Some real "little drummer boys"

Shake your maracas........or not...

Children's music classes traditionally include some activities with percussion instruments, but new studies suggest a re-think.

Some researchers believe that little children need to feel the beat on their bodies to develop beat-competency, and learn the "feel" of music with different time signatures.

Instruments may hinder this type of learning, providing an unnatural extension of children's bodies, and robbing them of the feel of the beat on their skin.

Of course, instruments are fun, and will probably always feature in children's music classes. This latest research just warns us not to overdo it, and not to underestimate the value of really feeling the beat.

We have always known that some instruments are more suited to early childhood than others. For example, triangles are just too difficult and quite unsatisfying for little ones.

I had always thought that maracas were great for kids because they were easy to grasp. At a workshop recently the conductor made an interesting point. When you shake a maraca, there is a lag between the movement you make and the noise of the beads inside catching up. It's actually quite tricky to keep the beat with this instrument. Of course they are enormous fun, but I won't be using them for early beat-keeping activities in my classes.

Percussion instruments are still fantastic for experiencing different timbre (tone quality) and encouraging children to experiment with sound and really listen. They are also a great motivational device. We just have to be careful how we use them.

Image: 'Play and Music'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/96973845@N00/3629719915

Beth Bolton talks about the benefits of early childhood music.

Beth Bolton's CDs are available from the VOSA website (see the links in the side bar). Her lovely song collections expose children to music in different tonalities (modes) and metres (time signatures).

Granny had the right idea

When you were a child, who sang to you? Was it your Mum or Dad? Was it your Grandma?

Dr John Feierabend, the US the psychologist and music educator, has made a disturbing finding. He has interviewed people of different ages, and asked them what songs they sing to children. The older the person interviewed, the more songs they remembered. With each generation, we are losing repertoire. The art of singing and rhyming with children is dying out.

When it came to music, we used to be a participation culture. We sang around the piano, danced together, and used singing and rhyming in games with children.

These days, we prefer to watch other people singing and dancing. We are moving from a participation culture to an audience culture. As for the kids, we think we can out-source all that to "childrens' entertainers".

Parents are told that certain CDs and DVDs are "educational", but Feierabend found that they are actually making our children dumber. Rather than stimulating the brain and turning our babies into famous scientists (as one product seems to imply) they cause the viewer's brain to enter a zombie-like state.

What can we do? It wouldn't be a bad start to ask Nanna what songs she used to sing as a child. Encourage her to pass them on to your children. These valuable "heritage" songs link the generations.

Music and intelligence

We all know that babies are learning a phenomenal amount in the early years.   They learn a whole language, for a start.

In his article Music and Intelligence in the Early Years, Dr John Feierabend graphically illustrates just how important early learning is.  Most neurological pathways are built within the first two years of life, and atrophy if they are not maintained.

We talk and read with children to help them learn our language, and Feierabend believes we also need to be singing, rhyming and dancing with them, to help them learn to be musical.

We cannot wait for the school years.  As the child learns to communicate, talk and walk, they also need quality music education.

It is unrealistic to wait until a child is seven and then throw them into lessons on an instrument, without any preparation.  If they cannot keep the beat, sing tunefully and appreciate the beauty of music, their playing will only ever be mechanical and sub-standard.  A baby needs to grow up knowing music.  As Feierabend so often says, a musical child is tuneful, beatful and artful.  These are the prerequisites for a rich musical life.

Even though music improves many other aspects of a child's learning, musical intelligence is a goal in its own right, and one well worth pursuing. It's a great article.

Concert for Stepping Stones

Our choir's big annual gig is on Sept 19th, and as usual all proceeds go to a great cause - this time it's Stepping Stones Nigeria and we want to try to raise $10,000.

All of Stuart's choirs perform, the Woolaware High concert band is really brilliant, and there's usually a mass choir at the end. It's always a great night.

