Laughter makes the word go 'round!

Kindermusik percription for the day to increase YOUR white blood cells for at least a day and a half. Enjoy this!

"How do you do?"

In our little baby class (Kindermusik Village) we've been doing a little greeting ritual. The grown ups are holding the babies while we meet, greet and shake hands with one another. The babies are taking their job seriously: they study all the adult faces. You can almost hear them think as they look from mommy to mommy's friend or from mommy to a stranger. "So this is what it looks like when mommy greets her good friend." "And this is what she looks like when she is greeting someone new!" Some classes are lucky enough to have daddies to study.

We aren't born knowing how to make these facial expressions nor are we born knowing how to read them!

Did you know the FBI actually has to train their agents in face reading? It's really important. How good are you at reading your spouse's facial expressions?

In our culture today babies are generally too far away from the adults faces to do their studying. They are in the stroller, or the car seat, or the little seat on the grocery cart staring up at the lights. Sling babies have an advantage. They are right there soaking it all in.

I'd love to share more child development tidbits with families:
Free Kindermusik Village demo class for babies
Tuesday 9:30 9/29.
singandtwirl@gmail.com

Reserve your spot.

Who is a musician?

Who do you think is in the audience? Trained musicians? Why did the audience get a kick out of the 3rd (higher) note? These folks are not at a Music Educators conference! They laugh with amazement because they are so surprised that they "GOT IT!" without anyone telling them what the next note sounds like.

It is human to be musical. No matter your age: JUMP IN. It's really so much fun to be making music.

(World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale)

W-O-W. How can anyone afford to CUT music from their budget?

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania School District analyzed its 1997 dropout rate in terms of students’ musical experience. Students with no ensemble performance experience had a dropout rate of 7.4 percent. Students with one to two years of ensemble experience had a dropout rate of 1 percent, and those with three or more years of performance experience had a dropout rate of 0.0 percent.
Eleanor Chute, “Music and Art Lessons Do More Than Complement Three R’s,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
April 13, 1998.

Students with band and orchestra experience attend college at a rate twice the national average.
- Bands Across the USA

thanks to the childrensmusicworkshop.com

You must find a way to make it work.....and there are ways.

Music Class for the BABIES!!!

Next Tuesday, September 29 @ 9:30 am, we will be offering a free music & movement class for babies! Yvette Odell, our Kindermusik director, will be leading a free class from our Village Program at our North location under Atlanta Bread Company on Merrimon Ave. in Asheville. (Newborn-18mos.)

More information about the Village program:

Who knew that you would find gazing into your baby’s eyes the most exciting part of your day? In Kindermusik, we understand how precious this time is with your little one. That’s why Kindermusik created Village.

In a Kindermusik Village class, we take those special bonding moments between you and your baby and add in a unique blend of musical learning activities that stimulate and engage all of the senses. Your educator will teach you how to encourage your baby’s learning through vocal play, object exploration, instruments, and creative movement.

What you’ll experience in class:

• Variety of music. Musical diversity builds strong neural networks in a baby’s forming mind, which is why each Kindermusik semester contains an array of styles, sounds, and genres.
• Instrument play. Age-appropriate experiences with child-safe instruments enhances a sense of rhythm and steady beat, develops a keen awareness of the distinguishing qualities of sound, and encourages spontaneity and creativity.
• Dance. A classroom full of baby and adult pairs dancing together helps a little body develop the muscle strength needed to crawl and walk and helps a little heart to fall in love with the sheer joy of responding to music.
• Together time. A Kindermusik class is truly the essence of “quality time,” offering you a place to create special memories with your child, gain new insights into your child’s development, and nurture your child’s natural love of music.
• Expert advice. A Kindermusik educator explains “what-to-watch-for” every step of the way and how each activity enhances your child’s complete development
• Learning continues at home. With the home materials, the learning continues at home with your child’s best teacher—you!

Enrollment includes:

• Developmentally appropriate curriculum for parents and babies, ages newborn to 18 months
• 16-week semester with two different, eight week themes (length may vary by location)
• Weekly 45-minute class that includes new and unique parent and baby activities
• Two sets of At Home Materials—one for each mini-theme—each including a CD of music from class, literature board book, age-appropriate instrument, and art banner
• You’ll learn over 30 songs, lullabies, and nursery rhymes and play over 200 activities together by the semester’s end.

