Archive for June, 2008
Friends of Florida Folk share Live Music with your family
I LOVE FOLK MUSIC! I must admit, it is the most down to earth music that reaches into my soul and makes me feel connected to humanity, with all of it’s faces. And thanks to Will McLean, and the Friends of Florida Folk, it helps me to feel connected to Florida. Although I am not a native, I moved here almost 10 years ago, I started attending the Will McLean Festival annually, as well as others, and I truly feel my roots are growing here like the old oak trees in my front yard, and the orange trees in my back yard. Please feel free to enjoy one of my favorite songs: Ain’t Florida Neat by Mindy Simmons (the Sarasota Songbird).
Fortunately, the Friends of Florida Folk is a group of dedicated volunteers determined to “identify, protect, preserve, encourage, and promote folk arts, crafts, dance and music of Florida”. Their website, www.foff.org is fabulous. Immediately you are greeted with wonderful music, and podcasts are offered frequently, and there is much to see and hear while exploring their many pages.
For your LIVE MUSIC listening pleasure, there is a calendar of live folk music events, as well as a page that lists the recurring live music events. These may recur annually, monthly, or even weekly. This information is specific to Florida, and lists events ALL over this state!
There are so many styles represented, but definitely include bluegrass, blues, folk, and much more.
Some of my favorite ANNUAL Florida Folk Festivals that I have attended include:
Will McLean in March in Dunnellon (new location this last year)
Gamble Rogers in May in St. Augustine
Florida Folk Festival in May in White Springs
Friends of Florida Folk Fest in February in Tampa
There are so many more I can’t even name them, but they are all listed on the FOFF website. Look under FOLK LINKS, Category MAJOR FESTIVALS.
We take the family in the camper and attend as many as we can each year. Most ALL of the festivals are very family friendly, and often have wonderful music activities especially for the children in a tent of their own. It is a wonderful immersion into a world of music that cannot be experienced otherwise.
I certainly have my favorite Florida musicians that I seek out, but I’ll leave that for another blog posting.
ENJOY this live music with your children, and teach them to sing all of the wonderful old folk songs ! It gives children a sense of BELONGING to family, to the community, and to history.
One of the things I LOVE about Kindermusik is that incorporates folk music from all over OUR country, as well as countries from all over the world. There are beautiful renditions of them on the CD, AND we learn to sing and do the activities and dances that are the same the world over. When children have a true appreciation of music of different styles and cultures, it also helps them appreciate the PEOPLE of different styles and cultures and helps them feel connected to the world. We all experience many of the same things, and music just helps us see that a bit more clearly.
Merry Melodies,
Debbie Mondale
Summer Kindermusik Adventures and Top Ten Reasons to Enroll
Summer is here, and Kindermusik lives up to the challenge that presents. Kindermusik Summer Adventure Camps have been designed for each age group, AND for families. Children and families are truly excited to attend classes, each week for 5 weeks, AND to continue these songs and activities throughout their play during the weeks, making your summer filled with music, joy, and laughter.
Please follow the links to more detailed information about summer programs that might be right for your family. And please scroll down on this posting to find the Top Ten Reasons to enroll.
Summer Kindermusik Adventures with Babies
Summer Kindermusik Adventures with Toddlers, Walkers
Summer Kindermusik Adventures with Preschoolers
Summer Kindermusik Adventures with early elementary ages
Kindermusik educators may also offer creative alternatives for families, using the following curriculum:
ABC, Music & Me
Summer is so full of things that make it special, so join us in celebrating these in a musical way!
Find an educator near you through the Educator Locator at www.kindermusik.com , where you will be able to view all the educators AND their schedules in one place.
