Money, money, money....

Kindermusik classes begin all next week! What is holding you back?
The most frequently asked question you all have been asking is:  

“My child loved your class and I know it is time so well spent with my child but our financial situation has made it impossible! Do you offer scholarship?“

I have been in your shoes! With my own children we scrimped and scraped to piece together their music education as a top priority because it is the BEST investment you can make. (Think about investing in the stock market or even putting money under your mattress—it’s value goes down!) Investing in your child will pay off in areas like higher SAT scores, leadership skills, and college scholarships. Imagine how I felt after my high school kids played in a concert and they were approached by a college recruiter! I thought that only happened with basketball and football players!!!

First, there’s always a payment option. We can break it down to 3 payments or chisel out what works best for your family.(I’m the human behind all this and if you just talk to me we can work it out!)

What if there’s just NO money to invest?
Let’s start a conversation to see how we can make this work. If you are able to take Kindermusik at either the Weaverville or Skyland locations I can start by offering a 35% scholarship. (Sorry for the Asheville Performing Arts Academy you would need to approach them personally.) I would really need you to fill out this form as it helps with fundraising for the scholarships. Disregard the due date as that does not apply to Kindermusik. The form also lists responsibilities that do not apply to Kindermusik. Please do not stay away because you think it’s not possible!

Let’s talk about this. Classes start very soon. (We prorate for starting after the first week.)

Your baby deserves this experience and we can make it happen.
Email me right away.
singandtwirl@gmail.com

Organic Fest in Asheville! (and Kindermusik fun!)

It's going to be a blooming beautiful Saturday this weekend at Pack Square beginning at 10am. Asheville's Organic Fest has a special children's area called "Imagine Fest". There will be crafts, facepaints, free munchie samples, acrobats called "The Vegetable Circus"!!! All this and Kindermusik FUN! I'm inviting my Kindermusik fans to bring their friends to my tent for singing our FAVORITES and playing drums, shakers, jingles and lots of other fun musical instruments. Got any requests? Want to SHOW me how your baby loves music...("as soon as they hear music they start dancing!") Just want to hang out where all the music is?

See you on Saturday!

 

Now, why did this photo flip over? Just shows you how far I'd go to show you the benefits of music education for your little one!

Hello Kindermusik Friends,
It's about that time! Everyone is getting settled into the fall routine. Hard to believe that "fall" is here already and that summer time has passed so fast!
 I think about the many facets of time often. Many times I've said "Mothers, if anyone, really know about quantum time mechanics! Ten minutes of soothing a crying infant at 3am is eternity and six months of their lives is a BLINK." And as a wonderful Kindermusik educator peer of mine loves to say: "Childhood is a short season." My nephew is starting Kindergarten and my own son has graduated from college and is starting his career, off on his own!
 An especially interesting dimension of time's modern quality is that it seems to go faster and faster while we simultaneously try to cram more and more into each moment. ("And the hurrieder I go the behinder I get!" Yikes!)
Where's the "pause button"?
I've got an idea. There is a pause button of sorts. You find it by being "in the moment" . And I know it happens every Kindermusik class when you are with your child; the one who really does know how to be in the moment. This is the kind of time no one regrets making time for. Your child pulls you into to the moment where sharing the music takes you away from your hurriedness and all your concerns, even if only for the short Kindermusik class time.
What are you waiting for? Have you enrolled yet for fall? The first class is the week of Sept. 12th.
Some things won't wait.
See you in class.
Yvette

Summer greetings to all my Kindermusik friends! I hope you are enjoying a musical summer, whether you are on our summer Kindermusik Zoo Train or driving across the land listening to your CDs or just singing and twirling together!
 This summer has been so full of music; quartets, duets and solos abound! I know many of you have asked me to give you heads up for family friendly live music events in the area.  Here's a very special concert "Love Notes for Haiti"  happening this Tuesday July 26, 7pm (it will be short) downtown at the Basilica of St. Lawrence. It's my own daughter, Claire, giving a violin recital here in Asheville. I'd love to share it with you. Scroll to the bottom of this post for all the details.

 Also I wanted to let you know that the fall schedule is live online . Don't  put off registering as I know certain classes will fill up.:-)
 One more great event ahead. This is a free event and I'm the speaker. I'll be talking about the parent's role in nurturing music education for their child.

Come join the Holistic Parenting Forum on Friday, August 5th from 6-8 pm in the Community room at the West Asheville Earth Fare. Our topic for August is: "Instrumental music education and cognitive development". Presented by Yvette Odell.  RSVP's requested.

