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Educator Spotlight: Buffie Dumas

buffie

In this educator spotlight, we visit with veteran Kindermusik educator, Buffie Dumas. She has been teaching Kindermusik since 2000, the same year she first opened her Kindermusik studio business, Kindermusik with Miss Buffie, in Auborn Hills, Michigan.  Lovingly called Miss Buffie, Miss “Buppie”, and even “Miss Puppy” (her personal favorite!), Buffie is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children and families – so much so that one of her Kindermusik colleagues nominated her to be spotlighted on our Minds on Music blog!  Buffie is a special person and when you read her interview, we think we’ll see why she has captured the hearts of minds of the children and families she touches every week in her Kindermusik classes. In fact, ask them and they’ll tell you that she is their real-life Mary Poppins!

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Educator Spotlight: Yeoh Sheau long

For this Educator Spotlight, we look to our friends in Malaysia. One of the pioneers to introduce early childhood music in Malaysia, Yeoh Sheau long and her sister, Yeoh Sheau in, first brought Kindermusik to Malaysia in 1994.  Kindermusik at SIM grew from two students in Yeoh Sheau in’s inaugural class to a program that today has 15 licensed educators teaching over 50 Kindermusik classes at 12 locations.  Our interview today is with Yeoh Sheau long, lovingly know as Mrs. Teoh to her Kindermusik classes and described by her families as warm and cheerful, “like Cinderella’s fairy godmother.”  It’s no wonder that Kindermusik International has recognized Kindermusik at SIM as a top program since 2003.  We’re not sure how Yeoh Sheau long has time for her hobbies of reading, watching movies, and traveling, but we do know that you’re going to love getting to know this dynamic educator who has a heart of gold.

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No Matter What – Sing to Your Child

Sing to Your Child

It’s the viral video that made its rounds on Facebook and probably made you tear up a bit too.  A mom sings a sad love song to her 10-month baby, and the baby’s eyes well up.  Why does the baby have such an emotional reaction to the mother’s singing?

In her article featuring this viral video, psychologist Siu-Lan Tan theorizes that it has to do with the emotional contagion that causes human begins to “absorb and reflect the intense emotions of those around them.”   Continue reading “No Matter What – Sing to Your Child”

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Mommy Reblog: How to Start a Mommy Blog

Elna at TwinsMommy

We’re always keeping our eyes peeled for great content to pass your way. Mommy Bloggers are always sharing excellent ideas and activities with the world and we love signal boosting the best of the best. But what about you? If you are a parent, I’m positive you have a story to share or a parenting technique that has worked wonders for you. If so, perhaps starting a mommy blog is for you.

Elna, the mom who runs TwinsMommy.com, spells out how to start a mommy blog for the beginner – from soup to nuts – and make money while you do it! Take a peek and share your ideas with the rest of us! Continue reading “Mommy Reblog: How to Start a Mommy Blog”

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In Your Right Brain: The Mind’s Response to Music

In your right brain

The brain is a mysterious organ. It is responsible for all the functions of the body, processes pain, yet has no pain receptors of its own. It’s 73% water and produces enough energy to light a small LED bulb. An infant’s brain is constantly growing but is already about 80% of the size it will reach in adulthood. If you had a piece of your own brain the size of a grain of sand in your palm, it would contain over 100,000 neurons (the cell type that transmits information) and over 1 billion synapses (the junction between neurons). There is much we don’t know about the brain, but after decades of high-level research, we have learned a great deal.

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Kids Get It: Music is Magic

Music is Magic

We’ve said it many times, and it’s kind of become my catchphrase…music is magic. We bring you lots of studies about music’s positive impact on learning domains, on brain development, and on academic achievement. We highlight these important aspects of an early childhood rich with musical experiences in many different ways – because we really want to hammer home the point: music should be a vital part of growing up.

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The Blues: Music and Mood

The Blues – one of the first American musical genres – has been with us now for well over a century. It finds its roots in the music of Africa, what ethnomusicologist Gerhard Kubik calls the “cradle of the blues.” Early music made by African slaves used a great deal of call and response form; this is present in early iterations of the blues, Here is an example of call and response from Kenya.

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