Add Music to Your Child's Holiday Party at School 
- Favorite Ideas from Kathy's Music

So it's your turn to provide the "entertainment" portion of your child's holiday party at school?  Try something new by using music this year to add sparkle to your child's "Winter Celebration."  Here are a few of our favorite ideas:

1) Go Ice Skating - Pass out paper plates and invite the children to "skate" around the room while playing "Skater's Waltz" on your ipod.  Download this song from http://play.Kindermusik.com

2) Build a Snowman - Divide the class into groups of 5 children.  Choose one person in each group to become the "snowman".  Give out rolls of toilet paper.  Set the timer.  Give the children 3 minutes to wrap toilet paper around the "snowman" and then add coats and hats to complete the outfit.  The team that finishes first - wins!

3) Hold a Lip Sync contest using "Winter Wonderland".  Divide the class into groups and give each group 5 minutes to come up with their own version of performing this song.  Turn on the ipod and give each group a turn.  Then have the class vote on their favorite performance!  Download "Winter Wonderland" from http://play.Kindermusik.com

4) It's a Sleigh Ride - Give out jingle bells and streamers (these are the reins) to each pair of students.  One person is the horse and the other is the rider.  Play "Over the River and Through The Woods" while the kids gallop around the room.  It's a longer track, so stop the song every 20-30 seconds and make it a "freeze" game.  Be sure to have the rider and horse change places halfway through the track.

BONUS:  Name that holiday song!  Create a playlist of 10 favorite holiday and winter songs.  Play the first 5 seconds of each song and have the kids guess.  The student with the most correct answer wins.

Happy Holidays from Kathy's Music to all the families in our community!

Kindermusik - Developing Your Child's Aesthetic Awareness while Teaching Music.

It's age-appropriate.  It's research-based. It's the best learning experience for preschool-aged children.

Kindermusik Imagine That! is a curricula designed to use pretend play with movement to teach your child music.  But it's SO MUCH MORE!  In our current unit, Hello Weather, we're using the concepts of rain and wind to teach these young children about the musical concepts of Legato and Staccato while practicing Inhibitory Control (which also helps with Ensemble Development).  As part of this unit and the others for this age group, there are several art/craft projects suggested for the weekly home activity.  Sometimes the reasons for these projects are not always obvious to parents.

Did you know?

While decorating a rain hat does encourage pretend play, it also encourages a child's aesthetic awareness and creativity, which can later lead to advances in critical thinking.

While making a rain shaker or a percussion instrument can help us learn about Staccato sounds in music and can promote playing a steady beat, it also helps the child learn to take joy in the creating.  

With the inclusion of these projects in our Kindermusik Imagine That! curricula, we are always promoting your child's aesthetic awareness or aesthetic sensitivity which improves the quality of learning.

So even if we've done similar projects in other units, there is MUCH VALUE in repeating this experience in a similar way to promote the benefits listed here:

Benefits of Aesthetics Sensitivity

•        Aesthetic sensitivity is important for children because it improves the quality of learning and encourages the creative process.

•        Development of an aesthetic sensitivity is an initial talent that can later lead to advances in critical thinking as children develop greater insight into their environment.

•        Aesthetic sensitivity promotes self-learning because they become more sensitive to gaps in their knowledge.

•        Children are more tolerant because they learn that there are many possible ways of doing things. 

–       Consequently, they are also better able to deal with complexity because they do not expect to find one best answer.

•        Children are more independent because they are more open to their own thoughts. They are good questioners for the same reasons.

The point is this – the things we are doing in Kindermusik Imagine That! are not only age appropriate but ON TARGET with developing a child's natural abilities and inclination to integrate all the fine arts  (Graphic Arts, Movement, Dance, Drama, Music, And Poetry In Their Expressive Activities).  Music should NOT be learned separate from ART or MOVEMENT.  It should be integrated for a better overall developmental experience.   That's Kindermusik Imagine That!

Music Benefits Babies' Brains  - New Study

Babies who receive musical training smile more, communicate better and react more calmly to unfamiliar or unfavourable situations, according to new research out of Ontario's McMaster University.

The study involved one-year-olds and their parents who spent six months participating in one of two types of music-related activities.

One group played with toys while music played in the background.

The other group learned to play percussion instruments and sing lullabies, nursery rhymes and songs with actions.

The interactive group showed more sophisticated responses to music, but what surprised researchers even more was the non-musical differences between the two groups.