Tickets are $25 and $15 concession.
Email for your tickets: kerryn.cooper@gmail.com

One Love

A great clip from YouTube - As usual the Africans are the best singers.

Bobby Goes Pentatonic

This is a great vid - you may need to wait a while for it to upload. Bobby McFerrin (the "Don't Worry, Be Happy" guy) is making the point that the pentatonic scale is universal and innate. The pentatonic scale is do re mi so la.

I wish the audience had gone with him when he tried them on a harmony - ah well!

World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.

Bobby does all kinds of great stuff - check the video bar on the right of this blog - it sometimes has his version of Ave Maria.

Who Stopped the Music?

Last Sunday there was an excellent program on ABC Radio National, which reported on the sorry state of music in our public schools in Australia, compared to the situation in many other countries.

Hosted by Stephen Crittenden, the program explores the many reasons for including music in the primary school curriculum, the way this was done in the past, and the way it has been eroded. It also includes some inspirational interviews from people such as Deborah Nicholson from The Song Room.

School music has fared badly in the wake of the recent "back to basics" movement in Australia. This is a seriously backward step. The radio program includes details of recent research which shows that if children do not have music before the age of 7, a critical period for learning is missed.

A hundred years ago our teachers were better equipped in this area than they are today.

You can read the transcript or play back the audio from here.

Image: 'So happy =)'
www.flickr.com/photos/97831130@N00/1066368855

PS22 - Forever Young

Check this out - these guys use contemporary songs, but have avoided all the usual pitfalls (eg inappropriate lyrics for kids, singing too low or too loud). They sing from the heart and they sing in tune with harmonies.

When should my child start an instrument?

As with most aspects of child rearing, everyone has their opinion on this point, and there are various different approaches. However, I believe it is often (never say always!) better to wait until the child is at least 7 before contemplating an instrument.

Here are my reasons:

• Fine motor skills: - Little children often have not developed the fine motor skills necessary to manipulate their instruments. In some cases, they are just physically too small to hold or play them properly. We know a little boy who has a saxophone that looks bigger than he is. He has to rest it on the case to play it. It doesn't look very comfy. I heard about another four year-old girl who desperately wanted to learn the recorder, but quickly became very frustrated because her little fingers wouldn't cooperate.
  

• The discipline of practice: - To stay with the lessons and practices over the long term requires a certain level of maturity.
  

• Musicianship: - Younger children are not likely to have the musicianship skills that can really help when learning an instrument. Unless they have good pitch, for example, they may not realise when they hit a wrong note.

Kodaly believed that the most important instruments for children are their voices and their bodies. They can happily develop their musicianship skills for many years through singing, moving, rhymes and games. It comes naturally to them. Voices and bodies are also portable, always available and inexpensive to use!

Once they learn to keep the beat and sing in tune, other musical concepts are introduced. After years of Do Re Mi classes, 7 year-olds are able to sight-read simple tunes on the stave. By this time they are ready to sail easily into learning an instrument. Because they are so familiar with musical notation and other musical concepts, they can concentrate more on learning how to operate the instrument they choose.

The first instruments we introduce to children in classes are percussion instruments, both tuned and un-tuned. These are satisfying for little children because they are able capable of playing them well.

Image: 'Vintage Postcard ~ Girl Playing Harp'
www.flickr.com/photos/7926983@N07/1161228939

Lounge Quintet

The Lounge Quintet is having a gig on June 28 in Coogee.

The idea is that you sit back, sip wine and nibble on food, and be entertained in the lounge-room of someone's home in Coogee. You get the address when you buy the tickets.

Songs by Elvis Costello, Leonard Cohen, John Lennon, David Bowie, Police, Coldplay, Rufus Wainright and Stuart Davis are performed with a string quartet and sung by Stuart. Awesome.

Tickets are $35 and space is obviously limited!

Ph. (02) 9665 8054
or email singup@optusnet.com.au

When should a child start music?

