Little Songbird Music Studio

Try This!

elizabeth — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 18:53:11 +0000

Try This

Christmas is a great time of year to pass on musical legacies with your children! Pick your favorite carol this year and make a point to play or sing it every day. Help your children learn the chorus. Remember, it doesn’t have to be beautiful, it just has to be you. Take the time to talk to your child about the meaning of the song you chose, and why it is important to you. Once children connect that song with you, they will think of you every time they hear it. Not just this year, but for the rest of their lives!

Think Outside the Box

elizabeth — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:49:02 +0000

Are you like me? Every year at this time I spend a lot of time racking my brain for the perfect gift for my children. I want to find something that will get a lot of play time, something that is good for them developmentally, and something that won’t glue them to a screen for hours on end. Through the years we have gone through innumerable dolls, dress up clothes, blocks, puzzles, and stuffed animals. This year we get to venture into the new world of balls, dinosaurs and cars!

If I am realistic, though, I know that just a few months from now these new toys will be collecting dust under the bed, stubbing my toe at midnight, or wind up broken and in the garbage.

This year, why not give your child the gift of music? Not only will you see your child’s grace and self confidence flourish over the next few months, but you can be sure to give them a gift they will never grow out of. The skills children learn in our music classes they keep for their entire lives. This past week in our toddler class every single child echoed correctly a simple rhythmic pattern. It was a truly magical experience to see what they have learned in the few short weeks they have been in class, and even more inspiring to know that they will never lose that beat.

If you are interested in giving music classes as a gift, but would really like something to unwrap on the big day, please let me know. I will happily order your family materials early for you, and you will have a head start on listening to the Cd’s and playing with the instruments. To see our class schedule or to register, please click here.

Today’s Awesome Fact!

elizabeth — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:10:59 +0000

“Resiliency – to bounce back after a disturbing event – is not something we are born with; it must be learned and sometimes that takes many years. There is no vehicle more joyful and playful for providing such training than early childhood music and movement.”
- Dee Joy Coulter, Ed.D.
Neuroscience Educator

Try This!

elizabeth — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:09:33 +0000

The toddlers in our classes respond very enthusiastically to this sweet, soothing rhyme.

Five little birds without any home, Â (Raise the fingers on one hand)

Five little trees in a row.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (Raise the fingers on the other hand)

“Come build your nests in our

branches tall,Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (Interlace the fingers to form a nest)

And we’ll rock you to and fro!”Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (Rock the nest gently)

How Well Do You Know Your Nursery Rhymes?

elizabeth — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 19:08:46 +0000

A lot of our favorite nursery rhymes have very interesting back stories! For example, did you know that “Ring Around the Rosie” is referring to the first symptoms of bubonic plague, and “Mary, Mary Quite Contrary” refers to Mary Tudor, and her instruments of torture? That’s kind of a downer, isn’t it? Obviously, that meaning is lost on our children (thankfully!), but rhymes have a definite historic significance in linking us to our past. Do you know your nursery rhymes well? Here’s a quiz to find out!

Where Are We Going?

elizabeth — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:07:37 +0000

Where are We Going?

One of my favorite parts of the Musikgarten curriculum is its sequential nature. Musikgarten has a nine-year plan for your child, starting at birth, which can develop them into musically minded people at a very young age. Because the curriculum is so stable, activities are repeated year to year, with new musical elements added on as children mature.

Over the next few months, I want to explore the highlights of each of our different classes for you. But for today, I wanted to give you a general overview! Many parents don’t realize that you can go for a full nine years without repeating any particular class!

Music for Babies (0-18 months — two unique semesters available)
Music for Toddlers (15 months -3 1/2 years — four unique semesters)
Cycle of Seasons (3-5 years — 2 unique semesters)
Music Makers at Home (4-7 years — 2 unique semesters)
Music Makers Around the World (5-8 years — 2 unique semesters)
Music Makers at the Keyboard (6-9 years — 6 unique semesters)

These classes aren’t even including the special summer programs we run! Currently, at Little Songbird Music Studio, we offer all classes up through Cycle of Seasons. Starting in the fall, we will be adding both Music Makers classes for young elementary aged students. The following year, we plan on adding the keyboard class. So stick with it! The cumulative effect of the program is priceless! For more information on the philosophy of certain classes, please see Musikgarten’s website!

Five Little Fingers

elizabeth — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 19:06:27 +0000

Five Little Fingers

Our hands are capable of showing deep emotion and enormous sensitivity. Over the course of our lifetimes, humans learn to use our hands to communicate in ways unique to each individual. Children love exploring the subtle nature of finger and hand movements. Finger plays are one way we help children tap into that self-discovery!

Simple finger plays help children with self-discovery, promote relaxation and self-expression, guide vocabulary and improve language skills. The early auditory training of simple rhymes and poems improves early literacy skills and increases vocabulary.

My favorite part of finger plays, however, is the intimacy it creates between parent and child. Usually these are done close to the body, and close to a caregiver. Touching your childâ€™s hand is a loving gesture recognized around the world, and gives your child a sense of love and security.

Today’s Awesome Fact

elizabeth — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:04:54 +0000

Research made between music and intelligence concluded that music training is far greater than computer instruction in improving childrenâ€™s abstract reasoning skills.(Source: Shaw, Rauscher, Levine, Wright, Dennis and Newcomb, â€œMusic training causes long-term enhancement of preschool childrenâ€™s spatial-temporal reasoning,â€ Neurological Research, vol. 19, February 1997 )

Try This

elizabeth — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:03:58 +0000

To reinforce the language of music, play some echo games with your child! Sing two or three note patterns, and have them try to echo your sound. Echo back to your children sounds they make to you. This not only reinforces the importance of what they are “saying”, but also helps them to become aware of the sounds their voice is creating.

With older children you can create longer and more complicated patterns. Do you remember the game “Simon” from the 80′s? Make up a sound game in a similar way and see how far your older child can go!

The World’s Oldest Flute

elizabeth — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:02:28 +0000

One of the neat things about music is its universal nature. Music is played, danced to, sung and appreciated in every human culture we are aware of. Even ancient civilizations were music makers, as was evidenced this past summer when the world’s oldest flute was found in Germany. The flute was made out of vulture bone, and was found to be over 35,000 years old.

Music is a vital part of being human. In fact, some researchers have suggested that music was one of the first things to separate humans from Neanderthals. The discovery of a flute that is so old really speaks to how music is part of our human nature. For more about this flute, check out this article.