Here comes the train

When the babies in my classes grow up and start to learn to walk, they don't want to be sitting down for long - it's called a love of mobility! This walking thing is all new and fantastic - why stop still?

So I have to think of ambulatory musical activities that are achievable for little ones. Train songs are ideal. Here are some of my favourites.

Pic: thegraphicsfairy.com 

Puffer Train - Beat

This is a great song for keeping the beat as we choof around the room. It also encourages the children to vocalise in the "chh chh chh" part.

Big Black Train - Pitch

Big black train, big black train, take me up the mountain
Big black train, Big black train, take me home again!

This is a great song to use with older children to explore pitch as the train goes up and down the mountain. The children can move little train toys up and down sloping tracks, or up and down their grown-up's bent knee. Children can even play up and down the diatonic scale on the chime bars.

For babies, this can be a bouncing activity where the parent's knees move up and down with the pitch. Or, the children can move around the room, going "up the mountain" towards one end of the room and "down" towards the other.

Train that Goes - Rests

I'm a train that goes, I'm a train that goes, and I go and go an go until I STOP!

Learning to start and stop is the precursor to learning about rests in music. It is also good for developing children's listening skills. It is also great fun.

Choo Choo Ka - Dynamics

This is another "moving about" game, but the rhyme demonstrates the meaning of "pianissimo" and "fortissimo". This is an example of the children learning how the dynamics feel, and having experience of a concept way before they learn to name it. Importantly, the performance varies in terms of loudness and softness, but the tempo and stays the same.

Morningtown Ride - lullaby

A great lullaby, because it helps children feel "warm and snug" in their beds, and the soothing verses can be repeated until the child drops off to sleep.

10 more sleeps till Ettalong choir's first rehearsal

There's been a great response to our call for interested people to get involved with the new community choir in Ettalong. We'll start on Wednesday 27th, 7.30 pm. See the map to the left for the venue details. Should be fun!

Enquiries: Stuart Davis, ph. 02 9665 8054 m. 0403 869 405
singup@optusnet.com.au

If you're down Hurstville way...

Apparently we're "legends" now, doncha know.

Massed choir - Sao Roma

The new choir in Ettalong will have the chance to participate in "massed choir experiences".  Here's the kind of thing we mean.  Four choirs are on-stage - Isingonthecake, Timbre Flaws, the Sea Minors and  Unaccompanied Baggage.



Over the years we've performed lots of different kinds of pieces with massed choirs, from Handel's Messiah to Viva la Vida. The choirs all learn the music at their separate rehearsals and come together on the day of the performance. They each perform separately and then everyone is up on stage for the finale. It's a blast.

Latest gig for Ising

Hear Isingonthecake, Timbre Flaws and the Sea Minors
St Martin's Hall, Todman Ave, Kensington
April 1st, 7.30 pm
$5 donation at the door
All proceeds to Tanna Island (Vanuatu) cyclone relief.

Bounce, baby!

For babies, bouncing is pure joy.  If you need a bit of a lift, try watching you-tube clips of babies bouncing. I love the way they insist on more bouncing after the bouncing stops. The next one shows a cute bouncing rhyme.



Finally, here's one featuring a bloke who seems to be very proficient at child bouncing!  I'm a bit concerned about the ruler that baby's holding, and I'm not sure what's happening at the end there, but it's fun to watch, and very musical.



We use bouncing a lot in music classes because it it's fun, and it helps children feel the beat. Syncopated rhymes are good to bounce to, as they emphasise the difference between beat and rhythm. Try Humpty Dumpty, Pop! Goes the Weasel and Little Red Wagon.

Sing and feel good

Singing is good for your body, mind and soul!  

Check out this article - it outlines the many health benefits of singing.  Here's just some:

• Releases endorphins - "feel good" chemicals that give you a lift
• Encourages deep breathing, relieving stress and improving circulation
• Stops you worrying about things (because you are concentrating on your singing!)
• Reduces depression and anxiety.

Singing in a group is particularly beneficial.  Members of singing groups have higher life satisfaction than the general population, and they cope better with life's ups and downs.  They also enjoy social benefits such as a sense of belonging.

It's going to be tricky for me to get to choir in the next couple of weeks, and someone suggested that I just get the music and learn the parts myself.  Sure, I could do this, but that's completely missing the point.  I want to be with my friends, making beautiful sounds together, breathing deeply with all those endorphins coursing through me! Yep, I'm a singing junkie.

Pictured are some of the fabulous altos and sops from Isingonthecake in full flight.  They look happy, don't they?  I love this picture.  Thanks Carolyn for the great shot.  I'm not sure, but I think we might have been singing "Aquarius", judging from the arm action that's happening.

