Kindermusik Notes

Give the Gift of Music this Holiday!

2011-12-09T15:12:00.000-08:00

Looking for great kids gifts this holiday season?
Does your niece or nephew have everything?
Does your mother in-law need a gift idea?
We have a perfect (and easy) solution for those on your Holiday List ages 7 and under…. Kindermusik Gift Certificates!!!
The gift of a Kindermusik Music Class will be far more memorable than the latest toy or gadget. It is a gift that lasts for 16 weeks and the memories last a lifetime! Certificates can be written for any amount and never expire. They can be used towards any future class or materials cost.

What do you hear?

2010-10-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

From Kindermusik International's Blog: Minds on Music

Pitter, patter, pitter, patter… I can HEAR the rain.

Musically speaking, rain sounds are short sounds. The musical term “staccato” refers to sounds that are separated and often short. It’s the perfect word to use when playing with – and describing – rain sounds. But did you know that being able to identify a sound as “short” (staccato) or “long” (legato) actually involves some pretty high-level thinking and listening skills?

Active listening differs from simple hearing in that we must choose it as an intentional act. Analytical listening, like the kind we will do in Kindermusik class when we explore different shaker sounds and mimic and identify a variety of rain sounds, takes the development of our music listening skills to a whole new level.

Analytical listening is an absolutely vital skill, for music class and for life because it requires children to:
- Evaluate what is heard and comprehended
- Contemplate and reflect
- Weigh new information against what is already known
- Discuss by sharing thoughts, opinions, and viewpoints

As Kindermusik teachers, it is an awesome privilege for us to be able to help shape a child’s disposition and aptitude for learning music - practicing the skills that lead to competency and enjoyment and encouraging the attitude that music is fun. Music truly is a powerful tool for representing ideas and expressing individuality, especially when a child develops the ability to listen analytically.

In the Kindermusik classroom where so many of the senses are often engaged simultaneously and where imagination can soar, musical learning truly has the potential to be the strongest and most powerful.

Posted by Theresa Case, whose Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios is proudly among the top 1% of programs worldwide.

The Benefits of a Steady Beat

2010-09-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

Beat is the ongoing, steady, repetitive pulse that occurs in song, chant, rhyme, and music. The steady beat is the most fundamental concept in music. It is the part of music that makes you want to tap your toes, clap your hands or dance. Even newborn babies respond to the steady beat of music, and it is no surprise when you consider they have been listening to the steady beat of their mother's heart from inside the womb.

Most children learn to beat on a drum and keep a steady beat with their arms. This is necessary for being able to use a hammer, saw, or scissors. Through musical exploration in the Kindermusik classroom, your child may develop steady beat competency in the legs & feet as well. This lower body competency is necessary for playing sports, especially dribbling and shooting basketballs, as well as for dancing, skipping, running and even walking easily.

Total body beat competency even emerges in the ability to speak and read with a smooth cadence, thereby enhancing communication abilities. Studies also show that ability to keep a steady beat is connected with fluency in reading. A study by Phyllis Weikert showed that being “able to keep a steady beat helps a person to feel the cadence (rhythm) of language” and can also affect their sense of equilibrium (earlychildhoodnews.com).

Fostering Life-Long Creativity

2010-08-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

Take me to a FREE class!

Alarming new research shows that for the first time in American history, creativity is declining. Newsweek magazine is calling it a "Creativity Crisis" and it's no wonder, when a recent IBM poll of 1,500 CEOs identified creativity as the most important "leadership competency" of the future.

How does your child express creatvity in their life? By encouraging creative behavior often throughout childhood and adulthood, neurological patterns change in the brain to make problem-solving faster and better. You are improving children’s problem-solving abilities and creativity every time you do an instrument exploration (What is another way you can play the sticks?), a role play with movement (How else can you move like a monkey?), and when you introduce new props (What else could this hoop be?). Participation in Kindermusik class fosters the development of creativity and problem solving! You can count on Kindermusik to keep those creative juices flowing!

Children are ready to learn long before schools are ready to teach

2010-07-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

Posted July 27th 2010 at 10:16 am by Kindermusik International

Music is a magic little key to your child’s heart and mind. It’s a dynamic sensory experience that evokes a powerful response in children. Early exposure to music is a vehicle for profound learning.

We’ve found that music and movement that involves interaction, demonstration, and exploration is the perfect way to introduce a child to the learning environment. That’s why Kindermusik provides a unique opportunity to begin your child’s preparation for school – and, for that matter, for life.

