Kathy's Music - Music Instruction for the Whole Family

Support Your School's Music Program!

2011-12-19T08:06:00.000-08:00

by Stephanie Glover, Violin instructor for Kathy's Music, LLC

If you are reading this article, then you probably agree that the study of music and the arts is vital to providing a well-rounded and enriching education for children. In 1977 the Arts, Education, and American Panel was able to articulate the importance in the statement"...The arts are a function of life itself, and the process of making art -- both creative and recreative -- can give insight to all other areas of learning. The arts help people understand themselves in historical, cultural, and aesthetic terms; they provide people with broader choices about their environment and influence the way they do their work and live their lives. Since artist expression is also truly basic to the individual's intellectual development, it must be included as a component of all education."

We are so very fortunate that many schools in the Pittsburgh area, both public and private, share these same values and present music education at the core of their curriculums. Many schools offer general music classes, a variety of performing ensembles, and music electives such as music theory or music technology. I would encourage all students, especially those currently enrolled in private lessons, to take advantage of these opportunities by actively participating and supporting your school’s music program. Participation in a musical activity in a group setting along side their peers teaches students much more than you might first assume. Music ensembles teach students communication and leadership skills as well as how to work together as a team to achieve long and short term goals. School music programs give students the opportunity to give back to their communities and are a great way for students to meet other students with common interests that can lead to fun and lasting friendships. All of these skills are critical for success inside as well as outside the classroom.

The music classroom is very different today than it was years ago, mostly due to the positive evolution of teacher training and access to technology. It is dynamic and diversified, encouraging self-expression and creativity. Music educators have access to technology that allows students to explore various cultures, traditions, and styles of music. Take advantage of the opportunity to participate in your school music program and support the arts in your local community.

Jazz Music from Megadolon - Concert 12/20!

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

Megadolon is relatively new group on the Pittsburgh scene featuring our own guitar teacher, Scott Kruser. These guys are excellent musicians, well-trained, and many are seeking advanced degrees in the Pittsburgh area. You'll love the smooth sounds of jazz, whether listening to one of their CD's or enjoying a live performance.

This week they will be performing at the Shadow Lounge downtown (5972 Baum Boulevard 126 S. Highland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206) on Tuesday, Dec 20th from 6-9pm with a $5 cover. All ages are welcome.

Parents - enjoy a night out and enjoy Jazz Music! If you stop by, be sure to say hello to Scott.

Kindermusik: Parenting Through Music - Music Makes Traveling Easier!

2011-12-19T07:50:00.001-08:00

Image: Family Fun.

Childbirth and parenting classes should include a section called "Packing for the littlest traveler." Parents who travel with a young child often look like a mobile baby super store. Pack-n-play, stroller, nursing pillow, sippy cups, bottles, binkies, blankie (and backup blankie), case of diapers, case of wipes, baby food, toys, car seat, two or three outfits for each day, oh, and yes, the child! Are we there yet?!

At Kindermusik, we know a thing or two about traveling with the under 7 crowd. After all, we play Virtual Travel Agent each week in class. This semester in Village we booked excursions to go bird watching in Australia and Africa, learned infant massage in South Africa, sang songs in France, and even went dancing in Virginia and Charleston. In Our Time, we visited Clapping and Stomping Land, watched frogs in Sweden, hopped on Lukey's Boat, and took a donkey ride in the West Indies. No packing required!

(Next semester in Village, we are headed to the farm! Reserve your spot now for the hayride! Ready for Our Time? Then buckle up for traveling by planes, trains, and automobiles. Our preschoolers will be making toys in “Toys I Make~Trips I Take” and then going on pretend trips by boat and train.)

Everyday connection: Kindermusik for the Kindertraveler. Few children enjoy being strapped in their car seats for long periods of time. Music makes it easier. Create a playlist of your child's favorite Kindermusik songs for the trip or download these parent-child favorites: http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/bringing-music-home/kindermusiks-favorite-road-trip-playlist/.
Happy Holidays! Thank you for choosing to spend each week in Kindermusik. Please enjoy this free "Winter Wonderland" song download. Click on the link and then the orange download button to download for free. http://play.kindermusik.com/en/tracks/3008-winter-wonderland/.

For free printable travel games to entertain your kids, click here.

Practice Makes Perfect....Or Does It?

2011-11-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

by Rebecca Closson, Director of our music school, Pulling Strings Academy.

I often ask my students the question, “Why do we practice?” Without hesitation, the overwhelming response is “Because I want to get better!” I appreciate the desire in each of my students to achieve bigger and better things through their private lessons and hard work, but I want to challenge the idea about what purpose practice is actually meant to serve.

Violinist, Suzuki teacher trainer, author, and psychotherapist Edmund Sprunger once shared with my Suzuki training class that practice does not make perfect, but rather “practice makes EASY!” It was a revelation not only in my teaching, but in my own study of the violin. I was often discouraged when my time spent practicing only seemed to yield more frustration than resolution. My fingers could fly through difficult passages one day only to stumble in frustration the next. I couldn’t see past all of the things that I was unable to do and perfection seemed to be a dangling carrot that kept me running toward a goal that I was sure I would never reach.

Once I refocused my practice on one challenge at a time, problem-solving what I needed to do to make that challenge easier, and repeating the solution until I was able to perform the task successfully more times than I had performed it unsuccessfully, I had discovered a formula for success. Figuring out how to break down your practice into small, attainable challenges instead of tackling one large overwhelming expectation of perfection is a huge advantage for any student. Practicing then becomes centered on positive activities like creative thinking, linking together ideas, and application of previously attained skills.

A young student may rely more heavily on the teacher, parent or practice helper to guide them through the process of successful problem-solving practice, but beware helpers – there are challenges for you too! When practicing, make a special effort to focus on just one task at a time and let the others wait. If a student is working on a difficult passage for the left hand, allow the student to finish successfully before bringing to his or her attention the need to address an issue with the right hand. Also, finding a solution to a practice challenge may be the first step to success, but repetition and time spent is a necessary second, third and fourth step! Long term positive results can only be achieved through consistent time practicing the instrument more so than the sheer amount of time spent practicing the instrument. You cannot cram for a lesson like you would for a test. The skills that you are working on outside of the lesson each week are building blocks that need to have the strength to support new skills.

Most importantly, teachers do not expect practice helpers and parents to be perfect either! Weekly lessons are really special practice opportunities that give you and your student a chance to hone your problem solving skills with an expert advisor. You are working with the student an overwhelming proportion of the time each week and your instructor relies on you to present concerns or frustrations from the student perspective. The only true way to disappoint your teacher is to not have tried at all. Music works best in community and there is no better way to encourage success than to do the heavy lifting together!

Teaching Your Child to Sing

2011-11-21T14:42:00.000-08:00

by Kathy Morrison, Director of Kathy's Music, LLC

Singing is for fun and much more! Research indicates that focusing on singing can be beneficial in both cognitive development (abstract conceptual thinking, verbal abilities, originality) and motor development (particularly coordination). Singing, which may be present from the earliest stages of life, evolves through several development stages: babbling, repeating words and fragments, and finally adding rhythmic features and pitch components.

“Singing ability is related to the ability to control speech fluctuations, and speech activities appear to help develop tuneful singing skills.” (McDonald, Dorothy and Gene M. Simons.)

The ability to sing and the ability to converse with expressive speech are closely related. Early Childhood music classes will nurture your child’s speaking and singing voice by playing with rhythmic speech (poems and rhymes) as well as introducing and modeling simple tonal melodies with a limited range. While your child is happily singing, she is stimulating all developmental domains: physical, emotional, language, and cognitive. Particularly significant is the reinforcement singing provides in abilities relating to sequences, patterns, memory, and language.

However, timing is important. Evidence suggest that children ages 1.5 to 3 years are at a critical stage for learning to sing accurately (matching pitch). In “Teaching the Elementary School Chorus” by Linda Swears, we learn that many children are not singing accurately:

“Of primary importance in this developmental scheme [learning to sing] is the approximation of singing stage usually occurring between the ages of about eighteen months and three years. At this time a repertoire of tonal patterns is being developed and tonal memory is being shaped. Unfortunately, the heavy emphasis on language development at this time may result in inattention to the development of the child’s singing voice. For whatever reason, if singing is neglected at this stage, the result may be children and even adults who fail to achieve singing accuracy without remedial help.”

There are many things you can do at home (or in the car) to nurture your child’s developing singing voice.

- Encourage your child to sing by singing to and with her! You can be a marvelous example. Love and enjoyment of singing is contagious and contributes to the development of the child.

- Introduce songs from your childhood, such as folk songs and nursery rhymes. These childhood classics are comprised of rhyming words, repetitive phrases, and simple melodic patterns making them easy to learn and remember. Children want to sing them!

- Because children learn to sing best without accompaniment, try singing without a CD after you’ve learned the songs together.

- To encourage your child to sing in a light voice, which is easier for matching pitch, play with siren sounds, downward and upward “whoo” types of sounds, using a “sliding” voice. These glissando or sliding sounds will also help increase the child’s vocal range for both his speaking and singing voice.

- Sing in the ideal range for your child’s voice. For those parents with a musical background, we recommend from around “d” to “g” above middle C for children ages 3-5 years of age. Here’s the good news: One expert says that with many singing experiences, some children will be able to sing accurately from middle C to an octave above middle C by the age of four or five.

- Play with “humming” a favorite song from class, such as “Row, Row, Row your boat”. Humming will increase the strength of your voice.

The ability to sing is based on many factors, including environment, opportunities for vocal play, a child’s physical/emotional development, and natural ability. However, encouragement and guidance from adults who value singing can have an immense impact on a child’s ability to sing. So, sing, sing together, merrily, merrily sing!

Starting Private Lessons.

2011-10-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

“What is the right age for my child to start private lessons?”

Choosing to take private lessons is an important step in the musical development of any child. The age at which those lessons begin varies and often depends on a number of factors, including interest in a particular instrument, social skills, letter and number recognition, and attention span. Lessons can begin as early as three or four years of age, and many parents choose to start private lessons when a child starts school.

