more complex actions such as typing. This is why we emphasize steady beat activities in each Kindermusik class and provide you with the materials to work on this skill at home.

Steady beat activities also help the child's brain to learn to organize and sets the foundation for pre-math skills. Studies show that elementary students who are taught basic rhythmic notation score higher on fraction tests than students who were simply taught fractions in the traditional way. I think this is because music turns mathematics into a multi-sensory activity. It all starts with steady beat.

Here are some steady beat activities for home:
1. Steady beat movement Turn on the music and pretend to be a marching band. March, stomp, or jump to the music. See how many different actions can be done to a steady beat. If you have them, use scarves, steamers, hoops or a parachute like we would use in Kindermusik class.

Listen to sounds around the house and determine if that particular sound has a steady beat, IE. a dripping faucet, windshield wipers, a ticking clock or beeping microwave. Move to the beat to these sounds. Use the music in your Kindermusik home CD to move to the steady beat. The Kindermusik songs are developmentally chosen to provide the best opportunities for movement and development of steady beat.

Babies who are not yet mobile can begin to learn about steady beat as well. Put them on your lap and bounce to the steady beat. Move them around the room to the steady beat of the music.

Movement to a steady beat allows them to feel and see the steady beat. This is especially true in Kindermusik class where the kids see their peers making a steady beat. In class the children also learn new ways to move to a steady beat by watching each other. In our class we also include circle and line dances where the children actually interact with each other while keeping a steady beat. Making steady beat a social activity helps to solidify the concept in their developing minds

2. Instrument play Pull out the instruments from your Kindermusik home materials or make your own. Using your Kindermusik CD or another CD, use the instruments to keep a steady beat along with the music. This works steady beat with the fine motor skills and allows them to hear the beat that they are making. In Kindermusik class, they can also see the steady beat made by the instruments of their friends.

3. Ball Toss This is one of my favorite activities to do with my beginning piano students. This is a little trick I learned many years ago when I was completing my training for Orff certification. For this preschool activity we use a large, soft ball. I stand across from the student. The object of the game is to pass the ball back and forth to a steady beat. If you pass too quickly, the other person will not be able to anticipate when to catch the ball. If you hold on to the ball too long, the partner has to wait for the ball. First, I demonstrate how to pass the ball to a steady beat while I hold the ball. Then I explain to the preschooler how we have to keep our beat steady or we will not be able to catch the ball. Then we pass the ball back and forth counting "one" for quarter notes. With my older students who are in piano classes or lessons, we eventually create rhythms and pass according to the rhythm. This is a fun steady beat activity that explains the concept of keeping the beat going, allows the student to use gross motor muscles to feel the beat, works for teamwork, allows the student to see the stead beat as it is passed back and forth, and lays the groundwork for counting rhythm. Students ask for this activity again and again in classes.

Kindergarten readiness skills: Part II: Listening Skills

Did you know that listening is something that can be practiced? Here are three ways to work on listening skills at home.

1. Active Listening: In Kindermusik classes each week we have a short, focused listening example. Many times, this example is nothing more than a sound made by an instrument, sounds around the house, or an animal sound. These examples are not just fun for the kids, but they provide them with an active listening experience. This can be done very easily at home with one of your Kindermusik CDs or with sounds around the house. Have the child listen to a short sound and ask them to imitate it. Ask them to move like the sound or music they heard. Ask them questions about the sound. Keep it short. They don't have to sit and actively listen to an entire symphony- just a short part. Gradually lengthen the listening example.

2. Following multi step directions We all want our kids to listen and follow directions. Board games and simple dances are two fun ways to learn to follow directions. In Kindermusik class we do circle and line dances. The object is not to learn to dance, but to follow mulit-step directions that are given verbally. There are many ways to do this at home such as the Hokey Pokey or by playing twister. Board games and card games are a great way to work on following directions as well. Some of your Kindermusik home kits come with board games to use at home.

3. Story Time We all know that reading to your child has many benefits. This is why we include it in every Kindermusik class and in the home materials for Kindermusik classes. As you are reading, be sure to make the sounds along with the book. Be sure to ask questions about the pictures. Alternatively, listen to a recording of the book. Your Kindermusik CDs have a recording of your class book. Or make your own recording of your child's favorite book. Your child can listen on their own and follow along with the book. Have your child "read" the story to you. Draw pictures about the story after reading. Put together a play or puppet show using your Kindermusik Family Time puppets after reading the book. At the end of the reading, ask questions about the content of the story. The possibilities for reading with your child are endless.

One of the most important aspects is repetition. Did you ever think that there may be a developmental reason that your child asks to be read the same book over and over? Children thrive on repetition. Once your child has heard the same book several times, leave out certain words to see if your child can fill in the blanks as you are reading. Many of our Kindermusik CDs include an example of doing this. During this break we have in our Kindermusik routine, be sure to use the home materials from previous units. That is what is so great about the Kindermusik home materials- they extend the learning year round.

3 games for Kindergarten readiness

It is the first day of school for most kids. I know a lot of parents are wondering how their child will do and if they were ready. A lot of what we do in Kindermusik is school readiness such as practicing self control, taking turns, developing listening skills, lengthening attention span as well as pre-literary and math skills.

Probably the number one skill every Kindergarten teacher looks for in a child is inhibitory control. Inhibitory control is the ability to listen to an instruction and to control the body accordingly. This is something that can be practiced in short sessions with kids of any age. There are many ways to practice this at home.

1. While playing an instrument like the rhythm sticks, have the child find different ways to tap. Then say out loud with the child, TAP, TAP, TAP, TAP rea-dy STOP. At this point freeze. Find a different way to tap and try the same thing. If you do no have an instrument, you can do body percussion which is tapping your own body. Kids of all ages can do this- even babies. You would be surprised to see how quiet and still some of my youngest students get with this game. Some even anticipate the "STOP" command and give it themselves! We do this almost weekly in a Kindermusik class.

