song-happy!

I have decided to change the name of my blog to song-happy. The reasons are:

- This will appeal more to the early childhood music target market
- Mum thinks "song-head" sounds crass and unladylike.

Anyway, the new blog is under construction at song-happy.blogspot.com - it has all the same posts so far. No banner up yet.

Beat Lehmann workshop

This is awfully late notice (first session is happening ooh, right about now) but I promised my choir buddy Amanda last night that I'd put this up. Beat Lehmann is running workshops in acapella world music singing this weekend in Bondi Junction. You could still get to tomorrow's (Sunday's) session - details below:

- 10 am to 4 pm
- 61 Newland St Bondi Junction
- Cost for one day $70 ($125 both days)

For beginners and experienced singers, no music reading skills required. Beat Lehmann is an accomplished conductor from Queensland.

By the way, last night's concert was a blast.

What makes a great early childhood music teacher?

This is a bit presumptuous of me, but I reckon I have a few ideas about what makes a great children's music teacher. Bear in mind that this is just my opinion - a product of my experiences, both good and bad. I have taken my young children to half a dozen different music teachers over the years, so have a bit of experience. I am also studying the Kodaly approach, so I am looking at this through a Kodaly lens. I am not saying, however, that the only good teachers follow that approach.

So - here is my list of the characteristics of a great music teacher for young children (under 6). I might expand on some of these points in future posts.

• Likes the company of children
• Gets along with your child
• Loves music, and generates enthusiasm for music
  
• Great musicianship (can sing in tune, play an instrument, read music)
• Detailed understanding of child development
• Makes their own detailed lesson plans, but does not have a "script" that must be followed
• Has an overall plan for helping children to develop over the long term (7 years), with musical objectives and general developmental goals
• Limits the group size to levels appropriate for the age of the children
• Provides a varied and interesting lesson
• Helpfully and cheerfully answers your questions and offers useful advice
• Is relaxed about younger siblings, tantrums, and those times when your child would rather not participate.

There are probably other things I will remember later. If so, I'll add them.

Personally, I also prefer that the teacher is not part of a franchise. I know that all teachers are paid for their work. However, there is a difference between a professional association and a franchise. A professional association (like KMEIA), exists to educate teachers to a high standard, and advocate for children and teachers. There is no pressure on this type of organisation to endorse a teacher if their work is not up to scratch. A franchise exists mainly to make money. There are probably some great teachers who happen to belong to a franchise, but it's better to be aware of the difference.

Anyway, that's my list as of 12.25 am tonight. Let me know if you agree/disagree.

Image: 'The pianist'
www.flickr.com/photos/8034873@N07/1499953615

Acapella Gig - Friday April 3

Um.... I think it was meant to say 7.30 PM. Should be a fun night.

See my earlier post for info on the charity we are supporting with the proceeds from this concert.

Paul Jarman

On the weekend I took the kids to a sensational workshop run by Paul Jarman. The kids loved his sense of humour, awesome musicianship and wonderful collection of quirky woodwind instruments from around the world. If you ever get a chance to see him, grab it!

I was also impressed with the workshop for another reason. The participants were mostly Central Coast Children's Choir members between the ages of 5 and 8. Paul had them doing complicated body percussion, four part rounds in various languages, and harmonies. There seemed to be nothing these kids couldn't take on. They didn't even really think about it - they just did it! It was testimony to the power of the Kodaly approach, and to their teachers, Jenny Bell and Joanne MacMahon.

Paul concluded the workshop by showing the kids how to make a woodwind instrument out of a drinking straw. We demolished half a packet of straws when we got home. The four year-old just kept cutting them into little pieces, but the 8 year-old was blowing raspberries through his straw for quite a long time. Such a soothing sound! Thanks Paul......

Gig - Friday April 3

On April 3 there will be a concert in Kensington featuring two acapella choirs run by Stuart Davis. All proceeds will go to a wonderful charity - the Kantha Bopha Foundation in Cambodia, run by Dr Beat Richner. This amazing man has built several hospitals for children in Cambodia, and every week he also puts on a cello concert to raise money to continue his work.

Details of the concert:

- Ising On the Cake and Sea Minors (Stuart's youth choir) will perform.
- 7.30 pm
- Entry by $5 donation
- St Martin's Church Hall, Kensington (Sydney).