It is becoming more widely known that a child's instrumental music education plays a big part in their cognitive development even to the point of boosting student's S.A.T. scores. Parents who hear this have many questions like:

"Really?"
"Would music lessons be appropriate for my family?"
"Is my child musical?"
"What if neither parent is 'musical'?"
"How young should you start?"
"How do you keep them practicing?"
"How do you find a teacher?"
"Won't they just do it in school?" 

What are your questions and aspirations? Yvette Odell will lead a discussion on this topic, adding her own experience, passion, perspective and inspiration, including many other benefits of music education for your family.

And NOW Here's the info on Claire's recital: 

7pm Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

Basilica of Saint Lawrence

97 Haywood St.

Asheville, North Carolina 28801

Love Notes for Haiti

A violin recital presented by Claire Gerhardt

Claire Gerhardt is a violinist studying performance and music education at Lawrence University. She is inspired to present this concert of classical music to prepare herself to volunteer at the Ecole Musique Dessaix-Baptiste, a music school in Jacmel, Haiti, for their summer camp. Claire will be working with young students learning to play orchestral instruments.

The recital will include works by Bach, Paganini, Biber, and DeBeriot. Assisting her will be Daniel Pinelli, violin, and Anne Gerhardt, cello. During the recital Claire will be sharing some interesting facts about the musical works, the acoustics in the beautiful basilica, and about the music schools in Haiti.

This recital is free and open to the public; donations are encouraged. Your donations will go towards her flight to Haiti, and any surplus will be used directly for music, instruments, and supplies for music students in Haiti.

 Hope to see many of you there! and don't forget if you want some ideas on how to take  young children to concerts read my blog post! "Taking your young children to live music events"

 Keep singing and twirling!
Yvette Odell
Singandtwirl@gmail.com

www.kindermusikwithyvette.com

Music education: I'm trying to be a tiger mom!

I'm trying to be a Tiger Mom to my daughter, getting her to practice, practice, practice her cello! I'm doing this because I believe playing a musical instrument well is key to developing her confidence, self efficacy, creativity, intelligence....well, to developing just about her whole self. You know when you gaze into the eyes of your newborn and say I want you to be independent, compassionate, confident, capable, trustworthy, trusting, loving, curious, intelligent, productive......(my list is quite long). But I'm not the best Tiger Mom. Ever since this "Tiger Mom" concept hit the headlines I've been thinking about how it applies to me. I'm pretty easy going (wimp?) in every other area with my daughter EXCEPT music.

This was an interesting read:

Sorry Tiger Mom, it doesn’t have to be drudgery to be productive and character building.
Getting over the “hump” isn’t just about reaching the inherent rewards, it’s an integral part of the confidence-building element of Sistema previously referenced here. Confidence, in this context, is virtually synonymous to Albert Bandura’s concept of self-efficacy, a term he used to describe our belief in our own ability to ......(go read it!)

This I found at a blog by Johnathan Andrew Govias. It's a short article and touches on music education and self-efficacy AND a program to lift children over the drudgery, the "hump" of learning to play an instrument. Do read it! The program he is talking about is El Sistema and....hark! I hear now the timpani in the distance! El Sistema is coming to Asheville. (In about 18 months.)

Here's a listening experience for you if you'd like goose bumps. The Teresa Carreño Youth Orchestra contains the best high school musicians from Venezuela's life-changing music program, El Sistema. Led here by Gustavo Dudamel, they play Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10, 2nd movement, and Arturo Márquez' Danzón No. 2.

Who wouldn't want this experience for their child? I believe every child can.

Does your baby LOVE music? Does your child sing all the time?

Have you considered trying out a Kindermusik class but wondering if your child would enjoy it? Or if your child is old enough?

This FREE music, movement and story time all rolled into one really fun class is a great chance for you to try this out. You'll even receive a free CD or card to download free music to your mp3 player for your family to make music at home!

Free Preview Kindermusik class (newborn to 7+yo)
July 6 in south Asheville at Skyland United Methodist Church (1984 Hendersonville Rd.)
OR July 7 at the Asheville Performing Arts Academy (193 Charlotte St.).
We'll have 2 different times at each location:10am or 11am.
Please RSVP to tell which time and location works best for you:
singandtwirl@gmail.com

For more information on Kindermusik with Yvette see her website.

Kindermusik in Asheville wins honors!

