Kids and Music

It’s back to school and time to sign up for all those extra after school activities for your child.  When looking to inspire your child to play and sing in music it is important to find the right teacher or music program.  This isn’t as easy as just opening up the yellow pages and picking a name.  When you are choosing a music program or music teacher it means that you need to ask questions, gather information about the program and teaching style, interview the teacher and visiting different programs or classes.  Find a  teacher that will match with your child’s abilities, needs and preferences. Finding a good match is the key to your child being successful and enjoying their musical journey.  Be sure to  ask about the teacher’s training, teaching methods and expectations of the students and parents.  This is a financial and time commitment for you and your child so you want to be sure it is a good fit for everyone. Be sure the class or lesson is developmentally accurate and child friendly and if possible take time to participate with your child in a sample class or lesson. Most of all be sure that your child is enjoying his or her musical experience.

Hip, hip, hooray for the USA!  Celebrate the 4th of July holiday with red, white and blue crepe paper streamers.  Wave and move the streamers to the music of Stars and Stripes Forever, Grand Old Flag, Yankee Doodle, or When John Comes Marching Home Again.  Add a few musical instruments such as wood blocks, jingle sticks and tamborines and march to the beat of the music in your own 4th of July Rhythm Parade.  Have a great holiday and stay cool with music!  Don’t forget to check my website at www.happynotesmusic.com for upcoming performances in the community and enjoy music with Maureen.  Happy 4th, Ms. Maureen

Enjoy a  summer tune to stay cool this summer sung to “Wheels On The Bus”.  ”The people in the sun will swim in the pool, swim in the pool, swim in the pool.  The people in the sun will swim in the pool all summer long.”  Add a few additional verses or think of some of your own to add such as fan themselves, really sweat, all wear lotion, jump in the waves, etc.  Be sure to visit the website calendar at www.happynotesmusic.com to find out about free music performances that will delight and entertain your children this summer.  There are also some fun performances with the Arizona Puppet Theater and Child’s Play that are enjoyable and age appropriate for young children. Enjoy and have fun.  Ms. Maureen

The 2007-2008 school year is about to come to an end and the temperatures are heating up.  It’s time to get creative and figure out some fun ways to keep pre-school children entertained over the summer.  For listening fun enjoy the book and CD  ”Philadelphia Chickens” by Sandra Boynton.   Fun catchy tunes that children can enjoy listening to.   For some creative fun, “Kids Make Music” by Avery Hart and Paul Mantell, offers fun ideas to create music with children and suggests no instruments needed, just hands feet and wiggly bodies. One of my favorites is The Maestro Plays by Bill Martin, Jr.  The story also comes with audio so children can listen and read along.   Be sure to check out the local library for books that encourage children to sing, listen, explore and create with music.  Check out your local library, bookstores or the mall to find out about any free children’s music entertainment programs they’ll be offering during the summer and don’t forget to check out the momszone activities calendar so you can stay cool with music this summer.  Hope to see you all at one of my music performances as well.  Ms. Maureen

While weaving my way through the internet full of information about children’s music, I came across a great website for all the readers to enjoy.  The site http://freekidsmusic.com and the site offers free MP3 downloads of kids music. Naturally I requested to post my music CD’s on the site so you can also go there and download “The Ugily Bugilies” MP3 from the CD Nature’s Notes for Little Folks  for free.  And who says there’s no free lunch!  Now you can enjoy lunch and sing and dance to Nature’s Music Symphony Way Out West style as well as check out all the other great music and links to other children’s music artist that your children can enjoy.  Available on there as well so be sure to check it out.  Happy 5th of May! Ms.  Maureen

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there.  Here’s a little song especially for you for you to sing to your little ones. This was inspired by a little boy in one of my classes when we were singing You Are My Sunshine.  (Children love singing the sillyness of all the “I’s”. Sorry for not having a melody to this one but it’s much more fun to have your child start by chanting the verse and then come into their own melody. I am mommy’s sunshine, shinning in the sky, I am mommy’s sunshine, shinning in the sky. I am mommy’s sunshine, shinning in the sky it is “I”, it is “I”, it is “I”, “I”, “I”, “I”, “I”, “I”, “I ”.   The song continues to add other members of the family.I am daddy’s starshine, shining in the sky, I am daddy’s starshine, shining in the sky, I am daddy’s starshine, shinning in the sky, it is  ”I”, it is “I”, it is “I”, “I”, “I”, “I”, “I”, “I”, “I ”.I am grandma’s rainbow, shining in the sky, I am grandma’s rainbow, shining in the sky, I am grandma’s rainbow, shining in the sky, It is ”I”, it is “I”, it is “I”, “I”, “I”, “I”, “I”, “I”, “I ”. I am grandpa’s silver lining shining in the sky, I am grandpa’s silver lining, shining in the sky, I am grandpa’s silver lining shining in the sky.  It is”I”, it is “I”, it is “I”, “I”, “I”, “I”, “I”, “I”, “I ”. Thank you to Sean for his inspiration and have fun singing and celebrating your special day.  I’ll let you know when I’ve recorded the song to music so you can download your copy to sing.  Ms. Maureen 