Even if your child does not actually stop yet, they will learn the concept if they see and hear you stop.

2. Sing one of your child's favorite songs but whisper the chorus. Children have to learn to whisper. Anyone who has kids knows that they are not born knowing how to whisper in church! This is something we practice. Once whispering is mastered, have them be silent for the chorus of the song and join back in on the verses. I find that even with babies, the softer you sing to them, the harder they listen. They quiet their whole bodies down in anticipation. I can quiet a room of babies simply by singing softly rather than by speaking loudly.

3. Children love to stop and start. This is evident when you think of all the children's games that are built on this concept. Mother May I? Freeze Tag, Simon Says, the Silent Game, and Red Light Green Light. With all the video games out these days I am not sure how much these are played anymore. Children love these games and they help them learn to listen to instructions and to control themselves. We need to introduce our kids to these great games and help them practice inhibitory control.

ABC Music and Me now enrolling!

Why ABC? There are so many music programs out there. What is special about ABC?

"ABC Music & Me is a research-based language and early literacy program built around music. Kindermusik has used its 30 years of experience to create an “all-in-the-box” program for Preschoolers, Kindergarteners, and emerging readers. Our program develops essential listening and early literacy skills so your students have the skills they need to succeed in school.

ABC Music & Me is especially effective for children with developmental delays and at-risk learners. We also provide special instructions for using our program with English Language Learners and the Home Materials are available in English and Spanish.

Through songs and music, our program:
enhances students’ listening and speaking skills
helps students develop pre-reading and writing skills
involves parents in their child’s learning
gives teachers ongoing professional development that ensures results.

Build listening and early literacy skills in a way that is playful, active, and proven effective with young children!


“I’m excited to report the language learning gains were above the 70% significance level.”

Penny Collins, Director of Special Education, Osceola County, Florida"

More research concerning the correlation between the ABC Music and Me program and school skills, http://www.abcmusicandme.com/Why_Music.html.

Sign and Sing Weeks 2 and 3

Last week in Sign and Sing we worked on different attention getting strategies for presenting the signs. We used interesting objects like musical balls to draw their attention to the sign for ball. We sang a silly song and signed about their reactions to the song. Another strategy we used was bringing the object about which you are signing to your face so that the child's line of vision will follow the object. This draws attention to the object so that you can then demonstrate the sign.

This week, we introduced an Adaptation Strategy. This occurs when you move a toy next to your face so your child can see you making the sign while you hold the toy. Watch your baby’s eyes as she looks back and forth from the object to you. You have created the ideal environment for learning.

Keep working with your home materials and we will see you next week!

ABC Music and Me fall classes

ABC Music and Me will continue this fall on Wednesdays with Ms. Erika. The 4 to 6 year old class provides an introduction to the piano and will study major composers. This is the perfect class for young homeschoolers and preschoolers to learn more about music and get ready for piano or violin. It is highly recommended that students younger than 6 take this class BEFORE beginning violin. The home materials for this unit includes a pan flute and castanets.

Sing a Story - Mozart and math? With exposure to singing and music notation, your child gets more experience with abstract symbols. In class, we’ll explore how abstract thoughts are shared and communicated with symbols, such as a musical note. This same abstract thinking process helps your child learn letters of the alphabet and numbers. You can reinforce these learning concepts at home with your Student Kit as you share your understanding of music with each other.


Jumping Beans - The Jumping Beans unit jumps into the rhythms of Latin America! Children will listen to a variety of Latin music styles, play instruments, dance, and investigate the concept of a musical rest. They will move and stop their bodies, explore expressive movement, sing some Spanish words and phrases, and even jump like jumping beans. ¡Olé!


All Keyed Up - The All Keyed Up unit immerses children in the magic of keyboards of all kinds. They will learn about the composer J.S. Bach, listen to and learn about pianos, organs, synthesizers, and harpsichords, and investigate the similarities and differences between these related instruments. While they’re at it, they’ll explore staccato and legato sounds: moving and playing instruments, listening to music selections, and learning graphic notation for these concepts. It’s no wonder this unit has preschoolers All Keyed Up!

Open House

August 5 fom 5:30 to 7:00 pm will be our back to school open house at the Cherubs Clubhouse. Come meet the Imaginations Music Studio and learn more about the classes and lessons we have to offer for kids aged 0 to adult.

We will have short demonstrations of several of Kindermusik, piano and violin so that you can make the best choice for your child this fall. We will be taking fall registrations that night as well. Many of our classes are small in size to allow a low student to teacher ratio so they will fill up fast. Be sure to register in advance! Call 437-3478 if you have any questions about the classes.

Return to the Imaginations Music website

What do I need for violin classes?

Having a quality instrument is essential to your child's success in any field. A quality child's violin can cost only $60 to $100. They can also be rented. Your child will need a violin in a size for their little hands to play. This means that granddaddy's old full sized fiddle in the attic will not do for your little one. However, there are a lot of affordable options for violins.

Ms. Rita has listed some websites to help you find a violin for your child. Music Basics and violins.com. There are several music stores around Birmingham that are also worth visiting and pricing. The violins must be wooden, and NOT plastic. Before purchasing a violin, please consult with Ms. Rita at rita@imaginationsmusic.com.

Sign and Sing Class 1

Yesterday, we talked about ways to bring signs into your child's world during class as well as during playtime after class. You do not need to know every sign there is, or to use signs constantly for this to be effective. Start by choosing some of the signs from class last night that your child might be most interested in. The goal of this week is to get started signing and become comfortable signing yourself. The "see a lot, do a lot" signs are things that happen often during the day likebed, eat, more, finish, what, help and milk. There are plenty of opporunities thoughout the day to use these signs. The other type of signs which are an important part of the "Signing Smart" strategy are the "highly motivating signs." These are things that your child is very interesting in or might be very motivated to learn to sign. This may be different for each child. The signs we used last night from this category would bny, mom, dad, music, ball, bear, as well as a few more.