The families of Western North Carolina have voted on family friendly activities, restaurants, programs, and much more.  The Kindermusik educators of of Western North Carolina are humbly grateful to have been voted "BEST" in two different categories! Thanks to you we are recognized as WNC Parent's BEST PARENT/CHILD Program and BEST MUSIC Program! HOORAY!!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

 

It really is the BEST thing to do with your little ones. You'll have a moment each week where it's all about the two of you. Delve into your relationship with your child. (Grandparents and dads you are welcome to be here. It's not just "Mommy and Me". This is great for you too.) You will see your child's thirst for musical fun, curiosity in full swing, creativity in movement and sound.

I am so happy that we are recognized as BEST MUSIC Program as I feel so passionately about the power of music to make a difference in the child's cognitive development---and social, emotional, physical development, as well as their musical development. I'm so pleased with the new set of Kindermusik graduates who are stepping into the world of music lessons with a huge advantage of being literate in music reading, listening skills that are turned on, an understanding of music such that they can listen to a piece of music and tell you if the beats are organized in groups of 3s or 4s. Most 7 and 8 year olds would not know what you are talking about if you asked them about meter in music.

If you are interested in registering for the 5-7+yo class with Yvette then send me an email or check out the website. This class was packed full last fall and most likely will be again this year.

AND!!! The summer classes (begins July 8th) still have room (nearly full!) so it's time to try out the shorter summer sessions!

Kindermusik Birthday Party!!

So SWEET! I did the cutest little birthday party yesterday. It was very simple and the children smiled and giggled almost the whole time!

Here's the recipe for the perfect summer birthday party:
Choose a park close to home decorated with wonderful shady trees.
Invite family and friends.
Instead of gifts as the friends to bring a healthy snack to share.
Invite Yvette to bring her guitar and her suitcase full of fun Kindermusik instruments.
(You can request your favorite songs and Kindermusik activities).
Bring a yummy sheetcake and candles (don't forget the lighter).
Have your camera handy.

Schedule the fun music about 15 minutes after the start time of the party with egg shakers, scarves, jingles, beach balls and the parachute!









By your example encourage all the adults to join in the fun. This is actually when I notice the look of the children change to full joy. They love it when you play too. What's written all over their faces is love, love, love. 





 
 Next, enjoy the snack and enjoy conversation with each other!

When it's time for cake make sure to get lots of great photos.









After singing "Happy Birthday", blowing out candles and eating cake let the little ones play on the park equipment or in the sandbox while the grown ups do some visiting! 

A wonderful thing to do after the special day is to make a little memory book for your child. Sit down together and look at the  pictures.  Ask them to explain the photos from their perspective and tell what they remember and what they liked the best. Write down their thoughts as well as yours.  Put any birthday cards in the memory book too!

A party like this is very special. The children did not once get overwhelmed or over stimulated. There were no tears at all.  Even the grown ups (the mom too!) enjoyed themselves as far as I could tell! I've been to a few parties in my day (including for my own children!) and I've learned the lesson of making memories worth keeping means not going over the top, no matter HOW much we love the birthday girl or birthday boy. After all that IS what matters!

If you'd like to know more about inviting Kindermusik to your birthday party send me an email! singandtwirl@gmail.com

What do you do with a baby, an infant, in Kindermusik?

I've been teaching Kindermusik since 1995. Maybe it was in 1998 that I began teaching the brand new Kindermusik Village class for babies who are newborn to 18 months. Now families did not need to wait until their baby was a year and a half old to experience this great program! But, oh, my goodness! What does one do with these babies? And just how young should they start???

The miracles that I experienced in teaching babies over the years turn out to be everyday occurrences! Miraculous nonetheless! One day I noticed a tiny, tiny baby babbling on the resting tone of the song that I was singing. (The resting tone, or tonic, is the tonal center. You might recognize it as the first note of the scale a song is built on. For instance in the song, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, the tune both begins and ends on the resting tone.) Now THAT was a miracle.  That baby is a genius! A musical prodigy! I heard it! And now after more than 10 years of hearing this miracle in nearly every class I still believe each and every one of those babies is a musical genius. I hear them babble, sing, fuss and even cry on the pitches of the songs we sing in class every day.

Babies in Kindermusik come to me as young as 5 weeks old. Here they're a bit older and more able to act on their curiosities. They are able to prove to us their receptivity to musical experience. With the very tiny babies we must trust in their ability to process musical input with out the obvious feedback. But if you watch very carefully, and know what to look and listen for, the proof is right there!

