Distanced Music Class Activities

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Making music spaced apart from other humans can be tricky. I believe we are made to make music together with others. Over the last year I have had the privilege of working with other music teachers to create excellent music class experiences for young children on Zoom and outside. While sometimes stressful, it has been fun to work out creative ways to help children meet musical goals while having fun!

Color Scavenger Hunt

A color scavenger hunt is fun on Zoom, outside, or distanced inside. You could change the colors to other instruments, objects, or things around the house as well.

You can adapt any song to go with this activity. Here is how I adapted Skip to my Lou for a color scavenger hunt.

“Can you find something blue, can you find something blue, can you find something blue, can you find something blue?

Show me something blue, show me something blue, show me something blue, you found something blue!”

Repeat with another color. I like to go in rainbow order, it helps me organize what I’m going to sing next. With a smaller class I like to sing what each child found on 5-1 (dominant-tonic), “(5)Mary found a blue (1) scarf.”

Large Movement

I have found quite a few songs that are fun large movement/dance songs that allow you to move and stay in a smaller area at the same time. La Marmotteuse is one of my favorites.

Stand up and bounce to the beat for the first 16 beats.

Jump, pat, pat, pat (Do 8 times) 32 beats

Strut (walk) around for 32 beats

Jump, pat, pat, pat (Do 8 times) 32 beats

Strut (walk) around for 32 beats

Jump, pat, pat, pat (Do 8 times) 48 beats

Freeze - tap your toes for the interlude

Run

Freeze

Jump, pat, pat, pat (Do 8 times) 32 beats

Strut (walk) around for 32 beats

Jump, pat, pat, pat (Do 8 times) 32 beats

Strut (walk) around for 32 beats

Stacking to the Beat

In classes where we were able to be close to each other we used to pass an egg shaker or other object around to the beat. Stacking something to the beat is a fun alternative to that activity.

Body Percussion

“Practicing body percussion can lead to improvement in three areas: Physical, as it stimulates awareness of the body, control of movement and muscular strength, coordination and balance; the Mental, as it improves concentration, memory and perception; and Socio-affective, as it helps to build egalitarian relationships and leads to a decrease in anxiety in social interactions.”

Ask children to find their head. Sing Biddy Biddy Bum Bum while patting the beat on your head.

Repeat with shoulders, knees, and toes.

Next start with keeping the beat on your head for the first phrase, move to your shoulders for the second phrase. Move to your knees for the first phrase of the second verse, and toes for the second phrase.

Lastly pat the beat on your head, shoulders, knees, toes to the macrobeat while singing and then try the same to the microbeat (subdivided, or eighth note).

Play Along

The play along is a time for children to choose an instrument to play and explore what they have learned. I intentionally choose a song that will allow children to explore a concept we have worked on in class further. Since stacking blocks to the beat was in this lesson I’m going to choose the Maple Leaf Rag as the play along. It has a great beat to stack blocks to. Any song that has a good beat can be chosen for the play along time. You may be listening to music from different cultures or genres and want to plug that back in during the play along time. This is also a great opportunity for the teacher to observe students rhythmic abilities. I allow preschool students to move in their space while playing their instruments. This helps me assess how they are moving their bodies to the beat as well.

Tippy Toe and Skating (Staccato and Legato)

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Can you put a staccato and legato beat in your feet? Staccato means, “performed with each note sharply detached or separated from the others.” Legato means, “in a smooth flowing manner, without breaks between notes.” Try tip toeing around the room and then switch to keeping your feet on the floor as you move and skate. Try skating inside in your socks or on paper plates.

Here are some fun songs to try feeling both staccato and legato with.

Rock Passing and Stacking Game

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Obwisana is a traditional stone passing game from Ghana. It is a fun melody to sing while passing egg shakers or rocks. If you are taking a music class on Zoom right now playing a passing game with your young child may be difficult. I found these stacking rocks and they are a lot of fun to stack while singing Obwisana! Can you stack them to the beat? How tall can you make your tower before it falls over?