1. The first step is learning how to use the signs so that your children see them. It doesn't help to do the sign when you child isn't looking at you! When they are attentive to you, interested in something and making eye contact with you, this is the perfect time to sign.
2, the Second step is recognizing your child's early attempts at signing. If you are feeding your baby and they touch their hands together as if attempting to sign "more" then respond by giving them more of whatever they were eating! Some early attempts at signing may be accident, but if you respond to them, the child will learn that by speaking with their hands, they got what they needed. Also notice if your child is responding to the signs YOU give. If you sign and ask "more?" and you child's face lights up this is progress as well! Remember that it does sometimes take a long time for those first signs to appear. Don't be discouraged if you don't see any signals that your child is attempting to sign right away. Sometimes we cannot see the result of what we do with our babies for a long time. But these early experiences become aborbed into who they are. The time you spend communicating verbally and by signing with your baby will not go unrewarded.

Violin offered at Cherubs Clubhouse!

We are very excited to be opening up violin classes and private lessons at the Cherubs Clubhouse on Thursday afternoons! Both piano classes and violin classes will be taught in separate rooms at the Cherubs Clubhouse on Thursday starting in September.

Homeschool violin classes will begin at 2:00. Come study with fellow homeschoolers and play together after class. Afterschool violin will begin after 3:00 Classes will be scheduled according to age and ability of the children who sign up. Children must be at least 6 years old to participate in this program. Children younger than 6 are encouraged to begin with Kindermusik and/or piano to help prepare for violin.

Classes will start at $50.00 per month per child plus materials. Space is very limited in our classes in order to provide the children with one on one instruction. An appropriately sized violin is required by each student to practice. Email imaginationsmusic@bellsouth.net for more info.

Meet our studio!

We are so happy to be bringing music to so many more children this fall!!! We now have three teachers working with the Imaginations Music Studio teaching classes at the Cherubs Clubhouse and private lessons at various locations.

Our newest teacher, Rita Yates will be offering violin classes on Thursday afternoons at the Cherubs Clubhouse alongside the piano classes that we will also be offering at that time. She also teaches clarinet lessons to all ages and levels. We are so excited to be offering violin and clarinet!

Erika Stewart will be teaching Wednesday morning Kindermusik classes at the Cherubs Clubhouse. Her first session began today and we had a great crowd. I will post pictures later. She will also be teaching private piano lessons in the 280 area. She has experience working with children who have special needs and teaching the Sign and Sing curriculum. We are excited to have her join us.

Visit imaginationsmusic.com for more information.

I will be teaching private piano at Bruno Montessori and at my Inverness studio. I am happy to say that my private lesson studio is full for the fall! I still have some openings for beginners in my group classes at the Cherubs Clubhouse on Thursdays. The Thursday piano schedule in the fall will continue to be very close to our spring schedule. I will also be teaching Kindermusik Family Time on Thursday mornings at the Cherubs Clubhouse.

We have 2 more summer piano classes if you would like to come try out a class before signing upo for fall. They will be held July 22 and July 29. Visit my piano studio website for a schedule and registration

ABC Music and Me begins on Thursday at 9:30

ABC Music & Me supports the early childhood standards and requirements for “high quality programs” as defined by the National Institute for Early Education and aligns with pre-K national and state standards. ABC Music & Me has won the Teacher's Choice Award and was a finalist for the AEP Golden Lamp Award.

Ms. Erika will be teaching our ABC class and is very excited about it. If you are looking for something to do over the summer, wanting to try a Kindermusik "sampler," or if you are one of our continuing students from the spring, I think you will enjoy ABC.

The class will run for one month and is priced at $55. The tuition price includes materials. The home materials are a book, a CD of all the songs from class and rhythm sticks. Just ask one of our continuing students what a difference using the home materials makes!

Those enrolled in the summer term will be given opportunity for fall class preference and an early bird discount for fall registration.

Interested in music but working full time? Click here to help us bring our program to your school!

Sneak peek into the Kindermusik program...

Demo Class

Today we had one of the biggest demo classes that we have had so far!! Thanks to everyone who came out this morning!! If you missed the class, we will still be enrolling for summer classes through next Thursday. Click here to register for classes. This summer we are offering Sign and Sing for kids 0 to 18 months as well as ABC Music and Me for kids 2 to 4 years over the summer. There are only 10 spots per class, so please register online to be sure that you will have a spot. Today in our classes we saw a variety of learning styles. Some children sat quietly and observed the other children and parents. Some moved around the room absorbing the sounds around them, watching other children and learning by moving. Others actively participated in the class and were always excited about each new activity. Each learning style is unique and respected in the Kindermusik classroom. Even in today's demo class, we saw some shy students begin to open up as the classes progressed. By starting each class out with the same welcome song each week, those students who tend to always be on the move during class begin to settle in and learn the routine. One activity that helps the kids to learn how to respond in the classroom setting was the inhibitory control activity we did in the first class. We played our egg shakers along with the song and stopped whenever the song stopped. Learning to follow aural and visual cues through these types of activities helps to prepare children for preschool and Kindergarten. The movement activities that we did in both classes allow the children to explore different types of movement, change their perspective of the classroom, and learn to control their bodies to follow the directions. Each class includes movement activities with scarves, marching, circle dances, puppets, hoops or even a parachute. Older children love to be given the freedom to move on their own and the younger children love to be held close by their caregivers as they experience the sensations that movement provides. When your child is moving along with music, their brains light up with stimulation. The simple instruments used in classes are developmentally designed to help the child to be successful at their first attempts at music. For most of the instruments we use, there is no wrong way to play them. This leaves the child with a world of kinesthetic and aural exploration. The development of a steady beat by using these instruments help the child with physical coordination, learning to cut with scissors, bouncing a ball, and even with learning to walk fluidly. Developing a steady beat is essential to learning to play any instrument or learning to sing. Kindermusik provides a strong foundation for any future formal music study, develops school readiness skills, and prepares the child for other future interests as well.

