One cello and a room full of children

One room.  

Families gathered.  

One cello 

and one very talented dad.

Our usual time for sharing in family connectedness

and rocking the stuffies

transformed into a 

sweet,

not-to-be-forgotten,

intimate moment in time.

The music wrapped it's arms

around the children

as they

wrapped their own arms around their "friends" and family.

Beautiful.

Putting a song in your heart

I think I was 7 years old when I first sang a duet in church with my friend, Dawn.  She took the harmony, I sang melody.  I'm not sure people even heard me as I was SOOO nervous.  But there we were on a Sunday night, two young girls with a song in our hearts, wanting to give a piece of ourselves to our audience.

I've lost my "nerves" since then, and  I've sung in music festivals, exams, choirs, solos, music productions, and of course, Kindermusik class.  I sing through my students' piano lessons, I sing in the van as I'm driving, I sing in the stores (with and without background music)...I guess I sing all the time.

So this past week when I was at my daughter's band concert and they opened the program with all 200+ band kids singing an acapella African folk song complete with body percussion, I was getting a little misty eyed.  It was beautiful!!  Some students were hiding out behind other students, but most were smiling and enjoying the moment.  Their voices were in tune, their rhythm was great, and they were having a GREAT time - and so was the audience.

It is my firm belief that a musician needs to be able to sing - that a heart full of music should be a heart that bursts forth with spontaneous singing, as your voice is your instrument you carry with you wherever you go.  Some sing high, some sing low, most sing somewhere in between.

Most of my piano students are Kindermusik grads and have been singing for many years.  So when I sing along to with their playing to help show them the melodic lines it is the most natural thing in the world for them to sing along, too.  At my piano recital a week ago, one of my former Kindermusik students played and SANG along to his piece because it helped him keep track of where he was in the piece.  He sang out boldly and confidently, not quietly and under his breath.   And...here is the really amazing part...none of my other music students giggled or thought it was weird in any way!  They have a song in their heart, too, and sing along when they play, too.

With the Christmas season here, maybe now is the time for you to embrace your heart song and sing along with the songs of the season.  You may find your heart feels lighter, and a smile showing up on your face and the face of those around you.   And you just may lead the way for another heart song to sneak out to waiting world!

Getting ready for Christmas

I know there are others of you out there.  People who do not have their Christmas shopping done and wrapped.  People who haven't decorated their homes yet.  People who haven't even thought about Christmas baking yet.

Part of me starts to get concerned when I am reading on Facebook or talking in person to others, and finding out that lots of my friends are  already finished with Christmas preparations.

Not me.  Not even started.

If you don't count the one banner that I hung the other day.  Yup - I pulled off one picture from the wall and put up a fabric banner that I bought in a Christmas store in Alaska  this summer.

It's such a BIG task - I've been putting it off.  Don't get me wrong.  I LOVE Christmas, but my kids are all past the excitement of helping to set up the tree, and want it just done.  Secretly, part of me would like to just wake up and have it done, too :)

But then I don't get the joy of being nostalgic as I look at all the ornaments.  The memories of Christmases gone by as I go through the kids' collections, and student gifts over the years.  OK, now that I'm thinking about it...what would it hurt to bring up a box or two tomorrow?  When I started blogging tonight I was thinking that I'd wait til next weekend, but maybe it's time to dive right in and turn up the Christmas tunes.

Tomorrow.

Anyone else game to take it one small step at a time?

Lessons learned in the gym

Life has so many cross-over learning points.  A lesson learned in one area of our lives so quickly has a corresponding point to be made in another area.  This became so obvious to me in the gym the other day.

A few months ago I joined a local gym and have been going a LOT.  Not bragging.  Just saying.  But I do get so anxious for results.  The results they show on TV are not nearly as quickly played out in real-life, I find.  17 weeks in, though, I am starting to notice changes.

While on the machines the other day I was thinking that although the results aren't shown after each day's efforts, there is a cumulative effect of being in a health-oriented, supportive environment where I can put one more piece of the pattern together.   If I just showed up once a week, or came for 6 weeks then took a few months off, then came back, the total effect would not nearly be the same.  Being health-conscious is a lifelong pursuit and for me, and is so much easier in community.

