Great Giveaway from Let's Play Music

I hope you've had a fantastic Fall Break!   Looking forward to seeing the kids tomorrow for Lesson 8 (parents do not need to attend).  

In the mean time, I wanted to let you know about an awesome giveaway going on over on the Making Musicians Blog--the official blog of Let's Play Music.  They are giving away a month of Free tuition to a parent who leaves a comment on this post:

http://makingmusicians.typepad.com/making_musicians/2010/10/big-giveawayfree-tuition.html

The teacher with the most comments wins a prize, too!  So if you want to make my day, go tell them what a great teacher I am.  It's ok to exaggerate!  :-)

If you aren't following that blog, I would suggest you do.  They do things like this periodically as well as share information that may be helpful as you "play music" with your kids.

Fall Break--Green Turtle Shells

We are on Fall Break, and it should feel like a break, but there are things you can do to help reinforce the learning that has happened so far this year.  Here are a few ideas:

Traveling?  In the Car:

• Listen and sing along with your "Green turtle Shells" CD.
• Practice harmony by singing different rounds.  ( "Row Row Row Your Boat", "Clickety, Clickety Clack", "El Gallo" etc."  See if they can hold their own part, or help them while another adult sings a different part.  
• As you listen to any music, see if you and your kids can find any MRD, SSD, SLTD, SFMRD patterns in the songs.  You could turn it into a game.
• Name that tune.  Pick their favorite songs (from LPM or anywhere) and see how many notes they need to identify the song.
• Become bugs!  Keep a steady beat and see if you child can clap butterflies (for example) while you clap beetles.  If there are others in the car, see if everyone can be a different bug at the same time. 

At home:

• Encourage them to keep practicing the keyboard.  If they are bored with the same activities, allow them to experiment on their own.  See if they can play a C major and c minor chord (play an e flat instead of an E).  What ever they do, just remind them to use bubble hands and C position.  The second verse of the bubble hand song is a great practice.  You can call out random fingers for them to play.  Ex. "Where is four?  Where is four?"  They answer, "Here I am.  Here I am"  Encourage them to sing as they play.  Maybe try doing it really fast.
• We have done "Sally Go Round the Sun" in class.  That would be a fun one to do with friends or siblings.  The big goal is to make sure they all land together on the word "BOOM!"  You might remind them of some of the fun game songs from last year ("Frog in the Middle", or "A Hunting We Will Go." 
• Take this chance to review any homework assignments that were challenging for your student. 
• Any of the traveling tips could be done at home as well!

We'll see you back in class on the 20th!

Fall Break--Red Balloons

We are on Fall Break, and it should feel like a break, but there are things you can do to help reinforce the learning that has happened so far this year.  Here are a few ideas:

Traveling?  In the Car:

• Listen and sing along with your "Red Balloons" CD.
• Practice audiation by singing different familiar songs and having them leave out a line (we will sing "B-I-N-G-O-" next semester.  It is a great example of audiation and rhythm practice!)
• As you listen to any music, see if you and your kids can find any "mi-re-do's" or "so-so-do's" in the songs.  You could turn it into a game.
• Name that tune.  Pick their favorite songs (from LPM or anywhere) and see how many notes they need to identify the song.
• Go on a lion hunt!  Keep the rhythm and say the rhyme.  Let them change up the words.  "Going on a snake hunt?"  "Got my lunch!" etc. 

At home:

• Make sure they have access to their bells and can practice the activities we have done in class.
• The students love games like "frog in the middle," and "a hunting we will go".  You can play these as a family, or with friends.  Remind them to sing as they play and help them remember the mi-re-do or so-so-do patterns.
• Take this chance to review any homework assignments that were challenging for your student.  Especially helping them to recognize if a note/balloon is on a line or a space.
• Any of the traveling tips could be done at home as well!

We'll see you back in class on the 20th!