Here are the wooden rocks I have. I really like them, however some of the rocks are a little small so if your child is young and still puts things in their mouth you may want to try the other brand listed below.

Everyone Should Sing

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When children hear both male and female voices with regularity they develop a bilingual singing voice in their head (can process both voices).  Children who do not have regular exposure to an adult male voice will grumble instead of sing when trying to sing along with a man, or jump an octave above a mans falsetto voice when trying to sing along.

Dads, you have have a wonderful musical gift to give your kids.  You do not have to sing well.  Just sing.  Sing in the register that feels most comfortable for you.  Sing while doing something you enjoy with your child.  You will help develop your child's musical ear and musical disposition!

Music Together CEO Susan Darrow shares about the importance of singing!

My Favorite Ukulele!

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I love my Makala Dolphin Ukulele! I purchased mine when Jim Hickey (owner of Jim Hickey Music https://jimhickeymusic.com) and I decided to teach a few Music Together/Ukulele classes together a few years ago. I didn’t play it a lot after that until I took a trip to Music Together’s headquarters in New Jersey to work on my Level 2 certification. I needed an instrument to play the Hello and Goodbye songs on and my purple ukulele was the perfect sized instrument to take along. I had such a fun time with my ukulele on this trip that I made a blog for my kids just to show them all of the fun places it went with me, and the fun people we met! You can check it out by clicking on “My Music Together Cert 2 Experience” under the Preschool Music Drop down tab or here http://meandmypurpleukulele.blogspot.com/ if you’d like.

Part of completing the level 2 Music Together certification is to do a project at the end. I decided to see what impact adding more ukulele playing to class, and equipping families to play at home would have. If you click on the Ukulele tab at the top it will take you to a free course on how to play the ukulele with your child. My son helped me make some of the videos. Those are some of my favorite music making memories with him.

If you find yourselves at home a little more right now I encourage you to take time to sing, dance, and learn something new that maybe you’ve been to busy to do before!

Preschool Music Unit Around the World

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I love experiencing music from all over the world with the preschoolers I teach. Filling your lessons with music from many countries also ensures that your students are hearing a wonderful variety of tonalities. Here are a few of my favorite songs and activities we enjoyed this past year. (Click on the song titles tofind them in the iTunes store.)

  • Inany (Australia)

    • Simple body percussion is a great way to experience the beat with this song.  When that becomes easy add a closed circle clapping game or hand jive.

Music of Joy performing at SOTA, Singapore 216

Waltzing Matilda (Australia)

  • This “Waltz” is in 4.  The word waltz in this song means to walk.  Try moving around to the beat.

Video of Slim sitting by a campfire singing Waltzing Matilda, interspersed with shots of a swaggie.

Waltz from Coppelia (Europe)

  • Now try waltzing to this European waltz.  Can you also hear change your movements with the dynamics?

Dance of the Golden Snake (Asia - China)

  • Try small movement seated, or large movement up on your feet, with scarves.  A follow the leader game like a Chinese dragon is fun. Follow the leader around the room and move up and down with the sounds you hear.

Slavonic Dances (Asia-Russia)

  • This is a great instrument play along or large movement piece.  Can you change the way you move or play when the music changes from marcato to legato?

Russian Sailors Dance (Asia-Russia)

  • A fun large movement activity!  How many different ways can you move your feet?  March, tip-toe, run, hop?

A Tisket A Tasket Ella Fitzgerald Jazz (North America)

  • Game time.  Have the students sit in a circle.  Give each one a piece of paper to hold.  The child who is “it” will walk around the outside of the circle until they get to the words, “lost it.”  Then they will take a piece of paper from a child holding one up. The child chosen will chase the one who is “it” to see who can get back to the open spot first.  Giving each child a piece of paper to hold helps ensure everyone gets a turn. 