The Song-head syndrome

Years of singing in choirs with 4-part harmonies has led to a condition I am calling the song-head syndrome. It is not the individual who suffers with this syndrome, but their family and friends, and sometimes even their neighbours.

You see, I return home from a rehearsal, enthusiastic about a new song we are learning. All week I sing it. But I'm singing the Alto part. Over and over again. I can hear the other parts in my head - to me it is a rich experience. However, for the innocent bystander it becomes very grating.

Things do not improve if I attempt to sing more than one part at the same time (sometimes I can't resist pinching a juicy bit from another section). This just annoys people further.

My children often ban me from singing altogether for whole afternoons. This makes me grumpy, and also I forget about the ban and burst into song anyway when they least expect it. Somehow, it's not nearly as satisfying to me if every part is confined to my head.

Sadly, it appears that this condition is hereditary. On a recent fishing expedition my son drove my dad bananas as they sat together in a small boat for a long time.

Feel free to comment if you are a fellow sufferer (or family member thereof) and have any suggestions for alleviating this condition. Perhaps we can form a support group.

Image: 'heavy rain'
www.flickr.com/photos/38834306@N00/2710328924

Music from the trio

As previously reported, Jane, Shona and I did a bit of recording a while ago. Well, here are the results.

I tried to get the songs into a gadget in the side bar, but the technology is proving a bit too involved for my ability level. I will keep trying and possibly convince the hubby to help (he will roll his eyes at my efforts and hopefully take pity).

In the meantime I am trying to at least link you to the songs from a post. So let's see if this works....

Only Living Boy (Simon and Garfunkel). The first two voices you hear are Jane and Shona and I come in later. Guitar by Jane. We love doing this one, it's like meditating.

More Than Words (Extreme). Jane has the tune, I'm doing the harmony and Shona comes in here and there. Guitar by Jane. Our version is a bit different to the original. We recorded this song last in a long session, and we were a bit wilted, so we don't sound as "together" as we think we normally are. Still, I think it's my favourite one.

Closer to Fine (Indigo Girls). I'm doing the tune for the most part, with Shona doing the third verse and Jane on harmony and (you guessed it) guitar. I have trouble listening to myself on those pitchy low notes, but I'm showing you, so that means I think it's OK for airing!

Happy Together (Turtles). Shona takes the lead on this one, with Jane and I on harmonies, Jane on guitar and me on shaker (I'm so skilled). This was the first song we recorded and we sound a bit tentative.

There was one other song - acapella version of You Send Me - but we nicked ideas from someone else's arrangement, so I'm not too comfortable publishing it here without asking their permission.

So anyway, I hope this works, and please leave constructive criticism in the comments! Next time we're going to try separate mics for each voice so it can be mixed and balanced. That said, I don't reckon it's a bad first effort!

Image: 'Groove Salad'
www.flickr.com/photos/40732566596@N01/109538354

What every singer already knew....

Research has shown that putting your feelings into words, or singing about them, helps you cope better with life. It makes you calmer and gives you more self control. Anyone who has ever sung about new love or lost love or anger or despair or dizzy happiness knows this already!

In another colllision of art and science, a New Scientist article argues that when a group of people synchronises its movements or speech (or singing, I presume) the individuals in the group feel a heightened sense of belonging. This helps explain how dictators control the populace. It may also explain why I travel 90 k every Thursday night to rehearse with my fellow choir members!

So to conclude, groups who gather to move and sing together feel good and bond well. As far as I'm concerned it's not rocket science, but it is wonderful.

Thanks Sandy for the first link.

Image: 'Bearded Singer'
www.flickr.com/photos/35237096343@N01/184460005

Stuck for words?

There are some great databases of children's songs on the net. Here are a couple:

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences website

Kididdles

The first one is American and the second is Canadian. Happy singing!

Michael Rosen

Here's the wonderful Michael Rosen performing the classic "Bear Hunt".



This is a great adventure to act out with a group of children. It encourages children to make different noises, which is a precursor to singing aloud with an audience. The main theme uses the minor third interval (so-mi) which is very natural for children to sing. There is scope to go from here to a pitch exercise by referencing the running up and down stairs. And it's massive fun.

There's more about Michael Rosen's books and poems on his website.