Shinichi Suzuki wrote in his beautiful book Nurtured by Love: The Classic Approach to Talent Education that he had witnessed a newborn sibling of one of his violin students wriggle in recognition of the music that the student had been working on while the baby was yet unborn. This newborn infant's reaction to music is miraculous too! But many, many mothers have reported that their newborn babies are calmed or animated by music that they had enjoyed when pregnant.

The article below explains some of the research being done to document an unborn baby's music perception. I  have read that the ear begins to perceive vibrations as early as 23 days gestation and this article states that it is fully functional around 5 weeks before birth.

Infants Recognize Melodies Heard in the Womb

 But, getting back to tiny babies in Kindermusik, I'd like you to know of other miracles I notice on a regular basis. One of my favorite musical activities, favorite because it always gets the babies' rapt attention, smiles, and active participation, is the stop and go game. For this we sing a song like

"Walk all around now, walk all around. Walk all around now, walk all around. Walk all around now, walk all around. Walk all around now, walk all around, and STOP!"

(you can download this song from Kindermusik.play.com )

I ask myself "How much self control or physical body control does a baby have? Can a 6 month old, or a 2 month old, play in this stop and go game? The walkers (the older ones who can prove their musical processing to us) can stop and can even learn to anticipate the phrase to stop at exactly the right moment. But in observing the babies in their mothers' arms do it too! They go from wiggling arms and or legs, moving their heads around, vocalizing, etc. to absolutely motionless! The entire room is silent and motionless. Another miracle! These babies can measure and predict the timing of the phrases just like the older ones! The rest of the games includes extending the "waiting" of the stop until you get a signal from the baby to begin again.

Here's the important lesson I have learned.  

Babies get it.  They come out of the womb already knowing about the pitches, tonalities, the patterns of melody, rhythm, phrases, sounds and silences, and so much more.  We adults have to be ready to notice it too. If they notice that we notice it (repeatedly) then they will decide it is worth knowing about, worth remembering. THAT is when the neural connections solidify and become permanent. Otherwise this music aptitude just goes away! 

And the question for the parents of these musical genius' is "How long should we wait before bringing our baby to Kindermusik?" How many missed opportunities to notice musical cues? Many grown-ups need coaching in noticing and how to show your noticing to your baby. That's my job! Don't wait. Come to visit a class for free with your baby. I'll help you to see the miracles for yourself! 

http://www.kindermusikwithyvette.com/index.php/home/free_class/

There's my baby with my oldest (just 15 years ago)! She began her Kindermusik journey in utero! Her out of womb experiences in class began at 3 weeks. She helped me teach all my classes! Her very first class was a Kindermusik for the Young Child class (5-7yo).  She cried and cried when the parents came in for the sharing time. I decided to sing the explanation for the home activity and like a miracle she stopped crying and was very attentive!

Dream your way through SPRING BREAK

Hello families ofKindermusik with Yvette,
Just a reminder that this week is our Spring Break! No Kindermusik classes! But don't stop the music! I hope you will be singing your way along. Maybe you are on spring break with your family and driving....like me, with your Kindermusik CDs going full blast!  I'm driving to Wisconsin to hear my daughter's Junior Recital at Lawrence University. She emailed me a link to a recording of a piece she is playing. I've posted it here for you! (Yep, she was a Kindermusik kid, of course!)

If you attending my classes you've heard me say: dream big! I look at your little ones and try to add momentum to your dreams! I do mean this literally. If you imagine your child as a teenager;  confident, intelligent, compassionate, beautiful, creative, and talented, then your child is headed that way. If you are already worried about those teen years; wild, defiant, troublesome.... then THAT is what you are imagining and yes, that is where your child is headed. So take it to heart and dream ONLY the BEST!

Step 2? Take action on your dreams. You will love this article about investing in early childhood music. You are on the right track.

Summer is just ahead and here finally on my website is the summer schedule for Kindermusik with Yvette. You can register online except for classes at the Asheville Arts Center (please call 253-4000 or stop by the front desk after spring break). Let's keep the music going during the summer!

See you back in class after the break....stay safe and healthy!
love,
Yvette

Taking your young children to live music events

A great way to encourage a child's curiosity in music and desire to play an instrument is to take them to hear live music. Parents worry that a baby will fuss or cry, that a toddler will not be containable, that a preschooler will not sit still. While all these are possibilities it is still a great idea to begin this musical exposure at a young age. Here are some things to consider to get you started.

1. Know that you will not stay for the entire concert or event the first few times you go. Celebrate that they were attentive for one song or movement. You can look for free or very inexpensive concerts so that you will not regret leaving early. Try a recital at UNCA or a community band or orchestra.