Imagine - Pan Pipes Flute - John Lennon

Today is the International Day of Peace.
So take a moment..........Pray for peace.

Music from around the world....way on the other side from here!

This summer we had a fun time in our Zoo Train (Kindermusik Adventures) dancing to the beautiful didgeridoo music.

I've been interested in this instrument since a friend (Kim, Benjamin's mom!) lent me her didgeridoo to try. I just couldn't get it going. Seems like since I took Trombone lessons in college I ought to be able to get a buzz going! But NO Way!

So a couple weekends ago I was at the Asheville Organic Fest and there was a family looking for shade under a tiny tree and next to them were 3 didgeridoos. That's how I met John Vorus...and had my first didgeridoo lesson. Like he says in this article below, it's easy to play and hard to master.

Look for John Vorus at the LakeEdenArtsFestival this October. He'll be playing with River Guerguerian Project (My nephew, Duncan, will be playing with the group too~I'll say this is one performance NOT to miss.)


The Transylvania Times • 37 North Broad St. • Brevard NC 28712
Vorus Pursues His Passion For The Didgeridoo

Vorus plays his didgeridoo. (Times photos by Lenora Carver)

Lenora Carver, Staff Writer 18.SEP.09
John Vorus said he doesn’t know if he found the didgeridoo or the didgeridoo found him.

“I think it was a co-creation of this between my path and myself,” said the 34-year-old Transylvania County resident.

When Vorus was 19-years-old and living in Detroit, Mich., he discovered his hidden talent for the Australian instrument.

The instrument, which was created over 1,500 years ago by the Aboriginal Australians, was used primarily for accompaniment in ceremonial dancing and singing, according to the Aboriginal Australia Art and Culture Center in Alice Springs, Central Australia.

Traditionally, an Aborigine would go into nature and listen intensely to animal sounds, not just voices but also the flapping of wings or the thump of feet on the ground” said the Center.

“The Aborigine would also listen to the sounds of wind, thunder, trees creaking, and water running. The essences of all these sounds were played with as much accuracy as possible within the droning sound of the didjereedoo.”

The didgeridoo is considered to possibly be the world’s oldest instrument.

Ring Around the Rosie

From Wikipedia

Kate Greenaway's Mother Goose (1881)

It's the circle song for Kindermusik Our Time right now. Children love it.

It's a very important game-song for growing children. I've tried to give you some information during the classes this week but, as always, children have only a certain amount of patience for adult talk. (Who can blame them?) Here on my blog I can finish my sentences and even carry on in infinitio.......

1. Deep pressure: This is what they crave the most and why the song delights them to no end. They anticipate falling down...then "boom" with glee! The deep pressure of falling down helps children to understand the dimensions of their body, especially if they've just had a growth spurt ...what child isn't going through a growth spurt?

2. Practicing balance: Falling allows them to go just past the point of balance in a controlled way. Taking the risk of falling over and practicing this improves your range of balance.

3. Social skills; understanding community. You can't play this game by yourself. It can be a challenging lesson to the timid ones who don't yet feel comfortable holding hands with other adults or children who they don't know. Sometimes they learn that they have 2 hands, one for mom and one for .....oh, a stranger? hmmmmm.
4. Flexibility: Occasionally there's a child who isn't happy if the circle's not perfect. We have to be flexible if there's a child who won't hold hands and make ours a perfect circle!

5. Being an individual with in the context of a community. This applies those visual children who choose to watch the game instead of holding hands and going around. There's a lesson for everyone!

6. Visual spacial skills and time: A child's place in the room changes as measured my time (musical phases). (Musicians make good mathmaticians, good engineers...etc!) I see the children predicting by anticipating the phrase end but stopping a few beats early and beginning their "fall" but waiting till the right time!

7. Vestibular Stimulation: Any time a child's head changes position in relation to the earth their vestibular system is stimulated. The vestibular system is deep inside the inner ear and is important for balance, emotional well being, memory, attention and focus etc. It's very important that children get lots and lots of vestibular stimulation. (Or they will demand it when they are in the second grade trying to sit still in school.)

8. Repetition: Children are creating new neural connections all the time but they depend on repetition to solidify these connections. We adults don't always have the patience for this repetition but it is so important!