Welcome Erika Stewart!

The Imaginations Music Studio would like to welcome our new teacher, Erika Stewart! Born and raised in Seattle, WA, Erika has had a lifelong passion for music, beginning piano studies at the age of 5 and continuing for another 20 years. Those years included an emphasis on classical as well as sacred music, piano accompaniment for vocalists, congregational singing, and children's music programs. Erika's educational background is a B.S. degree in Biblical Studies through Moody Bible Institute. Since Erika has always loved children, she has 15 years experience of working with children in various settings, including piano teaching and has found great joy in influencing each individual life. As a licensed Kindermusik educator, Erika has found Kindermusik to be a perfect way to teach the fundamentals of music as well as impart a love for music to children. Erika has experience teaching several parts of the Kindermusik curriculum as well as the Sign and Sing class. She has also worked with children who have special needs. We are looking forward to what Erika can add to our program! Join us for a free demo, July 8 at 9:30 and at 10:00 to meet Erika!

Beat the Heat!

Come see why this little boy is so happy in Kindermusik! We will be holding a free Kindermusik demonstration in Pelham at the Cherubs Clubhouse July 8! Come meet our new addition to the studio, Erika Stewart who will be conducting the class! Erika is a lisenced Kindermusik educator and piano instructor.

July 8
9:30 0 to 18 month olds
10:00 18 month to 4 year olds

Come beat the heat and join us for music class and 30 minutes of free Cherubs Clubhouse playtime afterward on July 8! Its the middle of the summer and the kids are getting restless. The park is only getting hotter. Join us for free music class and playtime at our indoor, air conditioned park!


We will be holding a drawing for a 15% discount on summer tuition, a free Kindermusik CD and offering an early bird discount for fall registration at the free demo!!


Our summer term of Sign and Sing for 0 to 18 month olds and ABC Music and Me for 2 to 4 year olds will start the next week.

Kindermusik

We just ended our spring family time class with a great group if kids. After school let out, we had several older siblings join us for a few classes. This past week, we explored the concept of weight. We used scarves to move like feathers and floating leaves, we jumped in hula hoops, and we used the parachute. The older kids wore the scarves like super hero capes or like butterfly wings. It was a lot of fun.

We are finishing up our Sign and Sing night class and have 2 classes left on Thursday evenings at 6:00 pm. Come join us for a preview class!

Our next term begins in July. We will have a short Sign and Sing term and a short ABC Music and Me term on Thursday afternoons. Enroll Now!

We also have piano classes for all ages over the summer. See my piano website for a full schedule.

Pathways

Our Family Time Kindermusik class has been focusing on pathways during the last 2 weeks. We have been exploring pathways with our hands, out feet, and with the flashlight. Last week we worked on using the jingle bells to draw circles, zig zags and curves in the air or on the floor. This week they were really showing improvement on that! It is amazing to see the progress they make from week to week. This is why we generally spend 2 weeks on particular concepts in class. They need that repetition to fully absorb the activities.

Another aspect of our class this week was taking turns. We each took turns ringing the bell that starts our class. We each took turns playing the glockenspiel. The children did great passing the instrument to the next classmate!

We also made visual representation of beat groupings today. We used the parachute on a song that had 2 sections- a section in 6/8 and a section in 2/4. We moved the parachute to show the difference in the grouping of the beats in this song. We also did a line dance to Lil Liza Jane. In addition to providing social interaction and helping them learn to follow aural instructions, line dances help them to visualize not only groupings of beats but varying sections in the music as well. They also felt the groupings as they were holding the parachute or feeling the waft of air each time we moved the parachute.

Sign and Sing class 2

Last week in Sign and Sing we worked on different attention getting strategies for presenting the signs. We used interesting objects like musical balls to draw their attention to the sign for ball. We sang a silly song and signed about their reactions to the song. Another strategy we used was bringing the object about which you are signing to your face so that the child's line of vision will follow the object. This draws attention to the object so that you can then demonstrate the sign.

We had a few "signs" of progress this week! Some of the children were responding to our signing with their facial expressions. This is a first step and shows that they are paying attention to the signs and that they are learning that the signs have meaning. If you sign "more" and you child lights up, take encouragement in that and use that as an opportunity to review the sign. We also saw some early hand movements in response to the signing. Whenever you see this, even if you are not sure that they are actually signing, go with it! Those first few signs might be an accident and might be hard to recognize, but if you applaud these first efforts, as they get older you will notice them deliberately signing to you. One way to reinforce this is to sign back to them, speak the word and give them what ever it is for which you think they might signing. This gives them visual reinforcement, auditory reinforcement, and tactile reinforcement of what they were doing. Also, be sure to ask them if they are talking with their hands so that they understand that hands can communicate!

Our stations for this week included a ball pit where we signed about the balls as well as about being inside and outside the ball pit. We also had a dancing station with music where we signed about dancing and music. This can be done at home as well. Another idea for the music station is to turn the music off and sign "more" before turning it back on. We had a car station where we signed about the cars and where the cars are going. After our bubble parade, we ended the class with a visit to our "duck pond" where we used a familiar song to sign about the ducks. After class the kids played in the outer area and we practiced signing our new signs during playtime.

The point of our class is to give you the tools you need to stimulate your child's verbal development at home day to day. Keep working with your child consistantly at home even if you do not see the results at first. It sometimes takes months before the younger ones begin to sign back. Remember that any time you spend talking and interacting with your child as well as with other child is not wasted.

Up and Down

Today in Kindermusik, a lot of our activities were focused on directional vocabulary like "up", "down", "out", and even "sit", "lie down" and "roll over." These activities have an educational purpose.

