Music education and "a Kindermusik child"

Posted by Kindermusik International | Filed under , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted November 11, 2009

Over the thirteen years I have been attending Kindermusik classes, I have come to be able to spot a Kindermusik child a mile a way.

A Kindermusik child:
  • is curious
  • smiles a lot, even when alone
  • is confident in his or her own voice
  • enjoys hearing other children sing and play
  • can be calmed, excited, or centered by music
  • has the emerging patience to try and figure things out
  • enjoys – and is proud of – belonging to a group
    •
Now imagine if EVERY child shared these qualities. Might the news headlines look a bit different every morning...?

So to those who think arts education is not important enough to make a priority in our world, I say, “How would we know? We’ve never tried.”

-by Michael Dougherty, CEO of Kindermusik International. 

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Permalink | Comments (0) | November 11, 2009 08:16

What is success?

Posted by Kindermusik International | Filed under , , , , , ,
Posted November 5, 2009

 To laugh often and much;
 To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
 To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
 To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
 To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
 To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
 This is to have succeeded.
 -Ralph Waldo Emerson

 (reprinted in Kindermusik's Wiggles & Giggles Teacher Guide, Our Time curriculum, p. 182) 

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Permalink | Comments (0) | November 5, 2009 12:55

When I grow up, I want to be a child

Posted by Kindermusik International | Filed under , , , , ,
Posted October 30, 2009

 I love being around children. And it's not because I teach them wonderful Kindermusik songs and show them how to dance gleefully around the room, all the while helping their brain neurons begin to make those vitally important connections.

This weekend, as I approached a rather long check-out line, I noticed I was standing behind a mom with a little girl who seemed to be about three years old. She was in the shopping cart, curled up inside a new dog bed her mom was purchasing. She looked comfy and content.

Then she noticed me standing right behind her. With a great big smile and her best 3-year-old speak (and a little translation help from mom), she announced that her family had just got a brand new puppy. I found out the puppy's name was Roxy and that she was black and brown. I was also informed that the little girl's sister was on a Girl Scout camping trip and she would be surprised when she returned to the new puppy. And there was a lot more to our conversation that only another 3-year-old could translate! (It was a loooong check-out line.) I enjoyed every moment of our conversation.

Finally, it was their turn to check out and the little girl stopped her mom and asked a question. "Mommy," she said, "do you have a new friend?" The mom looked a little taken aback, but she glanced over at me and answered yes. Then the little girl asked, "Mommy, can your new friend come over to our house tomorrow and play with me and Roxy?"

Did I mention that I love being around children? I am always amazed at their curiosity, acceptance, purity, thoughtfulness, and their willingness to reach out in such sweet ways. When they are just allowed to be kids, they have no predisposed ideas or judgments or expectations.

That little girl reminded me that when I grow up, I want to be a child.

-by Cindy Bousman. Cindy works with and supports educators at Kindermusik International.

Image source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

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Permalink | Comments (2) | October 30, 2009 06:14

There's Something in the Water in South Dakota . . .

Posted by Kindermusik International | Filed under ,

Posted October 26, 2009

Kindermusik educator and mentor Sonya Kempf has three sets of twins in a single Our Time class!


from left to right: Nicole Kempf (mom, and Sonya's daughter-in-law) with Raegan and Zoe; Stacy Hanson (mom) with Kennedy and Brooklyn; and Abbey Bauer (mom) with Briggs and Bennett.

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Permalink | Comments (1) | October 26, 2009 12:10

Itsy Bitsy Spider your way to stardom! Win a free semester of Kindermusik!

Posted by Kindermusik International | Filed under , , ,
Posted October 23, 2009

Want to win a free semester of Kindermusik, including tuition and home materials?

Find all the details and a free mp3 download of Kindermusik's latest recording of The Itsy Bitsy Spider here: http://www.kindermusik.com/VideoContest/ItsyBitsySpider/ItsyBitsySpider.aspx.

How do I enter the contest?
It's so easy! Just make a short homemade video of any kid, adult, pet, group—whoever!—doing the itsy bitsy spider finger play.

What do I do with the video?
Post your video on YouTube. If you don't have a YouTube account already, it's super-easy to sign up. Once your video is posted, share it with us on our Itsy Bitsy Spider Contest group page, found here: http://www.youtube.com/group/kmusikexperience1. That's it! You're automatically entered in the raffle for a free semester of Kindermusik.

How many times can I enter?
Enter up to five times (with five different videos) to increase your chances of winning. The winner will be announced in early December.

Is there anything else?
Of course! We're going to take clips from select Itsy Bitsy videos and edit them into an Itsy Bitsy Spider music video! Need more details? Find them here: http://www.kindermusik.com/VideoContest/ItsyBitsySpider/ItsyBitsySpider.aspx.

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Permalink | Comments (5) | October 23, 2009 05:49

Goppy's Kindergarten Chimes

Posted by Kindermusik International | Filed under , , , ,
Posted October 20, 2009

We called our maternal grandmother Goppy. She grew up in San Francisco and lived through the great earthquake of 1906. She credited her longevity of 101 years to her favorite breakfast: vanilla ice cream and brandy! She was a lover of music all her life and was so proud of the work Kindermusik educators do. She would frequently remind me, usually a bit sternly, "Take care of those ladies, Michael." When your 98 year-old grandmother tells you that, you listen!