Our program is carefully structured and developmentally appropriate. That means the music and activities reflect the age of your child. The Kindermusik classroom is set up in a manner that is most similar to what your child will experience in preschool and/or kindergarten.

This can give your child a great head start.

That said, don’t confuse Kindermusik with the potentially stressful environment you might find in a “toddler prep school”. Our program is not design to push children. In fact, quite the opposite. Instead you’ll find that our curricula nurtures and mirrors your child’s development with a fun, engaging, and stimulating environment. We encourage all children to learn and participate at their own pace. You’ll hear our Kindermusik educators say this all the time.

We know that these days parents have dozens of activities to choose for their children. Our goal is to stand out above the rest as the best option for you and your child. We feel that our research-based, research-proven program will not only prepare your child for school and the future, but you’ll get to have a lot of fun along the way!

Want to preview a Kindermusik class for free? Fill out this online form and an educator near you will contact you with more information. We hope to see you in Kindermusik soon!

One Hundred Thousand Five Hundred

2010-07-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

100,500
by Andrea King

It's a big number, and it caught my eye in a recent issue of Real Simple (I love that magazine, thanks Heather!). So what does it mean? The average person consumes (reads or hears) 100,500 words per day... let's do the math. For the 16-or-so hours a day we are awake, we are exposed to (and sometimes assaulted by) an average of 6,281 words per hour. And guess what, that number has tripled in the last 20 years (thanks to the internet, and maybe even this blog).

So what does it all mean? More than ever our children are growing up in a world demanding strong language and literacy skills. Whether it's reading & writing, or speaking & listening, strong communication skills are a must. That's why I love teaching Kindermusik classes! Everyday in class, I see children of all ages (babies too!) using music as their stepping stone to expressing themselves.

Sing-a-long to our favorite hello song? That's 20 words right there that share the idea of welcoming and building community. Actively listening to a recording of live sounds in our environment? That encourages a whole slew of descriptive words and sounds that encourage children to think critically about their world. Chanting that nursery rhyme while playing rhythm sticks to the steady beat? Those rhyming skills build a young child's understanding of the sounds in language and the steady beat cues them into the rhythm of language.

Music is language & expression! It's never too early to build on your child's communication strengths in the Kindermusik classroom!

Listening to What we Hear

2010-07-10T23:58:00.000-07:00

At 20-weeks a fetus can hear sound from inside the mother's womb. From that time until well into their young childhood their ears & brain are fine-tuning themselves to make sense of their world. Interesting stuff!

Check out this article about a study that show infants can distinguish emotions heard in the voice by 7 months old:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125123354

Don't, Shouldn't, Can't, Won't

2009-11-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

This was taken from a great post on Kindermusik International's official blog, Minds on Music.
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I heard something from a conference speaker that I believe EVERY parent and teacher and child care worker and family member should know. I’ve been searching for months for the source, because it has changed my way of speaking to the young children I work with (and the preschooler in my own home).

The following is used by permission and taken fromConscious Discipline by Becky Bailey, PhD.

Watch a toddler. If you say, “Don’t touch the lamp,” what does the child do? She will look at you, look at the lamp, point to it, touch it and then look back at you – usually with a big smile. Her brain heard, “Touch the lamp,” so she looks at you proudly as if to say, “Hey! I did it! I touched the lamp!” Imgaine her confusion when you growl, “What did I tell you?” and push away her little hand. No wonder we all need therapy!

As an adult, you probably make the connection between a negative command (”don’t hit”), and a positive alternative (”talk through your problems”). For young children, this is impossible. Children younger than five or six simply do not understand conjugated verbs such as “don’t”. When you say, “Don’t talk with your mouth full,” you actually increase the chances that your child will “disobey” and that you will get to watch them grind broccoli in living color.

Instead of focusing on what you don’t want, redirect the child. When she spots the lamp, you could say, “You see the pretty lamp. Put your hand in mine and I will show you how to touch delicate objects that might break.” Perhaps you do not want to teach the child how to touch the lamp. Then you could say, “You see the pretty lamp. Let’s look at this truck. I will roll it to you. Whee!” Then push the truck over to the child. Have fun with the alternative you choose. Children, like all of us, respond to enthusiasm.

It’s so simple, but makes complete sense. I read this, and went, “No wonder they do the opposite of what I want them to do!” This fall, I purchased a copy of the book for each one of my teachers, and there are lots more nuggets of parenting gold where this comes from. I’ll be blogging more as I go through her book.

