Celebrations!

 

 

 

                                     A delicious celebration

Remember to celebrate the “little stuff”! Little stuff may include complimenting your child for singing, taking good care of their instrument, and hugging you after practicing.
All of the above are self-esteem builders and connectors to learning in other walks of life: counting of music leads to good math skills, reading symbols leads to good computer skills, reading the Italian directions in music leads to language skills, etc.
Enjoy your musical journey!

 

 

 

You Be The Teacher And I'll Be The Student





Sometimes it's fun to change roles during practice sessions with your child.  You might say to your son or daughter, "Okay, today you get to be the teacher."  "Come and sit in this special chair and I'll play your instrument today."  "You tell me what I'm doing well and not so well."  This can be a great insight to both you and your child!  Even if you, the parent, play the instrument terribly, it will still be lots of fun and give both of you clarity about what it's like to be in "each other's shoes".

MusicChild Classes



Joan Schubert 
Creator of MusicChild

The dynamic classes that are MusicChild are conducted in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area at local pre-schools, learning centers, and Montessori Schools.  Joan Schubert, founder and teacher, travels to various locations complete with her suitcase full of percussion instruments: maracas, rhythm and rain sticks, tambourines to teach children age 18 months to 5 years of age.

The fun and learning doesn't stop there!  We play musical games, sing, chant, learn about different instruments, and the list goes on.  Free demonstration classes available for your center now.
 

Prices For Classes

$80 per visit            Usually includes 20 minute toddler classes and

                                 30 minute classes for children age 3 - 5

 

Packages

$75 per visit            A discount of $5 per visit if buying 10 or more classes per year

 

Let your students creatively and musically soar!  Your program will be enriched and your

parents will note one more reason to choose and stay at your school.

 

music.child@ymail.com

Recent clients include:  Discoveries For Children Montessori School, Small World Learning Center, St. David's Center, Evergreen Montessori School, Minnesota Valley Unitarian Universalist Church

                                

                               

Appropriate Rewards For Your Child

 

Like any human being, we like to be rewarded for our hard work now and then. Rewards can be incentive for paying attention, keeping a quiet body while having a lesson, following directions, and practicing. Rewards aren’t always necessary but as a parent, you may decide that your child has earned a little extra attention, ice cream, stickers, or a pat on the back for doing a stellar job. Here are some ideas for appropriate rewards.

1) A hug
2) Verbal rewards such as saying, “I am so proud of
you!”
3) A sticker or a few stickers
4) A sweet treat such as a cookie or piece of candy
5) Making their favorite food
6) Setting up a playdate with someone special
7) Visiting a new playground
8)Watching a special TV program

Well, you get the idea! Whatever the reward, make it happy and healthy for your family.

Practicing With Your Child

Hey Parents,
Please remember that you are choosing to give the gift of music to your child. There may be extra patience involved on your part when practicing with your child; so, please try to set an appropriate time for yourself and your young musician. That means a quality time slot where you both are alert, are not hungry, and in a good mood.

FUN HINTS FOR PRACTICING WITH YOUR CHILD

• Play some music of your choice on your CD player before starting your practice session. Music is infectious and it usually puts the young musician in the mood to practice
• After putting some music on your CD player, try dancing with your young musician to enjoy lightening up as well as feeling the beat
• “Bookend” your practice session with something that feels good to both of you which perhaps could be enjoying a little snack, reading a favorite book, snuggling with a stuffed animal, playing a game, etc.
• If one or both of you start to get frustrated or angry, gracefully end the practice session by saying something like, “Oh, I see that it is time to take a break from playing for now. Good work on that tricky fingering and we’ll try it again later.” A hug and a smile would be in order.



Sharing Other Art Forms With Your Child

Painting by Monet

 

If you’d like to share some other art experiences with your children, consider going to your local museums a bit more often, check out what’s showing at your children’s theater, and see if there are any age appropriate dance concerts in your area. So many arts-type companies and troupes cater to the younger crowd these days. Your local paper should have a list of these activities.

 





Live music is wonderful!

Remember to check your Sunday paper arts section for age appropriate concerts for your children. There are many reasonably priced and free concerts listed every week. Concerts are artistically stimulating as well as being a family bonding time.



The Teacher-Student Relationship

Parents, if you are new to working with a music teacher, here are some tips for you.

1) Let the teacher develop a relationship with your child. While it may be tempting to tell the teacher about your kiddo, let the connection evolve
2) Respecting and following the teacher’s suggestions are the order of the day. If you are questioning anything about the teaching, please give the teacher a call or e-mail so as to have a private conversation
3) Take the enthusiasm of the teacher home with you. Try to remember specific compliments that the teacher gave to your child during the lesson and reinforce those compliments at home
4) Keep the relationship between all three of you light. Laughter, humor, and creative guidance from both teacher and parent set the tone for a successful journey through the wonderful world of music

How Will I Know Which Instrument My Child Should Play?

Believe it or not, many children express a desire for playing a specific instrument early in their lives. Some of that desire comes from exposure to musical instruments from listening at home, preschool music classes, and concerts that they have attended. If your child starts talking and showing excitement at learning a particular instrument,(i.e. harp, guitar, violin, piano)please believe that specific instrument is probably “the one” for them.

Of course, not all children know what instrument they would care to play so it’s always a good idea in those cases to start with the basics. Piano and singing are very good instruments to learn before branching out to other instruments later.