(914) 833-8941
2089 Boston Post Rd.
Larchmont, NY 10538
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(914) 833-8941 |
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2089 Boston Post Rd. Larchmont, NY 10538 |
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High Notes… |
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from Larchmont Music Academy |
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Weekly Newsletter for Kindermusik Parents |
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Please scroll down to find your class: |
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Village Dream Pillow—Lesson One (Hello Song—Class Routine) Dear Village Parent, Welcome to Kindermusik Village Dream Pillow! This week, just like every week in Village, we began class with a lively hello song. What a great way to bring a group of moms and babies together by singing, waving, swaying, and bouncing hello! Routines, like our hello song, help develop your baby’s sense of time and sequence as well as bring security and stability. That’s why routines such as hello song, warm up, exercise, quiet time, and good bye songs are built into each Village class. See you soon! Claudia and Laca Home Activity In the simplest interaction of daily care routines, Baby is learning from you in many ways-through your language, touch , eye contact, tone of voice, pacing and more. She is also developing a sense of sequence of the day's events. Most importantly, though, in these acts of care she is learning how much she is loved by you. As we go about our daily lives, we create and recreate routines. This may be done intentionally or without really thinking about it. Consider the daily routines in your life that relate to caring for Baby. Choose one of your routines to focus special attention on this week. As you go through that routine, whether it be diapering Baby, feeding her, or taking her to her daycare, focus on adding a special element to the experience. You can take extra time, sing and talk to Baby, pay attention to sensory input - light, sound (music!) . smells, taste and add touch - a kiss, a hug, or intentional touch/massage as we did in class.
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Our Time Milk and Cookies-Lesson 8 Dear Our Time Parent: Familiar songs are a great starting point for singing with your own child at home. As you gain the confidence that you actually can sing (even if it is just for fun!), check out all the music scores in your Home Activity Book. You’ll find all the words there even if you don’t read music. And of course, your CDs provide you with all the songs and chants we enjoy in class. Kindermusik CDs are created with several goals in mind: to expose your child to developmentally appropriate songs and chants; to encourage your child’s interaction with songs and chants; to provide appropriate singing models; to broaden your child’s listening opportunities with songs from several cultures; and to introduce your child to a variety of instrumental and vocal sounds. So until next time, enjoy listening and singing together! Claudia and Laca
Milk and Cookies-Lesson 9 Dear Our Time Parent: “Milk and cookies,” “crunchy pretzels,” “cheese and crackers.” Today we sang about favorite foods. If your child was hesitant to tell us his/her favorites today, that’s okay! You can play the singing game together at home or in the car or anytime you feel like singing! Prompt your child to respond by first offering your own phrase. “I like grapes and oranges.” (Sing the words “grapes and oranges” with the Milk and Cookies melody sung in class.) Then ask your child, “What do you like?” Playing the singing game with your child at home may help lessen any unease he/she may have in class. See you soon! Claudia and Laca
Milk and Cookies-Lesson 10 Dear Our Time Parent: “Ding dong! Knock, knock!” “Listening” in Kindermusik class comes in many forms. We listen to each other, we listen to music as we rock and dance, and we listen and talk about specific identified sounds. “Active Listening” differs from hearing in that it is an intentional act. While we are surrounded by sounds in our everyday life, we choose whether or not to listen and process the sounds we hear. “Active Listening” is an important part of the Kindermusik curricula because it offers children the opportunity to learn to listen with intention. This week is a good time to reintroduce the stir xylophone to your child. Try the ideas of ways to play listed on page 20 of your Home Activity Book. Then try some of the listening ideas on page 21. Now that you and your child have experienced several weeks of Kindermusik listening, do you notice a difference in your child’s interest in listening? See you soon! Claudia and Laca
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Imagine That! Hello Weather-Week 8 Dear Imagine That! Parent: “There was an old man named…” How many of you remember this favorite childhood song? Your children and I had lots of fun singing Michael Finnigan while reading the book. At home, read your own copy of Michael Finnigan and come up with a new wind sound for every page! Also, be prepared to enjoy lots of laughter while reading! Children’s humor is “dependent on the ability of the child to pretend and to have a playful orientation toward the situation…[C]hildren delight in conceptual incongruity, the invention of new words and the production of nonsense sounds.”* I know you will want to encourage the development of your child’s sense of humor and you’ll find that this humorous book to sing provides a perfect opportunity to tap into it. See you soon! Claudia and Laca *Guiding Children’s Social Development, by Kostelnik, Stein, Whiren and Soderman, pp. 186-7.
Home Activity-Week 8 For extra fun at home, try making your very own wind chimes. Take a look at p. 11 of your Family Activity Book for ideas. (You do not need to bring these to class.)
Hello Weather-Week 9 Dear Imagine That! Parent: “Ooo ooo, I can hear the wind.” Another playful facet of Kindermusik’s Hello Weather unit is that of “wind.” Today, we took another "windy walk." Using their developing listening skills, the children heard the drum beat indicating that they should walk around the room. Then combined with that, they heard the slide whistle start and stop, indicating when they should pretend to be blown around by the wind. And, of course, we made lots of great wind sounds while reading Michael Finnigan. "whoosh. . . wheee. . . whish. . " See you soon! Claudia and Laca
Home Activity-Week 9 This week, be sure to read Family Activity #9 in your family activity book for ideas of ways to include more movement into your daily routines with The Windy Rock, The Family Rock and other rocking activities. And continue to encourage good listening habits by rocking to the suggested selections on your Home CDs.