The same cumulative effect holds true for Kindermusik classes.  There is a difference for families who come semester after semester, than for families who take a term, then take time off.  When we do repeated activities, our brain patterning changes and we start to experience information in new ways.  Not only do we form new habits, we actually change the way we process information.

It is SO important to re-inforce information.  Not only do we do this in the week to week activities in a given semester, building on introduced concepts in new and interesting, engaging ways, but we also reinforce and expand ideas over time from one semester to the next.  Growing brains need the reinforcement of repetition and creative adjustments to truly grasp concecpts and assimilate them into action patterns.

Younger children, in particular, need to have many reinforcements as the neural connections in their brain are still forming.  Experiences that a person has in life are all stored away in their cognitive processing center, providing a framework for sorting through future experiences.  Children, however, have less cumulative experience to draw on, and the repetition of an activity is essential to strengthen the learning.

As you are considering what to do next semester, I encourage you to continue with Kindermusik. Or maybe you are contemplating joining us for the first time.   Not only are you going to experience a happy and supportive musical environment for you and your child, but you are establishing a strong framework for a lifetime of musical expression - a lifetime where musical expression is as normal as breathing!

Slowing down on an overcast day

It's been a couple of days of gray skies and snowy/wet weather.
Not snow-to-stay weather.
Just snow and melt weather.
Weather that makes you want to stay indoors, while the outdoors takes a break.

Makes me want to take a break, too, from
A full schedule both professionally
and personally.
Classes to teach, computer stuff to do...

...the weather makes me want to slow down.
Put my feet up and let my eyes fall shut.

Not such a bad idea.

Been reminded lately about living life consciously.  Making a point to be inspired.  Taking time to rest the body.  Reading a good book.  Nourishing our inner spirit.

A rested body supports the soul.  An inspired mind challenges the spirit.  A full spirit leads to making better choices for the body.

I LOVE Sundays!
Rest for the body - just restorative walks
The best music all week - feeding spirit and soul
Meeting with friends who have become family
Time to recharge for the great week ahead.

When your expectations don't match your child's needs

Two minutes to class time.  On your way up to the classroom and your child who has been excitedly talking about class all week, suddenly develops a strong affection for Mom's legs.  No eye contact with classmates - certainly not the teacher.  Hmmm....

Or perhaps your child is happy to come to class, but they prefer to watch activities than to actively participate.  When the sticks are presented for exploration, your child likes to hold them in their hands and then watch and see what others do with them.

Has your baby ever fallen asleep during class, or your older child been hesitant to join in?

All these responses are quite normal, even if they throw Mom's expectation level for a loop.  Some children like to learn by watching others and then explore the ideas in the comfort of their own home.  Over time, parents notice a growing confidence in interpersonal interaction and their child ventures out into the hub of activity.  Opportunity to explore in an accepting, encouraging environment invites children to move beyond their current action paradigm and explore new ways of engagement - but it does take time.  I've also seen parents gently guide their children towards exploring out of their comfort zone by being their to provide reassurance as they move outwardly together - such as in going to the instrument boxes together to retrieve or put back instruments.

Regarding sleepy babies:  again, this is quite normal.  Babies are wanting to gather information about their world, but it is a journey that takes a lot of energy.  Singing, dancing, insrument play, and interpersonal interaction are all activities that can make a baby tired.  And depending on where they are at in their sleep/waking/eating cycle, it may be more or less challenging to last the whole class without sleep.  The good news is that falling asleep in class is totally fine.  If they are tired, they should sleep.  A large percentage of the class is geared towards equipping the parents with ideas for home music making and understanding their baby's development.

It's hard to let go of parental expectations and let our children explore at their own pace.  But you will find that letting them learn in their own way has way less stress on families, than trying to make them learn in your favourite or dominant style.  There is more than one successful way to learn  - ask me about how Kindermusik utilizes multiple learning styles for maximum effectiveness.

Thinking of enrolling in 2012?

The new fall schedule is up and available on-line!

Families exploring legato and staccato with egg shakers!

Here is an advance heads up for you...

One large Kindermusik studio in town unexpectedly closed it's doors in September, and another large one is set to close in November!
That leaves lots of Kindermusik families with very limited options.

