Sunday, April 17, 2011

Music Tip #71May I hear a DRUM roll please...



I went to THE MOST FUN workshop this weekend. It was a drumming workshop by Dr. Craig Woodson. http://www.ethnomushttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gificinc.com/index.html He showed us how to make drums using cans, tape and more tape. I came home with 4 drums and enough ideas to teach all my classes next year.

Dr. Woodson was invited by Frank Thompson who is founder of the AZ Rhythm Connection. http://www.azrhythmconnection.com They offer a free standard based curriculum for teachers. "Each lesson includes: information about the instrument and its country and culture of origin; information about the special rhythms associated with the instrument and instructions on how to play along; and instructions on how to build a homemade version of the instrument."http://www.rootsofrhythm.net/curriculum.html
What kid doesn't like drums? These are so easy to make, yet sound so good! Did I mention we made a xylophone too? These instruments would be great for cub scout meetings, scout troops, general music classes, music group lessons, and more. I plan on having the students make them next year for our "found instrument" unit.

And the winner is.....

Emily and Natalie you are the winners of the two CDs!! Congratulations! Emily, your email address didn't come through and I'm not sure which Emily you are. So if you wrote a comment, please email me with YOUR email address. Natalie your CD will be coming!
Thanks to all those who commented!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Music Tip #70 CD Give Aways

OK here’s the 2 CDs I’m reviewing and giving away. Thank goodness I get to keep my copies and the publisher will mail the lucky winners their own copy.

The first CD is by Josh Wright. He is a 23 year old classical pianist who combines the well known classic melodies with equally well loved hymns. All I can say is AMAZING!! Who would have thought to put Clair de lune with How Great Thou Art? You have to hear it—it is so beautiful. The album has 3 hymn/classic medleys besides the other great classics such as Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" and Satie's "Gynopedi No. 1. The last piece is Liszt's "La Campanella which he plays on two grand pianos! Of course you can’t see that on the CD but you can see it here: http://joshwrightpiano.com/.

Maybe the best recommendation for buying this CD (if you don’t win it) is what my friend, Debbie, said while we were listening to it while we were sewing one evening. She said, “I’m sorry, Cathy, but I’m going to have to take your CD home with me tonight. I have to listen to it again!”

The second CD I’m reviewing actually comes with a book. It is by Hilary Weeks and is called, “Bedtime and Naptime…and Bedtime and Naptime-The Simple Joys of a Mom’s Life”. I LOVE it. The CD contains funny song parodies— like from “My Favorite Things” she names “bedtime and naptime and naptime and bedtime…” Another is “Climb every mountain, wash every load. If you’re alive and breathing, then there are clothes to fold.”

The small book contains quotes, experiences, memories, insights and recipes. One of her insights I love mentions how frustrated she got when she didn’t have big blocks of time to do what she wanted to do. She found she had to use 15 minutes here and 10 minutes there and the Lord would magnify her efforts and multiply her output. The same can happen to us.

Please leave me a comment or just your name and email address and I’ll choose two (2) lucky winners next week!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

A Give-Away is Coming!

Another give away is on the way. I'm giving away 2 CD's so watch for further information!

Parenting Tip #73 Values Journal

I stood outside on the school playground crying, desperately wishing I was home with my mother. I was a new kindergartener and very shy. As I cried, a boy came up to me—his name was Larry—and he held out a tiny, miniature green hairbrush. “Here,” he said, “you can have this if you stop crying.”
I took the small hairbrush, intrigued because it was so small and cute, and I stopped crying. I fell in love with Larry and liked him all the rest of my elementary school days.


Larry taught me about compassion—feeling another’s pain and doing something about it.

I remember this first experience that taught me about compassion. But I don’t remember my first experience learning about honesty, or patience or forgiveness. I wish I did. But I didn’t write them down.

Wouldn’t it be invaluable to have your children record their own experiences as they learn about these values and others?

My daughter-in-law, Katie, has a business called Meaningful Moments where she helps adults/children record and publish their own experiences so they can “pass on the values they’ve lived by and the lessons they’ve learned”.http://www.mymeaningfulmoments.com/ What a great legacy to leave to your posterity.

Once a month, perhaps on a Sunday, take time to have your children think of an experience they have had that helped them learn a lesson. If they are a preschooler they can draw a picture of it with you writing down in their words what happened. For older students, they can write/draw the experience and value they learned.

Buy or make a cute notebook just for these journal entries. Use gel pens, stickers or colored pencils to make the writing more fun. You’ll be accomplishing more than just preserving a history. You’ll be validating what your child has learned, you’ll be allowing your child to create and develop writing skills, and helping him think sequentially (Caution: Let this be a free, fun activity, not a school report that you are grading. Encourage your children to spell and write it in any way they want. This is their voice!).

What a great gift to give your children-the gift of remembering their childhood. And maybe, it will help you remember yours. So sit down next to your children, open up your values journal, and begin writing.

PS Here's a link to how to make THE CUTEST journals! My daughter made them for the cousins (in picture) for a Christmas gift. http://cuegly.blogspot.com/2009/09/purse-notebooks-tutorial.html

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