A child’s success with private lessons often lies with parental involvement in the lessons and at home. Parents are welcome and invited to attend the lessons, take notes, and help to facilitate practice sessions at home. Lessons for young children involve movement, singing, and learning the technical basics of the instrument in an environment which is positive and nurturing. Children with prior musical experience, like Kindermusik, often have an easy transition into private lessons as they have been exposed to many music basics in their classes.

If you are considering private lessons for your child, we welcome you to contact us to set up a time to meet with one of our private teachers. We love teaching children and setting them on a path which leads to a lifetime of music enjoyment.

Article Contributed by Josie Kost, Instructor for Kathy's Music, LLC teaching Kindermusik and private lessons in flute and piano for our music school, Pulling Strings Academy.

Movement, The Arts, and Learning

2011-10-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

Moving to Learn.

What does a child’s brain need to learn?

Answer: Movement

For those who want the background info….

There are 3 distinct but interconnected kinds of body/mind processing: sensation, emotion, and thought. (Smart Moves, pg. 12)

Sensations received through our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin, and proprioceptors are the foundation of knowledge. (NOTE: Proprioceptors allow our brains to explore and understand the environment through our muscle sense.) – (Smart Moves, pg. 43)
Emotions provide information to the REASONING process.
The body needs movement to anchor thought and build the skills with which we express our knowledge as lifelong learners. No matter how abstract our thinking may be, it can ONLY be manifested through the use of the muscles in our bodies.

Movement is the key to learning!

The bottom line: Multi-sensory Learning (rooted in movement) partnered with a positive emotional experience leads to LEARNING, REASONING, and THOUGHT.

In order for a child to learn we must involve the mind and the body with multi-sensory learning that is INTEGRATED. That’s the key to success.

How does that work in our classrooms?

In Village for babies we begin by just manipulating limbs and encouraging the simplest of moves. You, as the parent, are doing the moving with/for your child. In Our Time for toddlers, we begin to build a repertoire of ideas and encourage our children to explore their body movements for themselves. Last week, in the activity “Clapping Land” circle dance, we have an example of a simple synchronized/patterned dance that we will expand on in Imagine That for 3-5 year olds where ideas, creative movements, and control will be left to the children. In the Young Child 2-year curriculum for ages 5-7, all of your time and efforts come to fruition not only in movement to much more complex dances, but in instrumental play and high level reasoning. Your child will play in multi-part ensembles and will learn when to play and which instruments to play all while reading real musical notes and rhythms. WOW! A Good Beginning truly NEVER ends!

“Movement is the key to learning! Our brains fully develop through movement activities such as crawling, rolling, turning, walking, skipping, reaching, swinging and much more! The brain has a plan for development that involves specific and intensive motor activities to make full use of our complicated nervous system.” -“Movement and Music: The Keys to Learning” by Anne Green Gilbert, Kindermusik Notes Nov/Dec 1998

NOTE: Anne Green Gilbert is author of Teaching the Three Rs through Movement and Creative Dance for All Ages. Click here for Anne’s article highlighting music & movements impact on academics! http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/arts/gilbert.htm

The Benefits.

Through multi-arts and movement activities, foundational patterns and dispositions needed for success in school and life are set up and reinforced. New experiences are integrated and anchored within the brain, enabling children to unlock mysteries of our symbol system, make sense of their world, and learn to live and work peaceably with others.

In schools struggling to close achievement gaps, arts and movement programs can be a key to success. Young children who participate in the arts for at least three hours, three days a week for a year are

· 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement,

· 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools

· 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair

· 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance

· 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem

· 2 times more likely to read for pleasure, and

· 4 times more likely to perform community service.

Gains in dispositions for learning are critical outcomes of participation in arts and movement programs. (Catterall, 2002)

This week spend time learning to move with your son/daughter or even encouraging them to move, so that your child can move to learn. The statistics are compelling.

For more information on why learning is not all in your head, see Smart Moves by Carla Hannaford.

Kindermusik: Parenting through Music - Routines

2011-10-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

Spotlight on Parenting: Routines!

Going to the grocery store can be routine. You make the same loop every week: milk, bread, diapers, caffeine-of-choice; milk, bread, diapers, caffeine-of-choice. What would happen if each time you went to the store, they moved it all around? Suddenly, a trip to the grocery store becomes an exercise in frustration as you try to make sense of your surroundings.

The value of routine works similarly in your child. Routine helps him make sense of his surroundings and know what happens next. In Kindermusik, we build familiar routines into the class to help your child become comfortable and anticipate what comes next. The Hello song signals that class is starting. The story blanket means ... well ... it's story time. The Good-bye song brings the class to a close.

Everyday connection:

Establish a nighttime routine. Use music to signal to your child the start and end. "My Bonnie" and "You Are My Sunshine" are Kindermusik family favorites! Turning on lullabies or relaxing music after dinner will let your child know that the day is coming to a close. It is time for bath, books, snuggles, and bed. Plus, many children fall asleep faster (and sleep better!) with an established bedtime routine. Now that is a routine any parent can appreciate!

Your Preschool Child's Musical Development

2011-09-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

Want to learn more about your child’s musical development? Read on….

How does Kindermusik class help to develop my child’s musical skills?

Below we’ve outlined the musical profile of a 3-5 year old child and included ways that we practice these skills in Kindermusik class each week.

Is developing beat awareness -à We practice beat awareness using our talking drum where we walk, run, and jumpto the beat of the drum
Can match beat to external sound source in non-locomotor ways -à We practice matching beat when we explore sticks and other instruments, then play along to songs on our Home CD, such as “This Old Man”
Enjoys the interactive nature of circle games -à This week we played “What Shall We Do?” where children took turns sharing their ideas for playing outside and then we “sang” their ideas as a group in the song.
Is becoming increasingly successful with the rhythmic and tonal components of songs -àThe Grasshopper Park Story has been a great tool for exploring rhythm and tone. We can already see improvement in the children’s ability to retell the story using rhythm and tonal components, which means that they’ve been telling the story at home!
Is beginning to sing accurately in a limited range -àWith each class the children are singing more on pitch. That’s one reason we repeat songs from week to week is to give the children practice at matching pitch.
Can differentiate between the singing voice and the speaking voice -à We incorporate both chants and songs in class to practice differentiating between speech and singing.
Is beginning to understand musical concepts such as: Loud/Quiet, High/Low, Long/Short, Fast/Slow -à The ball play song, Do as I’m Doing, lends itself well to explore these concepts. Plus our glissando exploration has given us an opportunity to practice high/low voices.

It's age-appropriate.

It's musical learning.

It's music for now. Skills for life.

Kathy's Music, LLC

kathysmusic.com

(412) 344-0535

Introducing Kindermusik Radio iPhone App

2011-01-17T07:10:00.001-08:00

Introducing Kindermusik's new app for the iPhone - Kindermusik Radio!

Click here to learn more.

Dance, march, skip, and stretch. Swing your partner and then rock to a lullaby. Smile and laugh. Like their music and movement classes, the Kindermusik Radio app provides parents with a way to engage and interact with their children - while training the brain and soothing the soul.

Research shows that music helps children become better learners. Toddlers love to dance, swing and sing as they develop their motor and aural skills. Preschoolers strengthen neural pathways by making up songs and rhymes as their imaginations run wild. With 5 stations to choose from, the Kindermusik app will give you access to over 100 tracks, the very finest and authentic reproductions of classic children’s songs, nursery rhymes, and stories well as Kindermusik originals.

The Kindermusik Radio app offers a parent-child activity for every song, each activity designed to engage and entertain young listeners as well as stimulate early childhood development. The activities are based on principles defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Music Educators’ National Conference (MENC). Kindermusik has over 30 years experience in developing early learning curricula and products based on the work of early childhood development experts such as Piaget, Montessori, and Greenspan, and the music education philosophies of Orff, Kodaly, and Dalcroze.

Sing. Move. Listen. Share. Anywhere.

Fall Family Music Festival Week - Nov 3rd thu Nov 9th

2010-11-02T16:21:00.001-07:00

It's a class for your child, but the whole family benefits too!

Connect - Find support and friendship in our vibrant and growing community of families.

Share - Play and laugh together in an integrated, creative, child-centered experience.

Learn - Get expert advice on your child's development, every step of the way.

Grow - Inspire a love for music and learning in class, and then continue the fun at home.

This week we are celebrating Kindermusik and Family in all of our classes. We have prepared lessons designed to connect, share, learn, and grow together as a family.

Want to learn more about the Kindermusik experience? Contact us today to preview a class.

http://www.KathysMusic.com

Local Opera Matinee - just for families!

2010-10-19T05:17:00.000-07:00

Our very own Kindermusik teacher, Jenifer Weber, will be performing in an opera this weekend called, "Dido and Aeneas." Performance dance are October 22-24th.

Flash Opera presents Dido and Aeneas, an English baroque opera by Henry Purcell. It is the story of how Dido, the Queen of Carthage and Aeneas, the hero of Troy fell in love and why their relationship didn't work. This opera is in English and has a running time of approximately 1 hour. The Sunday matinee held at the JCC in Squirrel Hill is for families and will feature a pre-performance talk and a post-performance question/answer period. The room in which the performance will take place is convenient to restrooms and is less formal and more comfortable than a traditional theater venue. Children are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Friday, October 22 at 8pm, we appear at South Hills Retirement Residence (formerly South Hills High School) at 125 Ruth St.

Saturday, October 23 at 8pm, we're at The Zenith in the South Side at 86 S. 26th St.

Sunday, October 24 at 1:30, we're at the JCC-Sq. Hill for a family matinee.

While Friday and Saturday night would make a great date night, Sunday will be great for families. Admission is free with donations accepted at the door.

Congratulations Jenifer and best wishes for a great weekend of performances! We're so proud!

Kindermusik with Kathy's Music will be at Learning Express Robinson this week!

2010-10-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

Join us this Saturday, October 23rd, at Learning Express in Robinson for 2 special events led by Miss Kathy at Kindermusik with Kathy's Music, LLC.