9. Love: oh, delight. This is what I see when the children are playing their favorite songs with their favorite adults. "Again! Again!" they say full of glee. And we will. But have no fear. In a few weeks we'll add more circle songs to your repertoire.

Game

The words of Ring a Ring o' Roses differ by region, although the tune remains consistent. The playground game that accompanies these verses also changes by region, but the most common form consists of participants standing in a circle and holding hands, followed by skipping in one direction as they sing the tune that accompanies these verses. At the end of the line We all fall down, the group usually falls down into a heap. Lyrics to other versions show that the final action was sometimes sitting, stooping, squatting, or even a curtsy, rather than falling.^[2] In some versions of the game the last down would choose a favourite or take the place of another in the middle of the ring.^[3] Ring games which end in flopping to the ground or similar are common throughout Europe.^[4]

In this game description from Wikipedia I see that there are variations in the "falling down". You can stoop, sqatt or even curtsy! Well I'm going to guess those variations were invented by adults who just would fall all the way down!!!

Which....it should be said, you shouldn't do if you know it would do more harm than good for you as an adult to be falling on the floor. Even if it is the nice soft floor we have in our Kindermusik room!

Have fun holding hands with your little ones .
Peace,
Yvette

Do you drive?

Music has become the domain of the professional. When I ask people if they drive, they answer “Yes” in a matter-of-fact way. They don’t try to compare themselves to Peter Brock or Mario Andretti, because they see driving as a normal part of life, not as a specialist skill. With music it’s different. When I ask people if they sing, many people get a bit embarrassed. Usually they’re too shy to answer, assuming the “Yes” answer implies a degree of talent or fame.

And yet singing is far more common in our society than playing a musical instrument. People sing at parties and karaoke, sing Happy Birthday, and sing along with their albums in the car - at least when the windows are up. Learning to play a musical instrument requires a decision, a commitment, and hours of learning and practice. Few people see a reason to make that leap. Even if they learn an instrument at school, few find a reason to continue playing as an adult.

I’m sure that somehow we are missing out on something by leaving music to the professionals......

(read more from the Blog: Audio Tuts)

There's still a chance for you to come to a level of enjoyment in your music making....it is NOT too late. Adults can do it too. (It IS fun.)

Music Lessons at the Asheville Arts Center

More from the Audio Tuts Blog:

Around the Internet, musicians are talking about the benefits of playing an instrument. Here are some of their main thoughts:

• It is relaxing and relieves stress. When I was a teenager, my dad bought a cheap organ when away on a holiday. He wanted to learn how to play it because he thought it would relax him after work.
• It sharpens our thinking. Many studies show that learning to play a musical instrument helps our memory and thinking. For the young, it can increase their reading level and the development of certain parts of the brain. Learning to play a musical instrument has been linked to learning to think mathematically by some studies.
• It is an active interest. These days people spend a lot of their time being passive - watching TV and listening to music. Learning to play an instrument is very active, and gives people something worthwhile to do with their time.
• It teaches discipline. It is challenging, and requires you to stick at it day after day, practicing regularly. It teaches time management and prioritizing, and perseverance.
• It creates a sense of confidence and achievement. Eventually all of that practice pays off, and you learn to play a song on your favorite instrument, or perform in front of a crowd. That’s a great feeling, and it also teaches that hard work pays off.
• It’s enjoyable and fun. And it’s fun in different ways - playing on your own, jamming with others, and performing to an audience are all satisfying in their own way.

It's definitely a de-stresser and don't we all need that?

Duets anyone?
Yvette

Music for tools for life:

This book review from NAMM caught my eye. Looks like a must read for me!

“All people deserve the opportunity to make music.... It’s not about giving people the opportunity to become famous musicians; it’s just about giving them the tools they need to succeed in life.” Moriah Harris-Rodger

Helping your child get the most out of his education.

Kindermusik for the Young Child (ages 5-7+).