Star Spangled Banner (North America)

  • I recommend singing this song as a focus activity.  The scholastic book has lovely pictures to accompany the song and help with understanding what you are singing about.

William Tell Overture (North America)

  • Use this piece to learn A,B,and C parts, and how to follow a conductor.  Choose a different movement or instrument for each part. After listening to the song for a few weeks split the class into three groups and cue each group to move or play at the appropriate time.

Funga Alafia (Africa)

  • Drumming along to this song is a lot of fun.

Obwisana (Africa)

  • Try a passing game.  Have the students sit in a line.  Start the egg shaker (or other object) at the beginning of the line and help the students to pass by saying, “Pick it up and put it down” to the beat.  See if you can pass it to the beat all the way down the line. When this is easy add more shakers or items to pass!

Don Alfredo Baila (South America)

  • A fun focus, large movement, or play along song.

Drowsy Maggy (Europe-Ireland)

  • This is a great song for a dance or play along.

La Marmotteuse (Europe/Canada)

  • Jump, pat, pat, pat (repeat this for 16 beats)

Strut or walk (for 16 beats)

Continue repeating the above 32 beats until you get to the middle section of the song.  In the middle tap your toes, then run when the music gets fast. Freeze and go back to the beginning Jump, pat, pat, pat and walking until the end.


Putumayo Kids - La Mrmotteuse

Keep A Steady Beat With Star Wars

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We explored steady beat and dynamics with Star Wars Imperial March today as a play along in Music Together and a listening and small movement activity at Journey Montessori. The Imperial March is in a minor key, but someone had fun changing it to a major key. Enjoy listening to the difference in the two versions of this song with your child. Pat a steady beat while you listen, and change your volume from loud to soft, and back to loud again with the music.


Drumming

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I am beyond excited to begin teaching the Music Together Rhythm Kids class!  Music Together is allowing select centers to offer this new drumming class for four to eight year old children and the adults they are closest to.  The curriculum is designed to expand upon the Mixed Age classes where newborns through four year old children explore and learn music through movement, singing, and playing instruments with the adults who love them.  To give you a quick idea of how a song would develop from birth to early elementary we made a video for you to enjoy.  Check out the descriptions under the video as well.

  Babies would experience this song through feeling the beat on their parents lap, kicking their legs, hearing others sing, and holding and watching the beat in the maracas.

Toddlers may add walking or stomping their feet to the beat, singing parts of the song in tune, and more exploration with the maracas.

Preschool children may be able to sing the full song in tune, keep a steady beat in their bodies and on the maracas, and add new ways to play the maracas or move.

Early elementary school children can take improvising new verses and playing instruments purposefully to the next level.  They can follow where to play on the drum to make the desired sound.  They can also add rhythm patterns on the instrument they are playing as well as verbally.  

Start and Stop Music Games to Make Your Day Easier

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A toddler's job is to toddle, walk, and run.  Every day they are working on these fun new large motor skills they have acquired.  While you were probably thrilled when your little one took their first steps, you may now be chasing them and attempting to keep them out of trouble most of the time.  

All of that movement is purposeful, and can be guided.  You can use music to alter the quick speed your child may typically be moving at.  Young children love moving quickly.  Start at the speed they want to move at and then slow it down.  Change your movement to a stomp, march, skip, or large jump.  This simple trick change a terrible shopping trip into a controllable one for you and your little one.  Sing one of your favorite songs and to help guide your little ones movement while you shop.  Ridin' in the Car is as great song for such an activity from this Music Together collection.  You can easily change the words ridin' in the car to marchin' through the store.  You can also switch from duple to triple meter and watch the change in movement that takes place.  (If you are in my Music Together or preschool class we will work on this later in the session).  

Ridin' in the Car is also on Music Together's Family Favorite's CD.  Click the link below to get it!