So I was particularly moved when I opened a package on my desk one day a few years ago, from Goppy. At her age, I knew she didn’t make it to the Post Office very often. Inside was Kindergarten Chimes, A Collection of Songs and Games Composed and Arranged for Kindergartens and Primary Schools. Written by Kate Douglas Wiggin, it was published in 1885. Yes, that’s not a typo, 1885. It was Goppy’s own Kindergarten music book. I am struck by the timeless advice and counsel of this text. The musical loving kindness of Ms. Wiggin is as current today as it was visionary when published.

Ms. Wiggin, at just 29-years old, penned this collection a few years after founding her Silver Street Kindergarten, in the slums of San Francisco, as the first free public kindergarten in the United States. If her name sounds familiar, it’s because she went on to write the beloved children’s classic, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, in 1903. Throughout her life, she was a tireless advocate of early childhood education and the rights of children, both topics nearly heretical at the time.

This precious gift sits each day, patiently, in my office. When the rush of life slows and I remember to sit down with it, a sense of awe and a tear greet me with every turn of page. For the strength of two women, one known and loved, the other fatefully embodied in my life’s calling, lie quietly within. In tribute to all our past, present and future Kindermusik licensed educators, who devote their own lives to the great benefit of children and families, I share with you Ms. Wiggin’s dedication of her book which captures what Kindermusik is at our very core:
"To the hundreds of little children who have clustered round my knee,
this book is lovingly dedicated, to the hope that
when the yellow hair shall have changed to silver,
and the dimples given place to wrinkles,
there will still be an echo in their hearts
of these rhymes and songs of their childhood days."

San Francisco, June, 1885.

-by CEO of Kindermusik International, Michael Dougherty.

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Permalink | Comments (3) | October 20, 2009 11:09

Leave it

Posted by Kindermusik International | Filed under , , , , ,
Posted October 15, 2009

Since seven-month-old Louie shined so brightly in puppy class, we figured he was ready for an advanced degree, and we signed him up for a novice-level obedience class at our local high school. So on Tuesday evenings my husband and I take him to learn good canine manners: sitting, coming, and lying down when asked; walking nicely on a leash; and the skill Louie finds most challenging, a canine skill that’s all about not doing something you really want to do: “leaving it.” Louie is learning to “leave it” by sitting back when there’s a doggie treat beckoning right in front of him. Eventually he’ll be able to “leave it” when he spies a tempting piece of garbage on the sidewalk or a smelly sneaker just waiting to be chewed.

“Leaving it” is all about self control and resisting temptation. It’s the canine equivalent of not sneaking one more cookie when your mother isn’t looking—which is related to not blurting out the answer before you’re called on in school, and resisting the urge to shoot just one more basket after your dad has called you in to dinner. I love watching Louie achieve good canine manners and gain control of himself—and of course it reminds me of when my boys were young and learning similar early lessons.

It seems that self control, discipline, good manners—all those traditional “virtues” that folks like Ben Franklin espoused—have gotten kind of lost in the last decade or so.  Everyone has been worrying a lot about school readiness—making sure preschoolers learn their ABCs and how to count to 100 and all the colors and shapes and other important academic stuff. But I think the tide is turning again. There’s significant talk amongst researchers and education experts these days about the importance of achieving solid social-emotional skills in the early years—not just because these are an essential part of the glue that holds any social group together, but also because they turn out to be critical for children’s academic success.

So much to learn these days before kindergarten, but fortunately, lots and lots of opportunities for learning. Two cookies: one for you and one for me. That’s both one-to-one correspondence and sharing; math and manners all in one bite.

-by Deborah L. Pool, PhD in Human Development. Debby is VP of Product Development at Kindermusik International. Milou, or "Louie", is Debby's wonderful seven-month-old labradoodle puppy.

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Permalink | Comments (7) | October 15, 2009 12:59

World’s Biggest Playgroup – Nov 10 in Minneapolis

Posted by Kindermusik International | Filed under , , , , , , , , ,

Posted October 14, 2009

At Kindermusik, we always say, "The More, The Merrier!" It’s part of our mission to change the world through music, one child – and one family – at a time. Plus, children love being around children. You've seen how their eyes light up when another child is in the room.

In November, we are once again adding a little music, a few dance steps, some jingles and shakers, happy giggles, and lots of memories to our familiar mantra. How and when will this all be happening, you ask? At the World’s Biggest Playgroup in Minneapolis!

KI is again participating in the World’s Biggest Playgroup event sponsored by Babytalk. This event is being held on November 10th at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, MN. Kindermusik International is one of the featured partners at the event, and Maestro educator Helen Peterson (along with a few other Kindermusik educators) will be leading the four 20 minute Kindermusik segments during this half day event. If you live in the area, you just have to witness this. It is really something.

For more information, visit www.worldsbiggestplaygroup.com.

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Permalink | Comments (4) | October 14, 2009 13:27