2. Choose family friendly events. Look for high school or even middle school concerts. There may be lots of younger siblings in the audience!

3. Warmer weather is coming! Jump on the chance to take your little ones to outdoor concerts! These venues often have roped off area for children to dance and singing along may even be encouraged!

4. What kind of quiet toys can you bring with you? A scarf? Finger puppets? I used to keep a tiny pencil in my purse and it was handy for drawing on the program. Eventually my daughter was old enough to circle all the "A's" on the program.

5. If you can find out what music you will be hearing try to listen to recordings during the week ahead. It will make it more meaningful for you as well as for your child.

6. Start off by sitting up close. Many families find that sitting close allows the child to SEE which will definitely help in holding their attention.  Instead of sitting in the back (I know, easy and fast when zipping out with a wailing child!), choose a seat at the end of the isle but close to the front. When you can tell they're attention span has had nearly all it can take, then move to standing in back by the door for just a little bit more. From there you can hold them and whisper in their ears what you are noticing and hearing.

7. If you arrive early don't sit down right away. You might even take the chance to go up front and watch as the musicians warm up.

8. Celebrate even the short moments of attention and quiet that they achieve. Look not on how early you had to leave but count every minute at the concert as growing up and learning! On the way home don't lecture them on how awful it was when they started kicking the seat in front of them. Instead say "Did you see the violins?" "Were the drums loud?" "What did you like the best?"

I hope to see you at some of the wonderful concerts around this culture rich region! Maybe you will even come to the "SHOWCASE" hosted by Joyful Noise Community Music and Art Sunday March 6th at 3pm at Calvary Baptist Church in West Asheville.  There's a musical treat at the end: All Kindermusik families will be invited to come right up front, grab some shakers and make music and dance along together! Come on out!

Wait...wait...wait....NOW!

Watch this really short clip to catch a glimpse of many developmental building blocks we are working on in all age groups of Kindermusik.

Our work with this song includes:
1. Exploring the drums  

2. Pretend play

3. Playing along with a steady beat

4.Math patterns and measuring time

5. Eye/hand coordination

6. Developing our proprioceptive sense

7. Self control  

8. Fun!

If you saw my earlier post on "School readiness and reading readiness: Is it just for preschool?", you'll know that we've been working a LOT self control. The above video is a snapshot of budding musicians learning how to wait for the perfect moment to play a single tap on the drum. There are 3 children playing drums and they all stepping on the path to self control. First, of course is exploration (drums are fun and can make all kinds of sounds, mostly fast and loud!) and understanding their body (specifically for this activity knowing where their arms are and how to make them do exactly what you want them to do--this is part of the proprioceptive sense). Then, waiting (self control); a skill highly developed by musicians especially in any ensemble work like playing in an orchestra, woodwind quintet or rock and roll band. In our little video the drum is part of the simple ensemble. The children's brains have computed the length of the first phrase and have noted that it matches the second phrase. Some predict that the third phrase will also match but when it turns out to be a much longer phrase they have to work against the urge to tap in the middle of the phrase! Wait...wait...wait....NOW! That's pretty complex work for these little ones! But these are the tools they need to be successful as adults.

 Nolan jumps on the last beat of each phrase of Hickory Dickory Dock. At first children will learn that the length of the 2nd phrase matches the first. Then the predict the third one will also be the same size. You have to give them credit when they make that educated guess!  BUT the first  2 phrases are short and the third one is long so Nolan has learned to measure the time for each phrase and the pattern that this creates. Jumping is a gross motor activity and takes a lot more control than tapping or clapping.

Just below I've put a link to an article of interest from the New Yorker about self control as a predictor of success. The author says towards the end that it's sad that we know this but when we see a student who can not wait their turn, or shouts out the answers without raising their hands, the only thing we do about it is complain. There are ways to learn this self control. And, well..., what could be more fun than Kindermusik! It's a valuable way to invest in your child!Don’t!

The secret of self-control.

by Jonah Lehrer May 18, 2009

Children who are able to pass the marshmallow test enjoy greater success as adults.

Music, the Universal Language

This week in our Kindermusik Village class (Newborn-18 months) we've been singing a scale song. So very simple. Even the words are "La, la, la, la,......" The babies are curious about how we are singing one of their favorite words we find them staring at mom's mouth and tongue to see how she makes the "L" sound.

The tune is "Do ti la so fa mi re do, do ti la so fa mi re do, do re mi fa so la ti do, do ti la so fa mi re do." Or if this system makes more sense to you: C B A G F E D C, C B A G F E D C, C D E F G A B C, C B A G F E D C. It's just a major scale. Even if you've never studied music you still can sing it on one hearing. (Think the first line of "Joy to the World".)