I have added a few options and moved a few classes around to accomodate having more children in the program, but spaces are still limited.

My passion is to bring music to families, but a girl only has so much time...

Check out the new schedule and bring in your registration for the coming term.  Reservations are necessary!!!  And prices are holding at the same price they have been for years!  The same discounts are available for families with multiple enrolled children!

http://www.kmsteppingstones.com/Kindermusik_Stepping_Stones/Class_Schedule.html

When saying "No" is better than "Yes"

Ever feel like life is one big "to do" list?  There is the Monday routine, the Tuesday routine,  the....you get the picture.  We working moms have so many things to juggle from keeping the family well fed, to laundry, to chauffeuring, to keeping on top of work responsibilities, to maintaining friendships, to taking care of our physical and emotional selves.

I love my life.  I love teaching.  I love my family.  I love my friends.  I love being involved and contributing to my world.  There are so many interesting things in life to try - so many interesting people to get to know.  But... sometimes I find myself saying "yes" to too many things and feeling stressed at the end of it all.  

When I make better choices and say "no" to a few - it makes me feel better about the things I said "yes" to.

This weekend was good.
I said "no" to going to the gym early - and said "yes" to sleeping in.
I said "no" to doing more of the chores myself - and "yes" to asking my family to contribute.
I said "no" to going to a free class - and "yes" to spending time with my husband.

Making a fire.  Reading a book.  Playing a game with my son.  Singing with friends.  Taking a walk.  Long chats over cups of tea.  Eating birthday cupcakes...moments best savoured in an unhurried way.  Moments that restore and renew!  Moments that make me a more content mom, a happier teacher, and a more balanced woman.

Kinda reminds me of the principles behind our quiet rocking time in class - learning to relax is a learned skill we use our whole lives.  Even teachers, sometimes, need a refresher course.

Kindermusik at home

Each week there are stories I hear from families about how Kindermusik activities are being lived out again at home.  The activities that we enjoy in class have become a normal part or the children's experiences, and they start to incorporate them into their daily lives.

Just this past week a grandmother who comes with her granddaughter was telling me about how the "stop" hands were being translated at home.  Her little musical munchkin had been asking Mom and Dad...and their dog, "Charlie", to do "stop hands".  Someone had then told her that Charlie couldn't do stop hands to which she replied..."stop paws, Charlie".  Clearly someone has been noticing routines in the classroom and had moved into the imitative realm of reliving moments - a precursor to imaginative play! :)

A few days ago I was on facebook and one of the moms had posted this picture and speculating that the son was "proposing" to his little sister.  I posted a note back to her about how in Kindermusik for the Young Child we had been learning a song about a frog courting a mouse, and that I had explained to the students about a man getting down on one knee to ask his love to marry him.  Mom had caught this picture of their play and let me borrow it for here.

Then there are the stories of children singing their Kindermusik songs while travelling.  Stories of playing Kindermusik class at home and pretending to be "Mrs. Wiebe" or "Teacher Heather".  

One of the best parts about Kindermusik is that it can continue long after families have left the 4 walls of the classroom.  Mother/son dances at home, family time sing-a-long while travelling, and weekly musical  projects from the home activity books or web site are all value-added bonuses of involving your young musician in a Kindermusik semester!

Hours of imaginative play and creative song composition as you and your child make up silly new words to familiar Kindermusik songs are all great ways to strengthen your child's growing sense of self-expression!  

Just to get you started, try looking at one of your Kindermusik books today and talk through it without reading the text.  Talk about the colours on the page, talk about what each character is doing.  Talk about the musical/rhythmic aspect is used in the book....pat your legs to the rhythm of the text for syllable recognition.  Act out the story in some way....you've got the idea, I'm sure!

Thank YOU!

Thanksgiving Day.  So many blessings to count, but today, special thanks for how my life has been enriched through knowing you and your children :)

Thanksgiving for the everyday kinds of moments you
offer up each week (big smiles and heart swells)

Dancing with abandon
Singing out loud
Playing instruments and jamming together
Building friendships with others in class
Sharing your Kindermusik experience with your friends
Sharing your home activity moments with me
Words of appreciation
Smiles
and
Hugs
Thank you for enriching my life with yours
as we take the Kindermusik journey together!