The musical value of rhymes

Rhymes are fantastic for kids in so many ways.

Firstly, rhymes help children understand and feel the beat.  When you say a rhyme and bounce a child on your knee, the child learns that the beat is a steady pulse that continues through a rhyme or song.  The child feels the difference between the beat and the rhythm, and develops an understanding of both long before they are able to name or define "beat" or "rhythm".

Secondly, rhyming helps children understand the structure of words.  If they are able to identify rhyming sounds when they are young, this will help them with their literacy later on. Improvising new rhymes is also great fun.

Thirdly, it is good for children to hear rhymes performed expressively.  This shows them that good reading is artfully done.  It is not delivered in a flat drone. Meaning is conveyed in the way the words are delivered.  This becomes a model for their own reading.

Fourthly, it shows children that there is joy to be found in well-crafted words.

Traditional rhymes are great to use (eg Pease Porridge Hot, Hot Cross Buns, etc etc).  There are many great compilations of rhymes for children.  There are also a great many children's books with rhyming words.

Some of my favourite rhyming books for children include:

- Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack (Lynley Dodd) - The words are such a delight to say - I love the opening two lines: "It was drowsily warm with dozens of bees/lazily buzzing through flowers and trees".

- Let's Go Visiting (Sue Williams & Julie Vivas, illust) - suitable for very young children

-  Arabella Miller's Tiny Caterpillar (Clare Jarret) - fantastic if you can get through the book without becoming tongue-tied!

- Over in the Meadow (many versions including Jane Cabrera) Jane's version has beautiful illustrations, very whimsical.  Gwen Turner also did a version of this with superb realistically drawn illustrations.

-  The Man from Snowy River (Banjo Paterson, Freya Blackwood, illust.)  Paterson's rhythm, momentum and brilliant story-telling abilities appeal to older children (and adults).

Image from graphicsfairy.com

Isingonthecake at The Rocks on Australia Day

We will be at the Festival of the Voice in the Rocks - more info here.  Fingers crossed for decent weather!

Update: what a day.  Highlights included: all our soloists, seeing the Spooky Men's Chorale up close, getting some extra help from the group Stairwell to Heaven for "Throw Your Arms Around Me", watching everyone go for it at the karaoke stand, performing during the air force flyover (we just kept on singing!) and of course Ian racing from the airport to the gig in time for the second set, and increasing our bass section by 50%.  It was very very hot, and we all melted a bit by 3.30 but everyone was still smiling.

Well, surprise surprise, the arts are important for academic success

Robyn Ewing, an academic from Sydney University, has recently been quoted in  the Sydney Morning Herald.  She says research shows that school-children benefit in many different ways from exposure to the arts.

It improves their academic performance, increases their level of engagement and heightens their self esteem.  Yet in many schools around the country, the arts are treated as an afterthought in the curriculum.  NAPLAN is focusing our attention towards "the basics" of literacy and maths, but encouraging a very narrow view of education.

The choir at my son's school is a great example of the value of the arts in the curriculum for everyone, not just a select few.  This year, instead of holding rehearsals at lunch-time, we offered them during class time.  Instantly the choir went from about 25 children to about 100 children, and many more boys turned up.  Some of the kids who came were regarded as "troublemakers" in their class.  Others had learning difficulties.

These are kids who would not usually be willing to participate in group singing, and certainly wouldn't spend their lunch-time in this way. When they first arrived I was pretty daunted by the behaviour issues.  Then a teacher commented that she had never seen a certain group of boys so focused and engaged with the learning process.  Music was a 'way in' to learning that had not yet been explored.

Creative arts can offer a new perspective from which to begin other learning.

Really useful song collections

Taking your young child to music classes?  Do the songs and rhymes go out of your head when you walk out the door?  I remember the same problem. 

There are loads of great resources to help remind you of the words and music.   Three of my favourite books containing early childhood repertoire are:

1. Catch a Song - Deanna Hoermann & Dooreen Bridges

A beautifully organised collection of mostly traditional songs, with words, music, analysis and suggestions for activities.  Fantastic for teachers and parents.

2. Merrily Merrily - Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia (now the Australian Breastfeeding Association)  

In 1976 the Association's newsletter asked members to submit suggestions for children's songs and rhymes, to be included in an Australian collection, and this is the result.  There was also a record produced (now a CD) to go with the collection.

3. First Steps in Music (and many other titles) - Dr John Feierabend.

John Feierabend's collection is based on research in America.  It is brilliant and well worth having.  He's produced a large number of books.  One series of books relates to different stages in child development.  Another slices things a different way, with a book for tickle rhymes and songs, one for circle games, etc.  Dr Feierabend is continually adapting his materials in response to the latest research, so look for recent editions.