It is never too early to begin music with a child. Zoltan Kodaly famously said that ideally, the child's musical education should begin at the time of their mother's birth!

Just as it is never too early, it is also never too late. A lot of people have been put off singing early in life by a thoughtless adult. Kodaly believed that singing is for everyone - not just a select few - and that everyone can be taught to sing.

When a child is very young, there is a window of opportunity for helping them to find their voice. Later they will become self-conscious and embarrassed, but little children, who have not yet learned to be ashamed of free expression, can be taught to sing out and sing in tune. This is a gift they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Parents often wonder when a child should begin playing a musical instrument. Do Re Mi teachers prefer to help children find their voice first, develop the skill of singing and learn about the different aspects of music. Then, when they are older (about 7) they are well equipped to start an instrument. Through their Do Re Mi classes, they already know how to read notes on the staff, and understand the elements of music. They can sing in tune, which helps them self-correct when they make a mistake on their instrument. And importantly, they have developed an appreciation and love of different kinds of music. By the time they are 7 or 8 they have usually developed the fine motor skills necessary to manipulate their instrument well, without the frustration often evident in younger students.

Animusic

My kids have been watching this over and over again tonight, as well as other clips from anmiusic.



I like this one because you can watch it in the same way that you watch real musicians, and you get lots of visual cues for the different parts in the music.

The one entitled Pipe Dreams is also mesmerising, and very clever.

Planet Music

Sorry for the long delay in posting - I have been on "Planet Music", otherwise known as the Autumn KMEIA NSW teacher training course. This was a week of intensive training in musicianship, conducting and teaching methods. It was extremely demanding but greatly worthwhile and wonderful. The teachers are always brilliant and I highly recommend the course for any music teachers in early childhood or primary school settings.

I am already accredited to teach young children, but I'm back this year to see what happens in early primary school - to see "where we're headed" with all the early childhood work.

Highlights of the course this time included:

• Meeting up with friends from all over the place who come together to study - this is the final year for many of us
• The opportunity to try out songs, games and dances for ourselves in the practicum classes
• Choir at the end of each day
• Ensemble work, and the notorious "sing and plays"
• Composing our own canons in musicianship
• A lecture from the beautiful Ms Jenone Nagy ("Insie") from the National Association of Hungarian Kindergarten Teachers.

Image: 'music rocks my world'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/20005495@N00/61581047

Beat Lehmann workshop

This is awfully late notice (first session is happening ooh, right about now) but I promised my choir buddy Amanda last night that I'd put this up. Beat Lehmann is running workshops in acapella world music singing this weekend in Bondi Junction. You could still get to tomorrow's (Sunday's) session - details below:

- 10 am to 4 pm
- 61 Newland St Bondi Junction
- Cost for one day $70 ($125 both days)

For beginners and experienced singers, no music reading skills required. Beat Lehmann is an accomplished conductor from Queensland.

By the way, last night's concert was a blast.

What makes a great early childhood music teacher?

This is a bit presumptuous of me, but I reckon I have a few ideas about what makes a great children's music teacher. Bear in mind that this is just my opinion - a product of my experiences, both good and bad. I have taken my young children to half a dozen different music teachers over the years, so have a bit of experience. I am also studying the Kodaly approach, so I am looking at this through a Kodaly lens. I am not saying, however, that the only good teachers follow that approach.

So - here is my list of the characteristics of a great music teacher for young children (under 6). I might expand on some of these points in future posts.

• Likes the company of children
• Gets along with your child
• Loves music, and generates enthusiasm for music
  
• Great musicianship (can sing in tune, play an instrument, read music)
• Detailed understanding of child development
• Makes their own detailed lesson plans, but does not have a "script" that must be followed
• Has an overall plan for helping children to develop over the long term (7 years), with musical objectives and general developmental goals
• Limits the group size to levels appropriate for the age of the children
• Provides a varied and interesting lesson
• Helpfully and cheerfully answers your questions and offers useful advice
• Is relaxed about younger siblings, tantrums, and those times when your child would rather not participate.