First it's Donuts with Dads - we'll be joining these families after they enjoy their refreshments for songs and activities that have to do with spending time together in the kitchen with our families.

Then at Noon we're leading a Music and Movement Storytime with a variety of most-favorite activities, including several selections from our Away We Go unit all about trains. Join us for this special event - reservations requested through Learning Express. Please contact them today to reserve your space!

We love the folks at Learning Express and their products that encourage creativity and musical exploration. Be sure to stop by this Saturday to check out their store and learn more about Kindermusik!

Join us for Kindermusik Storytime at the Robinson Library

2010-09-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

Parents, Join us this Wednesday, September 29th at 1:00 PM for a Kindermusik storytime at the Robinson Township Library located on Churchill Road. Our own Emily Lukach will be sharing Weather stories, songs, and activities with preschoolers ages 3-5 years.

Want to learn more about Kindermusik? Join us for a preview class in Robinson on Saturday, October 2nd at our new location at 6040 Steubenville Pike, Suite 704. Contact us today to reserve your space (412) 344-0535.

We're changing the word through music, one family at a time!

Serving the Pittsburgh area in Mt. Lebanon, McMurray, Robinson, and Squirrel Hill.

New Kindermusik Offerings for Young Child, Family Time, and more in Pittsburgh!

2010-08-24T05:30:00.000-07:00

Classes are filling so we added new classes to meet demand!!

We just added new Kindermusik for the Young Child classes, our premier music fundamentals classes for ages 5-7:

Wed 4:30 - Mt. Lebanon

Thur 4:45 - McMurray

Fri 1:00 - Robinson

Sat 12:30 - Mt. Lebanon

We just added new Family Time Classes for ages 0 to 5 years:

Mon 10:30 - Robinson

Tues 11:15 - Mt. Lebanon

Wed 6:30 - McMurray

AND we're working on a new Saturday class, too!! Stay tuned as the details are unfolding!!

The Our Time classes are filling, so we added more of those, too.

Check out ALL the Our Time Classes now available in Robinson, McMurray, and Squirrel Hill

Plus, we have a Thursday 6:15 PM class in Mt. Lebanon.

We'd love to hear from YOU if you'd like to see a different day/time.

We're committed to offering the days/times that you need!

www.KathysMusic.com

(412) 344-0535

Preview classes starting this week. Come experience Kindermusik!

Kathy's Music featured on Kindermusik's Blog

2010-07-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

We're delighted that Kindermusik International talks about our program on their blog, Minds on Music.

Check out the story and let us know what you think!

http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/growing-up-kindermusik/

Then see a picture from one of our classes with Miss Kathy, now being featured on the Kindermusik.com home page. We are honored and we LOVE that picture!

Fall Classes / New Location in Robinson, PA

2010-07-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

Great news! Kathy's Music is proud to announce a new location in Robinson, PA. We are leasing a commercial space at 6080 Steubenville Pike just about 1/2 mile from the new shops at Settler's Ridge plaza (with REI, Learning Express, Barnes & Nobles, and more).

Check out the 2010-2011 schedule for all 4 of our locations - Mt. Lebanon, McMurray, Robinson, and Squirrel Hill at the JCC.

We have a great team of teachers ready to spend time with you each week in Kindermusik Class.

Plus, we're offering Piano lessons in both Mt. Lebanon and Robinson.

Join us for a preview class at no charge or obligation. Click here to learn more about preview classes in August/September at a location near you.

Meet Miss Caroline in Robinson, PA

2010-07-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

There's always room on Miss Caroline's lap! And that's exactly the kind of Kindermusik teacher you will want for your child. Meet Miss Caroline who will be teaching for us this fall at our brand new location in Robinson, PA. She will be teaching Tues/Wed mornings for babies and toddlers.

If you would like to learn more, join us for a preview class on Tuesday, September 7th.

Babies through 18 months - 10 AM

1.5 to 3 years - 11 AM

Our new Robinson location is located about 1/2 mile from the new Shops at Greenridge. We're part of the Midas plazas at 6080 Steubenville Pike Road, Robinson, PA 15136. We are giving our new space a face-lift so stay tuned for pictures and more details in the weeks ahead.

FALL CLASSES START - the week of September 13th! Enroll today!

Enroll online for fall classes in Robinson or our locations - CLICK HERE.

Come and experience Kindermusik with Miss Caroline and all of our other wonderful teachers at Kindermusik with Kathy's Music, LLC.

Former Kindermusik Student Stays Ahead of the Curve at Shaler High School

2010-04-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

On April 8th, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published the article found at the link included below, about a former Kindermusik student, Kaitlin Price, who is now 16 years old. Special thanks to Uta Weiland, Kindermusik educator from Greensburg, PA, for sharing this story.

Kaitlin's mom attributes a lot of her success to attending Kindermusik classes as a child. Here's what Kaitlin had to say about her early educational experiences:

"I could already read in kindergarten," said Kaitlyn, now a senior at Shaler Area High School. "So when other kids were learning their ABCs, I went down to the principal's office and read to him because I had nothing better to do. And he listened to me read the Harry Potter books, if I recall correctly."

Here's what Kaitlin's mom said when asked by Miss Uta if she could share the article with others:

"I'd be honored to have you use it for the good of Kindermusik. I do often try to recruit for you guys. I KNOW Kindermusik was a large part of why my kids are as successful as they are. Sometimes I'm so jealous of them because they have that music knowledge. Being comfortable with reading music has such an impact on all aspects of learning. Hope her story can gather more to the fold."

Choose Kindermusik for your child this summer and see why Kaitlin's mom is such a loyal fan after all these years. Contact us today to schedule a free preview.

For more information about our offerings, see www.KathysMusic.com

(412) 344-0535

We're so much more than just music!

To read the full article from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, click here.

Choosing Kindermusik with Kathy's Music is a Choice for Literacy

2010-03-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

Literacy is the "ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society.” – defined by UNESCO.

By this definition, Literacy goes beyond the ability to read and write. Rather Literacy extends to developing knowledge and potential, using that knowledge and potential to reach one’s goals, and participating fully in our communities and in our societies. Research tells us that the single most important early childhood literacy activity for building knowledge and skills is having an adult read aloud to the child on a continuing basis. Kindermusik provides opportunities to read aloud in class and at home with Kindermusik literature – a unique and valuable part of your home materials, semester after semester.

Kindermusik literature integrates music, movement, creative thinking, language, awareness of sounds, and sends the message that words have meaning and books are fun. Reading aloud together builds parent-child relationships, creates a common view of the world, and often gives children the ability to relate to and express their emotions. It has been said that while reading aloud makes children smarter, more importantly it creates a whole person.

Our Kindermusik classes create a literacy experience each and every week for your child. We are committed to your child’s learning and helping them reach their potential. We invite children to dream and help build skills to reach their goals. We create an environment that invites community where each child and adult can participate fully. Choosing Kindermusik for your child is a choice for literacy.

Kindermusik with Kathy's Music Makes Great Parenting Easier

2010-03-08T07:36:00.000-08:00

We can never underestimate the power of an encouraging word...or the right word spoken at the right time. Merriam-Webster defines encouragement this way: to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope; to hearten, urge, spur on, to stimulate, to give help.

As a parent you surely wish to encourage your child, and that is our goal in Kindermusik as well. When your child walks into our Kindermusik class, he or she will be encouraged, inspired, spurred on, stimulated, allowed to explore freely and to stretch and grow musically. There are few environments that provide the concentrated opportunities both for educator and parent alike to encourage and boost a child's self-esteem like Kindermusik provides.

This is why the Kindermusik experience is so compatible with good parenting.

(412) 344-0535.

Bring a Friend to Kindermusik and Make-up a Class, too!

2010-02-18T03:45:00.001-08:00

The weather outside is frightful...yet, Kindermusik inside is delightful.

And since you've no place to go...Bring a friend to a class and let it snow!

Our Thursday 9:20 Our Time class is cancelled today, Feb 18th, due to inclement weather.

Plus, our Wed 9:20 Village class for babies was cancelled yesterday, Feb 17th, due to inclement weather.

The following make-up classes have been scheduled:

Monday, Feb 22nd - 9:30 Village Class in McMurray with Miss Kathy

Please note the change in time from 9:20 to 9:30 in order to accommodate more families.

Tuesday, Feb 23rd - 11:15 Our Time class in Mt. Lebanon with Miss Kathy

These makeup classes are open to ALL of our Spring 2010 Families. If you've missed a class so far and would like to do a makeup one one of these days, then please contact us today.

Making music is always fun with a friend!

So invite a friend to join you for one of these makeup classes. When you both join us for class, you'll each receive a Kindermusik egg shaker and 5 free songs from play.Kindermusik.com.

We'll make music together and chase away the "winter" blues!

Happy Valentine's Day from Kindermusik with Kathy's Music!

2010-02-13T19:02:00.000-08:00

Love Somebody, Yes We Do! Love Somebody and it's You, You, You!

To all of our Kindermusik families,

Happy Valentine's Day from all of us at Kathy's Music, LLC.

Here are a few of our favorite love songs

from your Kindermusik Library to celebrate the day!

Skinnamarink - Love Somebody - Peek A Boo, I Love you - Parrot Talk

The Water is Wide - A Bicycle Built for Two - Home Sweet Home

Hop Up My Baby -You are My Sunshine - Everybody Loves Baby

Cuddle Up a Little Closer - Suo Gan

Let Me Call You Sweetheart - Little Sugar

Put together your own sweet Valentine play list

at play.Kindermusik.com

All our love,

Kathy, Holly, Katie, Allison, Carrie, and Andrea

Kindermusik Classes Cancelled for Wed through Friday, Feb 10th-12th

2010-02-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

Due to the weather conditions and more snow on the way, we've made the decision to cancel classes for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week - February 10-12th.

Please note: Saturday Classes WILL MEET on Saturday, February 13th.

Your safety is our number one priority and many families are still recovering from power outages and trying to dig out with more snow coming today and tomorrow. In addition, our Mt. Lebanon location currently has no parking due to the large amounts of snow in the street and behind the building. We will resolve this issue by Saturday so that those classes can meet.

