Local Library Event Today

We had a great time today at the library as we all sang together! Thanks for all of you who came and joined us.

Local Library Event

Our local library has summer reading programs and they put out a calender called "Be Creative," with events for children performed by storytellers, musicians, artists, magicians, jugglers, snake handlers..... This year I will perform as a musician to the children and mothers bringing in a little of Waldorf, on Thursday, July 14. Here is a picture from last year, captured by our local paper, The Henry Neighbor. It was a Waldorf-inspired puppet show, called "The Elves and the Shoemaker." I began with a penny whistle melody, then lit a candle, and then I began telling the story using wooden toys, silks, and handmade items. It was very magical and mesmerizing.

This year I plan to bring my guitar and penny whistle and teach the moms how to sing and move with the children as I share my example. I will start off sharing our Waldorf gathering song with the moms called "Joyful Creation." Then I will play "Over in the Meadow" for the children. I will have the children give me ideas for my next song "I'll Fly Away" by naming birds and trees. Then the next four songs will come from my Waldorf-inspired CD. I will teach them movement and then we will sing together. I hope to gather parents afterwards to share Waldorf-inspired ideas with them.

If you live in the Atlanta area and want to join us, contact me at homemusicmaking@gmail.com.

It's Here! Music Curriculum for Beginners

Living Music From the Heart: Music Curriculum Volume 1, with 2 DVD tutorials by Jodie Mesler

An easy and creative approach to teaching through a child's world of play using the penny whistle, singing, and movement.

It is complete and ready for sale! For more info, check out the rest of my blog.

New Price $16

Sunshine Face

Thunderstorm

Fresh Tomatoes

Joyful Creation

A Song From My Heart

The Tooth Fairy

Crocuses

A Dance

Like the Turtle

The Waiting Song

Willow Tree

Morning Song

It's Midsummer Day

We Are One Big Family

Golden Leaves

Just Like the Penguin

Mood of the Fifth

Yankee Doodle- circle time idea

As I am wrapping up the video tutorial for my music curriculum, I wanted to share this game for your circle time. It is to the tune of "Yankee Doodle." And the rhyme is found in the book "Festivals, Family, and Food." by Carey and Large on page pg. 9. This game is a great game around Valentine's Day, but it is great for July because of the tune. Children love to be blindfolded and they love anything that is written especially for them.....It is only 2 minutes.

Fresh Tomatoes

Here is a garden song for all you gardeners that love tomatoes, and love pickin' your crop. I was inspired to write this song after I went on a morning walk with my kids and when I cames back I saw a cardboard box in my garage that said "Fresh Tomatoes." I then thought of the memories I had of my dad's vegetable garden and wrote this song within minutes. Here is a fun way to share this song with your child with movement: pretend you are digging up dirt with a shovel and then tossing it aside in a push pull sort of way with the song. Dig on "Fresh tomatoes..." and toss aside on "...in my garden." Also for older children you can do a call and response. Mom sings "Fresh tomatoes" and kids sing "in my garden." Mom sings "and potatoes," kids sing "I worked hard and," and so forth.

DVD tutorial samples from my Music Curriculum

This is a sample from the 2 DVD tutorials of Living Music From the Heart. This tutorial is for mothers, caregivers, or anyone interested in teaching children music, who have little or no training in music. Check out the samples here on the video. If you are looking to get started learning the recorder, you may want to try penny whistle instead. (More info on penny whistle) It is in the recorder family and very similar. You can easily move over to recorder, if you desire.

Music Curriculum for Beginners

An easy, fun, and creative approach to teaching through a child's world of play using the penny whistle, singing, and movement. This is for those who have little or no education in music, but have always wanted a music approach and that is easy and fun. It is deeply rooted in principles and knowledge of our past educators from 100+ years ago, similar to Orff's Method.

It is called Living Music From the Heart: Music Curriculum and Video Tutorial Volume 1.

Volume 1 includes:

*7 Teacher Lessons- following each lesson in the book along with the video

- learning how to play penny whistle; using scales, techniques, finger position, improvisation

- offers teaching tips for your child

- singing with the correct pitch

*Articles in the book

- Your Singing Voice

- Understanding the Lesson Format for the Six-Year-Old Child

- Before Beginning Lessons with Your Child

- Understanding the Importance of the Pentatonic Scale

- The Penny Whistle Instead of Recorder (choosing the penny whistle leads us on a historical journey and we can become more familiar with folk tunes) read this article for more info click here

*20 Lesson Plans

- contains listening, pleasing sounds, creative breathing styles, creative finger positions, rhythm games, rhythm songs, singing with movement, and games.

- brought to the child in a imitation way, Waldorf-inspired

- each lesson has a video, showing you how to do it

*One thing you won't have to worry about is reading music. There is no hurry to do this with your child because this comes later in a child's education. You will be learning by ear along with my examples in the book and video. It is written to go along with a six-year-old, but if you have older kids, you can still benefit from learning how to play the penny whistle, also you can benefit from the many songs, games, hand claps, techniques and much more.

For all those who are NEW mothers and want to get a head start on playing the penny whistle and singing songs, volume 1 is a great place to start.