Musical notations are intrinsically tied to mathematics. Whether the fractional notes need to add up to a complete measure, each measure needs to be equal to the time signature, how the written notes are essentially “graphed” on the ledger or
The Music of Poetry
Pick up a copy of The Music Lover’s Poetry Anthology at your local library or bookstore. Choose a few of the poems that you think your child would enjoy, then download some of the musical pieces by the composers that were the
Sing Like a Bird
Pop Quiz: How many cereal brands can your child name? How about fast food restaurants? Now ask him/her to name all the birds s/he can remember. There are probably just as many bird species in your neighborhood as fast-food brands,
Dance Party!
Choreograph a routine to the chorus of a favorite piece of music and teach the whole family the dance. It’ll be like your own personal macarena! Anytime you hear it on the radio, family members listening have to do the
Dancing Outside the Box
Adapted from several online resources, including ArtsWork. When many of us picture ourselves dancing, we think of movements inside a small box (prom-style)–or moving side-to-side with small arm movements close to our bodies. And even for kids that have attended
Make It Your Mission! Part 3
Plan a date, time and place to have a gathering to talk to other “like minded people” in your community about your personal mission. Use your visual/spatial, interpersonal and/or verbal smarts to create one or more of the following to
Celebrating Citizenship
With 4th of July quickly approaching, Canada Day just past and Bastille Day next week, it seems that people the world over are celebrating citizenship. Play some national anthems with your child and read the english versions of the lyrics
Math Music to Your Ears
More than a quarter of a century after learning the states to the tune of “Do your ears hang low”, I still remember the states alphabetically in this way. And even though I’ve never had ANY use for the greek
Musical Musings
Listen to a piece of music from a ballet, then have your child draw a picture or make a model of the scene they believe is occurring at that point in the ballet. Have your child describe the picture (or
How to Choose the Best Instrument for Your Child
If you have a little musician in the house, they may be chomping at the bit to graduate up from your pots and pans and belting out vocal stylings to toddler tunes to their first musical instrument. Selecting the right