We will make up these classes by adding a week to the end of our semester. Please mark your calendars now that our spring classes will end the week of May 17th through May 22nd.

Sing a song, read one of your Kindermusik books, check out play.kindermusik.com for an iTunes type site with all of our Kindermusik classics. Stay safe and warm and we'll see you soon!

Kindermusik Classes Cancelled for Tuesday, February 9th

2010-02-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

Parents,

Due to the weather conditions, Mt. Lebanon School District has cancelled school for Monday, February 8th and now again for Tuesday, February 9th. As a result, our Monday & Tuesday classes in Mt. Lebanon are cancelled. We will make these classes up at a later date.

We hope that everyone is safe and warm (with power on).

Give your snowman a much needed break....and try Kindermusik at home. Please see our previous blog posting for ideas on how to have Kindermusik at home with your family today and through the week.

Sincerely,

Kathy Morrison

(412) 344-0535

www.KathysMusic.com

Kindermusik with Kathy's Music - Saturday Classes Cancelled

2010-02-05T15:38:00.001-08:00

Due to the hazardous weather conditions caused by the snow storm in Pittsburgh this evening and tomorrow morning, our Saturday classes on 2/6/10 are cancelled. We will make these classes up on Saturday, May 22nd.

How can you enjoy Kindermusik at home tomorrow?

Enjoy your Home CD's and books and create your own Kindermusik class with the whole family.

Check out several flip videos of some of our favorite Kindermusik songs and activities. Click the widget to the right of this posting and you can watch Miss Kathy and others teaching Village, Our Time, Imagine That!, Family Time, and Young Child activities.

Browse the brand new website by Kindermusik: play.kindermusik.com

You can purchase more of our most popular music in an iTunes like fashion.

You can even send e-Cards with Kindermusik music included.

Stay warm and we'll see you next week.

(412) 344-0535

Kindermusik Understands the Value of Play

2010-01-28T04:19:00.000-08:00

“Given its all-consuming and pervasive nature, it is not surprising that play makes major contributions to growth and development during the preschool years.” (p. 61) The Preschool Years: Family Strategies That Work – From Experts and Parents by Ellen Galinsky and Judy David.

Play fosters a positive self-concept.
Play promotes language development.
Play stimulates thinking and problem-solving.
Play enables children to understand the world.
Play is a forum for children to express and resolve their feelings.
Play enhances creativity.
Play develops social skills and social thinking.

In Kindermusik we use pretend play as a bridge from a child’s real life experiences to creative thinking strategies that develop language, sensory, motor, and cognitive skills. While playing, your child uses concepts already acquired; however, the play reinforces those concepts and increases your child’s competence. You may notice that as your child becomes more and more comfortable with a certain type of play, the play becomes varied and boundaries are expanded. Read through the list above and you’ll see why we use play each week to grow your child!

“…[T]he capacity to play seems inherent in the human species, but it takes a supportive environment to bring out its potential.”

Come and see how Kindermusik supports your child's learning every time he/she steps into our classroom.

We're so much more than just music!

http://www.KathysMusic.com

Kindermusik Understands How Children Learn

2010-01-19T20:15:00.001-08:00

How Children Learn

Children learn by doing. Early childhood specialists and educators suggest that young children benefit tremendously from daily, informal musical and physical activities with nursery rhymes, lullabies, patty-cake games, and singing in the home.

Well-known research by Frances Rauscher, Ph.D., shows that young children who participate in regular musical activities develop a measurable improvement in the type of intelligence needed for high-level math, science, and spatial reasoning.

We’re proud to provide young children in our Pittsburgh community with joyful experiences in music and movement through Kindermusik, the world’s premier music and movement program for children newborn to 7 years.

We’re even happier to help make great parenting just a little bit easier by offering support and resources in and out of class to make the daily routines smoother, the fleeting childhood years more memorable, and the musical learning more meaningful.

Join us for a free preview class to learn more about the Kindermusik experience!

Kindermusik Classes Cancelled on Friday Jan 8th

2010-01-08T04:35:00.000-08:00

Today, Friday, January 8th all Kindermusik classes are cancelled due to weather conditions. As you know, we follow the Mt. Lebanon school district’s schedule when dealing with inclement weather. The school district consults many sources before canceling classes and activities with regards to road conditions, risk, etc.

We will schedule a makeup day during the week of January 18th. Stay tuned for those details!

Just a reminder that when classes are cancelled, we communicate in the following ways:

Email to all parents in the classes that are cancelled.
Posting on Miss Kathy’s blog at http://kindermusikwithkathysmusic.blogspot.com
KDKA School Closing & Delays

Your safety is our #1 Priority!

Mom Shares Benefit of Kindermusik when Homeschooling!

2009-12-29T10:05:00.000-08:00

Last week I received an email from one of our parents:

"I just found another HUGE benefit to the kids knowing all about steady beat. We recently began learning about syllables in words. I thought it would be kind of a tricky thing to teach, but I started by calling the syllables “beats” and the kids didn’t have any trouble catching on. Once they were able to count the beats in a word (which didn’t take long at all), then I transitioned to calling the beats syllables. It was effortless! When one is homeschooling, there are few things that one can call effortless – so thank you for setting up that foundation in my children!!!" - Homeschooling Mother of Trudy (age 7), Elias (age 5), and Clara (18 months)

To learn more about the benefits of Kindermusik, join us for a free preview class.

Special Kindermusik Demo Day on January 23rd. See our website for details.

Inclement Weather Policy - Are we having Kindermusik class today?

2009-12-11T06:04:00.000-08:00

Parents - Just a reminder about our inclement weather policy at Kathy's Music.

If the local schools start 2 hours late, then we will cancel classes that start before 10:00 AM and we WILL have classes for the rest of the day that start after 10:00 AM.

If the local school cancel classes, then our Kindermusik classes will be cancelled, too. If we are going to cancel Saturday classes, we will make a decision by 8 AM and email all families, plus post it on our blog.

All cancelled classes will be rescheduled - stay tune for details!

In addition, Kathy's Music announces delays and cancellations on the KDKA website and local broadcast.

Stay warm and enjoy the snow whenever possible!

The Kindermusik Experience in Pittsburgh - Spring 2010!

2009-12-02T04:35:00.000-08:00

Announcing our Spring 2010 Class Preview!

Click here to see all the details.

Enroll online today and take advantage of our monthly payments. Pay a deposit now and your next payment is not due until February 5th.

Kindermusik with Kathy's Music is committed to the overall development of each child from babies to age 7.

Join us for the Kindermusik experience!

Kindermusik with Kathy's Music - Enroll Now for Spring 2010

2009-12-01T05:27:00.000-08:00

Enroll now for Spring Kindermusik Classes in Mt. Lebanon, McMurray, and Squirrel Hill. To enroll online, click here.

Want to see a Kindermusik Class to learn more?

* Free Preview Classes available in December - contact us through our website to schedule. Or call (412) 344-0535.

* Demo Day - January 11th in Squirrel Hill. Contact us today to reserve your space.

9:30 - Ages 0 to 18 months

10:30 - Ages 0 to 5 (Family Class)

* Demo Day - January 23rd in Mt. Lebanon. Contact us today to reserve your space.

9:15 - Ages 0 to 18 months

10:15 - Ages 1. 5 to 3 years

11:15 - Ages 3 to 5 years

* View a class NOW by clicking on the links to the right of this post. Or Visit the Kindermusik Channel at YouTube with a variety of short clips from our program with Miss Kathy (and other educators in the US, too).

Join us for the Kindermusik experience!

www.KathysMusic.com

(412) 344-0535

It's Not a Hula Hoop, It's a Puddle!

2009-11-14T12:33:00.000-08:00

Below we've posted a portion of an article written by Aaron Carasco, a Kindermusik educator with Studio3Music in Washington State:

In Kindermusik, it’s rare to ever call hoops by their actual name; usually they’re mountains, meadows, or even puddles. In fact, last week my toddlers we’re ecstatic to “hop-a-doodle” around their “meadows.” With my early elementary kids, they loved playing the rhyming “Dr. Foster” game with their “puddles.” Even my preschoolers were looking forward every week to taking the “tricky trails” with their imaginary friends in our story “Josh and Katie.”

At the end of the week, I realized that a bunch of plastic 2 dimensional circles managed to not only thoroughly entertain all the children, but more importantly helped them learnimportant skills like how to jump on one foot, how to communicate with each other to go through “the tunnel”, and even how to work on their special awareness. All these important learning concepts were addressed by using something that costs around $5.

We see children assign multiple identities to an object all the time. One day, a scarf is a butterfly wing, but the next, it’s a leaf. When children can use an object in their play in many different ways, they will pick it up again and again. Children can play with legos for years because it can be so many different things! When children are autonomous and own their learning, they not only enjoy learning more, they retain it better. This comes from choosing how to learn a certain concept. In fact, manipulatives in Kindermusik such as hoops, scarves, and streamers all have one thing in common: they are open-ended. The more open-ended an object is, the more roles it can have in play.

-posted by Teacher Aaron, who still has his first set of legos!

For the full article, please click HERE.

To see first hand how we use objects and instruments in Kindermusik class from babies to elementary aged children, contact us today to schedule a free preview class or give us a call (412) 344-0535.

We're so much more than just music!

Spring Priority Enrollment for Kindermusik Classes in Pittsburgh

2009-11-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

To our current families -

We are delighted to invite you to re-enroll for our Spring Classes NOW!

New families may enroll starting on December 1st.

Our ONLINE enrollment for Spring classes will also be available on December 1st.

For all the details on our Spring Schedule, Class Description, Enrollment Process, click here:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs005/1101966356524/archive/1102827077637.html

We are offering Winter classes at the JCC in Pittsburgh starting in January. See their website at http://www.jccpgh.org or contact us for more details.