0 to 18 months: directional vocabulary helps kids at this age to form concrete impressions of the words. They hear the term, see the other kids doing, and do it themselves. Moms might also assist their younger child by doing the activity TO them. For instance, for the word, "up" you might use your hand to scamper up your child's back like the squirrel we sang about today. That way if your child is not yet doing the motion, they can still feel it on their body.

18 months- 5 years: The older children really caught on to the spoken directions today! Using the directional vocabulary challenges them to listen and respond to aural cues. Add in new vocabulary to this activity at home. In class, we did many other movements in addition to the directional terms listed above. Try "roly poly" and home with shakers, sticks or other objects. Have your child come up with new activities for "walk along rover" and "little squirrel."

In addition to the directional vocabulary, we also worked on a bit of ear training in class. The slide whistle was used to demonstrate low and high pitches. Young children often confuse the term high and low with loud and soft. This is probably because we talk about turning the radio "up" or "down." Find different sounds around the house that are high in pitch and draw them to your child's attention. Do the same with low pitches. Then see if your child can imitate not only the pitch made but the sounds. This works on phonemic awareness and pitch discernment at the same time.

By physically reacting to the slide whistle, we were also creating a visual and kinethetic demonstration of sound. This not only gives your child a creative outlet to respond to the differences in pitch, but it also helps your child to make the connection between high and low.

Sign and Sing- class 1

We had our first Sign and Sing class last night! If you haven't checked the pictures out, they are on my facebook fan page which you can access on the right side of my blog. Feel free to bring cameras to class to take more pictures!

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED having dads in class as well as the moms! Kudos!

Last night, we talked about ways to bring signs into your child's world during class as well as during playtime after class. You do not need to know every sign there is, or to use signs constantly for this to be effective. Start by choosing some of the signs from class last night that your child might be most interested in. The goal of this week is to get started signing and become comfortable signing yourself. The "see a lot, do a lot" signs are things that happen often during the day likebed, eat, more, finish, what, help and milk. There are plenty of opporunities thoughout the day to use these signs. The other type of signs which are an important part of the "Signing Smart" strategy are the "highly motivating signs." These are things that your child is very interesting in or might be very motivated to learn to sign. This may be different for each child. The signs we used last night from this category would bny, mom, dad, music, ball, bear, as well as a few more.

1. The first step is learning how to use the signs so that your children see them. It doesn't help to do the sign when you child isn't looking at you! When they are attentive to you, interested in something and making eye contact with you, this is the perfect time to sign.
2, the Second step is recognizing your child's early attempts at signing. If you are feeding your baby and they touch their hands together as if attempting to sign "more" then respond by giving them more of whatever they were eating! Some early attempts at signing may be accident, but if you respond to them, the child will learn that by speaking with their hands, they got what they needed. Also notice if your child is responding to the signs YOU give. If you sign and ask "more?" and you child's face lights up this is progress as well! Remember that it does sometimes take a long time for those first signs to appear. Don't be discouraged if you don't see any signals that your child is attempting to sign right away. Sometimes we cannot see the result of what we do with our babies for a long time. But these early experiences become aborbed into who they are. The time you spend communicating verbally and by signing with your baby will not go unrewarded.

How do I practice for Recital?

We have our spring recital coming up very soon. My private students have been researching their composers to write program notes about their pieces. We chose our music a while ago and have been working on it bit by bit each week in lessons and classes.

How should we prepare for recital at home? Please work to run through your music at least twice each day without the music. Music will be performed on the recital by memory, so at this point, they should be practicing from memory every day. Don't forget to go back and check the music to be sure that the child didn't start to make new mistakes. Sometimes after working on one piece of music for a while, new mistakes start creeping in. Be sure to keep it steady. If you have a CD, practice along with the CD to keep a steady beat and to practice "keeping going." We cannot stop during recital to rehash a mistake, to restart or talk about a mistake made.

Have recital run throughs where the child practices walking up to the piano, bowing towards the audience and sliding into the correct position (usually in front of middle C). Tell them its ok to take their time to find the correct hand position and to think about their music before beginning. Other ways to practice include singing the piece, counting the piece, calling out the note names and practice starting from the different sections of the music. A good way to work towards memory is to remove the music and have the child attempt to play from memory. If the child begins to struggle, replace the music for that portion of the piece. Eventually, he will learn play it without the help. About a week away from the recital, stage practice recitals in your home for your family, friends, neighbors or even for the video camera. During the week before the recital we place more emphasis on the recital piece than ever.

In lessons we have been practicing the recital music each week. We will work on bowing correctly. We are also working to polish dynamics and correct any mistakes that have crept up along the way. The memory work should mainly be done at home so that we have time in lessons and classes to also work on other music. Music must be memorized by May 3 to participate in the recital.

Why Kindermusik before piano?

Today in our Family Time class I had a great reminder of one of the reasons we suggest taking Kindermusik before starting piano.

The children took a little extra time today with the instrument exploration during family jam. One thing we worked on with the older kids, was trying to exercise BOTH hands, not just the favored hand. Playing the simple instruments like a drum with mallet, rhythm sticks, castanets, sand blocks and shakers work on fine motor skills and hand eye coordination required to play the piano or any other instruments. Alternating egg shakers or rhythm sticks not only strengthens neural connections between the right and left sides of the brain, but it also strengthens coordination in the non-dominant hand which is essential for piano technique.

Another aspect of the instrument exploration is that the instruments are all played in different ways thus using different muscle groups in the arms. This strengthens the fine motor muscles that control the individual fingers. Finger independence and equal finger strength is also important to learning to play the piano.

This is also important in help the child learn to hold a spoon and feed himself or learning to write. Other activities that facilitate fine motor development are the pegged puzzles, stringing beads, putting beans through a small hole in an old can, using tongs to move cotton bowls from one dish to another, or using an eye dropper to squeeze out one drop of liquid at a time. Try putting these activities where they are worked from left to right. This helps prepare them to read text as well as music from left to right.