If I was doing this in a group I would pitch it a bit higher so the kids could join in more easily.

Music keeps Mum from losing it

Music is definitely one of the things that kept me sane through my children's early years. There is a song for every section of the day, every routine, every mishap and surprise.

When my babies were little, I would go into their room in the morning when I heard that they were awake. I would sing a "good morning" song before I got them out of their cot. I would sing about the weather and what we were going to do that day.

Then we needed to get dressed. This is a rich vein! From Mulberry Bush to Hurry Up Sue, there are lots of songs to encourage children to get ready. As they grew older and began to learn to do things themselves, the songs could be used to remind them of what to do without nagging.

I found tickle rhymes to be a lovely way to connect with my young babies. Games like Round the Garden and This Little Piggy are full of anticipation for the tickle at the end. They also help the child to become aware of the different parts of their body.

Peekabo games are an endless source of entertainment for babies, who have not yet worked out that objects still exist when they are not seen. Children want you to play these games over and over and over (and over and over.....). It can be a bit wearing. I kept reminding myself that repetition is good for babies. It still sends you round the twist sometimes. You can add interest by varying the length of time that you are hidden, or "appearing" in different places.

One more time...

Kids just love repetition - the same book over and over, or the same song or game. I think it helped that I understood the developmental theory behind what was going on. It kept me more interested and saved my brain from turning to mush.

If a child wanted the same book for the third time, I might sing it instead of reading it normally. This works well with rhyming text, especially if you are good at making up tunes on the spot.

Now, I know this sounds awful, but playing with my young children can get pretty tedious. Other mums who take the time to play with their young kids every day will hopefully forgive me this comment. I find songs help me stay with my children and play when I might otherwise have gotten too bored and fed up.

Playing shops for the umpteenth time, we sing a variation on Five Currant Buns. There are songs for building with blocks and many songs to use with toy trains and cars. When you play ball you can sing Roll That Little Ball. Rhymes and songs about swinging are employed at the park. The world of drama unfolds for three year-olds and you can pretend to be all the characters in the nursery rhymes and songs, go on a bear hunt or hide like a jack-in-the-box. My youngest is starting to get interested in numbers, so we do all the finger-plays: five little ducks, three pink jellyfish, three cheeky monkeys, etc. When we work in the kitchen we recite Choppity Chop or sing Stir Up the Pudding-o.

Out and about in the car or the pram, we sing transport songs. In the car we use Bumpity Bump, Let's Go Driving or that Playschool traffic light song. We can also sing about birdies and trees and whatever we happen upon. We only get a few strange looks...

Hush-a-bye....

When my babies were upset or over-tired, singing often helped to settle them. Familiar restful songs, and a cuddle and a steady pat would often (but not always!) calm us both down. The baby could feel the comforting vibration of my voice through my body.

Even now, I have found songs handy when my three year-old is upset. At Christmas time a stool fell on his big toe and it was very painful, even with pain killers administered. He was finding it hard to get to sleep. So we started to sing the blues about his poor sore toe. He calmed down, shed a few tears and then went to sleep. The words of the song acknowledged his pain and showed that I empathised.

As a regular part of the bed-time routine, I sing a lullaby. It (hopefully!) signals the end of the bed-time routine and indicates that it's time to snuggle down. A favourite of ours is Morningtown Ride. It has multiple verses, so I can keep going by cycling them through if necessary. Then I can revert to humming. I must admit, my bed-time routines are pretty drawn out. I can be a bit of a push-over. My husband is usually out of the room much more quickly when he is doing the bed-time.

Well, this is getting to be a very long post. I could expand on each aspect mentioned - maybe I will later. Music continues to get me through my day, every day. And now, the kids sing back!

Image 1: 'Carmen de Miranda is confused!...'
www.flickr.com/photos/26235754@N05/2975845999

Image 2: 'Mom says....'
www.flickr.com/photos/72093892@N00/2559802835

Image 3: 'Mom and the little guy'
www.flickr.com/photos/63474264@N00/1803814017

Sing out, boys!

It's so difficult to get boys to come to the school choir. I try to select songs that aren't too girly, and include drums and body percussion where possible. However, we still have a ratio of girls to boys of about 10 to 1.