In the meantime, if you’d like more information about Becky Bailey and Concious Discipline, visit her website.

-by Miss Analiisa, who is going to make an effort to tell her children what she WANTS them to do, not what she DOESN’T!

Kindermusik Happy & Healthy

2009-11-11T18:27:00.000-08:00

At Kindermusik, you child's health is our top priority. That's why we are taking steps to prevent the spread of germs both inside and outside the classroom. You can take comfort in knowing that we sanitize all our instruments and objects we use in class!

Also, we incorporate activities for parents and children to to promote happy and healthy living at home. Check out just one Kindermusik activity that can make bath time and hand-washing easier and more enjoyable!

To find out all the ways Kindermusik makes great parenting easier, come and experience a FREE Demo Class!

Kindermusik Makes Great Parenting Easier!

2009-11-08T13:42:00.001-08:00

Find out all the reasons Kindermusik can make great parenting easier!

Check out a FREE Kindermusik Demo Class today!

Music: The Younger, the Better

2009-10-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

Some people are quite surprised to find out that Kindermusik is for children as young as newborns. Really, what can such a young child gain from starting in a music and movement program like Kindermusik as an infant or toddler?

The following statement, jointly issued by The National Association for Music Education (MENC), the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and the US Department of Education, helps explain just how important music education can be for even the youngest musicians...

The Value of Music for the Very Young
The idea that very early education provides great long-term benefits has been rendered incontestable by studies in cognition and early learning. Research in developmental psychology and commonsense observation underscore both the importance and the wisdom of making music an integral and overt part of the earliest education of young children:

[M]usic is among the first and most important modes of communication experienced by infants.

As young children grow and develop, music continues as a basic medium not only of communication, but of self-expression as well.

As preschool children not only listen to and respond to music, but also learn to make music by singing and playing instruments together, they create important contexts for the early learning of vital life skills.

Guided music experiences also begin to teach young children to make judgments about what constitutes “good” music, thereby developing in them the rudiments of an aesthetic sense.

Music contributes strongly to “school readiness...”

- excerpted from a report issued by the Early Childhood Music Summit, June 2000. Read the article in its entirety HERE

Why Kindermusik? For Social Development!

2009-10-18T17:26:00.000-07:00

Real parent testimonial of how Kindermusik has helped her child's developing social skills

Success

2009-10-11T12:48:00.001-07:00

To laugh often and much:

To win the respect of intelligent people

and the affection of children,

to earn the appreciation of honest critics

and endure the betrayal of false friends;

to appreciate beauty,

to find the best in others,

to leave the world a bit better

whether by a healthy child,

a garden patch,

or a redeemed social condition;

to know even one life has breathed

easier because you lived.

This is to have succeeded.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Power of the Pentatonic Scale

2009-09-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

by Andrea King

The Pentatonic scale is a five-note scale that has been used in both modern and traditional music throughout the world. From Europe to Asia, Africa to Latin America, this 'simple' scale shows up in traditional, sacred, classical, and pop music. And while currently in the United States we may be more exposed to the seven-note heptatonic major scale (Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do) the use and recognizability of the pentatonic scale (Do Re Mi Sol La Do) is far more wide spread.

Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the mass recognition of this scale at the 2009 World Science Festival at the event, "Notes & Neurons: In Search of the Common Chorus." It brings to mind that age old debate in music: nature or nurture. Is the propensity humans have toward this scale innate or something that is developed over time through exposure?

Neurological studies have found that children as young as infants (and possibly even in the womb!) can recognize and categorize pitch intervals and have a preference for consonant over dissonant intervals. In other words, even infants have been shown to prefer intervals found in the pentatonic scale over those not present in the scale. This points towards humans having some kind of pre-programed preference toward the pentatonic scale, however this does not rule out the strong influence of culture.

In Kindermusik, the first scale your child is exposed to is the pentatonic scale because of its fundamental nature. And, in accordance to the National Standards for Music Education written by the National Association for Music Education, this scale is introduced in a developmentally appropriate manner by introducing specific intervals in order (first Sol & Mi, then La, then finally Re & Do). This is yet another example of how Kindermusik utilizes scientific research to implement developmentally appropriate teaching practices in a classroom setting.

Enjoy the video clip and feel free to sing along. See how well you recognize the scale!