But here's the math, and it's math that is in a different dimension because it's about the relationships between the frequencies of each pitch. Each note is a specific distance from the next; all being equal except for two intervals that are smaller (those are between the 3rd and 4th notes and the 7th and 8th notes).  Our ears are measuring the relationships of the distances of the pitches. By a very young age we can all understand this mathematical pattern with our ears and we can sing even sing it! And it's a pattern that's used all around the world.

Today in class little Alex was ready to sing the bottom of each phrase going down: "La!" Right on pitch!!! His ear is already calculating the distance! He's doing math! (Don't we LOVE it when kids can do math in their heads!?)

Watch this video of Bobbie McFerrin leading an audience in singing a "Pentatonic Scale". They were only given the directions you see in the video. And this audience is not specifically an audience of musicians, but rather of people who have an interest in science. He proves the universality of the language of music!

Keep singing!

PS here's a good read:

School readiness and reading readiness: Is it just for preschool?

Go-GO-GO-GO!!!!!
AND: STOP
Stop and be still.
Stop and wait.
Stop and listen.
Stop and think.
Stop.
AND GO!
 Here she goes!

In Kindermusik we are always working on these! In Kindermusik "Imagine That!" we are careful to be still and listen when we stop so we can hear the different timbre of the instrument we are to pick up and play along with "We Are Fine Musicians". It is more challenging to stop when we are making big movements as in our song "In the City" where we move our feet fast all around our big city until the "stop" signal is given with our voice and our hands making the American Sign Language motion for STOP! It takes body control and timing to stop so instantly! Yes, these 3 and 4 year olds can do it! They are thinking, listening and their ears and brain sends the signal then they DO stop! And they love it!

                                                                                  She stopped!

With Kindermusik "Our Time" (18 months to 3 1/2 years) we are stopping to listen to the tempo of each section of our dance "Lento y Rapido" We have to be still and quiet, and think about the speed of the music so we can dance according to that cue!They appreciate the ASL hand stop sign. It helps their picture thinking brain grasp the concept of "stop".

Watch her dance and STOP just like this!

Even in Kindermusik "Village" (newborn-18 months) we see and feel the adults stopping according to a musical cue but also on another level we are beginning to understand being in control of stopping each activity. As we sing "Bells away, bells away" and allow the children the time and trust they need to put the bells in the basket ALL BY THEMSELVES! Two really important elements help the children with this huge accomplishment.  First we must be willing to take the time to allow them to realize they have the choice. When we are in a hurry we "help" them put them away quickly. That's when they hang on tighter! In essence we end up grabbing the bells to speed things up and which means it will take longer next week. Ah! I must ask the adults to do some hard work: stop for a moment. Stop and allow. Stop and wait. Stop and trust. If they don't put it in the basket the first week or even the second week...they will soon. I promise.

We all need practice stopping, don't you know. Funny how this goes in a circle. So, time for the grown ups to stop. Put on a lullaby, maybe dim the lights, sit in a big comfy chair or even lie down on the couch. Really stop. Stop and breath. Stop like we do in the Kindermusik Village class when all the adults take a minute to really stop and relax. Then come back and listen to (or read) this NPR article on self control:

For Kids, Self-Control Factors Into Future Success

What's the potential of underprivileged children compared to children born to affluent families?

By the age of 4 children of professional families had heard 48 million words spoken to them and children of welfare families had heard only about 13 million words.
NPR article on talking to your child- newborn to 4

It's not only words, it's interactions and more. Is it possible to take a group of at risk babies and change their lives through a Kindermusik class that will coach the parents in how to talk and interact positively to their babies? I believe so.

Please vote for my grant idea to teach a Kindermusik class to the teen parents at the YWCA's MotherLove program. Go to this link and vote 10 x per 24 hours. There will be 5 grants awarded. I believe that by getting this class into action I will find other interested sponsors to make this project a permanent program.

I thank you......The babies thank you.

Free Music and Movement for Teen Parents and Their Babies

Help me win this grant! Please go to http://hive2.wizehive.com/voting/view/kindermusik/0/89919 and vote for my proposal 10 times every day till Feb 9th! Thank you friends!

I have been trying to find support for offering a class to teen parents for years! I know the parenting information AND the music will affect the young parents and of course music is magical for the babies...I believe I can help break the cycle they find themselves in.

Thank you for your support!