There are probably other things I will remember later. If so, I'll add them.

Personally, I also prefer that the teacher is not part of a franchise. I know that all teachers are paid for their work. However, there is a difference between a professional association and a franchise. A professional association (like KMEIA), exists to educate teachers to a high standard, and advocate for children and teachers. There is no pressure on this type of organisation to endorse a teacher if their work is not up to scratch. A franchise exists mainly to make money. There are probably some great teachers who happen to belong to a franchise, but it's better to be aware of the difference.

Anyway, that's my list as of 12.25 am tonight. Let me know if you agree/disagree.

Image: 'The pianist'
www.flickr.com/photos/8034873@N07/1499953615

Acapella Gig - Friday April 3

Um.... I think it was meant to say 7.30 PM. Should be a fun night.

See my earlier post for info on the charity we are supporting with the proceeds from this concert.

Paul Jarman

On the weekend I took the kids to a sensational workshop run by Paul Jarman. The kids loved his sense of humour, awesome musicianship and wonderful collection of quirky woodwind instruments from around the world. If you ever get a chance to see him, grab it!

I was also impressed with the workshop for another reason. The participants were mostly Central Coast Children's Choir members between the ages of 5 and 8. Paul had them doing complicated body percussion, four part rounds in various languages, and harmonies. There seemed to be nothing these kids couldn't take on. They didn't even really think about it - they just did it! It was testimony to the power of the Kodaly approach, and to their teachers, Jenny Bell and Joanne McMahon.

Paul concluded the workshop by showing the kids how to make a woodwind instrument out of a drinking straw. We demolished half a packet of straws when we got home. The four year-old just kept cutting them into little pieces, but the 8 year-old was blowing raspberries through his straw for quite a long time. Such a soothing sound! Thanks Paul......

Gig - Friday April 3

On April 3 there will be a concert in Kensington featuring two acapella choirs run by Stuart Davis. All proceeds will go to a wonderful charity - the Kantha Bopha Foundation in Cambodia, run by Dr Beat Richner. This amazing man has built several hospitals for children in Cambodia, and every week he also puts on a cello concert to raise money to continue his work.

Details of the concert:

- Ising On the Cake and Sea Minors (Stuart's youth choir) will perform.
- 7.30 pm
- Entry by $5 donation
- St Martin's Church Hall, Kensington (Sydney).

The Song-head syndrome

Years of singing in choirs with 4-part harmonies has led to a condition I am calling the song-head syndrome. It is not the individual who suffers with this syndrome, but their family and friends, and sometimes even their neighbours.

You see, I return home from a rehearsal, enthusiastic about a new song we are learning. All week I sing it. But I'm singing the Alto part. Over and over again. I can hear the other parts in my head - to me it is a rich experience. However, for the innocent bystander it becomes very grating.

Things do not improve if I attempt to sing more than one part at the same time (sometimes I can't resist pinching a juicy bit from another section). This just annoys people further.

My children often ban me from singing altogether for whole afternoons. This makes me grumpy, and also I forget about the ban and burst into song anyway when they least expect it. Somehow, it's not nearly as satisfying to me if every part is confined to my head.

Sadly, it appears that this condition is hereditary. On a recent fishing expedition my son drove my dad bananas as they sat together in a small boat for a long time.

Feel free to comment if you are a fellow sufferer (or family member thereof) and have any suggestions for alleviating this condition. Perhaps we can form a support group.

Image: 'heavy rain'
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Music from the trio

As previously reported, Jane, Shona and I did a bit of recording a while ago. Well, here are the results.

I tried to get the songs into a gadget in the side bar, but the technology is proving a bit too involved for my ability level. I will keep trying and possibly convince the hubby to help (he will roll his eyes at my efforts and hopefully take pity).