History of the Blue Ridge Pickin' Parlor

2009-09-17T00:12:00.000-07:00

The First 30 Years
The Blue Ridge Pickin' Parlor was started by Ken and Margo Tennesen in 1976. The music store was then located in Tarzana, California. Even from the beginning the Pickin' Parlor played host to some of the greats like Bill Monroe and The Country Gentlemen. After their five year run Ken decided to take retirement seriously and sold the store to his new son-in-law and daughter Frank and Tammy Javorsek. In 1980 Frank and Tammy relocated the Pickin' Parlor to Canoga Park, California where they spent the next twenty years molding The Blue Ridge Pickin' Parlor into the Bluegrass icon it is today. The turn of the new millennium brought in the next owners Ric and Alicia Griffith (still in the same family in case your keeping track-Alicia is Tammy's little sister). Ric and Alicia found the current home for the Pickin' Parlor in Old Granada Hills, California. The location is more than twice the size of the old one hosting monthly Jams, concerts, workshops, retail sales, and music lessons for more than three hundred students a week.

The story of this music store is not just about the Tennesen, Javorsek, and Griffith Family. It is about the Bluegrass community. The people are more to us than just customers- they are neighbors and friends. Over the years we have seen children and adults grow into musicians and performers. There has been more than one example of kids coming in for lessons and, years later, bringing their kids in for lessons! We've also taught whole families to play who have eventually gone on to form bands and even tour the local festival circuit . The Bluegrass circle is more than just a bunch of people that are into a certain type of music-we feel that it is a family of families who truly love the music from our Heartland. We are very proud of what we have grown to become and we invite you to grow with us musically- listening, teaching, and learning together.

The Next 30 Years

On October 1, 2006, the Blue Ridge Pickin Parlor was purchased by long time family friend and student, Judy Hersh. The transition has been very smooth as Judy has been the Blue Ridge bookkeeper since 1997. Her main purpose for purchasing the business is to keep the family tradition going and at the same time taking it to its fullest potential. The Blue Ridge Pickin’ Parlor has been and will continue to be a service to the community and a place for families to pass down the knowledge of traditional and other types of music to their children and to share with each other the passion of the music and the community atmosphere it promotes. The business continues to grow and thrive due to the Pickin' Parlor's dedicated staff, teachers, students and long time community involvement of everyone's love of music.

In July 2007 the Blue Ridge began offering Kindermusik classes for children ages newborn through 7 years old taught by Certified Kindermusik educators that included Shelby Fannan and Andrea King. Then in August 2008 we started a "Bluegrass School" headed by Randy Torno, long time friend of the Pickin' Parlor and now a part of our teaching staff. We offer beginning and intermediate "Jam School" and "Bluegrass Song School". During these tough economic times the Blueridge has tightened operations and closed the extra space. All group classes, Kindermusik, Bluegrass School and Pickin' Night are held in the main store.

The Blueridge family is an extended family that includes past and present members. Frank Javorsek still teaches and heads the repair shop. Tammy left as store manager in April 2008 and is greatly missed. Judy's stepdaughter Nichole became lesson manager during 2008 and has now gone on to other interests. Grandchildren Ashleigh, 12 and Hunter, 4 participate in store activities and love to help behind the counter. Stepson Conal clerked during the summer of 2007 and is now busy getting ready to graduate high school and join the Air Force in June 2009. We are very proud of stepson Bryan who served our great country in the Navy on the USS Carter Hall for 4 years and returned home in December 2008. You will also meet Judy's cousins whose children are students of the Blue Ridge and stars in our recital twice a year. Last but not least is her Dad, Jerry, 83 years young, who loves coming to concerts.

Check out our lesson program and calendar of events. There is always something happening at the Blue Ridge Pickin' Parlor where we have been "Teaching People To Play Together Since 1976"

www.pickinparlor.com

Children Keep You On Your Toes

2009-09-16T23:40:00.001-07:00

What would we do without children in our lives to teach us humility, patience, and of course, love.

Sanitizing Hands the Kindermusik Way!

2009-09-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

by Andrea King, Kindermusik Educator

I was surfin' the KM website and found a new product I'm excited about... Hand Sanitizer! Ok, I admit it's a little weird to get excited about hand sanitizer, but this product just looks so great! It's especially designed for little hands and has a spray nozzel for quick, convenient use. And since it's made by Kindermusik, of course it's safe for children's use and environmentally friendly. I'm going to purchase a few to try out in preparation for the Fall.

expected to be available after 9/23/09

Kindermusik Healthy & Happy

2009-09-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

Kindermusik International and the Blue Ridge Pickin' Parlor are making pro-active changes to our daily classroom routines to help protect children from the spread of viruses like the H1N1 flu.

