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!)

Our New Home

We are excited to show you our new Kindermusik home! Beginning this fall ALL Kindermusik of the Valley classes will be offered here at the Minnesota River School of Fine Art (soon to be called ARTS AT RIVER RIDGE). Located in Burnsville, we are just 2 blocks east of 35W and 2 blocks north of Highway 13 - super convenient to ALL of our current locations.

Renovations will be going on over the summer, I will keep you posted with pictures here - you are just going to LOVE our new digs!!

Molly

Here is a movie made by my friend Molly. She has a beautiful way with words and music. She is responsible for lots of the messages you read from Kindermusik International. She is an inspiration to me and many more. Molly taught me how to blog, and has introduced me to apron art and apparel, musicovery, youtube and countless other cool items and ideas through her blog called I am music. (get it, i m - instant message, so clever)

Visual Music Experiment

You just have to SEE and HEAR this.

city closets

Imagine That kids are making city buildings to bring to class for week 13. I ran accross these sweet closets on another site called poco a poco. Not that I think our buildings are going to look like this - but nice ideas, cute for clothes too if you are looking for the city theme. You can learn more about them HERE.

Money Free Weekend

Checkout this website for some great ideas on a money free weekend. I love this idea. If you want to try it, let me know how it goes.

Time for a smile

We have all been hearing so much sadness the last few days - - too too much. Take 4 minutes and 44 seconds to watch this video. It will make you feel better. And its words are true.

Making a bell this week?

Imagine That classes are making bells at home this week. I have found a few links but this one eld the most promise. Check out Kabubble.

Here are a few more

Making a Pie Pan Tambourine

A tambourine is both a drum and a shaker. Make one from stuff you find around the house.

• Find two aluminum foil pie pans -- the kind from frozen pies.

• Put them together with the bottoms facing out. Use duct tape, packing tape or stapes to fasten the edges together halfway around, making a pocket.

• Put a handful of dry rice, popcorn or beans in the pocket.

• Fasten the rest of the way around the edge.

• Decorate with stickers, feathers, strips of paper fastened around the edges, or whatever you like.

Shake it! Slap it!


CHIMES

ruler or stick
washers
nail polish
string
mixing spoon

Hang the washers from the ruler or stick with pieces of string by wrapping the string around the ruler or stick and securing. Strike the washers with the mixing spoon to play.

Note: You can make this craft colorful by painting the washers first with different color nail polishes, such as red, gold, glittery, etc. Parents should supervise this part of the activity closely.



HAND BELLS

2 paper towel rolls
hole punch
4 jingle bells
string or yarn

Punch a hole in each end of the paper towel rolls. Tie two jingle bells to each side of the paper towel rolls by running string or yarn through the holes and carefully tying off.

Shake to play.

Have fun and let creativity and imagination run wild! Record the band's first song and play back for some great giggle time. Enjoy!

Farm Animal Friends

Your kids will like this video of Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang. It is as cute as can be. I also had a sneaky suspicion that there might be more to Gwendolyn than pig tails and back up singers with great boots. I was not disappointed, infact I was inspired by her website. Grateful that an accomplished creative musician is making great music for all ages. If you like the hidden from the airwaves talent of indie artists check out some of her other work.

No?

The average toddler hears NO!!! or receives a stern look about every 9 minutes of their waking day. Those particular adult reactions to toddler behavior sends the toddler's hind brain into action. When this happens the prefrontal lobes, which hold reasoning, consequential thinking, and other important brain function are not getting sufficient blood to practice when this happens.

Here are some ideas that might come in handy if want to say no without saysing "NO"

Tell the child what TO do.
Get the child’s attention before communicating, touch them on the shoulder or hand...
Say the child’s name.
Use a gesture, move so you get into her visual field.
Show him an object or other visual cue to get him to look at you.
Help them know what TO do.
Using your singing voice calms you and the child.
Use a prompt, hand him a tissue instead of saying “Don’t wipe your nose on your sleeve.”
Use a gesture. Gestures can guide her to appropriate behavior. Point to the coat hookinstead of “Don’t drop your coat on the floor.”
Model what you want
Offer “Let’s do it together.” That can encourage children to do things with more enthusiasm.
Say “Oh, oh” “Oops!” “Look!” Then point to what needs to be done.
Take a deep breath..... and exhale.
STOP!

Click HERE for another great and more indepth list of how to say no - positively

Thanks to Kindermusik educators Yvette in Holland MI and Mollie in Greenville SC for these great tips.