In the meantime I am trying to at least link you to the songs from a post. So let's see if this works....

Only Living Boy (Simon and Garfunkel). The first two voices you hear are Jane and Shona and I come in later. Guitar by Jane. We love doing this one, it's like meditating.

More Than Words (Extreme). Jane has the tune, I'm doing the harmony and Shona comes in here and there. Guitar by Jane. Our version is a bit different to the original. We recorded this song last in a long session, and we were a bit wilted, so we don't sound as "together" as we think we normally are. Still, I think it's my favourite one.

Closer to Fine (Indigo Girls). I'm doing the tune for the most part, with Shona doing the third verse and Jane on harmony and (you guessed it) guitar. I have trouble listening to myself on those pitchy low notes, but I'm showing you, so that means I think it's OK for airing!

Happy Together (Turtles). Shona takes the lead on this one, with Jane and I on harmonies, Jane on guitar and me on shaker (I'm so skilled). This was the first song we recorded and we sound a bit tentative.

There was one other song - acapella version of You Send Me - but we nicked ideas from someone else's arrangement, so I'm not too comfortable publishing it here without asking their permission.

So anyway, I hope this works, and please leave constructive criticism in the comments! Next time we're going to try separate mics for each voice so it can be mixed and balanced. That said, I don't reckon it's a bad first effort!

Image: 'Groove Salad'
www.flickr.com/photos/40732566596@N01/109538354

What every singer already knew....

Research has shown that putting your feelings into words, or singing about them, helps you cope better with life. It makes you calmer and gives you more self control. Anyone who has ever sung about new love or lost love or anger or despair or dizzy happiness knows this already!

In another colllision of art and science, a New Scientist article argues that when a group of people synchronises its movements or speech (or singing, I presume) the individuals in the group feel a heightened sense of belonging. This helps explain how dictators control the populace. It may also explain why I travel 90 k every Thursday night to rehearse with my fellow choir members!

So to conclude, groups who gather to move and sing together feel good and bond well. As far as I'm concerned it's not rocket science, but it is wonderful.

Thanks Sandy for the first link.

Image: 'Bearded Singer'
www.flickr.com/photos/35237096343@N01/184460005

Stuck for words?

There are some great databases of children's songs on the net. Here are a couple:

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences website

Kididdles

The first one is American and the second is Canadian. Happy singing!

Michael Rosen

Here's the wonderful Michael Rosen performing the classic "Bear Hunt".



This is a great adventure to act out with a group of children. The main theme uses the minor third interval (so-mi) which is very natural for children to sing. The song is great for reinforcing beat competency (ability to keep the beat). At the end, when everyone re-traces their steps, kids must use their sequential memory skills. This is a great echo song. There is also scope to go from here to a pitch exercise by referencing the running up and down stairs. And it's massive fun!

There's more about Michael Rosen's books and poems on his website.

If I was doing this in a group I would pitch it a bit higher so the kids could join in more easily.

Music keeps Mum from losing it

Music is definitely one of the things that kept me sane through my children's early years. There is a song for every section of the day, every routine, every mishap and surprise.

When my babies were little, I would go into their room in the morning when I heard that they were awake. I would sing a "good morning" song before I got them out of their cot. I would sing about the weather and what we were going to do that day.

Then we needed to get dressed. This is a rich vein! From Mulberry Bush to Hurry Up Sue, there are lots of songs to encourage children to get ready. As they grew older and began to learn to do things themselves, the songs could be used to remind them of what to do without nagging.

I found tickle rhymes to be a lovely way to connect with my young babies. Games like Round the Garden and This Little Piggy are full of anticipation for the tickle at the end. They also help the child to become aware of the different parts of their body.

Peekabo games are an endless source of entertainment for babies, who have not yet worked out that objects still exist when they are not seen. Children want you to play these games over and over and over (and over and over.....). It can be a bit wearing. I kept reminding myself that repetition is good for babies. It still sends you round the twist sometimes. You can add interest by varying the length of time that you are hidden, or "appearing" in different places.