Babies from the interactive classes showed better early communication skills, like pointing at objects that are out of reach or waving goodbye, the study found. They also smiled more, were easier to soothe and showed less distress when things were unfamiliar or didn't go their way.

"Many past studies of musical training have focused on older children," study co-author Laurel Trainor said. "Our results suggest that the infant brain might be particularly plastic with regard to musical exposure."

The study was funded by an award from the Grammy Foundation and appeared in the journals Developmental Science and Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

Reprinted from article in Toronto Sun at this link:  http://www.torontosun.com/2012/05/09/music-benefits-babies-brains

10 Reasons to Enroll for Kindermusik This Summer!

Join us for a Musical Adventure this summer with a Kindermusik Class that’s designed just for your child!  You will explore “In My Backyard” with your toddler, create a Drum Circle in “Drums, Drums, Drums” with your preschooler or “Splash” in the waters of summer (lake, ocean, beach).  There will be “Busy Days” full of classical music & more for your baby!  Plus a family class that invites you to “Let’s Play”.  There’s a weekly class for everyone (age 0 to 5) and unique Kathy’s Music Play-Date camps for children ages 3-6.

So – why take a Kindermusik Summer camp with Kathy’s Music??
Here are my top ten reasons!

10. New music that is not only fantastic for your child's development, but is interesting listening for the whole family.

9. A safe environment for you to play and be silly with your child without out fear of ridicule.

8. A chance to get to meet and know other families with children your child's age.

7. Books and instruments to take home and continue the play throughout the year.

6. An air-conditioned activity for the dog days of summer.

5. Weekly opportunity to focus completely on your child and remind yourself how creative and unique he or she is.

4. Egg shakers - need I say more?

3. Bubbles, parachutes and singing together - time to be a kid again.

2. Summer session is only 4 weeks long. It’s a great way to try us out.

and the #1 reason to sign up for Kindermusik this summer....

1. Kindermusik activities strengthen your child's brain and affect every area of her development.

A Good Beginning Never Ends --- why not get started now?  Enroll Now.

Kathy Morrison, Director / www.KathysMusic.com / (412) 344-0535

Offering Kindermusik, General Music Classes, and Private Lessons.

Electrify Your Strings - A Family Event on 3/29

Plug in to a great concert-going experience with Electrify Your Strings - a fun and entertaining event the entire family can enjoy right in our own neighborhood at Bethel Park High School!

Thursday, March 29th at 7pm the Bethel Park High School string orchestra under the direction of Mrs. Stephanie Glover, a string instructor at Kathy's Music, will perform a rockin' concert of memorable pop tunes complete with a custom light show and a featured performance by celebrity electric violinist Bridgid Bibbins. Adults and students alike will enjoy the show and children of all ages are invited to attend.

String players note: an electric violin will be raffled off at the event so make sure you drop your name in the running for a chance at the big prize!

Tickets are $5 per adult and $3 per student and are available at the McMurray and Mt. Lebanon studios, at the door the evening of the performance, or by contacting Stephanie Glover at glover.stephanie@bpsd.org. See this link for the official Bethel Park School District announcement.

Take advantage of this great opportunity to rock and roll with your family!

Local Opera Features one of our Kindermusik Teachers!

Jealousy. Conspiracy. Loyalty. And the masterful music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart propelling a story of intrigue, remorse, and fragile redemption. Vitellia, the daughter of the former emperor, uses her admirer Sesto, played by Kindermusik teacher Jenifer Weber, in a plot to remove the beloved Emperor Tito, who does not return her affections. She sets off a tragic and unpredictable chain of events. A fire, confusion and revelation move Mozart’s work towards a heart-breaking and surprising conclusion. This fascinating opera was first performed in 1791, but its timeless themes transport audiences to the dangerous days of 80 A.D. Rome where power struggles and betrayal characterize the landscape of politics and love. Sung in Italian with surtitles. Fully staged, directed by Patrick Brannan. Accompanied by the Undercroft Orchestra, conducted by Walter Morales.

Jenifer appears on Saturday, February 25th only at 7:30pm at the Seton Center at 1900 Pioneer Ave. in Brookline.

Tickets range in price from $20-$35 and children under 12 are half price. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.

There is no violence or sexual content in this opera.

https://www.undercroftopera.org/tito.php

Support Your School's Music Program!

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.