To learn more about the Kindermusik experience, we invite you to preview a class!

www.KathysMusic.com

(412) 344-0535

Kathy's Music Fall Semester Dates

2009-11-03T19:18:00.000-08:00

As we approach the holiday season, we thought it might be helpful to have a reminder about our calendar dates for classes.

Kathy’s Music Fall Calendar:
September 14th-19th – First week of Fall classes
October 6th – Family Time Class Begins in Mt. Lebo and McMurray
November 2nd-3rd – No classes / Fall Break

November 4th - 10th - New Village Unit for babies begins, "Do Si Do"

November 9th - Mini Session for ages 3-5 begins, "Rhythms of the Land"
November 16th – Priority Re-Enrollment for Current Families Begins
November 25th-29th – Thanksgiving Break

December 1st - Spring Enrollment opens to new families
December 20th-January 2nd – Winter Break
January 4th – Classes resume in Mt. Lebanon and McMurray

January 4th & 7th - New Winter Session at the JCC for Families, 8 weeks
January 11th -16th– Last week of Fall Classes

January 11th at 9:30 AM in Squirrel Hill - Preview Class for Baby Class

January 18th - New Baby class begin at the Squirrel Hill JCC, 6 weeks
January 25th - Spring semester classes begins in Mt. Lebanon and McMurray

February 22nd & 25th - Winter Session ends at the JCC

March 1st - Spring Session begins at the JCC

We're looking forward to seeing you at your next class!

Kindermusik Fall Mini-Sessions at Kathy's Music, LLC

2009-11-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

Announcing Mini-Sessions that fit your schedule and your budget.

Now offering a 4 week class for preschoolers ages 3-5 called "Rhythms of the Land" starting next Monday, November 10th at 10:30 AM in Mt. Lebanon. The cost is only $62 and includes home materials. Register online today!

Plus, we are offering an 8 week class for babies, Kindermusik Village "Do-Si-Do" at a special price of $108 for 8 classes and home materials.

We just announced our Winter classes offerred at the JCC (Jewish Community Center) in Squirrel Hill starting in January. There will be an 8 week class for families and a 6 week class for babies.

To learn more about all of our mini-sessions, please click here for full descriptions, schedules, and pricing:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs005/1101966356524/archive/1102793172903.html

Come be a part of the Kindermusik experience!

(412) 344-0535

www.KathysMusic.com

Kathy's Music Fall Break

2009-11-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Parents,

Kindermusik with Kathy's Music is on Fall Break during Monday, November 2nd, and Tuesday, November 3rd. Classes resume on Wednesday, November 4th.

However, our Group Piano Class WILL meet on Monday at 4:30 as scheduled.

If you are looking for something "Kindermusik" to do - check out our "Kindermusik" channel on YouTube at http://www.YouTube.com/KindermusikRocks

To learn more about what's happening in the world of music for children: Visit the Kindermusik International Blog at http://www.kindermusik.com/MindsOnMusic

Don't forget to vote on Tuesday and we'll see you soon!

Sincerely,

Kathy

Kindermusik promotes Problem Solving using Dramatic Play

2009-10-30T13:32:00.001-07:00

This week, Kindermusik with Kathy's Music, LLC, focused on problem solving in our Imagine That! classes for ages 3-5 years in a variety of ways, including Dramatic Play.

We created a dramatic play “Can You Find Me.” Each child selected a “role” (skunk, bird, bee, squirrel, tree-with lots of stick branches and scarf leaves, little boy, little girl). Why dramatic play? The inclusion of drama in a story activity serves as a means for “…prompting the memory of actions and words, learning story sequences, and reinforcing print meaning and function. Dramatization also develops cooperative social skills, problem solving skills, and the ability to coordinate with peers.” – Read, Play and Learn!: Storybook Activities for Young Children, by Toni W. Linder, Ed.D., p. 24.

Creativity is the foundation for problem-solving skills. From a very early age, fostering a child's creativity will help him learn to find solutions to difficulties that arise. Marcia J, http://www.helium.com/items/819091-helping-your-preschooler-develop-problem-solving-skills

Special thanks to my colleague, Betsy Flanagan, for the research & links!

Just another example of how Kindermusik helps your child develop skills for life while creating a life-long love of music.

Today is a Kindermusik Day!

2009-10-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

Yes! Today is a Kindermusik day in Mt. Lebanon. Even though the Mt. Lebanon schools are closed today, we are still having classes. Our Fall break will be on Monday and Tuesday, November 2nd and 3rd. To all of my Friday families, I will see you soon!

Can't wait to see what costumes you will wear to class today! Don't forget to bring your cameras.

Sincerely,

Miss Kathy

Kindermusik with Kathy's Music Promotes Success in Math

2009-10-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

Researchers have found that there is a definite connection between music, patterns, and mathematics.

Kindermusik classes make rich use of music and movement to explore patterns and help your child reach developmental milestones. We guide the group in listening for changes in a musical patterns. In instrument play alongs, your child creates or imitates a pattern of sound. In storytelling, your child learns the sequence of events. And in movement games, we practice imitating a pattern of movement. All of these activities help prepare your child for success in math.

When your child promotes to Kindermusik for the Young child (ages 5-7), we will explore patterns as we transition from aural learning to the written symbols of music. We will explore patterns in rhythms and patterns in the melody on the musical staff. We will discover the sequences of the melody in simple songs. We will practice the patterns in music as we create musical ensembles together using a variety of instruments.

There’s so much more to come in our Kindermusik journey that will help your child be successful in math while learning to be a young musician, just like the children pictured above who are learning to play the Dulcimer in our Young Child Semester 3 program.

www.KathysMusic.com / (412) 344-0535

Kindermusik with Kathy's Music - Using Movement to Learn

2009-10-17T05:14:00.000-07:00

Each Kindermusik class combines music and movement to provide your child with the most effective early childhood learning experience.

In Village (for babies) we begin by just manipulating limbs and encouraging the simplest of moves. You, as the parent, are doing the moving with/for your child. In Our Time (toddlers), we begin to build a repertoire of ideas and encourage our children to explore their body movements for themselves. This week, in the activity “Clapping Land”, we have an example of a simple synchronized/patterned dance that we will expand on in Imagine That (ages 3-5) where ideas, creative movements, and control will be left to the children. In the Young Child 2-year curriculum (ages 5-7), all of your time and efforts come to fruition not only in movement to much more complex dances, but in instrumental play and high level reasoning. Your child will play in multi-part ensembles and will learn when to play and which instruments to play all while reading real musical notes and rhythms. WOW! A Good Beginning truly NEVER ends!

“Movement is the key to learning! Our brains fully develop through movement activities such as crawling, rolling, turning, walking, skipping, reaching, swinging and much more! The brain has a plan for development that involves specific and intensive motor activities to make full use of our complicated nervous system.” -“Movement and Music: The Keys to Learning” by Anne Green Gilbert, Kindermusik Notes Nov/Dec 1998

NOTE: Anne Green Gilbert is author of Teaching the Three Rs through Movement and Creative Dance for All Ages. Click here for Anne’s article highlighting music & movements impact on academics! http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/arts/gilbert.htm

Through multi-arts and movement activities, foundational patterns and dispositions needed for success in school and life are set up and reinforced. New experiences are integrated and anchored within the brain, enabling children to unlock mysteries of our symbol system, make sense of their world, and learn to live and work peaceably with others.

In schools struggling to close achievement gaps, arts and movement programs can be a key to success. Young children who participate in the arts for at least three hours, three days a week for a year are

· 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement,
· 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools
· 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair
· 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance
· 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem
· 2 times more likely to read for pleasure, and
· 4 times more likely to perform community service.

Gains in dispositions for learning are critical outcomes of participation in arts and movement programs. (Catterall, 2002)

Follow Me to Kindermusik with Kathy's Music!

2009-09-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

Looking for a baby music class or a music class for children? Follow me to Kindermusik!

We're offering Kindermusik classes for babies through age 7 in Pittsburgh. Classes are available now in Mt. Lebanon, McMurray, and in Squirrel Hill.

Join us for a free preview class. We take registrations through out the fall semester. Enroll online in minutes.

Be a part of the Kindermusik experience!

http://www.KathysMusic.com

(412) 344-0535

Can you hear Kindermusik in Pittsburgh?

2009-09-14T19:29:00.001-07:00

Have you seen our ad on Pandora, an internet radio, that you can listen to through your iPhone? Look what we found this weekend when we were listening to The David Crowder Band. That's right - an ad for www.KathysMusic.com for Kindermusik classes in Pittsburgh. How cool is that!

We love The David Crowder Band and you'll love Kindermusik for your child.

Enroll online in Minutes.

Join us for a preview class. There's no cost or obligation, just come and enjoy the Kindermusik experience.

www.KathysMusic.com

(412) 344-0535

New Kindermusik Classes in Pittsburgh!

2009-09-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

Due to the demand for Friday classes, Kindermusik with Kathy's Music has added 2 new offerings to our schedule:

Fridays 9:20 AM, Our Time Wiggles & Giggles, Ages 1.5 to 3 years, Mt. Lebanon with Miss Kathy

Fridays 10:15 AM, Family Time, Ages 0-5 years, McMurray with Miss Carrie.

We still have spaces for fall classes, some of which start as early as next week, September 14th.

Join us for the Kindermusik Experience this fall.

Enroll online in Minutes!

www.KathysMusic.com

(412) 344-0535

Why choose music for your child in Pittsburgh?

2009-08-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

Why music? Why choose music for your child? Research has proven the benefits of musical learning are far reaching in terms of reading, mathematics, and socialization.

Kindermusik International is the parent's choice for musical learning in Pittsburgh and around the world. We are committed to bring you the best Kindermusik experience for you and your child week after week, year after year, along with valuable home materials, and parent education.

To learn more about the research, click here.

To learn more about what others have to say, read the quotes at right as they scroll by. We will update these quotes from time to time in order to share as much wisdom and perspective as possible.

Contact Kathy at Kindermusik with Kathy's Music today serving Pittsburgh in Mt. Lebanon, McMurray, and Squirrel Hill.

Free Preview Classes available on September 3, 9, 10, and 12th. Reserve your space today.