One more time...

Kids just love repetition - the same book over and over, or the same song or game. I think it helped that I understood the developmental theory behind what was going on. It kept me more interested and saved my brain from turning to mush.

If a child wanted the same book for the third time, I might sing it instead of reading it normally. This works well with rhyming text, especially if you are good at making up tunes on the spot.

Now, I know this sounds awful, but playing with my young children can get pretty tedious. Other mums who take the time to play with their young kids every day will hopefully forgive me this comment. I find songs help me stay with my children and play when I might otherwise have gotten too bored and fed up.

Playing shops for the umpteenth time, we sing a variation on Five Currant Buns. There are songs for building with blocks and many songs to use with toy trains and cars. When you play ball you can sing Roll That Little Ball. Rhymes and songs about swinging are employed at the park. The world of drama unfolds for three year-olds and you can pretend to be all the characters in the nursery rhymes and songs, go on a bear hunt or hide like a jack-in-the-box. My youngest is starting to get interested in numbers, so we do all the finger-plays: five little ducks, three pink jellyfish, three cheeky monkeys, etc. When we work in the kitchen we recite Choppity Chop or sing Stir Up the Pudding-o.

Out and about in the car or the pram, we sing transport songs. In the car we use Bumpity Bump, Let's Go Driving or that Playschool traffic light song. We can also sing about birdies and trees and whatever we happen upon. We only get a few strange looks...

Hush-a-bye....

When my babies were upset or over-tired, singing often helped to settle them. Familiar restful songs, and a cuddle and a steady pat would often (but not always!) calm us both down. The baby could feel the comforting vibration of my voice through my body.

Even now, I have found songs handy when my three year-old is upset. At Christmas time a stool fell on his big toe and it was very painful, even with pain killers administered. He was finding it hard to get to sleep. So we started to sing the blues about his poor sore toe. He calmed down, shed a few tears and then went to sleep. The words of the song acknowledged his pain and showed that I empathised.

As a regular part of the bed-time routine, I sing a lullaby. It (hopefully!) signals the end of the bed-time routine and indicates that it's time to snuggle down. A favourite of ours is Morningtown Ride. It has multiple verses, so I can keep going by cycling them through if necessary. Then I can revert to humming. I must admit, my bed-time routines are pretty drawn out. I can be a bit of a push-over. My husband is usually out of the room much more quickly when he is doing the bed-time.

Well, this is getting to be a very long post. I could expand on each aspect mentioned - maybe I will later. Music continues to get me through my day, every day. And now, the kids sing back!

Image 1: 'Carmen de Miranda is confused!...'
www.flickr.com/photos/26235754@N05/2975845999

Image 2: 'Mom says....'
www.flickr.com/photos/72093892@N00/2559802835

Image 3: 'Mom and the little guy'
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Sing out, boys!

It's so difficult to get boys to come to the school choir. I try to select songs that aren't too girly, and include drums and body percussion where possible. However, we still have a ratio of girls to boys of about 10 to 1.

Our rehearsals are held at lunch-time, which I'm sure is part of the problem. Boys have other things to do at lunch-time and don't want to be cooped up inside.

I know one music teacher who had a good idea for getting boys involved at her child's high school. Every member of the rugby team had to also participate in the choir. It was called the "rugby choir". Suddenly choir was cool.

Once you actually get the boys to turn up, you often have the "bull-frog factor": they sing in a low-pitched drone, emulating the male performers they hear on the radio. To improve their pitch, they need to find their "head voice". There are lots of fun exercises to help with this - "siren" warm-ups for example.

Sometimes, just when a boy is really starting to enjoy singing, their voice starts to break and they are again discouraged from singing out. We need to help them re-learn the art.

I believe it's really important to help boys discover the joy of singing when they are little, before they have learned to be self-conscious. Then at least when they're bigger, if they won't sing in public, they can do it in the shower!