The Blue Ridge Pickin' Parlor has joined Kindermusik International's Healthy & Happy Initiative which is created to help protect you and your children from the spread of virus's like the H1N1 flu and the seasonal flu. By collecting facts, checklists, and prevention tips from the Center for Disease Control, Kindermusik is making sure we are more prepared than ever to provide an environment much less likely to allow virus's spread.

Kindermusik understands and recognizes that children learn through play and interaction with materials, adults, other children, and their environment. During flu season, we will continue to provide an enriching learning environment AND minimize germ sharing at the same time by using these Guidelines to adjust and modify a few lesson components:

We ALWAYS dissinfect toys and instruments at CDC standards to prevent transmission
We encourage parents and children to wash their hands and/or use hand sanitizer at the start and end of each class (under parent supervision with younger children)
Avoid touching hands, toys, or instruments to the face, mouth and nose

Your child's health and happiness is important to us. Please contact us so we can answer any further questions to make you feel at ease in coming to class with us.

Enjoy these cute videos about washing hands! Don't miss the hand washing song!

Preschool & Kindermusik - How Do you make it fit?

2009-09-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

by Merri Williams

Wondering about how Kindermusik is going to fit into your preschooler’s life this year?

Transitioning to preschool can be made easier by maintaining some school year routines that have brought joy to your child in the past. Re-enrolling in Kindermusik this fall will actually help your child adjust to their new preschool schedule. Knowing they can count on spending time with you and music will add a sense of comfort and security to the new school experience. With life getting busier, and your child’s activities more independent in nature, Kindermusik is one place the two of you can spend time focused on each other. Loving your child is what it’s all about!

This is not only reassuring to your child, but it should also give you some peace of mind as well as to the “rightness” of continuing on with Kindermusik beyond age 3. Two studies actually indicate that not only does early musical training increase intelligence, but also that the amount of parental involvement can greatly affect the amount of improvement.

A study at Sam Houston State University stated that “parental time spent with a child is a more important factor in predicting intelligence test success than such factors as single parent households, poverty, low parental education levels, and ethnic minority status.” Also, “the experimental group children who were active participants in the Kindermusik classes and whose parents helped them with the home musical activities showed significant gains on the areas of the Stanford-Binet subtests that measured abstract reasoning abilities.”

In early 2005, Beth Frook of Little Hands Kindermusik in Clifton, Virginia, shared a granddaddy of a Foundations of Learning (FOLs) in her Kindermusik class. A local university had recently conducted a study on 3-and-5-year old children in her program titled “The Effects of Kindermusik on Behavioral Self-Regulation in Early Childhood.”

It proved what Beth—and many other Kindermusik Educators—already knew:

The longer you stay in Kindermusik, the better.

Specifically, the study showed:

“Children currently enrolled in Kindermusik showed higher levels of self-control than those never enrolled and those previously enrolled. This suggests that in order for children to reap the benefit of increased self-control as a result of Kindermusik participation, it is important to have repeated and recent Kindermusik experiences and remain enrolled in the program.”

“Four-year-old children who had been exposed to Kindermusik for longer periods of time are better off in terms of self-control—namely a child’s ability to plan, guide, and control their own behavior—than similar children with less Kindermusik history.”

“These experiences, stop-go, high-low, fast-slow, short-long, and loud-soft, whereby children’s motor behavior is guided by the music, appear to be good exercise for young children’s emerging self-regulatory skills.”

Below, Beth shares her reaction to the study and the role that research plays in her Kindermusik classes.

Why do you think this research was important for your parents?

I think it adds impetus to a parent’s decision-making because it’s more than just saying, “Okay, we’ve done Kindermusik, let’s try something else.” It encourages a parent to go beyond the smorgasbord approach to children’s activities. A lot of times parents will say, “We’ll do art, then soccer, then swimming.” A study like this encourages families to look at the value of re-enrolling. Repetition is vital for a child’s learning, and currently in our culture, it’s not viewed that way.

Join us as we begin our new fall semester. Imagine That! classes (ages 3.5 – 4) will enjoy learning about “Grasshopper Park” while our Young Child class (ages 5 – 7) will begin exploring and learning the glockenspiel. For class days and times, please visit our Class Schedule.

Give your child the gift of a lifelong companion – the gift of music.