Start and stop music games are also a favorite of mine.  They can be a lifesaver with a toddler as well.  The game is as simple as it sounds.  You start and then stop!  If you are singing and moving to  Ridin' in the Car then you simply make the car screech to a halt.  This can be quite helpful if your child wants to go fast all the time!  Spin and Stop also is a great song to use from this Music Together collection.  You can change spin to any action you desire.  Run and stop, dance and stop, march and stop, etc.  Spin and Stop is also available on the Family Favorites CD linked above.  

I urge you to find a few start and stop songs that you and your child love so you can pull them out when you need to ease a hard day.  

Music and the Olympics (Music/Movement Lesson for Preschool and Elementary School)

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Aly Raisman's floor routine was choreographed to the the Russian Sailors Dance by Reinhold Gliere.  I love using this piece of music to move to and explore musical contrasts with when I'm teaching music.  The songs theme keeps coming back and is easy to identify, but the style changes.  In preschool music classes (and even upper elementary) we have fun identifying the musical contrasts, and discussing and acting out ways to move based on what the music sounds like.  

Moving to music with your children will help them develop a good sense of rhythm.  Model how to put the beat in your feet.  Mirror your child's movement ideas as well.

If you missed it, enjoy watching gymnast Aly Raisman's floor routine here.  

Here is a way to move to to Russian Sailors Dance in your music class:

Beginning - 0:19  Wiggle, warm up

0:19-0:56 - Half note, large steps, like a monster, sneaky

0:57-1:14 - Legato, smooth, skating, ballet

1:15-1:29- Staccato, quarter notes, light, fairies, happy

1:30-1:40 Marcato, accented, quarter notes, powerful, excited

1:41-1:57 Half notes, powerful, marcato

1:58-2:13 Eighth notes, staccato, sneaky, light

2:15-2:23 sixteenth notes, Allegro, excited, speedy 

2:24-end choose what beat to feel, half note, quarter note, eighth note, there's a lot going on now.  I like to end with a lot of wiggling, similar to how we began.

If you have older students you can have them identify the instruments being played and more musical terms associated with each part of the music.  Make sure you ask kids of any age what they think the music sounds like.  Don't just give them all of your answers and be done.  Kids come up with some awesome ideas.

 

Babies Have Rhythm

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Did you know that by 7-9 months old infants can detect differences between duple and triple rhythms?  They develop a sense of rhythm from adults speaking to them, and moving with them when they are experiencing music.  This is "accelerated by experience!"  The more you dance, move, sing, play instruments, and speak to your baby the quicker they develop their sense of rhythm.

From Infants Perception of Rhythmic Patterns
by TONYA R. BERGESON AND SANDRA E. TREHUB
https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/infant-child-centre/sites/files/infant-child-centre/public/shared/sandra-trehub/001.pdf

"Infants’ sense of rhythm may be linked to their body movements. Indeed, stereotypical rhythms of head, arm, chest, and leg movements have been observed in infancy (Pouthas, 1996; Thelen, 1981), and early bipedal kicking and sucking have binary elements (e.g., suction and relaxation). Moreover, infants gradually integrate endogenous and exogenous rhythms (Pouthas, 1996). When presented with a “moving room,” for example, infants adjust their rate of swaying to match the frequency of room movements (Bertenthal, Rose, & Bai, 1997). It is notable that caregivers typically move while singing to their infants, which is consistent with the notion of intrinsic connections between rhythm and movement (Cross, 2001; Merker, 2000). Much of the motion that caregivers provide for infants can be considered binary, as in rocking (e.g., back and forth) or bouncing (e.g., up and down). Recent evidence indicates that 7-month-old infants’ interpretation of an ambiguous drum rhythm is affected by the pattern of bouncing (on every second or third beat) that they experienced while listening (Phillips-Silver & Trainor, 2005). Such connections between rhythmic sound and motion go well beyond caregiver-infant interactions, with music being inseparable from movement in many cultures (Fraisse, 1982; Merker, 2000). Infants are also sensitive to the rhythmic properties of speech. For example, French newborns differentiate English utterances, which are stress-timed, from Japanese utterances, which are timed at the subsyllabic level, or mora (Nazzi, Bertoncini, & Mehler, 1998)."