(412) 344-0535

www.KathysMusic.com

Looking for the best children's music class in Pittsburgh?

2009-08-16T19:22:00.000-07:00

You're not alone. Here's a video that you, as a parent, can relate to.

Come be a part of the Kindermusik experience.

Give Kindermusik a try through our free preview classes.

See www.KathysMusic.com for more details.

Making Music Together with Kindermusik & Kathy's Music

2009-08-12T05:25:00.000-07:00

Making music together is what music is all about! When children learn to contribute their part to a beautiful whole as part of their Kindermusik class experiences, they have benefitted from one of the most important advantages of group instruction. Music becomes even more exciting when children begin to develop a growing awareness of their selves within the context of the group.

Our Kindermusik classes offer children the opportunity for ensemble experiences that are age-appropriate, fun, and engaging. Ensemble experiences help to build social skills and foster a sense of community in the classroom. We know that children learn best when they feel both emotionally and socially secure. Through our research-approved, award winning curricula, your child will have the opportunity to learn new skills, build self-confidence, become part of a cohesive group, and develop a life-long love of music.

To learn more about Kindermusik with Kathy's Music in the Pittsburgh area, contact us today by phone (412) 344-0535 or through our website at http://www.KathysMusic.com.

Now taking registrations for fall. Payment Plans available.

Make today the day you invest in your child through music.

Kathy's Music - Committed to the Health of Your Child

2009-08-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

Kathy's Music, LLC has joined in Kindermusik International’s Healthy & Happy initiative which is created to help protect you and your children from the spread of viruses like the H1N1 flu (also known as the “Swine Flu”).

By collecting facts, checklists, and prevention tips from the Centers for Disease Control, Kindermusik is making sure I am more prepared than ever to provide an environment much less likely to allow viruses to spread.

· I am disinfecting toys and instruments at CDC standards to prevent transmission.

· I have added hand sanitizer distribution to each child at the start and end of each class (under parent supervision with younger children).

· I receive updated information on virus prevention and trends from the CDC.

Your child’s health and happiness is important to us. Why? Our #1 core value is doing what's best for the Parent and the Child.

To learn more about Kathy's Music and our offering for Fall 2009, click here.

Jazzy Kitchen Camp: Flip-Flop Cake & Campfire!

2009-07-25T18:56:00.001-07:00

We added more to our Restaurant books.

"We Are Fine Musicians" - a game that incorporates active listening, instrument identication, sound matching, inhibitory control, and steady beat.

Two Sisters: So proud of those flip-flop cakes!

Pretty cute!

Look Mom! I'm doing it myself!

Total concentration and don't you just love that purple icing! My favorite color!!

When do I get to take the first bite?

Dancing Spoons...really.

Check out our Kindermusik campfire, complete with flashlights, rhythm sticks, and colored scarves. Special thanks to my daughter, Lyndsey, for leading us in campfire songs using the Ukulele. (Yes, we have Ukulele camp, too).

It's a S'mores party! We baked them in the oven - its' easy and yummy, too.

Check out these boomwhakers. We used them in an ensemble to play our French Lullabye.

"Pizza, Pickle, Pumpernickel...How many sandblocks can you wiggle?"

(Just ask your child about this one.)

Kids. Cooking. Music Making. Cake decorating. Campfire (pretend). Ukulele. Children singing.

That's what our last day of Jazzy Kitchen Cooking camp was all about. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

Looking forward to Cooking & Camps again next summer!

Kathy's Music is the music village of Mt. Lebanon & McMurray for the whole family!

Chocolate & Quarter Notes - Day 3 of Cooking Camp

2009-07-22T20:40:00.001-07:00

It's Jazzy Kitchen Camp Day 3, where we're making 2 different chocolate pudding desserts: Chocolate Pudding Parfait and Dirt Dessert. Here are a few highlights:

We started off creating menus for our "Restaurants". Parents, please note the drawings of the food and the prices. Very cute! (cognitive, fine motor, artistic expression)

During music time, we explored rhythms from a new nursery rhyme from England. (multicultural, rhythmic competency)

Reviewed the eighth note rhythms in our chant about Pizza. (music reading)

The children learned about quarter notes using the rhythm "cho-co-late (rest)." We created an ensemble pairing both eighth notes and quarter note rhythms using sandblocks and 3-bell jingles. (steady beat, rhythmic competency, ensemble development)

We introduced the children to a marionette puppet and a new French children's song. For more examples of marionettes, consider watching the scene from The Sound of Music where the children put on a puppet show. (multicultural)

The children learned a french lullaby and then created an ensemble using boomwackers where the children partnered to play their part. (Socialization, Ensemble, Inhibitory Control)

Because of the focus on French music and foods, this is a great time to watch the Disney movie, "Ratatouille," a movie set in Paris all about chefs and restaurants.

The children mixed up chocolate pudding in teams of three, adding milk, stirring, washing dishes, and spooning into serving cups. Once the pudding set up we prepared our Chocolate parfaits with mini-vanilla wafers and whipped topping. Then we enjoyed our chocolate snack!

(teamwork, following directions, cognitive)

Each child mixed in gummy worms into their chocolate pudding. Then individually created cookie crumbs using oreo cookie wafers. After adding the cookie crumbs as a topping, a flower was added to the dirt! (attention skills, active listening)

We're looking forward to celebrating summer in the U.S.A. tomorrow during our last day of camp.

Music from England, Scones, and a Tiny Party - Jazzy Kitchen Camp Day 2

2009-07-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

Today at cooking camp we sang and played music from England, especially a variety of Nursery Rhymes.

We decorated our Restaurant Take out bags and added new recipes to our book.

We divided up into 2 groups and each group made a batch of Chocolate chip scones, which we later enjoyed eating (plus we sent some home). Did any of our parents get to try them out??

During music time, we learned about eighth notes. Ask your child to share our chant about "pizza, pickle, pumpernickel."

While our scones were baking, we made a sample table decoration for the holidays. It was a turkey gobbler made of apples, fruit loops, marshmallows, and toothpicks. Check out our group photo where everyone is holding their table decoration.

At the end of the day, we held a "tiny party" with scones (that the children made), strawberries, and cheese.

I am so proud of the turn taking and developing social skills that we are observing each day with the children. They are polite and considerate of others, whether we are sharing art supplies, doing food preparation, or waiting for a turn to help with baking scones. All of our Kindermusik classes offer opportunities for social development in a nurturing environment with Licensed Educators who are committed to engaging children with a variety of learning styles.

Special thanks to our helpers this week: my daughters, Lyndsey and Sara, and a good family friend, Kayleigh.

Tomorrow we are making chocolate desserts and exploring music from France and the French Quarter in New Orleans.

For more information about our fall offerings, contact Kathy's Music or call (412) 344-0535.

Jazzy Kitchen Camp - where music and food make a great team!

2009-07-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

We are off to a great first day of Jazzy Kitchen Cooking Camp. Here are a few highlights from the morning together:

Introduction to Music from Italy (multi-cultural focus)

Creating our own restaurants - we decorated our restaurant "books", named our restaurants, and drew a picture of what our restaurant will look like (creativity, imagination)

Using breadstick dough, the children created their own breadstick shapes while Miss Kathy created a "wheat" design using a can of breadstick dough. See the picture to learn more. (fine motor skills)

We brainstormed the ingredients needed for making pizza dough and pizza toppings and created our own class shopping list. (cognitive, language)

We created our pizza using prepared dough, then added sauce, cheese, and toppings. (cognitive, fine motor)

Tomorrow we will learn about music from England, bake scones, and decorate our restaurant take-out bags.

I'm looking forward to a great time of music, cooking, and fun fun fun!

Kindermusik: The Benefits of Folk Dancing & Ensemble Development

2009-06-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

Lesson Focus - Folk Dancing:

Dance traditions are passed down through generations of diverse cultures to celebrate important occasions and to provide diversion from everyday life. The benefits of folk dancing are many. Folk dancing requires rhythmic competence, challenges you to be aware of your body in relation to the larger physical space, and requires keeping a sequence of moves in your memory. In addition, it foster a sense of community. Today’s lesson included two opportunities for folk dancing: choreographed in a simple line dance, “Donkey Riding” contained simple steps. The “Paw Paw Patch,” which represents a more complicated set of movements, comes from the traditional American folk dance repertoire.

Today we did several folk dances, including "Bwana Awabariki" with lummi sticks (see pictures above). This tied in very well with our tale today, called "Where do Stories Come From?"

We also enjoyed ensemble development with Gathering Drums and Resonator Bars & Glockenspiels. We practiced different rhythms on the drums and then practiced steady beat on the bars to the melody of "Go Well and Safely."

Thank you for sharing your children with me for Tell Me A Tale camp this summer! I wish your families and well and safe rest of the summer and look forward to being with you again this fall.

Kindermusik is a music and movement program that promotes your child's development not just for 7 years, but for life! We look forward to sharing Kindermusik with the families in the Pittsburgh area for years to come. Come and see what we're all about!

Free Preview Class available. (412) 344-0535. www.KathysMusic.com

Kindermusik helps children become better listeners & learners!

2009-06-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

The children are imitating the 6 blind men in the story on their way to the Rajah's palace. The scarf "blindfolds" help them imagine what life is like for someone who can't see.

During craft time, we explored several different kinds of textures and used words to describe them much in the same way the Blind Men used words to describe what they "felt" when they touched one part of the elephant.

"Tell Me A Tale" Camp Day 3: Six Blind Men and the Elephant

Home Activities:

1) Read the story of the Six Blind Men and the Elephant together. Together discover the words that the blind men used to describe the Elephant. What is the "truth about elephants?"

2) Sensory Exploration: Using a drawstring bag, put in items with various textures: Smooth (fabric, sock), Sharp (comb, fork), Thin (Rope, Yarn, Shoelace), and Round (small ball, bead, etc.) Invite your child to put a hand in the bag to feel the object without seeing it. Encourage your child to explain what they felt and guess what it is. Talk with your child about using their sense of touch as a way to understand their world, especially if they cannot see with their eyes. We played this game in class today and they did a very good job using "describing" words to talk about what they were feeling inside the bag.

