YC1 and Mozart's "The Magic Flute"!

The Young Child Level 1 kids are having a great time exploring Mozart and "The Magic Flute". Here's a really brief synopsis of the plot .... when viewing the youtube clips, be sure to move on with the story when the kids lose interest ;) To return to the story after each clip, just hit the "back" arrow in your browser.

A young prince named Tamino was lost in an enchanted forest. He fell asleep and when he awoke a strange man covered in feathers and carrying a bird cage on his back was standing next to him. The strange man explained that he was, "Papageno, chief bird catcher for the Queen of the Night.

Just then, three maidens appeared and said, "We have been sent by the Queen of the Night to ask your help in returning our Princess Pamina. She has been stolen away!" They gave Tamino a picture of the lovely princess and he placed it in his pocket near his heart.

Quite suddenly, the Queen of the Night appeared and told Tamino that he had been chosen to rescue her daughter. (you can skip ahead to 4:24 or so in the video)

To help Tamino, the Queen of the Night gave him a "magic flute" that had special powers. "Whenever you play it, all sadness will give way to joy and even wild creatures will be charmed. The magic flute will be your guide and no harm will come to you." She also gave Papageno a set of magic bells and told him to help Tamino.

When Tamino and Papageno reached the castle where the Princess was held captive, Papageno became so afraid that he ran away. Tamino was frightened to, but he remembered his magic flute. As he played, the animals came out of the forest and began to gather around to listen to the lovely music.

Soon the lovely princess was rescued and Tamino and Pamino were married. However, poor Papageno was sad because he was all alone. He wished he had a wife and began playing his magic set of bells. Just then, a little old lady popped up in front of him and said, "My name is Papagena and I have come as the answer to your wish." Papageno said he would marry her and just then, she turned into a lovely bird-like creature like him. They were so happy that they danced around and sang to each other like happy birds!
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And just for fun... a bird singing a bit of the Queen of the Night Aria
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.......and next semester we'll be exploring Britten's "Young People's Guide to the Orchestra" - just in time to be able to see it at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, too, if you hurry and get tickets from the TSO now!

When Should I Start My Child in Music?

When can we start music lessons?
Expert Answers
David Geller, pediatrician

Whether your child takes a music appreciation class or starts actual lessons, she'll benefit mightily from being exposed to music. Kids can start formal music training as early as age 3, when brain circuits for learning music mature. In fact, studies at the University of California suggest that taking music lessons at age 3 can increase your child's brainpower. However, many piano teachers prefer that children wait until they are 5, when their hands are bigger and they're more ready to sit still and concentrate. (See more on music and toddlers.)If you don't feel your toddler is ready for formal music lessons yet, you might want to join an early music program such as Kindermusik, which focuses on fostering a love of music, rhythm, and self-expression. By exploring how different instruments sound, and how music makes her feel, your child may learn to appreciate music much more than if she were practicing scales.When your child is ready for more formal training, piano is a good instrument to start with, as the finger movements are less tricky than those for a guitar or violin. At this age, however, the most important thing is that your child enjoys herself. Make sure the instructor works well with young children and keeps the class fun and fast-paced.

for the complete article, and parent responses, go HERE ;)

WHY MUSIC? Celebrity Quotes

Another summer is over....another exciting musical season is beginning! To set the tone, here are some famous-folk quotes:

WHY MUSIC?

“An educational foundation is only part of the equation. In order for creativity to flourish and imagination to take hold, we also need to expose our children to the arts from a very young age.” -First Lady Michelle Obama

“We need to ensure that our children have both knowledge and imagination. I know I want that for my girls. They deserve to have access to a good education and access to ideas and images that will spark their creativity.” -First Lady Michelle Obama

“Perhaps we’ve all misunderstood the reason we learn music, and all the arts in the first place.... for hundreds of years, it has been known that teaching the arts, along with history and math and biology, helps to create the well-rounded mind that western civilization and America have been grounded on.” -actor Richard Dreyfuss