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Top Ten Reasons to Take Kindermusik Adventure Camp This Summer
10. New music that is not only fantastic for your child’s development, but is interesting listening for the whole family
9. A safe environment for you to play and be silly with your child without out fear of ridicule.
8. A chance to get to meet and know other families with children your child’s age.
7. Books and instruments to take home and continue the play throughout the year.
6. An air conditioned activity for the dog days of summer.
5. Weekly opportunity to focus completely on your child and remind yourself how creative and unique he is.
4. Egg shakers – need I say more?
3. Bubbles, parachutes and singing together – time to be a kid again.
2. Summer session is only 5 weeks long. A great way to try us out.
and the #1 reason to sign up for Kindermusik this summer….
1. Kindermusik activities strengthens your child’s brain and affects every area of her development.
A Good Beginning Never Ends — why not get started now?
(Thanks Miss Christa for a great Top Ten list! See her blog: http://misschrista.wordpress.com – Athens Co., Ohio)
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Summer Kindermusik Adventures with Babies
These are special times, during the first 18 months: the time of tiny and tender, and the gradual growth of their bodies, their perceptions, and their personality. All of the Village programs are designed for this age, but our Summer programs really celebrate just being a baby, and all of the wonder that goes along with being a mother of a newly developing person.
Each educators will choose, from the following units, which to offer during their summer program.
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Peek-A-Boo! I Love You!
More than just a curious story, Mother Goose games like peek-a-boo help your baby understand language. In this special camp, uncover more ways to say “I love you” using American Sign Language, soap bubbles, and parent-baby dances. Plus, you can meet with other newborns and families in the community and learn how music improves the child development process. Home Materials include: Book, CD, Duck Wash Mitt, Baby Duck Gertie Ball, and Poster.
Busy Days
Set your baby’s day to classical music. With a little more Tchaikovsky in your “Twinkle, Twinkle” repertoire you’ll discover new ways your baby benefits from the classics as you both develop an appreciation for the world’s most respected music. Each lesson features new activites and songs you can sing for all the places you go together-the store, the playground, the doctor, and more. Home Materials include: Book, CD, Village Cage Bell, and Poster.
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NEW: Kindermusik Sign and Sing
This program is specifically designed for hearing children and their families. In the process of matching signs to concrete items, babies, and even children up to 3 years old, will gain great benefits to their developing language skills. Developing an ability to use sign language often reduces the frustration of both the child and parent, as they learn how to communicate with each other before a child has the full capacity to talk. This program was designed in coordination with Signing Smart, and uses American Sign Language.
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Find an educator near you at www.kindermusik.com . The Educator Locator will list ALL the programs near you (based on your zip code), as well as many of their full schedules, and contact information so you can get in on all this fun.
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Summer Kindermusik Adventures with Toddlers, Walkers
Children, from 18 months to 3 1/2 years, love ANIMALS – acting like them, sounding like them, moving like them. Each one of these semesters focuses on a specific area where cool creatures are found, the beach/ocean, the zoo, and even your backyard. These classes are just so much fun, I want to teach them over and over, and I have – several times. And they are more fun each time I teach them – the songs are so catchy, the music just makes you WANT to MOVE, the activities are so engaging, and the props and crafts are such hands-on fun, it’s hard to wait for the summer to teach them. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Each educator will choose, from the following units, which to offer during their summer program.
Creatures at the Ocean
Sing sailor songs and make the ocean count. “Five little seashells lying on the shore: Swish! Went the waves and then there were four.” Jump over the waves, squawk like a seagull, chirp like a dolphin, swim like a whale. Oh, there’s so much fun to be had at the beach. Materials include: A FABULOUS CD, Seashell Castanets, Storycard set and Picture Folder set. Educators often choose to include several crafts, and some even offer unique snacks based on the themes. It’s amazing how easy it is to make a wave drum, and the there are so many sounds the children can explore with it.
