Exploring bird sounds with children

“What does a bird say?”  A lot more than tweet, or chirp.   Most children only consider one sound, but an observant child with more experience in bird sounds might ask, “What kind of bird?” 
Fun vocal play with different bird sounds can open up the world of birds, and sounds, with your child, and can have [...]

Homemade Liberty bells RING for Independence Day

For Independence day, encourage your child to make their OWN “Liberty” bell and make their OWN noise to celebrate the freedoms we have in this country !!!   That includes a LOT of freedoms for young musicians!  (Make sure to check out my bell makers at the bottom.)
Making an instrument with your child can be an amazing  journey into [...]

Kindermusik Playdate – MY schedule or YOURS

 
 
  
Kindermusik developed this new program as a ONE-TIME event WITH materials.
 
This summer seems a GREAT time to offer these events, as families are struggling with summer schedules and financial hardships, but still want to add the joy of music to these days with their families.
The class activities will be typical of regular Kindermusik classes, but will [...]

Can I Play a Song Now?

The students were so eager to play their songs, when I asked “Who’s next?”, about 5 – 8 hands went up, every time.   How do I choose?  Actually, the girl who led off the Annual Young Child Music Festival is one of my first year students.  
This girl is extremely shy, and I usually have to ASK her [...]

That is why I gave you a 10

Recently, several families completed evaluations of their Kindermusik experience with Music Connections.  I LOVED what they had to say – it warms my heart and makes it even more worthwhile to do what I love.
The comments in this posting will be parents who have responded to the Kindermusik for the Young Child program.  I will start with one [...]

Travel Around the World with Music this Summer

Does your young child (5 – 7 years) want to travel to distant countries this summer?   Yodel from the mountaintops in Germany?  Be treated like Royalty in England?  Communicate with talking drums in Africa?  Join up with a Mariachi band for a fiesta in Mexico?  We can do it ALL in a week, right here in Lakeland, Florida !  [...]

VIP Kids now hosting Kindermusik in Winter Haven

Kindermusik in Winter Haven is moving right down the road to V.I.P. Kids, located at the end of the right arm of the shops at High Pointe Plaza on Cypress Gardens Blvd.
    
During the second week of December, we are offering FREE CLASSES.  Contact Debbie at musiconnx@att.net for an email with the details.
The Kindermusik Spring Semester starts during the [...]

Thanksgiving Games for Family Memories

Thanksgiving Rituals are for making memories, and GAMES are memorable.  NONE of these ideas cost a thing, except a little time.  And to children, love is spelled T-I-M-E.
Thanksgiving Song Writing
Try out this song that is included in “A Year of Fun,  Just for Fives” by Theodosia Spewock.  (This is a fabulous series by the way, [...]

An INTRO to African-American music for children

MUCH of our American music was shaped by the African American people.  With their roots in the polyrhythmic beats, and strong emphasis on vocals, and their strong sense of self, music flowed from them wherever they went.  From the fields of slavery, from the depths of their spiritual beliefs, from their longing for something better, from [...]

Blues – learning from each other, not from paper

“People keep asking me where the blues started and all I can say is that when I was a boy we always was singing in the fields. Not real singing you know, just hollerin’, but we made up our songs about things that was happening to us at that time, and I think that’s where [...]