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

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.

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!

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!

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:

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!

Cash strapped schools make a mistake to cut music

And cash strapped families too....private lessons and classes like Kindermusik can mean the difference between a so-so musician and a musician that can really play and use their ears on a more advanced level....And can make the difference between a so-so reader and a reader who enjoys a higher academic success!

More and more research shows how music is a powerful tool for helping children reach their potential....(when I grow up I will be a neuroscientist so that I can understand all this....)

Well, someday........

But reading online about what researchers are saying happens in the brain when musicians use their ears helped me to focus the 3 1/2 year olds in our Imagine That! class this week as we are listening to layers of sound (water making waves, the bell bouy, the sea lions, and the work boat horn) and then listening to the music with the singer (the words to the song, the drum beating, the rattling percussion, the man's voice, etc) listening to many layers at once.......

"Playing an instrument may help youngsters better process speech in noisy classrooms and more accurately interpret the nuances of language that are conveyed by subtle changes in the human voice," says Nina Kraus, Hugh Knowles Professor of Neurobiology, Physiology and Communication Sciences at Northwestern University.....

Studies in Kraus' laboratory indicate that music -- a high-order cognitive process -- affects automatic processing that occurs early in the processing stream. "The brainstem, an evolutionarily ancient part of the brain, is modified by our experience with sound," says Kraus. "Now we know that music can fundamentally shape our subcortical sensory circuitry in ways that may enhance everyday tasks, including reading and listening in noise."

Read it all here.
And if you'd like to hear one of Nina Kraus' lecture click here (it's very interesting!)

Kindermusik kids now:

Anne's Michigan friend Eleanor (who was a Kindermusik student for many years) in a letter to Anne: "I am doing orchestra in school. It's really easy and the teacher uses me for examples. Are you in orchestra?"

Orchestra is one of Anne's favorite activities each week.

Time Invested In Practicing Pays Off For Young Musicians, Research Shows

Time Invested In Practicing Pays Off For Young Musicians, Research Shows

Time invested, money invested....You know lessons are expensive. But, yes, keep in mind the solid investment you are making in your children for their bright future.

Then there's the parenting energy investment! You are trying to be helpful, inspiring, encouraging, positive, and..... something is missing and you're shouting at them to "GO PRACTICE!"

If you are practicing with a child right now and they are resisting then work on your relationship and keep going! In our family we've been through mountains and valleys in playing their musical instruments. For a while I was considering getting a "nag mask" so that they wouldn't hate ME when they would so rather be playing legos or reading their current book. Another time I asked my son for permission to nag him to practice.

Hmmmm. Maybe a website with a million tactics to encourage, entice, convince the kids to practice!

Good luck and keep up the practicing.

Do you envision any of these for your child?

• She's a violinist winning concerto competitions.
• He's applying to engineering schools and receiving great scholarships.
• She's a poised dancer or a skilled basketball player.
• He's a confident CEO.
• She remains very clear minded even late in life.
• He has a talent for music that has given him enjoyment all through his life.

You must be dreaming!!! and we at the Asheville Arts Center say "Dream BIG!"

Kindermusik makes achieving these goals even more of a possibility. It's an investment that won't ever devalue. Take advantage of Kindermusik at the Asheville Arts Center. Students who complete the Kindermusik for the Young Child class (ages 5-7) will more likely enjoy and therefore succeed in taking private music lessons. They will be valued members of music theater groups because they can read music, keep a steady beat with a group, and move in creative ways to musical cues. They will be team players and leaders because of the music ensemble work they have been doing. They will be smarter. That's what the research says.

Free Kindermusik Young Child Demo Class
Saturday October 10
1:30pm
Soli Classica 1550 Hendersonville Rd.(just South of the Blue Ridge Parkway)
Call Karen Sams

p: 828-277-4111

f: 828-277-4112

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.

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

Kindermusik: A Head Start For Children - Mom TV

Kindermusik: A Head Start For Children

This video mentions that Kindermusik is a great program for 7 year olds down to 3 months but I've actually had babies as young as 5 weeks in my classes. I believe it's never too early to start! Babies this young are very attuned to loving stimulation through visual, auditory, touch and vestibular senses. Kindermusik is perfect! When my babies were tiny it was so hard to WAIT for them to be old enough! You're not too early!

I'm having some free "try-it" classes on the 1st of September at both the north Asheville and Arden locations. Email me to be invited so you can experience it with your little one.

Yvette

Do you have to be a gifted musician?

Would you ever say to a child: "You aren't mathematical. You just don't have that gift for math so why don't you try something else?" Of course NOT! We expect all children to achieve a certain level of math.

Why do we NOT expect that all children will achieve a certain level of music fluency? Especially now as we have research that proves that music training improves math scores, reading scores and SCORES of other measurements for scores of other intelligence indicators. Why? How can schools say "We have no money for a music program?" or "We can only afford music for the first half of the year. We'll do visual art for the second half."

Reading music and pitch matching improves reading scores:

TUNEin™ to READING comes alive on our video! See our software in action and meet students, educators and literacy experts who explain how and why it makes such a dramatic difference for struggling readers.

What could be better? Well, I think that "better" would be all the joy endocrines that a student would get singing in a top notch school choir...where the director would help them realize the thrill of matching pitches, making harmony, grooving with intensity...making music together...yes, that would be the best.

Lindley Junior School Choir - Simple Gifts

Coventry Blue Coat School Choir singing Bright Morning Stars Are Rising:

What do you suppose their reading scores are like?
Wait, that's not the right way to be thinking...

I'll bet the LOVE to read.