Music Appreciation, part 2

If you missed part one, you can read/watch the clips here.

A few weeks ago we picked up a copy of Disney's Fantasia from the local thrift store.  I hadn't seen this show in years!  And my kids never had.  Now we enjoy watching a segment together once in a while.

I love that they are being exposed to a variety of music, and it is so fun to be able to talk to them about what they are seeing and how it coordinates to what they are hearing.

My 3 year old, while listening to the William Tell Overture in the car recently said, "The music makes me see a picture in my head."  Yea!  His little musical self is growing!

Here are a few clips we enjoyed from Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 to share with your little ones. Some are a bit long, so don't feel that you have to watch them all in one sitting! Enjoy!

Carnaval des Animaux:


Rapsody in Blue:


Russian Flowers:


The Sorcerer's Apprentice:


The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71A:


Segment from Dance of the Hours:

Days of the Week Song!

Remember how I've been looking for a good days of the week song to go along with our calendar?  Well, I found one today on the Shafer Family Blog.  It's quick and easy and a tune we all know!  Here is is:

(Sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday too

Wednesday, Thursday just for you,

Friday, Saturday, that's the end,

Now let's say those names again!

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday!

 

I love it!

Safe in The Arms of Love: Book and CD Review

Safe in the Arms of Love: Deepening the Essential Bond with Your Baby is a wonderful book and CD combination designed to help parents and babies connect.  I found lots of information in the book to be helpful, and in line with my beliefs of the importance of parent-child bonding.

Some advice for bonding included this list:
-Touch your baby, skin to skin
-Massage your baby
-Experience eye contact with your baby
-Sing and Speak in a tender way to your baby
-Play with your baby

The music CD is wonderful! Relaxing and peaceful, we turned it on as we cleaned up toys before dinner and my three year old wanted to keep it on as we ate!

I think this book and CD set would make a great gift for any expectant parent.  I enjoyed the essays about becoming a mother and father, suggestions on specific ways to bond with your baby, and relaxing music to listen to!

Safe in the Arms of Love: Deepening the Essential Bond With Your Baby is available on Amazon.  (With free Amazon Prime shipping too!)


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Lovely Baby & Mommy CD Review

This week we received a CD from Lovely Baby to review: Lovely Baby & Mommy.  This is the first Lovely Baby CD we've listened to, and actually the first one to have lyrics.  We really enjoyed this CD!

The music is great for kids!  The songs are calming, rather than something to get the kids hyped up with.  Most of the singing is by an adult, but there are periodic sounds from a baby and words from a young child.  Amy loved these!  Every time she heard a baby sound she would say "baby!" enthusiastically.

If you are interested in this CD, or any of the other award winning Lovely Baby CDs, visit their website.  They offer free shipping to the US and Canada.  You can also listen to some of their songs before buying here.

This would make a great mother's day gift, one for kids and mama both!



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com created by WebBizIdeas a Minneapolis SEO and Web Design firm. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Music Appreciation

Lately I've been spending more time in the Children's music section of our library. I wanted to give my kids a taste of different cultures, and have found that music is a great way to do this!

It amazes me how my children react to music. In a few measures of music my kids can be calmed or excited, ready to sway back and forth or jump up and down, all depending on the beat, tempo, and feel of the music.

I have also loved how long music can hold their attention. Occasionally my 3 year old son will ask to go to the next song, but most always he wants to hear it all.

In addition to checking out music from the library, we've been watching some fun cultural music videos on YouTube. So grab your kids and watch these together; here are some we like:


Japanese Drumming (warning: your child may want to drum on everything after watching this video!)


The Vienna Boy's Choir singing Still, Still, Still in German:



Irish Dancing and Drumming from Riverdance: (The whole company of dancers comes on stage at about time 1:21)


A piece from Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky:


Some bagpipe music:


Ohio State Marching Band:



Steel Drums playing Under the Sea from the Little Mermaid:


I may have to post some more another day. There is so much good music out there!

PS: If you check out world music at your library, I recommend looking for it first in the kid's section, or previewing a CD from the adult section just to make sure it's appropriate for children.

Singing the Day Away

My little one loves music, but I find that whenever he wants to sing a song, the same three or so come to my mind. To broaden our singing horizons, I made a jar with little slips of paper inside, each with the title of a children's song. When we have "music time" we take turns pulling out a little paper and singing the song listed. This has been great fun!

Here is a list of common children's songs, and although I know there are many more, this was a good place to start for us. If you're interested you can copy and paste the titles, print them off and cut them out for your own "Music Time Song Jar."

PS: I'd love to hear of a favorite song you and your munchkins enjoy singing!

(If you are not familiar with a song, skip it, google it, or look on the free music web site for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, where several of the songs come from.) Happy Singing!

Songs for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Hickory, Dickory, Dock
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Baa, Baa Black Sheep
Pat-A-Cake
This Little Pig Went to Market
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
The Wheels on the Bus
Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree
If You’re Happy and You Know It
Ring Around the Rosie
The Hokie Pokie
Old McDonald’s Farm
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Once There was a Snowman
I'm a Little Tea Pot
The More We Get Together
Hinges
The Wise Man and the Foolish Man
Happy Birthday
Open, Shut Them
Pop! Goes the Weasel
ABC Song
Hush Little Baby
Little Bunny Foo Foo
The Ants go Marching
Down by the Bay
She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain When She Comes
I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
Boom Boom Ain’t it Great to be Crazy?
Do Your Ears Hang Low?
London Bridge is Falling Down
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Itsy, Bitsy Spider