Please leave a comment if you have any other thoughts/ideas on how to get the lads involved.

Image 1: 'So happy =)'
www.flickr.com/photos/97831130@N00/1066368855

Image 2: 'Three'
www.flickr.com/photos/11741717@N03/1332038002

Education vs Entertainment

A lot of children's entertainment is too loud, too busy, too fast and in the wrong key. Still, children like it. So what if it's sensory overload to rival a sugar fix, too fast for them to sing along to, and too low for them to sing in tune? They are having fun. Isn't that worth something? At least they might learn to move to the beat.

I suppose it's a bit like junk food or watching a soap opera on TV. It's fun, but don't kid yourself that it's doing you good. It's entertainment, not education.

Coming down heavily on the entertainment side are The Boogers, a US punk rock band for the pint-sized. I discovered their website today, and I'm torn. My youngest boy would be right into it. Out would come the air guitar and the rocker's scowl. However, he'll probably lose some of his hearing and so will the rest of the family.

There is a messsage in here for those of us who prefer more "worthy" music education for our children. We can't ignore the entertainment factor. Just because it's educational doesn't mean it has to be as dull as dishwater.

I reckon that Playschool gets it just about right. There's a reason it's been on air for so long. It's interesting and entertaining for kids without being overwhelming. And there's always the chance that Jay and Justine will break into harmonies!

Picture: "Watching"

Finding music suitable for children

Featured in the video bar are:

• The Puppini Sisters - 3 women with stacks of style, stage presence and flawless close harmonies
• Bobby McFerrin - eclectic master of improv with an angelic voice
• Ladysmith Black Mambazo - effortless, mellow African acapella.

Children love all of these - you don't have to use "children's" music all the time with children. Look for music that features singing or highlghts one instrument at a time (not too busy). Be open to different genres. I often play something different in the car. The kids will go quiet and listen intently (or not.... depending...).

I do find myself listening with a new ear to the lyrics of my favourite songs. Picking repertoire for the kids' choir is tricky when so much popular material is full of naughty words or adult themes. I really like Kirsty MacColl, but stopped playing her in the car when my three year old started singing "La la la la la, get your rocks off baby".

And here's another thing to think about: a lot of pop music is pitched too low for kids. Kodaly teachers try to encourage children to sing in their "head voice", which elicits more tuneful singing. It is even suggested that men sing falsetto when teaching children. So if you want your kids to learn to sing in tune, have a bit less Nick Cave and a bit more Tiny Tim!

I'm joking, there are lots of other ways to encourage kids to used their head voice. But that's for another post.

Tuning in - you have to learn how

Listening - it's easy, isn't it? Well, only if you have learned what to ignore.

Babies learn language by paying attention to other people who are speaking. To do this, they need to tune into speech sounds and tune out the everyday background noises. This is not easy in our noisy world! Think of a busy supermarket, loud older siblings, a busy preschool or a telly blaring in the background at home.

When my children were very little Mum showed me the book Babytalk. It has lots of ideas for helping your child to develop language. One of the main suggestions is to spend at least a little time each day with your child, in a quiet place away from too much background noise, and simply talk with them.

I know, it's another thing on your "to do" list. But it can easily be incorporated into your day. I used to chat to my baby while I prepared his food, talking about what I was doing. I also used to do a running commentary when I took him out in the pram. Admittedly, people used to walk past and think I was losing it...

It's good just to be aware of the effect that background noise is having on your child. It can be quite a problem later on. Some school-aged kids are so used to tuning out to all the background noise in their life, that they habitually tune out when their teacher talks.