"the formation of melodic and temporal expectations may follow a similar developmental timetable, which is accelerated by experience, enculturation, and formal music training."

Successfully Having A Lightsaber Duel to the Beat with Preschoolers

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The preschoolers I teach music to have been learning musical concepts with the Imperial March from Star Wars.  We have been discussing which characters theme the music is for (Darth Vader), experiencing dynamics, and keeping a steady beat.

The Imperial March is great for studying dynamic contrast.  The popular theme is loud and strong, contrasted by a gentle quiet part.  You can hear the theme come back quietly, then louder.  We began by listening for the theme and patting or stomping to the beat when we heard it.

I came across some great lesson plan ideas to use pool noodles or boomwhackers as lightsabers  and have the kids keep the beat with them in a duel while listening to the music.  I love boomwhackers so I decided to try the activity.

First we reviewed listening to the music and identifying the theme and dynamic contrasts.  For preschoolers I don't go into a big explanation of all of that, we just experience it.  The music is playing as they come into class.  They know to sit down in their spot, listen, watch what I am doing (patting, moving, stomping, etc), and mimic what I am doing.  During the theme I would stomp to the beat, when the music was quiet I would pretend to be small and hide.

The next task was to set us up for success for the duel!  I told the kids we were going to be part of a Jedi training and each time they could complete a task they would get a new, more exciting one.  The more you get into this, the more they will buy into it, and that makes it fun!

First we kept the beat with our hands.  We would pat the floor and raise them up.  I said out loud "down, up" to the beat I wanted them keeping as well.

After accomplishing that task they each received a boomwhacker and kept the beat on the floor with it the same way, down up.  I kept guiding them and let them play with this while I was passing all of the boomwhackers out.

Now it was time to get us all keeping the beat together.  I showed them the ready position (holding the boomwhacker in front of them but not playing it).  When they heard Darth Vader's theme they kept the beat.  But when the music was quiet and smooth they put their lightsabers back into the ready position.  Again, really add a lot of drama when presenting this and it makes it fun.

Lastly, we were ready for a duel to the beat!  I stood face to face with one of the students, and instead of keeping the beat on the floor we had the boomwhackers meet in the middle and hit on the beat.  I verbally cued this with, "in, out" as we played.  The student who played with me had then completed her training and could train another student, while I also trained a new one.  (I trained students who were strong with the force, beat, first and had them train students who were just learning).  Soon we were all keeping the beat with a lightsaber duel to the Imperial March theme, and freezing in our ready positions when the music was quiet to look for danger before dueling again!

Studying Star Wars Music With Preschoolers

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Star Wars is so popular, why not study it in preschool.  Even if the kids haven't seen the movies, most of them are familiar with the music.  A great article about the music in the Force Awakens is Seven Things We Learned About Star Wars The Force Awakens From it's Music.  The article goes through each of the themes associated with the main characters.

We typically study pitched instruments and add in Carnival of the Animals or Peter and the Wolf during the second semester in preschool.  Last year we studied the music from Peter Pan the  musical and movie.  Here is how we will branch out and study instruments through star wars music this year.

I start every class with listening.  As the kids come into music we have something new we are listening to, and quietly moving to in our spots or patting the beat to.  To introduce Star Wars we listened to the Imperial March as the kids entered the class and kept the beat in our bodies.  We also sang the Star Wars version of A Ram Sam Sam.

A Jabba the Hutt, A Jabba the Hutt, A Luke Skywalker, and a Jabba the Hutt, Darth Vader, Darth Vader, A Luke Skywalker and a Jabba the Hutt.

In the lessons to come we will listen to the theme music for each character and explore keeping the beat in some fun ways.  One fun post I found had a lesson on keeping a steady beat light saber fight with pool noodles or boomwhackers while listening to the Imperial March.  This will be a reward at the end of a class!  