Kindermusik provides the perfect opportunity to work on all these skills in a free environment where there are no wrong ways to play an instrument and endless outlets for creativity.

Summer Jazz Piano Classes

Should my child take piano over the summer? Should we take a break from piano lessons? Will we even be able to practice over the summer?

These are valid questions I hear from parents. Summer time is busy with vacation and camps. Sometimes parents feel that their child needs a break over the summer from any kind of academic pursuit like piano.

Perhaps they are correct- summer should be fun. We don't want the children to become burned out do we? However, summer can also be a time where children lose a lot of knowledge and progress gained over the past school year. I often see piano students lose interest over the summer or regress if they do not take summer lessons. Sometimes I spend the first few classes of the school year reviewing previous lessons.

I think I have a solution to this problem. This summer, I will be offering jazz improvisation classes in our piano lab at the Cherubs Clubhouse. We will break from the routine of the school year and from the repetition of recital practice. We will work on learning chords, scales and form and use this to improv in the jazz, rock, pop and blues style. This is a fun approach to theory which allows for creativity on the part of the student. We will also continue to play our theory games and review previous pieces in class as well.

New students will use this method to improv at the keyboard as they learn about keyboard geography and the basics of rhythm and steady beat.

No materials are required for the summer term. The jazz method will be provided at each class from my studio library. We will offer 4 weeks of classes on Thursdays in June and July. You can sign up for the classes that you will be able to attend according to your schedule or you can attend the entire term. Registration is required by by June 1 so that I can schedule the classes according to age and level. Check here for pricing and the schedule- Summer schedule and registration

We will also be holding a summer piano camp! No previous instruction is required. Our summer camp will include ensemble and theory classes organized according to age and level as well as play time at the Cherubs Clubhouse. Registration is required by June 1 Click here for more info

Sign and Sing

In a Kindermusik Sign & Sing class (developed by Signing Smart™), we give parents the tools and knowledge to communicate with their babies using American Sign Language. Through songs and play, both parents and babies learn signs for words like “mommy” and “eat,” and as well as practical signs like “more,” “milk,” and when he’s “all done.” This research-proven signing class for hearing children speeds language development, eases frustration, and enhances long-term learning abilities.

What a Parent and Child Experience In Class
Play, sign, and sing -- Using everyday items in engaging small and large group activities, we’ll sing songs and practice the sign as we say the words, play with toys, and help the children learn both the spoken word and the sign.
Expert advice -- Parents will learn to spot their babies’ most “teachable moments” and the sign language teaching methods of the experts. Plus they’ll learn to recognize and respond to their children’s versions of signs.
Communication through sign language -- When a child is chasing a bubble or asking for the ball, make the sign for it and say the word. So a child has the ways to associate the word with the object: the child holds the ball, hears the parent say the word, and then sees the adult make the sign.

Tuition: $70
Enrollment includes:
Developmentally appropriate American Sign language curriculum for parents and hearing children, ages 6 months to 3 years
5 week semester with classes held every other week
40 minute classes plus 30 minutes of playtime
Family Activity Guide, DVD, and Clip-On Flashcards showing adults and children using signs
Over 75 sign language activities and games to play together

Class is held on Thursday evenings at 6:00 at the Cherubs Clubhouse. Enroll now!

New classes!

We have just begun our new term of Family Time this week! I enjoyed one of my returning students picking up brand new songs on the first day of class! Many of the Kindermusik songs are built on bi and tri-tonal melodies which are the first intervals that children readily pick up. Children all over the world sing various songs built on these 2 or 3 notes without even being taught: "
Ring around the rosie", "nanny, nanny booboo", "its raining- its pouring as well as rain", "rain go away." Since children so naturally sing these tones, this is where we start teaching them to match pitches.

We also worked on inhibitory control- which is the ability to stop and start according to directions. We worked on gross motor inhibitory control during movement time as well as fine motor with the instruments.

This term, we began working on some of our school skills at a new level. Instead of the children spending the entire duration of class in their parent's lap or by their parent's side, we encouraged the children to sit on the music squares in the front of the room for some of the activities. This allowed them to learn to sit in a classroom-like setting but still gave them the comfort of knowing that their caregiver was close by.

We do a variety of movements in a Kindermusik class. Most things we do have a specific developmental purpose. This week we talked about activities that cross the mid line of the body thus creating neural connections from the right to left side of the brain. Alternating hands to play the egg shakers, crawling on the floor, or bouncing both hands across the mid line from one side of the body to the other work on this.

We are still enrolling for this class! Be sure to register online today to make sure we order your materials!

The Absorbent Mind

I am currently re-reading one of my favorite works of Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind. When I last read this work, it was about 2 and a half years ago when my oldest child had just entered the toddler program at her Montessori school. I decided that it was time to revisit this masterpiece now that both of my kids are older and in a different stage of development.

There are a few things that I have read this second time that have rung a bell concerning my Kindermusik classes. This is one of those books that is very difficult to quote because every paragraph seems to perfectly encapsulate the spirit of aiding life through education rather than simply filling an empty vessel with knowledge.

One of my favorite passages is the following: "Our day has seen a great awakening of interest in the mental life of the newly born. Some psychologists have made special observations of the baby's growth from the first three hours after birth. Others, as a result of careful study, have come to the conclusion that the first two years are the most important in the whole span of human life." To many of us, this is not a new idea. However, at the time period in which this was written, the concept of education beginning at birth was quite radical. However, I believe the education of which she speaks does not concern itself with the filling of an infant's brain with facts, or the pressuring of the child beyond his developmental level, but with the environment in which the child lives. It is about exposing the child to nature, fine art, musical experiences, and culture at an early age. It is about providing order and peace in the home and early classrooms. These early experience become a part of the child in a way that we cannot fully observe and help the child to become the person that they will be.