Well, anyway, this is a music blog, so let me relate these ideas to early childhood music. Music classes help children develop and fine-tune their listening skills. Kodaly teachers include lots of activities where children are asked to respond to a musical event with their bodies or voices. Some examples are:

• Noticing the difference between sound and silence (starting and stopping)
• Waiting for a special sound or place in the music
• Hearing the different tone quality of various instruments
• Learning to tell the difference between high and low pitch
• Responding to fast and slow music
• Responding to different parts in the music (eg verses and chorus or AB structure)
• Noticing different elements in the music

There are a lot of things you can do to help your child learn to listen well. Some ideas are:

• Spend one-on-one quiet time with your child.
• Read a book to them or sing a song.
• Go for a bush walk or go into the garden and notice the different sounds.
• Lie down with your child and listen to the noises around your house.
• Turn the telly and the radio off for a bit and savour the quiet.

Pardon me... I didn't knit that for you...

Couldn't resist this....
Click Here - one for singing knitters everywhere.

Top Toys for Music - Carousel

A carousel is a great starting point to introduce songs to small children, and gives them a sense of control as well. It is easy for a small child to bang the top of the carousel and make it spin. Then you can sing about whichever character lands in front of you.

Some carousels have characters such as people or ponies or teddies. Perhaps they are different colours. If so, then you can sing about that (eg, "green, green, green, green, teddy's wearing green today...")

My carousel has four different animals on it. The child presses the top, and I sing a song or say a rhyme about whichever animal stops at the front. There is a horse ("gee up horsey, don't you stop"), a cow ("What can a cow do but moo, moo, moo?) a pig ("this little piggie") and a sheep ("Baa baa white sheep" since it's white).

Another way to play is to simply make the noise of the animal. Encouraging young children to make animal noises helps with their annunciation (that is, it helps them to learn to make the sounds necessary to say words).

If all the characters are the same, you can always resort to "Round and round and round it goes, spinning and turning..."

The carousel pictured is by Tolo. I picked up mine at Learn4Fun which has shops in Tuggerah and Hornsby.

Empire Bay Public School - thanks for a great 2008!

I've had a great time this year with the senior choir at Empire Bay. Thanks to all the choir members. You are a great bunch - quick to learn, always cheerful and willing to try new things. You became masters at counter-melodies this year. Next step - harmonies!

Thanks very much to the wonderful Angie Eastwood for all the organising, advice and collaboration.

This year we performed the following songs:

This Little Light (Sunshine)
Sinje (traditional, zulu)
Lean on Me
Away in a Manger (Silent Night)
Do I Make You Proud

Farewell to the Year 6 choir members - hope you keep singing wherever you go next.

Trio in Studio

Jane, Shona and Kerryn recorded five songs at EastCoast Studios in Coogee last week. We arrived a bit early and began our warm-ups in the courtyard, eliciting rude comments from passers-by. Then Jane did a marathon effort on the guitar tracks, which hurt her fingers a bit. By this time we were all melting as the aircon could only be put on between takes. Billy came to the rescue with ice water.

We had been thinking about having each voice seperately mic'd but in the end we went for one mic and we blended ourselves the low-tech way. This proved a bit tricky when we had the headphones on, which took some getting used to. In the end, we managed to get everything done that we had planned.

Here are the songs:

- Happy Together (The Turtles)
- More Than Words (Extreme)
- You Send Me (Sam Cooke)
- Closer to Fine (Indigo Grls)
- Only Living Boy in New York (Simon & Garfunkle).

I still haven't decided if I'm going to play the results for anyone or give anyone a CD. Will make a decision when it's mixed and fiddled with.

Cake 08

Ising on the Cake recorded some songs at Studios 31 in December and had a fantastic time. The workspace was absolutely beautiful.. The CD will be finished in January and will include songs such as Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights, Queen's Somebody to Love and the Pogues' Fairytale of New York.

With four hours to work with I reckon we did well recording 6 songs. Stuart had planned everything really well, including lots of coffee breaks and everyone brought food (no coconut though, or nuts. They get stuck in your throat...).

CDs will be ready in February. Artwork by the fabulous Val Evans.