Our rehearsals are held at lunch-time, which I'm sure is part of the problem. Boys have other things to do at lunch-time and don't want to be cooped up inside.

I know one music teacher who had a good idea for getting boys involved at her child's high school. Every member of the rugby team had to also participate in the choir. It was called the "rugby choir". Suddenly choir was cool.

Once you actually get the boys to turn up, you often have the "bull-frog factor": they sing in a low-pitched drone, emulating the male performers they hear on the radio. To improve their pitch, they need to find their "head voice". There are lots of fun exercises to help with this - "siren" warm-ups for example.

Sometimes, just when a boy is really starting to enjoy singing, their voice starts to break and they are again discouraged from singing out. We need to help them re-learn the art.

I believe it's really important to help boys discover the joy of singing when they are little, before they have learned to be self-conscious. Then at least when they're bigger, if they won't sing in public, they can do it in the shower!

Please leave a comment if you have any other thoughts/ideas on how to get the lads involved.

Image 1: 'So happy =)'
www.flickr.com/photos/97831130@N00/1066368855

Image 2: 'Three'
www.flickr.com/photos/11741717@N03/1332038002

Education vs Entertainment

A lot of children's entertainment is too loud, too busy, too fast and in the wrong key. Still, children like it. So what if it's sensory overload to rival a sugar fix, too fast for them to sing along to, and too low for them to sing in tune? They are having fun. Isn't that worth something? At least they might learn to move to the beat.

I suppose it's a bit like junk food or watching a soap opera on TV. It's fun, but don't kid yourself that it's doing you good. It's entertainment, not education.

Coming down heavily on the entertainment side are The Boogers, a US punk rock band for the pint-sized. I discovered their website today, and I'm torn. My youngest boy would be right into it. Out would come the air guitar and the rocker's scowl. However, he'll probably lose some of his hearing and so will the rest of the family.

There is a messsage in here for those of us who prefer more "worthy" music education for our children. We can't ignore the entertainment factor. Just because it's educational doesn't mean it has to be as dull as dishwater.

I reckon that Playschool gets it just about right. There's a reason it's been on air for so long. It's interesting and entertaining for kids without being overwhelming. And there's always the chance that Jay and Justine will break into harmonies!

Picture: "Watching"

Finding music suitable for children

Featured in the video bar are:

• The Puppini Sisters - 3 women with stacks of style, stage presence and flawless close harmonies
• Bobby McFerrin - eclectic master of improv with an angelic voice
• Ladysmith Black Mambazo - effortless, mellow African acapella.

Children love all of these - you don't have to use "children's" music all the time with children. Look for music that features singing or highlghts one instrument at a time (not too busy). Be open to different genres. I often play something different in the car. The kids will go quiet and listen intently (or not.... depending...).

I do find myself listening with a new ear to the lyrics of my favourite songs. Picking repertoire for the kids' choir is tricky when so much popular material is full of naughty words or adult themes. I really like Kirsty MacColl, but stopped playing her in the car when my three year old started singing "La la la la la, get your rocks off baby".

And here's another thing to think about: a lot of pop music is pitched too low for kids. Kodaly teachers try to encourage children to sing in their "head voice", which elicits more tuneful singing. It is even suggested that men sing falsetto when teaching children. So if you want your kids to learn to sing in tune, have a bit less Nick Cave and a bit more Tiny Tim!

I'm joking, there are lots of other ways to encourage kids to used their head voice. But that's for another post.

Tuning in - you have to learn how

Listening - it's easy, isn't it? Well, only if you have learned what to ignore.

Babies learn language by paying attention to other people who are speaking. To do this, they need to tune into speech sounds and tune out the everyday background noises. This is not easy in our noisy world! Think of a busy supermarket, loud older siblings, a busy preschool or a telly blaring in the background at home.

When my children were very little Mum showed me the book Babytalk. It has lots of ideas for helping your child to develop language. One of the main suggestions is to spend at least a little time each day with your child, in a quiet place away from too much background noise, and simply talk with them.

I know, it's another thing on your "to do" list. But it can easily be incorporated into your day. I used to chat to my baby while I prepared his food, talking about what I was doing. I also used to do a running commentary when I took him out in the pram. Admittedly, people used to walk past and think I was losing it...