Montessori quotes Carrel saying, "The period of infancy in undoubtedly the richest. It should be utilized by education in every possibly and conceivable way. The waste of this period of life can never be compensated. Instead of ignoring the early years, it is our duty to cultivate them with the utmost care." Maria then responds to this quote by saying, "Today we are beginning to see the value of these ungathered fruits, more precious than gold, for they are man's own spirit."

So what?
So what are we doing to nurture our own children? Certainly I am not talking about hyper-parenting by cramming each day with enrichment activities with little to no time for relaxation. I am also not suggesting that we allow the children do explore and do whatever they want. But are we parking the kids in front of the TV as a babysitter all day? Are we handing them a video game to keep them busy? I know we are all guilty of that and in my opinion, educational TV and educational video games can even be good in moderation. But are we providing our kids with the opportunity to take an enrichment class that interests them? Are we exposing them to fine art and music, or do we assume that they are too young to appreciate "grown up" culture. Are we taking the time to teach them spiritual lessons, or are we waiting until they are older because we think they will not "get anything out of it" at a young age. Are we spending one on one time with our kids?

Often times parents wonder if a child is too young for Kindermusik. An infant under 12 months will probably not be singing along, will probably not be playing the glockenspiel and may not perfectly follow directions in class at that age. But by being exposed to the classroom setting, hearing the music, moving to the music and experimenting with the instruments, you child is absorbing these things into their very being. You may not see the results right away, but by providing your child with an enrichment activity, they are becoming who they will be and developing a love of music.

"There is-so to speak- in every child a painstaking teacher, so skillful that he obtains identical results in all children in all parts of the world. The only language me ever speak perfectly is the one they learn in babyhood, when no one can teach them anything! Not only this, but if at a later age the child has to learn another language, no expert help will enable him to speak it with the same perfection as he does his first." Maria Montessori

A visit to our farm

Our Family Time class ended today! We had such a good group and I have enjoyed getting to know everyone. Next week, April 7 at 10:00 am, will be a demo class for our next term.

I have seen so much improvement in our class this term! A few of the kids who were quiet at the beginning of the term are now imitating animal sounds and repeating words from our class! They have learned that our opening song means time to settle down for class. They are so good at putting the instruments away at the end and are just now starting to develop inhibitory control which is the ability to stop or start as action, like playing an instrument, on command. Today I enjoyed watching them follow directions as well as come up with their own ideas for movement or for instrument exploration.

Today we listened to animal sounds and imitated them to work on verbal skills and phonemic awareness. We pretended to drive our tractors around the farm and waved the colorful scarves like butterfly wings to work on gross motor skills. Studies link movement to brain development so we want to include free movement in each class. We also incorporated gross motor movement with the instruments as we played our instruments up high, down low, and to the side with the Piggy Jig. This also emphasizes verbal skills as the children see and make the movements as the hear the directional words spoken.

They were so good at following directions today as we put the instruments away, acted out our book, _Flip Flap, Sugar Snap_ and as they worked on inhibitory control as we stopped and started playing instruments.

The children really enjoyed our guest farm animal today as well! Each child was able to pet our real live rabbit at the end of class and we all held our puppets and rocked them to our last song.

I hope everyone can join us for another term of Family Time. Our next session will be, "Movin and Groovin." We will also be beginning a session of Sign and Sing on April 14 as well.

A trip to the aquarium! Week 8

Piano this week

We had wonderful piano classes this week! We had an instrument demonstration on the violin. Each class played computer theory games. My older classes learned how to set up algebraic equations to determine the missing beats in the measure.

My private piano students are beginning their music history research projects. We will all be choosing recital music soon and we will all be researching our composers. Our recital is held at a nursing home as a special treat for those who live there.

Our practice-a-thon is still going strong! I know a lot of kids have worked very hard on practicing and on raising pledges for the Free Wheelchair Mission. We have until your lesson or class this week to continue working toward our goal. Contribution can be made on our fundraiser website (a link is on the right side of the blog)

A trip to the aquarium!

Bring your cameras next week!

Today our family time class took a trip to the aquarium! We started out in our blue tulle "ocean" with sea animal puzzles and toys. Then we worked on gross motor skills while swimming to the music. We used scarves to pretend to be whales deep in the ocean and used our scarves to leap out of the sea. The large tulle "water" made great waves and currents during this song!

The kids are really starting to respond to story time! I remember the first few weeks of class, when we would have a few attempted escapes from the room or crying during reading time. They are enjoying the story time a lot more and this is showing great progress in attention skills and school readiness!

The parachute "waves" were a fun activity we used to help the children hear, see and feel beats in groupings of three. The organization of steady beat at an early age not only prepares them for future music study, but also helps with early reading and math skills. A few of use were "bonked" with the balls during this activity, but it was fun anyway!

I thought the children would enjoy a quick demonstration on the trumpet today! We noticed that the mouthpeice by itself sounds a lot like a duck but not much like a trumpet. Each child was able to press the valves or buttons on the trumpet. Kids love to see instruments like this and it inspires them to learn more about music.

The children loved the free movement with the bubbles today! Hopefully, we can use our bubble machine a little more next week! This is one wonderful thing about teaching at the Cherubs Clubhouse. There are so many great props to use that I wouldn't have any where else!

Our last main activity was the water table we the sea creatures! Next week, I plan to add a few new items to the table. Playing in water is very relaxing to children so we incorporated this into our relaxation time at the end of class while we listened to one of our Spanish songs from the CD. I thought by using the water table at the Cherubs Clubhouse, we could have a hands on, multi-sensory experience to go along with our aquarium theme. Just another on of those perks of Kindermusik classes at the clubhouse :-)

We are already registering for our April term of Family time and Sign and Sing. Be sure to sign up if you are interested. Those currently enrolled will have first priority to register if they sign up before spring break. I will be doing a demo class during spring break and we may have several sign up then! We already have 2 interested in joining our class in April so sign up before all the spots are gone!

