Can you hear it?

Can you hear it? Today a cast room for still life and cast art classes. On August 1 jingle bells, singing voices, tapping, shaking and lullbyes, our new home. Kindermusik of the Valley is moving to the Arts at River Ridge.

I am thinking about wall colors, carpet textures, sound systems, if you would like to weight in with any "feel creative" colors please do. I will keep pictures posted on the progress, exciting!

Daisys

Two summers ago my sister gave me a few stray daisys that had wandered out of her garden and into the grass. I forgot about them in my car for a day or two, then planted them in my front garden hoping for the best. I was pleased last summer when a few came up and gave me some cheerful daisy blooms. This year they have shown their true strength. Springing up everywhere with a riot of confident white and yellow smiles. Thanks Elizabeth.

2007 Maestro

I am proud and honored to announce that Kindermusik of the Valley has received the Kindermusik Maestro Award for the 8th connsecutive year. Beyond this lovely honor I have received a special MAESTRO IN OUTREACH award in recognition of serving children from underserved populations in North Minneapolis.

Thank you all for helping us to achieve this honor, it is your beautiful children and the relationships we share that makes our work such a blessing.

call a story

Free Telephone Story Line

StoryLine is a phone line kids can call anytime, day or night, and hear a local actor read an excellent children's book. The stories change every week, but the stories every month are grouped by theme or subject area. This service is free unless longdistance charges apply.

A new story starts every Sunday at noon! Call 952-352-1350 and enjoy!

Jazz Kitchen Highlights

5

Free Concert Tonight

Our friend Peder Eide is performing a free concert tonight at Prince of Peace Church in Burnsville at 7:00. Families with children little to large will have a wonderful time!

Jazz Kitchen

Noodles from scratch, noodles from scratch,
We MADE a big batch of Noodles from scratch

Nine children, two teenagers and one teacher are having a great time this week. We are singing, dancing, reading, rocking, playing and cooking! Our home made noodles were a big hit! Both the making and the eating!! Visit tomorrow for more pictures of our Kindermusik Adventure - We have Muffins in the Pan coming up tomorrow, yum.

Gastro Kid

Surfing around the world wide web in preparation for the JAZZ KITCHEN coming up next week when I ran across this cool website about cooking with kids. Gastro Kid has gear ideas, lots of recipes and advice for feeding kids.

Its Trygve's Birthday!

He remodels the house for a Kindermusik camp. He catches and fries fish for the boys scouts. He walks the Dinah in all weather. He takes us to see the Twins game. We love you honey. Happy birthday!

Memorial Day

With the tears a Land hath shed
Their graves should ever be green.
~Thomas Bailey Aldrich

Music Plays Here

I could not resist introducing you to a few of my favorite people from Kindermusik International! Take a look at this video to see how these smart, young, talented people enjoy their mission of sharing the miracle of music with children and families. Don't let all the fun fool you though, these guys work HARD on my, and your behalf. Can't you just feel the creativity?!? Who are you seeing? Well, among others - Dan Pratt, who is the ORIGINAL president and CEO of Kindermusik International - it actually IS his voice on Great Big House. Carol Penney - who is what every Kindermusik Educator wants to be when they grow up. Hannah Carter - works on the KI Curriculum design team and makes sense out of what I write for ABC Music and Me. Molly McGuinn, everyone's inspiration for blogs, flyers and other written information. Michael Dougherty - current President and CEO of Kindermusik - nice boogie woogie at the end, once again, don't be fooled, he is a brilliant business guy with a GIANT heart for children and what music can do for them.

Kindermusik International Headquarters, Greenboro, NC

Zoo babies

Click HERE for more cute zoo babies from around the world.

Free Live Music Near You!

There is some good live music at a Junior High near you. This time of year there are band or choir concerts nearly every night of the week. I have been to 4 of them in the last two weeks myself. Last night we heard a great rendition of Bolero and Low Rider among other classic selections. You can't beat the school band for a broad program

Just go to your school districts website (ISD ###.org) and click the calendar. High School concerts usually cost a little something, I think they are worth it. Junior or Middle School concerts are going to be free, and quite good. Check the elementary school band concerts if you are looking for the cute factor and like to catch the up and coming talent.

Here is a snap of Tucker at the Eagle Ridge Jr. High Concert. We also got to see him play both the electric and upright bass which totally made Curella DeVille cook.

stunned

You have seen some cool things from flickr on this blog but this is truly unbelievable. My cousin Peter sent me the link and says "I am honestly stunned at how cool this is" I agree, it is amazingly connecting. You just MUST look: Flickr Vision - a real time look at photos being up loaded to flickr from EVERYWHERE

May 15, 2007

Happy freedom from self improvement day.

Mothers Day

Jane and Samuel Clemens
Mark Twain said, "My mother had a great deal of trouble with me,
but I think she enjoyed it."

Jazzy Kitchen

Kindermusik of the Valley is offering a summer camp for kids 4 1/2 -7 called JAZZ KITCHEN. In preparing for classes I ran across this great website on PBS Kids. Get excited about JAZZ for your kids this summer. Try out the JAZZ KITCHEN at my house in Savage or at our APPLE VALLEY studio.

Sparkability

Sparkability! This new website is all the rage with my Kindermusik blogging friends. Baby and kid things that are cuter and better than most. Really creative toys like these Dado Cubes.

Thank you Barolomeo

It's the birthday of the man credited with inventing the piano, Bartolomeo Cristofori, born in Padua, Italy (1655). He called his invention "the harpsichord that plays quiet and loud." He had replaced the string-plucking mechanism of the harpsichord with hammers, which allowed the player to adjust its volume by applying different degrees of force to the keys. As the instrument grew more popular, the name was shortened to "quiet-loud" and finally to "quiet." In Italian, the word for "quiet" is "piano."

Thanks to Bartolomeo, we have amazing works of art, pieces like Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin, The Gymonopedes by Erik Satie, and any little Mozart piece. Artists, like the great Scott Joplin, Joni Mitchell and our own Davina Sowers.

The list of people who have been touched by the sounds of this simple instrument is endless. What a beautiful soulful world - past, present and future.

Power! This weekend

A great musical is happening at Hosanna! Lutheran Church this weekend. Over 100 children are going to be singing, dancing and acting their hearts out. Always new and always a great performance with a powerful message. Everyone in the family will enjoy the Hosanna! Kidz production of POWER. (several Kindermusik alumni are taking part - yahoo!)