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Creatures in My Backyard
Give your child something to sing about in her own backyard. Be the flower from the “seed’s” perspective. Run and jump in rain puddles made from hula hoops. Snack on whole wheat mini-waffles dipped in honey, just like a real honeycomb. Shoo real flies and sing “Shoo Fly.”Home Materials include: CD, Bunny Puppet, and Picture Folders set. Educators often choose to include several crafts, and some even offer unique snacks based on the themes. Making worm bodies out of panty hose, or eating gummy worms in Oreo dirt, these students get multi-sensory experiences to support their learning.
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Zoo Train!
Your toddler and the train make a natural match—always on the move. Tag along this summer with a traveling zoo train. Bring your own stuffed animals for the petting zoo. Wear long white socks on your hands for polar bear paws and learn about real animals in the zoo. Sing songs for clapping time, and use music to help toddlers regulate emotions. Home Materials include: Book, CD, Animal Shaker, and Poster. Educators often choose to include several crafts, and some even offer unique snacks based on the themes. Have you ever tried making penguins that can’t fall down out of those little plastic easter eggs? It’s fun!
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Find an educator near you at www.kindermusik.com . The educator locator includes ALL the teachers near you, as well as many of their full schedules, and contact information so you can get in on all this fun.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )Summer Kindermusik Adventures with Preschoolers
Children between the ages of 3 – 5 are fully immersed in the world of the imagination. Our Kindermusik Summer Camps allow this imagination to flourish through creative storytelling and prop play, as well as fun interactive songs, and LOTS of movement. As the students participate independently during the majority of the class, they gain self-confidence and prepare for the the independence of preschool. Yet the parents maintain involvement in the child’s musical life by participating for the last 15 minutes, and continuing the fun music and activities throughout the week.
Cool crafts are also an important way to express themselves, and enhance the learning from this creative play in Confetti Days (at the circus), or On the Road.
Each educator will choose, from the following units, which to offer during their summer programs.
On the Road
Re-live your childhood, with your child. Every song is likely to revive a memory from your summer’s past. Play Eye Spy and find shapes in the clouds to pass the time. Take imaginary trips in a bus named “Van Go” to fun-filled vacation destinations such as the carnival, a summer cottage, and the beach. Home Materials include: Book, CD, Frog Guiro, and Poster. Many educators also include fun craft activities, and/or snacks that are based on the theme. In my classes,the children have really enjoyed making their OWN map of places they want to go.
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Confetti Days!
Throw a new party every day. Ride a carousel inside the classroom. Play a balancing game and walk on the web of ropes. Learn colors and sing the Spanish song “De Colores,” “Pop Goes the Weasel,” and “Looby Loo.” Home Materials include: CD, pair of Confetti Bells, Story Kit and Picture Folder set. Many educators also include fun hands-on crafts and/or snacks based on the theme. One of my favorite crafts is the making of monkey tails, and acting like the monkey in one of our favorite songs.
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Find an educator near you at www.kindermusik.com . The educator locator includes ALL the teachers near you, as well as many of their full schedules, and contact information so you can get in on all this fun.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )Summer Kindermusik Adventures with early elementary ages
Children, ages 4 – 7, love to learn about the world around them, especially through music and movement, AND they love to express their own personalities through creative crafts and storytelling. Fortunately, these Kindermusik Adventure Camps are stock full of activities that transport these children into the unique cultures on this planet, and they learn much about the customs and traditions of these people.
Children enjoy developing friendships as they participate independently for almost two hours. Then they love to show off all their crafts and the fun things they have learned, as the parents join in on the fun during the last 15 minutes of class.
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Tell Me a Tale
Through storytelling, your child will develop an early awareness of rhythm, movement, singing, and drama. Each lesson features a new tale from around the world, explored through multi-instrument and multi-cultural elements. All told, it’s an around-the-imagination adventure of the greatest stories from Europe, Malaysia, South Africa, and more. Home Materials include: Book, CD, pair of Lumi Sticks, and Poster.
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Find an educator near you at www.kindermusik.com . The Educator Locator will list all of the educators near you, as well as many of their full schedules, and contact information so you can get in on the fun.
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Kindermusik in Florida 