Music for Mobility

This week our practice-a-thon has begun for the piano students at the Imaginations Music Studio. We will be raising money to send wheelchairs across the world to those in need in faraway places like Haiti through the Free Wheelchair Mission. One wheelchair can be bought for less than $60! Think of the impact even ONE wheelchair can make to its recipient and their family. Our goal is to raise enough money for 10 wheelchairs. Help your child to get pledges per minute, hour or day of practice for the next 2 weeks. Flat donations of any demonination are also accepted. Log your child's practice time in minutes for the next 2 weeks on the form that came home this week after their class or lesson. The child with the most practice time at the end of the 2 week period will recieve a prize!

Check out our Fundraising website, Music for Mobility

Logging practice time also helps your child to see the direct correlation between practice and progress. The competition of a "practice-a-thon" can also spur your child on to practice more than they might usually practice. There will be more info about practice time on your child's log.

I would like to encourage Kindermusik student to participate as well. I will make a jar available to collect loose change at the Cherubs Clubhouse. So bring by your loose change or cash to your next class if you would like to participate. The next time you buy your child a freezy pop or a drink at the Cherubs Clubhouse, donate the leftover change to mobility for those in need. Also, feel free to post our offical Music for Mobility fundraiser site and email it to all your friends as well. Let's raise awareness for this need and see if we can make a difference in someone's life!
Music for Mobility

Summer camp expo, Kidsfest, and Mom's market

The Cherubs Clubhouse and the Imaginations Music Studio was represented today at the Birmingham Parent magazine summer camp expo at Brookwood mall. We will also be represented soon at the Mom's Market in Pelham, and at the Birmingham Kids Directory Kidsfest in Hoover. We have a lot of classes going on at the Cherubs Clubhouse and some great summer programs and camps coming up! Contact me for more information at imaginationsmusic@bellsouth.net

We also just finished up our "Share the Love" fundraiser at the Cherubs Clubhouse. The event was a sucess and fun for all. Our piano studio will be doing a fundraiser to help raise money for Haiti very soon as well.

ABC Music and Me finishes up Sounds Abound!

Tomorrow in Lesson 4, your child will :
• Read graphic notation by associating symbols with
sound effects.
• Played cups as part of an ensemble.
• Used cups, a one-bell jingle, and lummi sticks to create
sound effects.
• Played high notes, low notes, an elbow-to-wrist
glissando, or knocked on the keyboard to create
sound effects.
• Hummed along to a familiar tune.
• Created vocal sound effects for a story.
• Listen to the trumpet and observe how a cup mute changes the timbre of the instrument.

Humming is the perfect way to
practice pitch and melody without being distracted or encumbered by the words. In class tomorrow, your child will pretend to be in a boat an hum the tune “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”


Bring the learning home!
Turn travel time into quality time with a game of “Name That Tune”! Take
turns humming a tune to be identified.
If your child seems to be struggling, sprinkle some words in as a hint. For example, for “Happy Birthday” you might do the following: “hm-hm hm hm to you, hm-hm hm hm to you.” How fun to discover you can sing with your mouth closed!

Next week we will begin our next unit...

An Outing at the Park

I couldn't think of a better location to teach today's Kindermusik class than an indoor park like at the Cherubs Clubhouse! Our Family Time class this morning was focused on an outing at the park. We made animal sounds, took a walk, shooed flies, and had a picnic. After class, the group went to play on our indoor playground equipment. Our class seems to be growing a little each week and that is wonderful!! We had 3 new students this week!

One activity that can be carried into the home is the water bottles we used as a scraping instrument to sound like a croaking frog. Our bottles had beans in them which also turned them into shakers. Another alternative would be water with a touch of food coloring. So many parents are interested in getting their toddler into piano, guitar or violin lessons. I enjoyed watching our class this morning enjoy the simple water bottle instruments. There is no limit to creative exploration with the simple instruments like shakers, scrapers and sticks. There is also not a "wrong way" to play them. The children this morning even seemed to enjoy just looking at the instruments. This provides them with much more creative options and sensory stimulation than a more complicated instrument like piano as well as preparing them for the piano by working different groups of fine motor muscles in their arms.

Our circle "dance" today was a big hit too. The younger kids were carried in their mother's arms as they watched, listened and physically felt the steady beat. Some of the older kids participated on their own and did a great job of following along with the class! Way to go! Our circle dances also draw the child's attention the form of music. Most music has an A and B section. By changing our movement on the B section, the child experiences this in an auditory, visual and kinesthetic way.

In several of our activities, we were providing an example of how to follow directions to the child. The younger children may not be able to follow multi-step directions yet, but they will learn as they hear their parents echo the teacher, as they see the older kids participate in the stop/start activities, and as they are carried through the motions of the circle dances according to the instructions.

Music for Mobility

Our first studio service project is coming up soon! We will be participating in a “Music for Mobility” practice-a-thon from February 21- March 7. This type of service project not only gets the children involved in a worthy cause, but it also encourages them to practice more and become more aware of their practice habits.
We will be donating the money we make towards a program called Free Wheelchair Mission. It is an international development organization working in seventy-five countries across the world to transform lives through the gift of mobility. Free Wheelchair Mission distributes wheelchairs for free to the disabled poor in developing countries – all for $59.20! Through their organization we will be able to help restore dignity and hope in children and adults who have a disability, empower families to be productive citizens in their community, and allow individuals to gain mobility! These are just a few of the things the money we raise will help do for these recipients.

All money donated to Free Wheelchair Mission is tax deductible if anyone asks you and the tax ID will be listed on the sponsor form. Please call me if you have any questions or would like to get involved.
We are so excited about this year’s practice-a-thon—we know it’s going to be great!