These resources are available online through many retailers including Amazon, VOSA,  John Feierabend's website and the Music Works Magic website. You can sometimes also find these titles on Ebay.

Picture: 'Jen Reads' by Jen Waller, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenwaller/2741703385/

Musical presents from Santa?

How can Santa help with your child's the musical development? He could give:

- musical instruments
- rhyming or singing books
- recorded music
- puppets.

In this post I'll look at some ideas for musical instruments.

Please, please check the sound produced by the instrument. Is it a rich, interesting, satisfying sound, or is it a tinny, grating or electronic sound? Is the sound authentic? If it is a tuned instrument, such as a xylophone, is the pitch correct? Some of them are really woeful, so be careful.

Ideas for presents include:

- slide whistle
- kazoo (good for encouraging them to vocalise)
- maracas
- African percussion instruments
- claves (tapping sticks)
- guiro
- finger cymbals
- drum (authentic)
- bells (choking hazard)
- castanets (the wooden ones make the best sound but the plastic ones don't get chewed!)

For older kids (6-7 years plus):
- marimba
- recorder
- ukelele

I believe the sound quality should not be less just because the instrument is for a child. As a general rule, I avoid anything that needs to be plugged in or needs batteries. The rellies will probably provide enough of those kinds of noise-making devices without Santa adding to the problem!

For nice sounding instruments, the local music shop is often a better bet than the toy shop.

Is This Love

Here's a clip from Isingonthecake's recent gig at the Friend in Hand Pub in Glebe.



Arrangement by Stuart Davis.

Silver Bells

Love the PS22 Chorus - absolute magic. Merry Christmas.

Womb for Learning

According to the QI elves, babies can recognise tunes they have heard in the womb.  I went to a lot of choir rehearsals for Ising On the Cake when I was pregnant, so this means my kids know a lot of 60's and 70's numbers.  But maybe just the alto part.

During one such rehearsal, when I was very pregnant, there were two little bumps on either side of my tummy.  Elbows, perhaps, someone suggested.  Maybe the baby had his fingers in his ears!

Our annual end-of-year bash

 

Very limited tickets - email kerryn.cooper@gmail.com

Update: we raised $4276 for the orphanages.

latest gig for Ising On the Cake - Glebe

"Isingonthecake" busking at Eveleigh Markets

Here's a vid of us at the food markets, busking to raise money for the Cambodia Children's Trust (that's what Stuart has taped to his back).  It was a little vocally taxing to sing above the noise of the markets, but great fun.



Lots of kids came to watch and it was funny to see their reactions.  The kid in the blue cap looked completely mesmerised, as if he'd never seen anything like us before.  He followed us around to all the different spots.  Another little girl really got into it, dancing around.

We raised $415 for the Trust.

Early counting - start with your baby!

In my primary teaching studies, I'm constantly gobsmacked by the amount that children learn before they ever see the inside of a classroom.  So often we seem to take this learning for granted, and only notice it when it's not there.

Today we were shown a video of a young school-aged child who did not yet know how to count.  He knew the names of some numbers, but he didn't know that numbers always come in the same order, and he didn't know that when you count, you point to each item as you say the next number, counting each item only once.

Counting is a fundamental skill - kids have to know how to do this before they will be able to move on to other maths operations. For adults, counting is so automatic that we sometimes forget that our kids need to learn it.  I'm not saying your baby needs to be a maths wizz, but it's great if they know how to count up to 10 when they start school.



How can you help your little one start to count?

• Model the counting behaviour when the situation arises.
• Count everyday items at the shops, in their toybox, on their dinner plate.  Count the steps as you go up or down.
• Start with small amounts, eg the numbers from 1 to 3 or 1 to 5.
• Get them to join in and make it fun.  Maintain an attitude of play. Of course, you know I'm going to say that music can play a huge part in helping young children start counting. 

Some examples of number songs and rhymes for the very young:

• 3 Pink Jellyfish
• 5 Little Ducks
• 2 Little Dickie Birds
• 3 Cheeky Monkeys
• Round and Round the Garden
• Here is the Beehive
• Jean, Jean, Dressed in Green
• Five Currant Buns

The list goes on.  For preschoolers, you can start using songs that deal with the numbers up to 10.  For example:

• This Old Man
• 10 Green Bottles
• Going Over the Sea
• 10 Little Fingers
• 1,2,3,4,5, Once I Caught a Fish Alive.

Some of these songs (eg 3 Pink Jellyfish) actually encourage both forwards and backwards counting.  As usual, there is so much going on when we sing a simple traditional song.  They are choc-full of incredible learning opportunities. Happy counting!

Some real "little drummer boys"