Are you starting to feel as if you have the word “Ford” or “Honda” imprinted on your bottom from driving so much?  Then it’s time to add a little musical fun and games into those daily drives  to swim lessons,  the soccer and baseball fields or just running errands. How about a game of “Name that Tune with a Twist”.  See how many songs you and your children think of that have a certain word, animal, place or thing in the title.  For example, songs about animals, “The Chicken Dance”, “The Bear Went Over The Mountain”, “How Much is That Doggie In the Window”, “Peter Rabbit”, “Little Bunny Foo Foo”, just to name a few.  How about trying the game where you try and guess how many songs there are that have a certain word in it such as the word “blue”. For example, “Blue Bird”, “Blue Moon”, “Blue Tail Fly”.  Try song titles with a number in the song title such as “Five Little Monkeys”, “Six Little Ducks”, ”Five Green and Speckled Frogs”, Five Little Buns In the Bakery Shop”.  Can you think of anymore?  Once you’ve thought of the song titles don’t forget to see who can sing all the lyrics. Have fun and I hope your drive flies by!  Happy April, Ms. Maureen

If you live in the desert April Showers came in March and we won’t see a whole lot of rain until Monsoon Season.  However, you can make it “rain on your parade” everyday by tapping and swishing together a pair of paper plates to create the sound of rain.  Sing along to the tune of “Where is Thumbkin” by changing the words to “Where is thunder, where is thunder, hear it roar, hear it roar, pitter, pitter, patter, pitter, pitter, patter, we’re all wet, we’re all wet”.    ”It’s Raining, It’s Pouring” is a popular standard. Children can sing and play their paper plates along to the story “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring” by Kin Eagle, illustrated by Rob Gilbert.  The book includes the music notes and lyrics on the last page.  I’ve also written  ”The Drip Drop Song” available on the Nature Notes for Little Folks CD for children to experience sound using their paper plates as they explore moving fast and slow, creating the sound of splashing and thunder, and tapping and swishing to the music. Can you think of other songs about the rain? “Rain, Rain Go Away”, “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More”, “If All The Raindrops” are just a few!  Happy April, Ms. Maureen

Hop into some Easter fun by singing and dancing to the “Bunny Pokey” sung to the tune of The Hokey Pokey. Put your bunny paws in, take your bunny paws out, put your bunny paws in and your dancing all about.  You do the bunny pokey and your hopping all around.  That’s what it’s all about.  Hop, Hop!Don’t forget your bunny ears, bunny tails, whiskers and a wiggling bunny nose.Suggestion for other fun songs to sing at Easter time include :  The Bunny Hop,  Little Bunny Foo, Foo, Little Peter Rabbit, Here Comes Peter Cottontail, and an all time favorite:  Easter Parade.  So put on your Easter bonnet with all the thrills upon and hop into some fun as you sing and dance your way into an Easter celebration.  Happy Easter,  Ms. Maureen

The weather outside is finally starting to warm up and the morning chill just about gone.  Spring is in the air and that means spring break is just around the corner.  So, in case you didn’t make any travel plans for the break, take a trip around the world enjoying the sounds and rhythms of other countries.  Visit the local library to see what is available in the children’s music section.  

The music CD -Let’s Make Music – Multicultural Songs and Activities by Jessica Baron Turner and Ronny Susan Schiff is a great way to introduce your child to music from other cultures and the book includes activities with instructions for creating instruments from around the world.

 Purchase a pair of rhythm sticks or make your own and tap your way around the world to the rhythms and music of other countries using Kimbo Educational’s “Multicultural Rhythm Stick Fun”.

  If you want to enjoy a few songs from Down Under, enjoy singing along to Wee Sing’s CD and song book –“Wee Sing Australia.” 

Enjoy a fun movement activity using crepe paper streamers or colorful scarf’s to The Chinese Ribbon Dance, from the Nutcracker Suite.  It’s a wonderful song to move and dance along to. 

If it’s South America you want to venture to see if you can find a recording of Rafii’s version of Sambalele from his book Learning with More Singable Songs and clap your hands and twirl to the traditional Brazilian Folk Song.

  If you know any other great multicultural songs or activities be sure to let me know.

Enjoy the great weather and all the wonderful sounds of spring that are in the air and happy travels to you.  Ms. Maureen