We're Moving . . .

to a new blog. Come visit us at the following address: http://musik4kids.wordpress.com

Don't worry - this blog won't die. Too much effort to let it go totally. See you there . . .

All the fish are swimming in the water . . .

Click on picture to learn more.

Thanks Helen!

Flag Day

To all my "Nor-eastern" relatives who live in this exoctic land - a bit of history in honor of Flag Day . . .

A star-spangled bummer for Stravinsky? Even if we haven' t traveled to exotic lands with strange customs, taboos and fetishes, we've all heard cautionary tales of how ignorance of local laws and customs can lead to mishap.

On this day set aside for honoring a prominent Western symbol of
liberation and union, we offer the rueful tale of Igor Stravinsky, composer,
plying his trade in an exotic land of strange customs, taboos and fetishes
called "Massachusetts."

In the winter of 1944, Stravinsky led a concert of his music with the
Boston Symphony. He included what he called "a vehicle through which I might
express my gratitude at becoming an American citizen . . . I chose to harmonize
and orchestrate the beautiful sacred anthem 'The Star Spangled Banner.'"

Though Boston audiences might not have been able to articulate that
Stravinsky had introduced an unorthodox modulation into the subdominant in the
cadence, they knew messing with the National Anthem when they heard it. And that was a crime. Literally. Chapter 264, Section 9, of Massachusetts's law forbad
rearrangements of "The Star Spangled Banner." There were complaints. The Boston
Police Commissioner arrived with backup for the next performance, prepared to
slap the evil genius with a $100 fine. But the "perp" was tipped off, the new
arrangement cancelled, and, as Musical America reported, "the police refrained
from taking action, and quiet was restored to the banks of the Charles."

Courtesy of Composer's Datebook

Congratulations Graduates!

When You Thought I Wasn't Looking . . .

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.


When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.


When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, 'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."


Thanks Linda.

The Unknown Soldier

by Roger J. Robicheau

You need not ever know my name
This unknown soldier seeks no fame

I'm here to bring out thought from you
May your heart see more than your view

America, we marched with pride
We gave our life, for you we died

How well we knew the time might come
When life could sound that final drum

Please think of us as life moves on
We tried so hard till that last dawn

Do let our spirit fill the land
Pass treasured freedom, hand to hand

God blessed this country with such love
Hold in your heart, abundance of

And when you stand before my grave
Think not of one, but each who gave

More Zoo Train Fun

Signs to use with Zoo Train

Happy Mother's Day!

Peter Makes His Debut

On today's date in 1936, Prokofiev's delightful music fable for children, "Peter and the Wolf," was given its first performance in Moscow.

The woman who had approached composer Sergei Prokofiev with the idea for "Peter and the Wolf" was Natalia Saz, then the Director of the Moscow Children's Theater. Prokofiev had only recently returned to the Soviet Union after decades of living abroad. The idea was to interest children in the sound of the orchestra through a musical fable for narrator and orchestra, in which the winds would depict different animals, with the strings representing a little boy named Peter, who rescues almost all his animal friends from the jaws of a nasty wolf.

We are learning about this story in our Young Child 2 class.

Happy Birthday Duke Ellington!

On today's date in 1899, Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in Washington, DC.

The son of a former White House butler, Elllington was born into a comfortable middle-class African-American household. After some piano lessons from an aptly named Miss Klinkscales, Ellington composed his first original piece, "The Soda Fountain Rag." As early mentors, Ellington credited a local dance bandleader, Oliver "Doc" Perry and a high school music teacher named Henry Grant, who introduced him to contemporary classical masters like Debussy.

"I had a kind of harmony inside me," Ellington later recalled. "a harmony which is part of my race, but I needed harmony that has no race at all but is universal. So you see, from both these men I received freely and generously. I repaid them as I could, by playing piano for Mr. Perry, and by learning all I could from Mr. Grant."

Always a stylish dresser, Ellington was nicknamed "The Duke" by friends, and after a stint with Doc Perry's band, while still in his teens, he took a five-man dance band to New York. That ensemble grew to 11 men by 1930 and to an orchestra of 19 by 1946. It was an ensemble of jazz virtuosos, and for them Ellington would compose some 2000 original compositions, a body of work extensively documented in public and private recordings, and now regarded as one of the most astonishing musical accomplishments of the 20th century.

Courtesy of Composers Datebook.

How to Decorate Easter Eggs

Want to know the "in's and out's" of Easter Egg decorating? Check out this featured site on Quamut.

Or, decorate your own egg and email it to someone special.

Frozen

Can you hold perfectly still for 5 minutes?

Leap Year Trivia

Leap Year Day Babies born in 1884 had no birthday during their entire teen-age years. Why Because 1900 was not a Leap Year. In 1888 they were 4 at 1. In 1892 they were 8 at 2. In 1896 they were 12 at 3. Since 1900 was nota Leap Year, there were 8 years before they could celebrate again on February 29. So, in 1904 they were 20 at 5. Not one single teenage year was celebrated ON their birth date.

Leap Year Day Babies will never have a "Golden Birthday." A Golden Birthday is when your age matches the number of the day of the month you were born on. Leap Year Day Babies will have to be 116 before they turn 29 on the 29th!

Once every four years we have the opportunity to wish the great Italian opera composer Gioacchino Rossini a happy birthday -- he was born on February 29th in 1792.

The American Bicentennial Year of 1976, was also a Leap Year.

Calling all Lobes . . .

How well do you observe things around you? We think we are paying attention to little details, but are we really? Click here to take a test and see how you do.

I Love It!

Is it an igloo? A drum? A swing? A tunnel? A turtle shell? A pie maker? A boat? Absolutely! The possibilities are endless. Bilibos are now a part of our classroom tools and the families can't get enough of them. If you'd like to take a Bilibo home, contact us (musik4kids_kzo@sbcglobal.net) to place your order.

No classes - snow day

There will be no classes today due to the weather.

Is Early Childhood Education Really Necessary?

YES! Here are some highlights of an article in today's Kalamazoo Gazette - click here to read the whole thing.

"I believe that early-childhood education is so important that I'd be willing to fund it by ending public education at age 16," and shift the savings to educating 3- and 4-year-olds, said Ron Fuller, superintendent of the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. "That's pretty controversial. But I feel early education is so critical."


"The only question is when you're going to deal with kids. You can deal with their needs in a profound way when they're 3, 4 and 5. Or you can wait until they're 16 or 17, or 25 and 26, and they need to be incarcerated at an extraordinary cost," Rice said. "You have to view preschool not as a cost, but as an investment."

Give yourselves a pat on the back for enrolling your child in Kindermusik - an wonderful start to early-childhood education and a significant investment in your child's future.

It seems so easy . . .

From Love to Hate

By changing one letter at a time - how many steps does it take you to change the word HATE into the word LOVE?

HATE MATE MOLE MOVE LOVE

Or:

HATE HAVE HIVE LIVE LOVE

Can you do it in less steps?

It's interesting that we use the color red to signify anger as well as love. Two very strong feelings and one strong color. Thanks to Troy at Simple Songs who mentions this post from E.W. Spider.

Snow Day - Again

There will be no classes today.

Snow Day

All classes for Wednesday, January 30 are cancelled due to weather. You are welcome to schedule a make-up class by calling Debbie at 269.808.7002