We will also try a small part of the Imperial March and the Star Wars theme on boomwhackers.  There are free printables for these on Teachers Pay Teachers and Preschool Prodigies.  

Odd Meter Elephant Chicken Chicken

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I didn't care much for odd meters until I started teaching early childhood music.  Once I became a Music Together teacher, and realized you could improvise crazy things in odd meters, then I began to love them!

There is a silly chant in 7/8 in the current Music Together collection.  Its a great opportunity to improvise with silly sounds.  The 7/8 pattern is 3 beats + 2 beats + 2 beats, or elephant chicken chicken.  Elephant is a three syllable word and chicken is two.  To get 7 beats you need one elephant and two chickens!  You can also make elephant and chicken sounds to play with odd meter.  

What other animal combinations can you come up with to make 7 beats?  Mix a three syllable animal with a two syllable animal.

Three syllable animals

Antelope
Chimpanzee
Crocodile                 Bumble Bee
Wolverine                Killer Whale
Flamingo                 Oscelot
Octopus                   Buffalo

Two Syllable Animals

Baboon, Rabbit, Raptor, Dragon, Llama, Cheetah, Penguin, Puppy, Dolphin, Rhino, Falcon, Eagle, Monkey, Donkey, Beaver, Tiger, Lion, Walrus, Hedgehog, Lizard, Bunny, Kitten, Pigeon, Woodchuck, Toucan, Turtle, Turkey, Lobster

 

Learning Musical Contrasts through Ice Skating

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One of my favorite activities is playing with staccato and legato musical contrasts with the Skating song from Charlie Brown.  All you need is the music (the link's below), and some paper plates.  

Skating
Fantasy Records
Buy on Amazon

Scatter the paper plates around on the floor.  Tip toe around the plates (staccato, detached movement) during the descending eighth note patterns in the song.  Then jump on the the plates, keep your feet down and skate (smooth, connected legato movement) during the dotted half note section.  These two parts are about 4 measures long and alternate back and forth.  Then there is a fun, jazzy middle section to the song where you can jump off your plates and show off your dance moves.  The alternating eighth note and dotted half note sections come back at the end.  End with the staccato tip toe phrases, and legato dotted half note skating.  

Soundtrack: A Charlie Brown Christmas Version: Starbucks Exclusive Artist: Vince Guaraldi Trio Composer: Charles Wesley, Felix Mendelssohn Producer: Timothy Jones Drums: Colin Bailey Bass: Monty Budwig Mastering: George Horn Piano: Vince Guaraldi Track Name: Skating Track Number: 07 ~ Merry Christmas!

Tip toe music 0:08 - 0:11

skating music 0:11-0:15

Jazzy dance section 0:57

Winter Music Together

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I am excited about everything there is to learn from playing with songs in the Drum collection this Winter!  We have experienced some good songs to put in your "diaper bag" or "back pocket," for those times you need to help redirect or motivate your little ones.  Our first week of class we sang Clap Your Hands.  This song is easy to improvise new lyrics with to go along with your daily routine (wash your hands, eat your food, hold my hand, etc.).  The other song that is great to add to your day is John the Rabbit.  Reinforcing some good manners with that repetitive "Yes ma'am" is always a great addition to the day.

We have been singing Tomorrows Now Today, and will sing the same lullaby for one more week.  Your children hearing your voice during the lullaby is so important for their musical growth.  I like to repeat one lullaby for several weeks so you can really learn it, and hopefully start singing it at home too!

Our first week of class we danced to The Fresh Beat Band's Freeze Dance.  Click below to listen here, or buy from Amazon.  Our instrument play along was the song Play Along from the Music Together collection.


Week 2 we danced to the Can Can.  We experienced dynamics by tip toeing, wiggling, jumping, and finally kicking!  We enjoyed some jazz for our instrument play along with Bounce Me Brother With A Solid Four.  