Hello Weather-Week 10 Dear Imagine That! Parent: Today, while we all listened to “storm music” (an excerpt from the Allegro “Storm” movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, Op. 68 in F Major, the Pastoral Symphony), the children made “storm drawings.” You will have noticed that this music explores a large range of dynamics, from very quiet to very loud, thus suggesting the sounds of a storm. Just as an artist may use contrasting colors to provide variation and expression, many composers of Classical music use dynamics to provide contrast. It was intentional that the first listening of this piece of music in class was together, with you the parent, since some children may not be accustomed to such dynamic variety in music. Kindermusik CDs are created with several goals in mind. One of these goals is to introduce your child to a variety of musical styles, such as music from the classical tradition, folk traditions from around the world, jazz tradition, etc. Just today we listened not only to the Beethoven but also to The Happy Dancer (derived from two Taiwanese songs) and Funiculi, Funicula (written by Luigi Denza in the late 1800s). Other goals include: to expose your child to developmentally appropriate songs and chants; to provide appropriate singing models; to broaden your child’s listening opportunities with songs from several cultures; and to introduce your child to a variety of instrumental and vocal sounds. See you soon! Claudia and Laca
Home Activity-Week 10 Check out page 18 of your Family Activity Book and read about the many styles of music included on your CDs.
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Young Child 1
Lesson 9 Dear Young Child 1 Parent: This week, we reviewed our new rhythmic symbol, “ti-ti.” Before seeing the symbol written down, the children experienced it aurally and in speech, through the bird song “Cheerio,” and they experienced it through movement by “swishing palms” together while speaking the word “Cheerio.” This is yet another example of integrated learning—tying the spoken word to the sound and to the movement. At home, ask your child to speak “Cheerio, cheerio.” (The syllables of the word should be spoken fast – fast – slow.) Then place the small rhythm cards in the following order: 1) ti-ti, 2) ta, 3) ti-ti, 4) ta. In doing so, the two of you have dictated and then notated a rhythm. Try dictating other 4-beat rhythms for your child to “write” by speaking the “ti-ti” and “ta” rhythms, alternating randomly. (Each card represents one beat—or pulse—therefore, use just 4 cards at one time to create a 4-beat rhythm.) The children are very excited about learning to “write” rhythms—and will likely be quite enthusiastic about showing you how to do it! Be sure to find a few minutes this week to “practice”—encouraging your child to attempt both dictating and “writing.” See you soon! Claudia and Laca
Home Activity-Lesson 9 Today we listened again to bird calls and listened to how Saint-Saens created bird sounds in “The Aviary” from Carnival of the Animals. We continued to work with the concepts of high and low and began taking rhythmic dictation with our small rhythm cards. This week at home, teach someone in your family how to create four-beat rhythms with the small white rhythm cards. Here’s how: 1) Pick any four cards and place them in a row. 2) Say and clap the pattern or tap the pattern with your rhythm sticks. (Be sure there are only four beats in each rhythm.) Don’t forget to bring your small rhythm cards to your next class.
Lesson 10 Dear Young Child 1 Parent: “…[A]ll human beings are born musical and will respond to music. Because classical music, with its complex repetitive patterns, has far-reaching effects on the child and his brain development, it is the perfect experience.”* As we focus in class on melodic direction, listening for high sounds and low sounds, we are using the familiar “Star Light, Star Bright” song. The children are “tuning” in to sounds and pitches, learning to differentiate and identify. Consider extending your child’s listening opportunities at home by adding to your CD collection. Some possible selections include:
As you and your child listen to various pieces of music, talk about them. Discuss distinctions and preferences. Early exposure to a wide variety of music will ensure your child’s acceptance and appreciation of music for a lifetime! See you soon! Claudia and Laca *Good Music, Brighter Children, by Sharlene Habermeyer, p. 27.
Home Activity-Lesson 10 1) Point to the stars as you sing the first phrase of the song “Star Light, Star Bright” on Activity Page 6a. 2) Practice drawing the rhythmic symbols we have learned on Activity Page 6b provided. Please bring this paper back to the next class. 3) Listen for high and low sounds at home this week. Bring something to class next week that makes a very high or very low sound
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Young Child 3-Lesson 37 Dear Young Child 3 Parent: This week’s class included a lively dance to the African-American call and response song “Tahboo.” Movement tied to music is a powerful learning tool, aiding children in developing fundamental abilities necessary for the building of strong physical and cognitive skills. “These fundamental abilities include response to and discrimination of aural and visual information, awareness of body and space, basic timing, coordination, habits of planning and recall, communication, problem solving, and creativity.”* Each of the above abilities will benefit your child as he progresses through Kindermusik and other activities such as team sports and private music lessons. These abilities are also necessary in common daily routines such as maneuvering through crowds, waiting in lines, carrying packages, climbing stairs, and crossing streets. Isn’t it amazing how a seemingly insignificant activity such as dancing to recorded music can have such a powerful impact on your child’s daily life? Thank you for allowing your child the opportunity to attend Kindermusik! See you soon! Claudia and Laca *Foundations in Elementary Education: Movement, by Phyllis S. Weikart and Elizabeth B. Carlton, p. 6.
Home Activity Take a look at the song "Trampin" (Activity Page 5B) and circle the half rests. Say and clap the rhythm of this song. Can you play the first four notes on your glockenspiel? On Activity Page 6A, practice drawing half notes and half rests. Because there will always be two notes or two rests in a measure, do this page with a partner. Each partner should take a turn drawing one note or one rest in each measure. Be sure to put your name on your papers and bring them to class next week.
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