Learning From the Best

It was amazing to spend four days learning from the founders of Music Together. Ken and Lili have so much to knowledge to share, and they are really fun people!

 

Susan Darrow and Deanna deCampos were there watching all of us the whole time too.  I only got to learn tidbits of information from them since they were observing, but it was still wonderful to meet them both!

 

A-rhythm-etic

I came across this Ted Talk today and enjoyed it, but it also kind of made my head hurt!  Clayton Crameron talks about how swing is duple but subdivided triple and gives examples.  We broke that down in Cert II and played with it some.  It has made me really think about how to approach rhythm and rhythm patterns for swing songs in Music Together classes.

I Like Nice People

I was truly blessed to get to spend four full days with really nice people. Not only that, they were exceptional early childhood music teachers too!  I was in awe of the achievements of everyone in the room.  The things I learned were fine details about the Music Together program and my teaching.  When to breathe, how to keep the flow of asymmetric rhythm patterns going, what makes a song in swing meter instead of duple, details about modal tonal patterns, and very specific points about Music Together's philosophy.  I was surprised at how stressful and emotional the whole experience was.  I was also blessed by how nice and uplifting everyone was to each other.  We all wanted to back each other up, and we did.  The twelve teachers who were invited to take the training were from all over the United States.  It makes me happy to know that there are such great early childhood music teachers all across the country.


Here are some ways to be a nice person.  I like nice people!

Purple Ukulele Explores Music Together Headquarters

Sitting in Kens Chair!

Joining instrument friends.

Getting ready for class.

Observing Music Together classes happening.

With the broken hotel shuttle.

Every day I love that I have a job I can be barefoot at!

In the garden.

Climbing trees!

Can you find the purple ukulele?

Time to go to class.

You Wanna Make the World More Awesome Be Awesome!

We have to give presentations for our last day of class tomorrow.  Everyone seems out of their comfort zone for this activity.  However, we should all come away from this activity more equipped to talk to people in our communities about how awesome music making with kids is.  Really, how awesome making music is in general, for everyone!  I really would like it if I could share how wonderful it is to be able to speak the language of music with everyone.  I'm so uplifted to know that this class has teachers from all over the country in it.  We can all go out to our own corners of the country and help other people be awesome music makers.  It's gratifying.  I love my job.

Kid President videos seem to make lighten the stressful mode tonight!  The whole video is amusing, but if you aren't feeling up to a whole video at least start at 1:55 and watch for awhile.  Its good stuff!

Incase You Didn't Catch it on My Other Blog

There's a ukulele video there worth seeing.

  Make More Music Little Ones

My Happy Thought for the Morning

"The worlds greatest thinkers put their pants on one leg at a time just like me.  But I put my pants on while I'm dancin."