Celebrating The Holiday Season

 

This Holiday Season

Just a reminder to be proactive in taking in all of the holiday music this year.  It's always good to have your classical public radio station on in the background wherever you are. We are so fortunate to have commercial free public radio that plays the classics of the musical world as well as new compositions in all genres--orchestral, chamber, and vocal.  Remember to check your local paper and online for streaming family concerts which often are reasonably priced or free.  Just to be able to have your family see one or two shows is such a holiday gift in itself.

Happy Holidays To You And Yours From The Music Child Program

A Tribute To Maya Angelou

Hello as we slide into the fall equinox!  Ms. Joan has recently made another music video and she would like to share it here.

The poem is written by Dr. Maya Angelou and this poem is from one of her children's books, Shaker, Why Don't You Sing?  Ms. Joan wrote original music for this poem and had the good fortune to find singers and a pianist to learn the music and record it.

Simply click on the link below or copy it to your browser.  Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svs1H3DbHiY&list=RDMMsvs1H3DbHiY&start_radio=1

Music Helps Us Study And Think

 I am posting part of a column from Reema Krishnan.  She published an article exploring the relationship between math and music and it is fun to read.

There is a strong correlation between music and the way we study. Research shows that when children are given proper instructions on musical instruments, they score high on tasks that require spatial-temporal cognition, math, and hand-eye coordination. This can be attributed to the relation between music and math skills.

A musician has to continually subdivide the beats to be able to interpret the rhythmic notations. In fact, practicing music, paying attention to details, and the discipline required to learn music can prove to be a strong base for building math skills.

Moreover, research has also shown that children who learn through music retain information better than those who learn just by verbal instructions. Kids can remember concepts or facts better when it is put in a song or rhythm. Any kind of musical element can help you recall important details.

Even playing music while working or studying can create a focused learning state. Classical music such as Carnatic music has the ability to create an atmosphere of focus and concentration.

Reema Krishnan is a content creator at Acharyanet, a platform for Carnatic music learners where they can learn music from gurus through 400+ video lessons. A music enthusiast and history buff, Krishnan’s content is well-suited to musicians, music lovers, and music learners of all ages and at all stages. She loves to volunteer with music therapy groups and bakes up a storm in her free time.

Summer Concerts 2020

It can be a time of despondence or a time of creativity--guess which one I would choose!

Many music groups are choosing to use ingenuity to get their sounds out into the public eye and ear.

Here are links to:

 The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra 

https://content.thespco.org/music/concert-library/concerts

And

The Minnesota Orchestra https://minnesotaorchestra.org/blog.  Prepared to be wowed by the concerts offered by both groups!

The Saint Paul

Chamber Orchestra

                                                                                                          

                              The Minnesota                                    Orchestra

The Minnesota Orchestra is also offering outdoor concerts right outside of Orchestra Hall in Peavey Plaza this summer.

The beauty of all this is that it is intergenerational.  A person does not need to be a certain age to enjoy all these offerings!

I hope you will enjoy the bounty of our talented musicians this summer of 2020!

A Change Of Pace (Letter by Ms. Joan, Minneapolis Star Tribune, during the pandemic)

APRIL 1, 2020 — 5:40PM

GERALD HERBERT • ASSOCIATED PRESS

A street musician stands in the nearly deserted French Quarter in New Orleans on March 22.

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For those of you working on coping strategies during the pandemic, here’s one for you: Start thinking like a jazz musician. We’ve had to cope financially and socially for years.

Can’t wrap your mind around what the future holds for you and your family? Welcome to our world! Jazz musicians who improvise must let go of outcomes every day. We are inspired by our muses and have no choice but to let go. Our muses guide us and let us know where the next paycheck, meal, babysitter or teacher is coming from. The bottom line is faith in its purest form. If you need to define terms, go ahead.

Artists are used to spending hours alone to practice, write and create. When it comes time to share our art, we often need to throw ourselves into noisy and chaotic environments to sell and share our creations. We’ve gotten good at engaging with the public and not engaging with the public. It’s a parallel universe to living in times of a pandemic.

Artists show up in their lives with the accent on creativity. I’ve seen many of you using creative coping skills and I know you’ve seen the same. Our children are experts in creativity; they know how to show up in their lives. Their spontaneity and flexibility are reminding us about humor and resilience in our new normal.

Kudos to all the helpers out there. Your spirit, tenacity and creativity are infectious — in a good way.

JOAN SCHUBERT

The writer is a jazz flutist, composer, and teacher.

A Trip To The Mountains--Creative Play With A Musical Soundtrack Of Your Choice

Let’s take a hike up the mountain!  Put on your good walking shoes.  Put your lunch in your backpack and put your backpack on. Here we go! 

We must climb, climb, climb. (Teacher and students climb while standing in place) Look at the view!  See the pretty flowers over there?  Let’s pick a few to put in our backpacks.  Our parents will like them.  Now we must climb higher.  Watch out for the slippery rocks.  Climb, climb, climb, climb. 

  

We’re getting close to the clouds.  Let’s have our lunch right here.  Find a place to sit.  Take your backpack off and open your lunch.  Eat your favorite sandwich and have a few sips of your juice.  Eat your energy bar and now it is time to clean up.  Throw your garbage away and put your backpack on your back again. 

Just a little further to climb and we will have reached the top of the mountain!  Can you count to 10 and then we will be at the top!  (Everyone counts to 10) Look at the beautiful view of the high clouds (look up) and the low valley (look down).  We are now so tired that we must lie down and have a rest. (Teacher and students lie down for a minute) Wake up and give yourself a good stretch. 

It is now time to hike down to the bottom of the mountain.  As we start climbing down, we see a very good walking stick by the side of our trail.  We pick the walking stick up and start using it so we may stay balanced and can lean on it if the way is steep. 

 As we walk, we pass some other hikers so we say, “hello!”.  Can you say hello? 

Now we have a bit of excitement because we pass by an eagle’s nest.  She is waiting to hatch her chicks.  Let’s be very quiet and tiptoe past her. Tiptoe, tiptoe.... 

We are walking again.  As we near the bottom of the mountain, we are looking forward to seeing our parents and telling them about our hike.  Reach back into your backpack to get the flowers you picked to give to them.  We see our parents and hand them the flowers.  They love them and say, “thank you”.  You walk to your family car with your walking stick helping you along. 

The End 

One Of Our Favorite Stories

Note to Teacher or Parent:  You will want to have a maraca and wood block handy for special sound effects!

Lefty and Buckaroo lived in the state of Montana.  Can you say Montana? Lefty was a girl pony and Buckaroo was a boy pony.  One day there was a rain storm and Lefty and Buckaroo ran into a cave to stay dry.  Ready to help me with a rainstorm? (Children get to clap and stomp their feet for a moment until you say "stop!")  As Lefty and Buckaroo walked into the cave, they heard a noise.  The noise sounded like a baby rattle with the rattle being shaken slowly but getting faster. (Teacher shakes maraca slowly and then faster) What was it?  Both ponies then saw a very colorful snake slithering toward them.  (Can you help me make a snake noise?) But, after the snake made a hissing noise, it began to talk.  The snake said, "Do not be afraid, my friends.  I am just a lonely snake who would like some company.  I'm so glad you're here!"  The three animals became friends and the ponies said they would come back and visit again.  Since the rain had stopped, Lefty and Buckaroo said goodbye to their new friend and galloped home. (Teacher plays wood block with mallet)