What you’ll experience in class:

• Singing and vocal development. . It may sound like a foreign language when your child sings “ta” and “ti-ti,” but he’s using the language of professional musicians and composers and getting ready to read and write simple rhythm patterns.
• Movement. You’ll see your child dance expressively to music, giving him the practice he needs to coordinate his body movements to the sound of music. This kind of musical play not only improves musicianship, but his physical coordination as well. Reading and writing. He’ll learn melodic notation and identify pitches such as the C, A, and D notes on the treble clef, plus rhythmic notation. Eventually he’ll even compose his own music.
• Reading and writing. He’ll learn melodic notation and identify pitches such as the C, A, and D notes on the treble clef, plus rhythmic notation. Eventually he’ll even compose his own music.
• Focused listening. Your child will learn to identify a range of orchestra instruments and their sound qualities, while also gaining an early awareness and knowledge of composers and masterworks in Western arts tradition.
• Exploring and playing musical instruments. . Authentic percussion, string, pre-keyboard, and woodwind instruments expose your child to the many choices for future musical study, and at the same time provide your child with the opportunity to musically succeed before taking on more formal instruction.

Then keep the beat going....sign up for flute or percussion or piano....and orchestra and choir.

It will even improve their sports skills, I kid you not. Though it goes beyond that. Kindermusik is a lifetime sport. You will reap benefits even in your old age.

Peace,
(especially today)
Yvette

Two for the price of one: Fun music class AND Parenting workshop!

Kindermusik is more than just music classes, it also teaches parenting skills

(Asheville, NC)- Asheville Arts Center’s Kindermusik classes start September 14, 2009. Kindermusik, a world-wide music and movement program, offers music and movement classes for children from newborn to 7 years olds, contributing to overall growth and development.

Each week in class children play, listen, and dance to music that impact in profound ways. Every song, story, and two-step has a carefully chosen purpose in this creative curriculum—one that’s designed to stimulate and strengthen the vital neural wiring taking place in children’s mind, right now.

“I have a t-shirt that says ‘We must be what we want our children to be’ or something like that- I'd have to go in the laundry basket to quote it perfectly,” said Yvette Odell, Kindermusik instructor. “Teaching Kindermusik keeps this out front for me. I offer parents ways to be with their little ones with tools for careful observations, positive communications, nurturing creativity, deliberate guiding, and loving interactions. And everyday I go home and try to hone my own parenting skills, to do my practicum.”

Odell has been teaching Kindermusik since 1994 and in 1998 she became director/owner of her studio in Holland, MI. For nine years she earned the status of Maestro in the top 5% of studios worldwide. Odell has a master’s degree in music education from Wichita State University In Kansas and her bachelor’s degree in music education from Western Maryland College (now named McDaniel College).

Her continuing education involves child development, sensory integration work and communication skills. She is frequently asked to present at conferences on topics such as child development, parenting, music and learning, sensory integration and homeschooling. She has private flute students, is involved her her church’s music ministry by playing the flute and singing with the choir. Yvette has been teaching music to young children since 1980 and is happy to be bringing her warm and friendly style of teaching to Asheville, North Carolina.

Being safe and healthy in Kindermusik

Antibacterial gel and soaps, if they do what their manufacturers say, kill 99.9% of all germs, good and bad. We are afraid of the "bad" germs for sure but we need "good" bacteria for digestion and a strong immune system. In the Kindermusik studio at the Asheville Arts Center antibacterial soap is available in the restrooms for before and after class and you may choose to approach the season making use of it. You are also welcome to bring your own antibacterial lotion for you and your child. Use caution with your children by making sure the gel (because of its high alcohol content) is completely rubbed in and dry.

If you or your child are not feeling well please take advantage of our easy class make-up policy. A quick email to let me know will do just fine. Then stay home and put on you Kindermusik CDs and have a special fun time together in your own class. Other common sense tidbits for in class are to cough or sneeze into your elbow and help your child to learn that as well.

I pledge to take measures to keep the environment clean and safe. Instruments will be cleaned before reusing. Also special attention to door nobs and other community common items.

For our circle songs, the ritual with a strong social lesson for us all, you, as always,do have a choice to hold hands or to stand behind your child holding both of his or her hands out but not joining hands with the circle. Maybe you have another creative idea for this activity. You are the parent and you make the choices for your child in this event. I believe we will all be understanding and accepting!

But best of all we know that fun, loving interaction and a good belly laugh (which increases your white cell blood count thus boosting immunities!) will contribute to the good health of your family.

So let's get singing and twirling!! Classes begin Monday Sept. 14th. There's still room for you if you haven't registered. If you'd like to try a class drop me an email we'll get you in.

Best of health!
Yvette