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."

Purple Ukulele Meets More New Friends

Today's tasks didn't really include me needing to play Purple Ukulele, but I decided to take it along to the workshop anyway.  I'm so glad I did!  Remember yesterday when Purple Ukulele met Orange Ukulele and the person working at Orange Ukuleles shop was the son a local Music Together teacher?

Here are some pics to help refresh your memory.

 





Today there were Music Together classes going on at Music Together and his mom was teaching them so I got to meet her too!

 





What an amazing small world it is.  Ellen said she was subbing and doesn't typically teach family classes on Fridays.

We went to a tasty place to eat lunch called Brick Farm Market.  http://www.brickfarmmarket.com/
I just asked the guy at the counter what was good and ate that.  It was an awesome sandwich with a side of fresh made chips.  I recommend checking it out if you are ever in Hopewell, NJ.


 Purple Ukulele get a cute shopping basket to ride in!

Such good food!

Purple Ukulele feels at home with the Carolina BBQ sauce.


We did large movement activities and looked at more research pertaining to early childhood music today.  I have a ton of great new dance songs and ideas to share in my classes now!

The shuttle from the hotel was suppose to bring us back to the hotel, but it broke down at Music Together.  Luckily one of the ladies had a van big enough to fit us all in, and the shuttle driver.  We serenaded him with Music Together songs all the way back to the hotel!  He was a good sport.  I learned some more songs I can play on the ukulele because the other teachers were throwing out chords for me to play and telling me how to play them!

  

My other favorite pics from the day.

Purple Ukulele finds gold (filled with chocolate, the best kind)!

I'm surrounded with other people from across the country who live in the same "world" I do.  It was so much fun to dance with them today!  I have a great job!

First Time at the Mother Ship

I got to go to the Music Together headquarters for the first time today.  That was exciting!  Purple Ukulele didn't fail me.  We did good on the Hello Song.  There are 12 people in the class.  We had the opportunity to lead a favorite song for the group, learn more about modes and modal tonal patterns and asymmetric meters and rhythm patterns. 

Purple Ukulele on the way to Music Together

For lunch we all went to the Brothers Moon restaurant.  The food was wonderful.  I didn't take purple ukulele with me to eat, but someone had a purple jug so I took a pic with that instead.

http://www.brothersmoon.com/

Beside the restaurant we at supper at was a little music shop.  Purple Ukulele found a friend!  (just to take a selfie with, I didn't buy the friend)

I talked to the guy working at the shop for a minute and he was excited to hear that Music Together teachers were eating next door.  His mom is one of the local Music Together teachers!

 

What a crazy little musical world it is!

We had a fantastic supper at Villa Francesco's.  It was funny to listen to the waiter, who I think must speak Spanish as a first language, tell us the Italian specials in English.

There are a lot of fun people at the workshop!  I know I have the right profession when being barefoot isn't just normal, it's expected!

Getting To Know My Purple Ukulele

Purple Ukulele and I had got to spend some quality time together yesterday.  I don't typically have extra time in my day to devote to purple ukulele, so she sits with her friend pink ukulele on the shelf.  Every now and then pink or purple ukulele get to venture out to Music Together classes with me.  Since I had several hours to spend just with my massive amount of study papers and Purple Ukulele I learned how to better play the Hello and Goodbye songs!  I love YouTube!



If I can figure out how to play the uke you can too!

From Trenton With Love

I had a very smooth trip from Charlotte to Trenton.  I flew on Frontier Airlines nonstop.  Frontier is a budget airline.  I was glad to get both a reasonably priced flight and one that was nonstop.  Apparently Frontier cuts costs by having a very simple sign at their gates and very tiny trays on the airplanes.

 
I'm good with that though.

The skies were clear and I had a great view.  If you look closely you can see the land and the ocean.  You can also see the shadows from the clouds on the ground.

 

 

 

I tried out the Uber app for the first time to get a taxi.  It was so easy!  I put where I was and where I wanted to go in the app and a driver was there immediately.  My credit card was on file with the company so I didn't have to exchange money or driving instructions with him.  I even had a promo code for $20 off your first ride (check out the free ride promo code app ) so it was a really inexpensive ride.  Use code amyt2403ue if you sign up for Uber and we will both get free rides.

I have a very nice room at the Hampton in Princeton.  Breakfast, dinner, and a shuttle to my class are included.  I should go study now so I am ready for tomorrow!