It's good just to be aware of the effect that background noise is having on your child. It can be quite a problem later on. Some school-aged kids are so used to tuning out to all the background noise in their life, that they habitually tune out when their teacher talks.

Well, anyway, this is a music blog, so let me relate these ideas to early childhood music. Music classes help children develop and fine-tune their listening skills. Kodaly teachers include lots of activities where children are asked to respond to a musical event with their bodies or voices. Some examples are:

• Noticing the difference between sound and silence (starting and stopping)
• Waiting for a special sound or place in the music
• Hearing the different tone quality of various instruments
• Learning to tell the difference between high and low pitch
• Responding to fast and slow music
• Responding to different parts in the music (eg verses and chorus or AB structure)
• Noticing different elements in the music

There are a lot of things you can do to help your child learn to listen well. Some ideas are:

• Spend one-on-one quiet time with your child.
• Read a book to them or sing a song.
• Go for a bush walk or go into the garden and notice the different sounds.
• Lie down with your child and listen to the noises around your house.
• Turn the telly and the radio off for a bit and savour the quiet.

Pardon me... I didn't knit that for you...

Couldn't resist this....
Click Here - one for singing knitters everywhere.

Top Toys for Music - Carousel

A carousel is a great starting point to introduce songs to small children, and gives them a sense of control as well. It is easy for a small child to bang the top of the carousel and make it spin. Then you can sing about whichever character lands in front of you.

Some carousels have characters such as people or ponies or teddies. Perhaps they are different colours. If so, then you can sing about that (eg, "green, green, green, green, teddy's wearing green today...")

My carousel has four different animals on it. The child presses the top, and I sing a song or say a rhyme about whichever animal stops at the front. There is a horse ("gee up horsey, don't you stop"), a cow ("What can a cow do but moo, moo, moo?) a pig ("this little piggie") and a sheep ("Baa baa white sheep" since it's white).

Another way to play is to simply make the noise of the animal. Encouraging young children to make animal noises helps with their annunciation (that is, it helps them to learn to make the sounds necessary to say words).

If all the characters are the same, you can always resort to "Round and round and round it goes, spinning and turning..."

The carousel pictured is by Tolo. I picked up mine at Learn4Fun which has shops in Tuggerah and Hornsby.

Empire Bay Public School - thanks for a great 2008!

I've had a great time this year with the senior choir at Empire Bay. Thanks to all the choir members. You are a great bunch - quick to learn, always cheerful and willing to try new things. You became masters at counter-melodies this year. Next step - harmonies!

Thanks very much to the wonderful Angie Eastwood for all the organising, advice and collaboration.

This year we performed the following songs:

This Little Light (Sunshine)
Sinje (traditional, zulu)
Lean on Me
Away in a Manger (Silent Night)
Do I Make You Proud

Farewell to the Year 6 choir members - hope you keep singing wherever you go next.

Trio in Studio

Jane, Shona and Kerryn recorded five songs at EastCoast Studios in Coogee last week. We arrived a bit early and began our warm-ups in the courtyard, eliciting rude comments from passers-by. Then Jane did a marathon effort on the guitar tracks, which hurt her fingers a bit. By this time we were all melting as the aircon could only be put on between takes. Billy came to the rescue with ice water.

We had been thinking about having each voice seperately mic'd but in the end we went for one mic and we blended ourselves the low-tech way. This proved a bit tricky when we had the headphones on, which took some getting used to. In the end, we managed to get everything done that we had planned.

Here are the songs:

- Happy Together (The Turtles)
- More Than Words (Extreme)
- You Send Me (Sam Cooke)
- Closer to Fine (Indigo Grls)
- Only Living Boy in New York (Simon & Garfunkle).

I still haven't decided if I'm going to play the results for anyone or give anyone a CD. Will make a decision when it's mixed and fiddled with.

Cake 08

Ising on the Cake recorded some songs at Studios 31 in December and had a fantastic time. The workspace was absolutely beautiful.. The CD will be finished in January and will include songs such as Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights, Queen's Somebody to Love and the Pogues' Fairytale of New York.

With four hours to work with I reckon we did well recording 6 songs. Stuart had planned everything really well, including lots of coffee breaks and everyone brought food (no coconut though, or nuts. They get stuck in your throat...).

CDs will be ready in February. Artwork by the fabulous Val Evans.