Music Together Classes Fiddle Collection - October

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We are 6 weeks through our nine week fall session of Music Together and I love watching the kids, and the adults, accomplish new musical goals.

We have been working on singing Apples and Cherries as a round.  We began by each group singing one flavor of ice cream as a repeated vocal ostinato.  When we put all of the groups together it created harmony!  Singing in a round does the same thing.  It gives your children wonderful harmony to hear in a simple song.

We sang a drone on D and A along with the song Bella Boya.  Bella Boya is a complex little mixed meter song.  I am very pleased at how all of the classes  have learned to sing the song, different parts, and play the clapping game while you sing.  It is great for little kids to see adults and bigger kids working together to create music.  

This is also a song that is fun to play on the soprano ukulele.  My kids enjoyed learning how.  You can learn how by clicking

here and joining the Play Soprano Ukulele with the Fiddle

collection group.

For our free dances we danced along with the different parts to Lauren's Waltz, the play along from the Fiddle Collection.  We also did the Monster Mash!

For the play along we explored dynamics and tempo changes with In the Hall of the Mountain King.  We also played instruments to Ghost Busters.

Fall Music Together Week 3

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It's always a joy to get to make music with the children and parents in my classes.  Last week and this week we sang a song called Can You Do This?  The song is in Lydian which might make it sound a little different To you.  If you want to play around with the Lydian mode at home you can play from F to F on a piano or keyboard using all white keys.

In one class I had the chance to point out how kids feel the rhythm in their whole bodies, and we can help them match the beat of the song by showing the beat in our whole body as well.  adults often stop feeling and expressing music in their whole body.  If you watch a toddler they feel the music from their head to their toes.  Sometimes the trick is just figuring out how they are experiencing the music and how to help them learn the best for the stage of life they are in.

Last week we sang Apples and Cheries with Ice Cream flavored.  Each part of the room got one flavor to sing over and over again.  If you haven't tried this along with the CD yet you should.  Pick one flavor (one phrase) and see if you can stay on that part during the whole song.  We are building up to singing the song in a round.

This week we moved to Los Fandangos.  There is a clapping part that goes along with the song.  Listen for it on your CD and look for it in the songbook.

This collection also has a lot of call and response songs.  Use these to your advantage during the week.  They can be fun in the car.  Songs like Can You Do This are great for directing you kids to do things.  I can wash my hands, you can wash your hands, I can dry them off, you can dry them off.  I can hold your hand, you can hold my hand, I can keep you safe, you can keep me safe.

The only song from outside the Fiddle collection was the play along.  It was This Little Light of Mine by the Chris Barber Jazz Band.  

Here

 is the link to get it.

Fall Music Together Has Begun

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We are off to a fantastic start for this session of Music Together!  Thank you to all of the parents who sang, danced, and played instruments with their kids today.  You all did such a wonderful job right from the start.  When you model musical behavior you help your kids learn to be musical.  It doesn't matter if you always sing on pitch or keep the right beat.  If you are having a good time making music your kids will learn to enjoy music.  By being exposed to a community of music makers in a Music Together class they will learn to sing in tune and keep a steady beat.

Today I shared with you that I am going to play a new song on the ukulele each week in class.  The ukulele is a great instrument to enjoy playing with your child at home.  It's also a fun first instrument for kids who are a little older.  Because it is small it is easy to put your fingers down for the notes and chords.  I have started

basic ukulele tutorials

for you so you can learn to play at home.  You can find the tutorials here 

http://me-and-my-purple-ukulele.thinkific.com/

I played the Hello Song and I've Got the Rhythm In My Head on the ukulele in class today.  I've Got the Rhythm in My Head only has one chord!  It's so easy to play with your little one at home.  You can hold down the two fingers needed for an F chord and let your child strum.  If your child is ready to try putting their fingers on the strings this is an easy place for them to start!

The only song we did that is outside the collection today was the Freeze Dance by the Fresh Beat Band.