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21 Jan 04 - 06:35 PM (#1098272) Subject: Family Music Tips From: GUEST,A. Teacher I am involved in organizing a family music night at our elemantary school. We have access to old instruments loaned from a local orchestra, people (including local high school musicians) to come in and demonstrate the instrument, while allowing the children and their parents to pick up the instrument and give it a try. We will also have centers where kids can make their own instruments (thanks to the mudact for those pages!), student musicians performing, capped off by a local bluegrass band giving a concert. I would like to disperse tips for families on how to incorporate music into family activities. I'll put them on poster board and have them at various places around the auditorium. I think this is the place to generate those ideas. Thanks in advance. -A.T. |
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21 Jan 04 - 06:52 PM (#1098286) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: Sorcha Family sing arounds with a piano Popular music on CD/Casette that you can sing with Penny whistle bands (or recorder bands) Singing pop or oldies in the car on road trips Just let it hang out and cut loose! |
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21 Jan 04 - 07:10 PM (#1098306) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: GUEST,Mary V. We found that having some of those little egg shakers I'll call them...that are filled with beans... so the kids can take part in keeping the beat. It makes the kids that don't have an instrument, feel part of the music. |
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21 Jan 04 - 07:29 PM (#1098317) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: katlaughing Musical chairs at dinnertime?:-) Sounds as though you have a great event planned; good for you! Singing at bathtime can be fun. I second Sorcha's suggestions. Also, to get relatives involved, how about children and their parents asking grandparents, aunt and uncles, friends, etc. to exchange songs...of their eras, or their favourites? Teaching songs: counting, abc's, etc. where everyone can clap out the rhythm, etc. Dancing - teaching dances to certain types of music; dancing with the pets, etc.:-) Making up songs, together, i.e. a song about "mom," themselves, the pet dog, etc. A visit to Mudcat! Have fun, kat |
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21 Jan 04 - 11:49 PM (#1098496) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: GUEST,leeneia We always enjoyed singing together during long rides in the car and around the campfire at night. And then there were those rare moments when we three kids would actually sing while washing dishes. sigh... |
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22 Jan 04 - 05:51 AM (#1098584) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: AllisonA(Animaterra) What a wonderful idea for your school! I'll have to suggest it for mine. It's always good to over-state the obvious when making suggestions on a poster: play the local classical music station at mealtime. (If such a one exists! If not:) Get classical/folk/jazz cds from your local library and play them at mealtime. Discuss the music, instruments, etc. during the meal. Get gramma, grandpa to remember the songs they sang as kids. What a wealth of singalongs they can inspire! (We have big all-school assemblies each week at our school. I periodically send home the lyrics to favorite assembly songs in a newsletter) Have the children teach a song from school to the whole family. Enjoy! Allison |
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22 Jan 04 - 08:40 AM (#1098622) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: Charley Noble |
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22 Jan 04 - 10:04 AM (#1098701) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: Amos Climbing up on the roof in summer and singing harmony on old favorites -- White Wings, Mister Moon, old Foster stuff, and the like. The main thing was practicing harmony together. Why up on the roof? Because its different, is why!~ :>) A |
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22 Jan 04 - 08:49 PM (#1099232) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: Leadfingers DONT just let the kids hear the HIT PARADE and nothing else. Do your best to let the poor little so and so's get exposed to ANYTHING with a proper tune and some INTERESTING words. Kazoos and Whistles and shaky eggs are as good a place to start as any where and do NOT cost lots of money. Get them interested as young as you can. PLEASE !!!!! |
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22 Jan 04 - 08:51 PM (#1099233) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: GUEST,Peter from Essex The car is a great place for singing, no neighbours to upset. The important thing is not to force things on kids, just make it seem a natural part of life. I know of nobody who came into the scene as a result of compulsory folk song and dance at school, but I know a few who have stayed away. As an aside my children's school seemed to regard Shakespear as too difficult. Result, my BBC Shakespear videos went on the tv as normal family viewing and the kids loved them. |
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22 Jan 04 - 11:18 PM (#1099313) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: GUEST,A Teacher All good suggestions so far! Keep them coming. Our event will take place in one week (Feb. 5). I'll post afterwards to let you know how it turned out. A.T. |
