Enjoying FREE outdoor concerts with your children
Attending a live concert with your whole family is a fabulous experience, especially when it is outdoors, and you can feel so much more comfortable to participate in ACTIVE listening with your children. My very active daughter has a tough time being still, unless she is sleeping, so we do a lot of hand motions, and body rhythms to help the music come alive so she can truly enjoy it. We also try to:
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Pretend to direct the music.
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Find an open space and dance the way the music makes us feel, using scarves or streamers if possible.
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Tap the steady beat on different parts of the child’s body, moving up to the head for the high notes, and down to the toes on the low notes.
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My older child (12), and I like to close our eyes and listen, then describe the images that the music illicits in our imaginations.
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Take paper and have them draw what they hear.
In each community, there are plenty of opportunities for live music, but sometimes it is difficult to find concerts that are appropriate for very young children. In this blog, we will focus on finding opportunities, and links to opportunities to find fabulous live music that is appropriate for young children with their families. Many of these are annual events, such as the one listed below, and you will find others just by clicking on FLORIDA MUSIC in the category to the right. Please make sure to check out the Friends of Florida Folk website (mentioned in another blog)- they have a full calendar of individual events (a few are appropriate for young children, and list all their annual events as well (many of which are appropriate for young children, AND the whole family). I’ll also try to list some of my favorite Florida musicians who specialize in children’s music.
FREE CONCERTS!
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The vibrations coming from live music are like nothing that a child can get from a recorded piece of music. The music resonates in our heads and our bodies in a whole different way, illiciting more physical responses, and empathetic emotions. (This is proven through extensive research.)
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Hearing the different sounds of the instruments (the timbres) trains a child’s ear to identify the different characteristics of sounds in the world around him.
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Watching the musicians play together provides a great lesson on what happens when you work in coordination with a group of people.
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It also tends to inspire children to make music of their own, both now, and in the future with real instruments.
Merry Melodies with that live music!
Debbie Mondale
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Sharing the Joy of Kindermusik with Seniors
By Jennye Shaling
I just wanted to share for a moment how special it is to experience a Kindermusik Class with Seniors. In a “Village with Seniors” class, the Seniors love watching and interacting with the moms and their babies.
One semester, there was a class, in which, our elderly senior friend, “Annie” (now deceased )held one of the babies. The young mother sat very close to Annie and let her hold her precious bundle of joy. She whispered into the young mother’s ear,” I have never held a baby”. I must admit when her secret was shared, we all cried! What an unforgettable memory… In a “Family Time” class with Seniors, we all enjoy singing and sharing our instruments. You can hear the laughter down the hall as the toddlers and preschoolers “dust dust dust” the wheelchairs with their scarves. Won’t you consider sharing your joy through Kindermusik with a Senior Home near you? What’s available in your community? See top tab for “Find an Educator”. If they are not currently offering that, let them know you are interested.
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Educator Spotlight
Jennye Shaling
“Kindermusik with KidsBeat
Music & Arts”
“Kindermusik opens the door to a lifetime of joy through music!
Jennye Shaling is the director/ owner for Kindermusik with Kidsbeat. Her love for music and children encouraged her to open her home studio in 2002 and has added two other studios. Jennye Shaling and Krysti Hobson are currently partnering to serve Panama City Beach and Panama City, Florida area.
Website: http://www.kidsbeat.kindermusik.net
Locations: 2 – Panama City Beach. 1-Panama City
Panama City – Kindermusik curriculum:
Village (babies), Our Time (toddlers),Family Time (toddler class/infants up to 5 years). Classes taught by Krysti Hobson
Panama City Beach – Kindermusik and Kidsbeat Curriculum
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Kindermusik Family Time (toddler class/infants up to 5 years)
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Kindermusik for the Young Child Semesters 1-4 (4 ½ to 7 years)
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Sol-Fa I and II (continuing recorder, piano, ukulele) for Kindermusik Young Child Graduates,
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KidsBeat Voice (8-10 years),
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KidsBeat Voice II (11-13 years),
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KidsBeat Voice III (14-17 years),
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KidsBeat IV (Private-18 years and up).
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Private Voice lessons available for ages 10 years and up!
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Creative Dance and Art Classes are to be developed in near future!
All PC Beach classes taught by Jennye Shaling.
Background: Jennye Shaling is an only child and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. She lived in a world of her own imagination and recorded her first song at age 3. Her extensive background in ballet, voice and early childhood education has given her the confidence to share her creative gift with others!
Jennye is currently the Local Chapter Representative for the Gulf Coast Partnership of Kindermusik Educators (PKE), Northern Florida State PKE Representative and Southern Regional PKE Representative.
Jennye and her husband, Joey have been performing for the past 25 years together with their own band, “KiKi”. They have two children, Marlee and David. She is also the Praise/Dance Team Leader with Beach Vineyard.
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Kindermusik in Florida 