“If children are not introduced to music at an early age, I believe something fundamental is actually being taken from them.” -singer Luciano Pavarotti

“Music is an essential part of everything we do. Like puppetry, music has an abstract quality which speaks to a worldwide audience in a wonderful way that nourishes the soul.” -puppeteer Jim Henson

“To sing well and to dance well is to be well-educated.”-philosopher Plato

“Some people think music education is a privilege, but I think it’s essential to being human.”-singer/songwriter Jewel

“Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought.”-lyricist Yip Harbug (wrote “Over the Rainbow”)

Unfortunate Musical Quotes....(aka, we're all human and some are more so)

"I love you, Spain!"
....Whitney Houston greeting her fans in Portugal, July '98

"It will be gone by June"
...Variety, 1955, regarding rock and roll

"It seems clear to me that this is no smash hit, no blockbuster."
...Variety,on the Detroit tryout, July 28, 1964. The show ran for 3,342 performances on
Broadway

TSO Young People's Concerts Sneak Peek!

Keep your eyes on the TSO website for the official annoucements for these upcoming kids' concerts - I'd be happy to arrange for a group ticket purchase for any Kindermusik families, just e-mail me, all we need is a total of 15 people.

October 17 at 1:30 & 3:30

THE LISTENER

The conductor has a wonderful concert planned, but things get complicated by the unexpected participation of two overly-enthusiastic spectators. A bugle-playing mime who wants to sing opera and a tap-dancing ballerina are just part of the conductor's comic dilemma as two zany characters bring "the art of listening" to life.

November 14 at 1:30 & 3:30

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

This concert-story, based on Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes, (adapted by Donald Sturrock, with original music by Georgs Pelecsis), features a cast of four actors, outrageous puppets and a stunning 60-foot beanstalk, which rises from the stage to the ceiling in a matter of seconds.

February 6 at 1:30 & 3:30

PADDYWAK!

Buckle up your tap shoes and get ready for a percussion concerto for the feet. Toronto Symphony favourite Rob Kapilow returns with a brand-new work featuring master tap dancer Ayodele Casel. Bring lots of energy to this concert because we guarantee you won't be able to sit still!

March 27 at 1:30 & 3:30

SPANISH FIRE!

Say "si" to an afternoon of spanish music and dance! Internationally-renowned guitar soloist, Pepe Romero, will perform the first movement from Rodrigo's famous guitar concerto. Also featured on the programme are some of the magnificent dancers from the Esmerelda Enrique Spanish Dance Company, performing both flamenco and classical Spanish dance.

April 24 at 1:30 & 3:30

A YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA

Join the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and Conductor Alain Trudel as they perform Britten's A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. This performance will feature none other than TSO Music Director, Peter Oundjian, who will trade in his baton to narrate this unforgettable classic. (We'll be studying this in the spring Young Child semester - good timing!)

Yet Another Reason Music Lessons "Beats" Sports....

Mayo Clinic Music Fun
By Lee Aase

We’ve highlighted the contributions of music to the healing environment at Mayo Clinic in some previous posts, but here’s another video from last fall that we discovered on YouTube. The exuberance of this older couple playing in the Gonda Building will brighten your day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI-l0tK8Ok0&feature=player_embedded

A Few FAQ re Kindermusik

...including Kindermusik "vs" private lessons....

Q. Why should I bother with a Music Class at such a young age?

A. Instinctively, we know that music belongs in the lives of young children. Young children are ready for music! They are in their critical period for developing a good foundation in music, and musical potential is often lost if it is not nurtured and maintained in these early years. Anyone who works with young children, even infants, knows how eager and receptive they are to appropriate musical experiences. Additionally, recent brain research has pointed out non-musical crossover benefits of early music study and how important early music exposure is to a baby's normal devleopment. In a Kindermusik class, parent child interaction is fostered, socialization with other children is encouraged, fine-motor and gross-motor development is enhanced and language skills flourish. Kindermusik helps each child develop musically at the right time and in the right way. A Kindermusik Graduate has a solid foundation and a giant head-start when he or she moves to private instrumental, voice or even dance lessons.