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23 Jan 04 - 06:38 AM (#1099531) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: GUEST,Crystal I don't recall ever having a choice about music and song! It was always there, it was just normal to us. Then I learnt how to work the record player! |
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23 Jan 04 - 06:44 AM (#1099534) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: sian, west wales We used to sing while washing/drying the dishes. Also, I can't actually remember my parents reading to us at bedtime (although I know they did) but I do remember them singing us to sleep. Dad used to sing in Welsh, which I didn't understand back then, but it also introduced me to the concept of language beyond my own ... Sometimes we even sang grace at meals. sian |
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23 Jan 04 - 06:48 AM (#1099536) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: GUEST,Crystal I remember singing while washing up (and cooking) I never do that now because my boyfriend is very anti folk music! |
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23 Jan 04 - 06:54 AM (#1099540) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: Billy Weeks Crystal. Ditch the boyfriend. |
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23 Jan 04 - 06:57 AM (#1099542) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: GUEST Easier said than done! I WILL win the battle and be able to sing as much as I like one day! |
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23 Jan 04 - 07:00 AM (#1099546) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: Billy Weeks Withhold your favours. Make the b***er sing for it. |
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23 Jan 04 - 07:48 AM (#1099569) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: MikeofNorthumbria Hi there GuestATeacher, Keep up the good work - hope all goes well for you on Feb 5th. Here's one idea you might like to try with your pupils sometime. It worked well for both my sons when they were aged about 4-5, and just starting to play real tunes on proper instruments. A great beginner's tune on almost any instrument is the old nursery rhyme "Three Blind Mice". Firstly, most kids are already familiar with it. Secondly, the melody has lots of repeated phrases. (Kids love repetition, and it's a great confidence builder for learners.) Thirdly, 3BM includes all the notes in the major scale, so once learners have grasped it, they can find their way round one octave in the basic key of their chosen instrument. (Later, they can extend their range by working out 3BM in other octaves, and other keys.) Fourthly, it can also be played as a round, giving more advanced students an introduction to harmony. A little while ago, after forty-something years strugging with guitars, I took up the anglo concertina. The first tune I learned on it was ..."Three Blind Mice". As I move on from its home keys (G & D) to more demanding ones (C, A and even F), I'm finding that 3BM is still a very helpful way of familiarising myself with their scales. Wassail! |
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23 Jan 04 - 09:09 AM (#1099616) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: Jacob B Don't forget the possibility of making up songs as a family. That's another thing you can do on long car rides. Pick some topic that the kids are aware of, and let everyone make up lyrics about it. If you don't feel like making up your own tune, then make up verses to a "zipper" song. The verses that your kids make up will become their favorite ones. |
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23 Jan 04 - 09:20 AM (#1099628) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: GUEST,Christy Hodder www.lochabermusic.com We belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints. Members of our faith are incouraged to hold family morning devotionals. It seemed very hard to us when we first attempted this family ritual. We started this when the children were very small. We start out each morning gathered in our living room with a song...we usually take a month to learn it by memory...then we recite a monthly scripture and end with prayer around our coffee table on our knees. It is truely MAGICAL!!!!!! Now the children are older and it is our favorite time of the day.....a little bit of peace to start the days with in a day of busyness!!!!! The kids love to flip through the binder and see over the years all of the songs we have memorized together and sciptures we have memorized...we have learned that "great things happen a little bit at a time"! The older kids choose our songs and scriptures now...no work for me! |
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23 Jan 04 - 09:34 PM (#1100086) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: GUEST,Da Teach (it's Friday) Tanks,,,,,,,, Continue to keep 'em comin' in. The future is in our voices! |
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24 Jan 04 - 01:39 AM (#1100197) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: The Fooles Troupe Tanks for da mammaries... |
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24 Jan 04 - 06:15 AM (#1100251) Subject: RE: Family Music Tips From: AllisonA(Animaterra) Everyday household items can make a really great sounding family band! Spoons, a cheese grater with the back of a spoon rubbing the sharp edges, a jar of rice, the bottom of a large (empty) wastebasket- you've got a recycled percussion ensemble! If you need more ideas along this line, watch the video "Stomp Out Loud" Sometimes I end my school year doing recycled percussion, in hopes of creating a monster of musical mayhem all summer! Allison |