Lesson Focus:

Authentic Indian Instruments – Today we learned about authentic Indian instruments, including the Tabla, Sitar, Bansuri, and Shenai.

For pictures and more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_musical_instruments

Sitar - is a plucked stringed instrument. It uses sympathetic strings along with a gourd resonating chamber to produce a very lush sound. Predominantly used in Hindustani classical, sitar has been ubiquitous in Hindustani classical music since the Middle Ages.

Bansuri - The bansuri is a bamboo flute used in the North Indian system. It typically has six holes, however there has been a tendency in recent years to use seven holes for added flexibility and correctness of pitch in the higher registers.

Shenai - The shenai is a double reed instrument used in Hindustani classical music. Originally an outdoor instrument used for temple celebrations and weddings, it was brought into classical music in the latter part of the last century, along with other instruments such as the bansuri, a bamboo flute, which had previously been seen as folk instruments.

Tabla - The Indian tabla, a two-piece percussion instrument, is the principal rhythmic accompaniment to most North Indian classical and light music. The Tabla consists of two upright drums that are played with fingers and palms. Tablas are arguably the most complex drums in the world.

Exploring the concepts of Smooth, Sharp, Wide, Thin, Round, and Tall as they relate to textures, movements, and musical instrument sounds. Listen to “The Elephant” on your Home CD.

Listening to be “Better Learners”:

Becoming focused and discriminating listeners will help children become better learners. It is a joy to open their ears to new worlds of sound and encourage them to become careful and purposeful in their listening. How are we learning to focus our listening?

o Today, the children listening to music as they took a blindfolded walk around the room. Listening without seeing allows us to experience a heightened sense of hearing; the ears become keener when the eyes are not engaged.

o On Day 1, children listened to the sounds of the animals as represented by voices and instruments; they compared the differences and noted the similarities of range, tone, and color.

o On Day 2, they listening to authentic Gamelan music, recalling similar familiar sounds from personal experiences with various instruments.

These rich listening experiences help to build a vast listening vocabulary and a sensitivity to aural detail that makes the world all the more multidimensional.

Our focus on Folk Dancing continued today as we learned the "Paw Paw Patch" folk dance. We'll be doing more with that dance tomorrow!

Melodic Contour - Tell Me A Tale Day 2

2009-06-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

Playing Lummi sticks to the Crocodile Chant

Craft time: creating the Melodic Contour of one of our songs on paper using form=AABA

Folk Dancing - "Down The River" where partners sashay down the river together

Home Activities Suggestions:

1) Read the story from your book together.

2) Ask your child to tell you the story in his/her own words. Write down what the child says (word for word, if possible). Then have your child draw picture of the crocodile to complete the story.

3) Dance to the “Gamelan” song on your Home CD. Explore movements and build your child’s vocabulary by labeling the different ways to move. Here are a few examples:

· Move arms slowly and smoothly

· Move arms slowly but with sharp movements

· Move around the room in a “curvy” path

· Move ins a straight path with arms moving in strong, quick, sharp ways

· Move quickly in a curvy path with arms up high moving smoothly

· Leap in a straight path, then stop and twist your hips. Alternate between leaping and twisting, as described.

· Hop n a zig-zag path on one foot, then curl slowly in a small ball. Uncurl and hop on one foot in a zig-zag path again.

4) Play along to “Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder” using your lummi sticks. (review from day 1)

Lesson Focus:

Melodic Contour – Today your child explored the contour of the melody in the “Yangtze Boat Song”. First we used our hands, then added scarves. Finally, we applied what we were hearing with the movement of our body to create a “melodic contour” picture using craft supplies.

We also discovered that the melody follows the Form of AABA. Try listening to this song at home and finding the AABA pattern in the melody.

Gamelan is a traditional Indonesian instrumental ensemble comprised mainly of percussions instruments. Based on tradition, gamelan music is created by communities. All members of a gamelan ensemble are equally important. There is no distinction between professional and amateur players, classical and new music, or ritual and entertainment performances. Today we listened to a “Gamelan” piece of music and identified some of the instruments being played.

Rhythm At An Early Age - Rhythm is one of the fundamental building blocks of music. When your child participates in rhythm activities, such as moving to the beat of music, clapping and stamping along with poetry and songs, or playing rhythms on instruments, she is integrating, in a fun and natural way, the tools she will use for language, coordination, movement, and of course, music! Being able to feel and experience the rhythm of words and music (as opposed to simply understanding the concept of rhythm as a child exposed to music at a later age might be trained to do) is an enormous part of a fulfilling musical life.

Folk Tales + Kindermusik = Tell Me A Tale Camp

2009-06-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

The Bremen Town Musicians – Day 1
Lesson Focus for today:
Storytelling – is an art that takes time and practice. Each day we will be learning about a different tale from around the world and reading about it in our book. Consider asking your child to “share” the story with you or a family member, neighbors, or other children. Each time they “tell” the story they will be honing their skills such as vocal inflections, sound effects, and repeated phrases.

Musical Form – AABC
In our “Galopede” song/dance, we learned dance steps to the music that encourages each child to work together with a partner. Not only does this activity help to develop social skills and attentiveness, it introduces the musical form of AABC. Listen to the song on the CD and see if you and your child can pick out the pattern together.

Timbre – is the distinctive sound that each instrument has. Today in class we created sound effects for each of the characters in our story: donkey, hound dog, cat, rooster. Ask your child what each character sounds like and what instrument closely matches the sound. Using the child’s vocal sounds or the Home CD, encourage the child to retell the story with these sound effects.

The Creative Process – Create your own “chowder” together!
We listened to “Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder” and picked out a variety of ingredients that were mentioned in the song. Try it at home, too! Create your own chowder by creating phrases that included foods for the “chowder” and rhyming phrases. Listen to this song on your Home CD, and then make up our own recipe together complete with silly ingredients and imaginative rhymes.

Vocal Development – is a process that begins by exploring vocal sounds, such as sounds from the environment or animal sounds. Gradually, thye learn to match and produce specific pitches. In Kindermusik class, we introduce a rich and varied repertoire of songs, both for singing and for listening. We specifically choose some songs with a limited range based on the pentatonic scale; the tones of this scale are the easiest for our young singers to hear and sing, starting with the most fundamental and easiest interval to produce. From there, we ad pitches, and children have the opportunity to grow into competent singers by singing carefully chosen songs.

During craft time, we created a "Bremen Town Musician" totem pole with each of the characters in the story. They are stacked on top of each other just like in the tale when they are trying to look into the Robber's House. See our class picture with our totem poles in hand.

We're looking forward to Day 2 where we will learn about another Folk Tale from a different part of the world.

On The Road with Kindermusik & Kathy's Music

2009-06-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

The best learning experiences are those that integrate the senses, learning domains, developmental needs, and interests of the child. The activities in the Kindermusik Adventures "On The Road" camp involve singing, language, imagination, creativity, problem solving, and pretend play. This level of integration creates an optimal and meaningful learning environment for each child.

See our pictures from our Day at the Fair with our own drums. Plus, there are several pictures from our last day on our pretend Day at the Campsite.

We Found Buried Treasure - Pirate Camp Day 4

2009-06-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

On our last day of Pirate camp, we focused on buried treasure. We sang "Oh, Where, Oh, Where has my treasure gone. Oh, Where, Oh, Where can it be? With coins of Gold from long ago, Oh, Where, Oh, Where can it be?" (singing voice, steady beat)

At one point, we pretended to dig for buried treasure (creativity, pretend play). Here's what our pirates found:

Pirate Jack - 10 Wiggles DVD's

Pirate Brayden - a treasure chest and a lion

Pirate Brady - gold & dinosaurs

Pirate Aidan - a house

Pirate Elijah - big heavy treasure

Pirate Cooper - three live triceratop dinosaur

Pirate John - biggest playground with a big, big, house

Pirate Benson - treasure

Pirate Eli - dinosaur

Pirate Riley - chipmunks

I'm so proud to say that our group of pirates learned the parts of the Galleon ship this week! They did a great job naming them during circle time. (literacy, language)

We pretended to sing and "build me a boat" using lollipop drums. (steady beat)

Our craft was decorating a treasure chest and then filling it with "gold" and other bits of treasure. The pictures tell the story! This craft was a big, big hit! (fine motor skills, creativity, art)

Special thanks to Pirate Jack for sharing his favorite Pirate Book, "How I Became a Pirate" with the group. We read it during story time.

We pretended to "sail" at night with twinkle lights while moving in our bilibos. (physical coordination, balance, cooperative play)

As we brought out last day of camp to a close, we asked the Pirates about their favorite part of camp. Here is what we learned:

Pirate Jack - singing "Build Me a Boat"

Pirate Brayden - getting the treasure candy

Pirate Brady - hunting for treasure

Pirate Aidan - musical baseball

Pirate Elijah - making crafts

Pirate Cooper - musical baseball

Pirate John - craft time

Pirate Benson - musical baseball

Pirate Eli - treasure chest with candy

Pirate Riley - musical baseball

Thanks for sharing your Pirates with us this week! It was a wonderful adventure for all of us!

Shiver Me Timbers, We’re Making Maps! - Pirate Camp Day 3

2009-06-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

Today we had fun making a big "class" map where each child created a destination. See the picture above and discover all the fun places we pretended to sail in our Pirate Ships.

We pretended to build our pirate ship using a different musical tool - bells. (steady beat)

Then we reviewed the parts of the ship. Pirate Parents - consider asking your child about the following parts of a ship: mast, crow's nest, hull, helm, anchor, jolly roger, deck, figure head, and sails.

During craft time we made our own treasure maps (creativity, fine motor skills). Then went out side to play another game of musical baseball -- special thanks to Miss Jennifer for taking those pictures!

Our story today was "Rupert, The Wrong Word Pirate." Rupert kept getting his words mixed up. Instead of saying pirate "hats", he said pirate "cats". Instead of saying the "beach", he said "peach." The boys helped us discover the right word by finding words that rhyme. Fun!

