Munchkins And Music

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Thank You

I need to take a moment to thank some very important people! Thank you to my supportive husband, my wonderful mom, scribbit, and motherhoodfordummies for helping me with my blog. Were it not for you, I would have never started a blog! You are so awesome!

Friday, August 1, 2008

Music Craft: Egg Shakers

Egg Shaker Craft

Egg shakers are a smaller version of the maracas. Musicians like to use egg shakers because they are small, cheap, and easy to pack around. You can use egg shakers to keep a beat, and to create rhythms as you slide them back and forth. I have created a simple version of an egg shaker that you can make with your kids. Hope you have as much fun as we did making them and shaking them!

Materials Needed:

1. Empty egg carton
2. Duct tape
3. Beans/rice/dry sand/corn (or something similar)
4. Paint/markers
5. Crepe paper streamer
6. Glue
7. Scissors

Directions:

1. Cut out the compartments in the bottom of the egg carton

2. Cut sides to make even

3. Fill one of the compartments with beans/rice
4. Place an empty compartment on top of filled compartment

5. Cut 2 strips of duct tape ¼ inch wide and 6 inches long

6. Tape the compartments together (use 2 pieces of tape for strength)

7. Paint the shakers

8. Let dry

9. Cut a strip of crepe paper 6 inches long and ¾ inches wide

10. Fold the crepe paper in half long ways

11. Glue the crepe paper on the egg shaker

12. Let glue dry

Now they are ready to shake!

Note: If you make more than one shaker, you can try putting different objects in each of them to get different sounds (e.g. rice in one and sand in another.)

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Sesame Street Live: Elmo! Ready for Action

You can always count on Sesame Street to put on a great show!

My daughter and I went to see "Elmo! Ready for Action" for the first time, and we loved it! The show is very entertaining with a perfect balance of dialogue and songs that hold the children’s attention throughout the performance. The shooting confetti and blinking lights keep the children wooing and awing.

In the show Grover loses is "super-ness." Elmo, Telly Monster, Zoe, and Rosita help him find it. Other characters making appearances from Sesame Street are Ernie, Bert, Cookie Monster, Count Von Count, Oscar, and Big Bird.

The only negative thing I can say about this show is because we weren't sitting in one of the front two rows, we weren't able to meet some of the characters who come out to say hi and hug the children. Otherwise, the show was wonderful.

I highly recommend this Sesame Street Live and give it an A+! To find out more information, you can go to http://www.sesamestreetlive.com/ and see if Sesame Street Live is coming soon to your town!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

10 Reasons Why Children Should Learn Music:

1. "Children raised in cultures rich with music tend to develop learning and communication skills more quickly than other children.

2. There is a high correlation between positive self-perception, high cognitive competence scores, self-esteem, and interest and involvement in school music.

3. Music experiences instill positive attitudes, a positive self-image, a desire to achieve excellence, an ability to set goals, cooperation, and group cohesiveness.

4. Students participating in music outperform non-music students on achievement tests in reading and math. These differences become greater and longer the students participate in music.

5. Students participating in music have a higher overall grade point average in high school and score 21-38 points higher on Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT’s) than do other students.

6. By producing strong scholastic achievement scores, music contributes positively to the school environment. Music teacher staffing is a better indicator of overall educational quality than is the overall ratio of pupils to teachers.

7. Many institutions of higher learning seek out students who have participated in musical organizations.

8. Musical training can be a big help in getting to the top. 90% of more than 1000 chief executive officers and legislators said that playing a musical instrument as a child helped them develop character and leadership skills.

9. Instrumental musicians are good citizens. Statistics show that the crime rate among musicians is lower than among the population at large.

10. Music is an efficient and meaningful way to integrate different cultural attributes into the curriculum." (Standard of Excellence, Bruce Pearson)

Why do you think children should learn music?

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Songs for Children

Little White Duck
Listen

There’s a little white duck swimming in the water
A little white duck doing what he aughter
He took a bite of the lilly pad
Flapped his wings and he said “I’m glad
I’m a little white duck swimming in the water
Quack! Quack! Quack!”

There’s a little green frog jumping in the water
A little green frog doing what he aughter
He jumped right off of the lily pad
That the little duck bit and he said “I’m glad
I’m a little green frog jumping in the water
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!”

There’s a little black bug floating in the water
A little black bug doing what he aughter
He tickled the frog on the lily pad
That the little duck bit and he said “I’m glad
I’m a little black bug floating in the water
Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!”

There’s a little red snake swimming in the water
A little red snake doing what he aughter
He frightened the duck and the frog so bad
He ate the little bug and he said “I’m glad
I’m a little red snake floating in the water
Ssss! Ssss! Ssss!”

Now there’s nobody left sitting in the water
Nobody left doing what he augher
There’s nothing left but the lily pad
The duck and the frog ran away it’s sad
But there’s nobody left sitting in the water
Boo hoo hoo!

Lyrics and musical example from: The Wayne Tape

Monday, July 28, 2008

My Goal:

Plato once said, "Education in music is most sovereign because more than anything else rhythm and harmony find their way to the inmost soul and take strongest hold upon it, bringing with them and imparting grace if one is rightly trained."

I, too, believe education in music is most sovereign, and I believe that everyone who learns music will reap its benefits.

This is Munchkins and Music--A Web site dedicated to helping moms to teach music to their children. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and have been playing music since I was eight years old. I play both the saxophone and piano as well as conduct band. One of my passions is to teach, and I have taught all ages of students privately and publicly.

Because of my background in music, I always have people asking me questions, such as: Why is it important to educate my child in music? How can I get my child interested in music? How can I teach my child music and where do I start? Come with me as I give answers to these questions and many more questions, and together we will educate the future of tomorrow.