Q. Why should I choose Kindermusik over Suzuki or other private instrumental lessons?

A. Many parents have found that this is not an either/or choice. Kindermusik and private lessons are not mutually exclusive. In fact, Kindermusik supplements and enriches private lessons. In addition, several Suziki components are used in the Young Child program. The appropriate developmental nature of Kindermusik activities ensures that learning is never "too much, too fast." It is the experience of many private piano instructors that a child who begins lessons much before age 7 or 8 is no further ahead of the child who begins at a later age. Kindermusik contains all of the needed elements to develop a child who is musically aware and who has the solid foundation to make private lessons a natural and joyous next step. Children who grow up in Kindermusik have had chances to succeed, be nurtured and encouraged in their early creative explorations and develop a core of music theory instilled through voice, body and mind. Music for them is a natural part of their environment, and they have gained the language of note, rhythm and _expression to help them as they select which instrument they most wish to make their own. Many experts agree that early musical enrichment lays a foundation for musicianship which may accelerate later progress on an instrument.Children who graduate from Kindermusik for the Young Child have a strong basis in theory, musicianship and instrumental technique. More importantly, they have been allowed to develop the whole child through music in a supportive and reassuring atmosphere laying the groundwork for a positive outlook towards continued musical learning and learning in general.

Q. My disposable dollar only goes so far. Why should I choose Kindermusik?

A. As children reach the age of 3 1/2 to 4, a world of possibilities in the community opens up to them. We can send our children to any number of wonderful activities. But, they don't all involve the family. Being able to enjoy our families in a rich musical enironment is priceless. These days, children are being pushed out into the world at younger ages than ever and it's nice to have an activity where family involvement is celebrated. Kindermusik provides carefully designed Home Materials made to suit the child's stage of development and the family's needs. Professionally recorded CDs provide music for dancing, singing along, creating and playing along, or just for joyful listening. Story books enhance a home library and help to develop early literacy. Home activity journals, activity books and cards provide the family with tested ways to expand the week's themes beyond the classroom experience with games, parenting information and craft ideas. Additional items suit each level's developmental play style-whether wall banners for infants and toddlers, specially designed instruments for older children or play sets for the creative mind of the preschooler. The Home Materials are to Kindermusik what lesson books and instruments are to formal lessons, or shoes and leotards are to ballet class--an essential part of full participation in the class as a whole. Many of the benefits of other activities, such as promoting physical coordination, improving social skills, building self-esteem and developing cognitive abilities and talents are all encompassed in the Kindermusik classroom. Plus, there is the added benefit of a developmental love of music that will last much past the time when the soccer cleats and karate belts are put away. Dr Carla Hannaford, author of Smart Moves says, "The importance of having families working together, where everyone benefits from the sense of belonging, gets directly at the heart of what we, as a society, are needing at this time to raise healthy, loving children...All of this is provided in the Kindermusik program".

Q. My child love Kindermusik but doesn't choose to participte when we're at class. Is this O.K.?A. Not to worry! Although this is sometimes frustrating to parents because of our performance oriented society, pushing children to perform has no place in an Early Childhood program of any kind. We believe the parent is the child's most important teacher and the home is the most important place for learning to grow. When you think about it, success should be measured more by what a child does all the rest of the week than what he does in the 30-45 minutes at Kindermusik class. Remember, Kindermusik is about process, not performance. Every child can be successful in a Kindermusik class no matter what his developmental level.

Q. My Child has special developmental needs. Is Kindermusik for her?

A. Absolutely! Many children with special physical, emotional and learning needs have generally thrived AND improved in Kindermusik.

Q. Is Kindermusik really this wonderful?

A. Yes! Kindermusik works for children because it is carefully researched and developmentally appropriate. Each child learns at his or own level and ability and revels in it! There is not one standard of performance that anyone is trying to meet and the WHOLE child is developed through the magic of music!