We ended today with some bilibo play (kind of like sitting in a bowl). These were very popular! We pretended the bilibos were our "ships" and we sailed them during the day and at night using twinkle lights.

We're looking forward to our last day of Pirate Camp tomorrow!!

Goodbye for now, Matey's!

Pirates & Parrots - Pirate Camp Day 2

2009-06-09T16:19:00.000-07:00

Ahoy There, Mates! Today we sailed the seven seas together in Pirate camp while we made new friends. Here are the details:

We met the Captain's friend - the Pirate Parrot. After listening to the Parrot talk and imitate his sound (vocal development), we made our own Parrot Craft to take home and enjoy (fine motor skills).

We pretended to build a boat today with a new tool - sandblocks. Each pirate gave us his idea of how we could use and move the sandblocks together (steady beat, creativity, fine motor skills)

We reviewed the parts of the Galleon Ship (language development) and learned a song that helps us learn the different between Port Side and Starboard.

We listened to the sounds on the water - oars in the water, seals, buoy bell, tug boat. (Discriminatory listening).

We used our Spy glasses to look out on the sea. We saw all kinds of things together: pirate ships, buried treasure, an island, waves, and more. Each child responded with his idea of what we might see "Out Here on the Sea" and we practiced singing the idea together (singing development).

We also heard the sound of Whimsical Whales in the water. We pretended to swim like the whales and blow water out of the blow hole. The music told us how to move as we practiced more discriminatory listening.

Because it was Pittsburgh Pirate day at camp, we played Musical Baseball outside together. Miss Kathy pitched to each pirate by playing a rhythm on the drum. The child responded by playing the same rhythm back to Miss Kathy. Then he would run to first base. Everyone made it around the bases for a win for the Home Team!

During Snack Time, Miss Kathy read a new book called "I Spy The Sun in the Sky" formerly known as "An Island in the Sun." The story is about a young boy who sails to a distant island to meet an old friend, playing "I Spy" along the way. After reading the story, each child had a turn to play "I Spy" with the group. (Turn taking, Cognitive Development, Literacy, Listening to others). To learn more, visit http://www.mybarefootbooks.com/BrandiLavrich and search on the book title.

During Center Time, our pirates played with a variety of Wooden Puzzles. What a hit!! The boys played together very well, sharing the puzzle pieces, and taking turns putting in the pieces.

Tomorrow we will practice our Map reading and Map making skills.

Port Side, Pirates!

2009-06-08T17:30:00.001-07:00

Parents, check out this great Pirate book that we are using as a resource in our Pirate camp this week. It's a story that is also a song, plus it includes all kinds of "Pirate" facts in the back of the book. Some of the children asked me where they could buy the book!

To learn more click on this link:

http://www.mybarefootbooks.com/BrandiLavrich

Or you can purchase it directly from Brandi Lavrich by calling (412) 600-2782 or using her email at dan-brandi@comcast.net. If you order directly from Brandi, she offers free shipping!

Ahoy There, Mates! - Pirate Camp Day 1

2009-06-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

Ahoy There, Mates! Ahoy There, Friends! Let's sail in a pirate ship, let's sail in a pirate ship!

Pirate Camp is sailing into the ocean with fun and learning for all! We have 10 pirates on board for this adventure from ages 3 to 5 years. Here's a few highlights from today's class:

We pretended to build our pirate ship using rhythm sticks (fine motor skills, steady beat).

We learned the parts of a Galleon ship (language, literacy)

We sailed our ships around the sea hoola-hoop style using a variety of movements (spatial orientation, physical coordination)

We chose a color for our ship (creativity, literacy)

We created our own foam pirate ships and used our creativity to color our Pirate Ship Coloring Page during craft time (attention skills, following directions, fine motor, creativity)

We played with beach balls outside today (cooperative play, coordination, spatial orientation)

We had Goldfish Crackers and listened as Miss Kathy read "Port Side Pirate Ship!". Then we learned about 5 different kinds of pirate ships (facts and pictures were included in the book).

We had center time with scarves and metal instruments as we danced and played along to pirate music.

We're looking forward to a special day tomorrow as we celebrate our own "Pittsburgh Pirates!" Our young pirates are invited to dress up in their favorites Pittsburgh Pirate gear and join us as we meet some Animal friends of the Pirates. Plus, we'll be playing Musical Baseball during out Outside play.

Shiver Me Timbers! It will be a deck-stomping, helm-steering, good time for all of our Mateys! Aaaargh!

Princess Ponies - Giddy Up!

2009-06-08T15:24:00.001-07:00

Day 4 of our Princess Camp was filled with ponies, horses, and lots of "galloping here, galloping there, galloping, galloping everywhere!"

Enjoy the pictures of the girls dancing with streamers, playing egg shakers, and making their final craft of the camp.

Here's what parents are saying about Princess Camp:

"Thank you to you and all of your staff. The girls are absolutely loving Princess Camp!! They all look so adorable, and you have such great ideas for them. Thanks for taking such good care of the girls, and for taking the time to do the pictures and the blog. What fun!" - Wendy Skalniak, mother of Princess Grace

"Josie is having a blast at Princess camp- love the pictures on the blog!!! Thanks for sharing them! " - Bonnie, Mother of Princess Josie

"Thank you Kathy for all of the pictures and the updates on princess camp! Elisabeth is having a great time; she just loves "her princess camp". This has been a great experience for her. I can't believe she just turned 3 a couple of weeks ago and she is on her own in a class. You have all made her feel so welcomed and comfortable. Thank you for making our little Princess so happy!" - Lucinda, Mother of Princess Elisabeth

The camp was a "royal hit" for one and all -- we're already looking forward to next year.

Happy Summer, Princesses!

Princess - Teddy Bear Tea Party!

2009-06-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

It's Day 3 of Princess Camp complete with Teddy Bears and a Tea Party. We pretended to make cupcakes and tea using finger rhymes and chants. (Remember - Rhymers make better readers!) We danced with our Teddy Bears and the bears helped us sing the hello song.

We included ball exploration today with a focus on language development (labeling) and fine motor skills/eye-hand coordination/spatial orientation.

While pretending to travel to our tea party with a variety of locomotor movements, we practiced inhibitory control by stopping and starting. "We're going to a tea party, going to a tea party, going to a tea party, a tea party at the castle." Try singing this song at home with an "Aaaand Stop!" at the end for more inhibitory control practice.

We explored using spoons as instruments, just like the people in the Appalachian mountains. Between the ball play, spoon play-along, and locomotor movement - we provided your child with several opportunities to work on steady beat development.

Our tea party gave us an opportunity to practice our manners, too! Hope that plays out at home with you this week. Let me know if your child uses the word "dainty" because we used it several times today to describe a princess.

During craft time we made tissue paper flowers and colored a tea party invitation. It was fun for all. Enjoy the pictures!!

Tomorrow is all about princesses and their ponies. We're looking forward to Day 4, our last day together!

Special thanks to Miss Carrie, Miss Lisa, and Miss Karen for being our assistant teachers during camp this week.

Cleaning The Castle - Princess Camp Day 2

2009-06-02T21:35:00.000-07:00

As you can see, Day 2 was filled with Creative Play, Instrument Play, Movement, and music music music!

We pretended to clean the castle by dusting, washing clothes, washing dishes, and more.

We decorated our "cleaning wands" using stickers and ribbon. I look forward to hearing the stories of how those wands are being used at home to help with cleaning around the house.

We practiced our Steady Beat using bells, egg shakers, hand movements, full body movement, and locomotor movement.

Speaking of Steady Beat, did you know??

One of the first musical skills to develop is the ability to keep a steady beat. Of course the ability to keep a steady beat is essential for future musical experiences, but it is also important in everyday life. Think of all we do that requires regularly paced repeated motion (a sense of steady beat!) – walking, running, riding a bicycle, cutting with scissors, bouncing a ball, playing sports, and more. Music relies on steady beat more than nearly any other activity, making it a perfect skill-builder.

We explored Bilibos (the bowls you'll see our friends sitting in) and Puppets during our music lesson and during center time. It was delightful to see all the different things the children came up with.

Tomorrow is our Teddy Bear - Princess Tea Party. The children are invited to bring a favorite bear for the tea party. See you then!

Poof! You're a Princess!

2009-06-01T19:14:00.001-07:00

Today was our first day of Princess Camp at Kathy's Music this summer. The pictures tell the real story, but I couldn't resist sharing a few details.

Our theme was "Poof! You're a Princess!" where we all pretended to be a princess in the royal castle.

We danced with our "magical musical wands" while learning about spatial orientation and the related vocabulary labels. We practiced our attention skills by listening to the many sounds that occur during a Princess's day (your home CD has this track included, too). We practiced our ensemble skills while we played sticks, eggs, and bells using a favorite, "We Are Fine Musicians". During this activity, we learned how to start and stop instrument play together, which also gave everyone more opportunities to strengthen inhibitory control.

We made new friends (social skills).

We learned to be independent and stay by ourselves (emotional development).

We made a princess crown with foam stickers (fine motor skills, following directions).

We eat a snack and enjoyed the story of "The Frog Prince" told with a book and puppets (attention skills/cognitive development/literacy).

What's in store for tomorrow? Day 2 - "Cleaning The Castle!" Look out Cinderella, Snow White, and Giselle!

Kindermusik - A Key to Learning

2009-05-18T12:22:00.001-07:00

"I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for in the patterns of music and all the arts are the keys of learning." -- Plato

Choose Kindermusik for your child this Summer and again this Fall.

At Kindermusik with Kathy's Music, we take Musical Learning to new heights in such a way that it impacts your child's emotional, social, cognitive, language, emotional, and musical development.

We have classes in June, July, and August. Fall classes begin September 14th.
We have locations in Mt. Lebanon, McMurray, Squirrel Hill, and Washington.
We give you excellent classroom experiences, resources to continue the learning at home, and parent education in class and via email week after week.

Contact us at (412) 344-0535 or http://www.KathysMusic.com for a free preview class and learn why Kindermusik is a Key to Learning!