Puppet Show with Vivaldi

Antonio Vivladi was born in Venice, Italy in 1678.  

Vivaldi's father taught him to play violin and they performed together. (Do you look forward to playing piano duets with your student?)  He was ordained a priest and nicknamed "The Red Priest" for his red hair, but left the ministry and spent most of his life composing and teaching music.  His "Four Seasons" is a very popular piece, and you're sure to enjoy this artistic rendition with some cool sand animation.

(watch the first 4 minutes.)

Orchestra-Magical Lamp

Have your kids watch and listen to Aragonaise from Carmen (Magical Lamp):



Did your child pick out all of the different characters in the music?

Intervals are Worth Knowing

If you're in the second year of Let's Play Music, you're about to get to know intervals very well.

in·ter·val /ˈintərvəl/  - the difference in pitch between two notes

Soon your student will reliably identify the sight and sound of harmonic intervals: two notes played at the same time, thanks to our turtle shells.  Astute students will also realize that melodies are made of up melodic intervals: notes played one after the other.  That's right...a baby step is a melodic second and a skip is a melodic third.

So, why the big emphasis on intervals?  Here are a few good reasons you'll be glad to hear, "My intervals: I know them very well!"

Music Reading

You may have heard that it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteers be at the rghit pclae.  That's not exactly true, but the take-home message is that humans read words in chunks, not letter-by-letter, and the parallel is true for music.

In the 3rd year of Let's Play Music, your child will learn how to read and play every note from the staff, but playing note-by-note through every song would be slow and laborious.  Musicians can learn to read music with ease and fluidity (remember how many hours of practice it took to read storybooks with ease and fluidity?), but they don't do it by thinking of each note as an 'A' or a 'G'.  They use intervals and chord shapes to quickly interpret music!

You've seen this on the bells in the first year classes: once the first note is identified, the melody can be quickly read by considering steps and skips up and down the staff.  Likewise, with  practice, your student can use intervals, scales and chord shapes to read chunks of notes with two part or thicker textures moving independently throughout a piece of piano music.

 Singing

Sight-singing is slightly different from reading at the piano.  Singers interpret the written music and audiate the melodic intervals.  This powerful skill can be improved with practice in Let's Play Music classes.  Hearing harmonic intervals also enables singers to harmonize a part in a choir, unlocking the joys of singing with friends and choir ensembles.

 Composing

Have you ever had a little tune playing in your mind?  Would you love to jot it down and flesh it out into a complete composition?  A first step is to follow that melody interval-by-interval to discover the notes.  Next, add some red, yellow, and blue chords for harmonization, and you'll be well on your way to creating an excellent composition like the3rd year Let's Play Music students do.

So keep up the ear-training to identify those intervals, because, "that's the nicest sound I've ever heard!"

-Gina Weibel, M.S.
Let's Play Music Teacher

Musical Journey

1st Years:  

Students with their Red Balloons 

2nd Years:  

Learning about Green Turtle Shells 

3rd Year:  

Purple Magic students with wands

Upcoming Dates

Park Day
Let's Play Music & Sound Beginnings is going to have a Park Day on Tuesday, August 5th from 11am - 1pm at the Miramont Park.  Wear your LPM t-shirt (if you have one), pack a picnic (if you want), or just drop in for a few minutes!  Ms. Emily, Ms. Aimee, and Ms. Ruth will provide popsicles and hugs!  All LPM & SB students, graduates, families, and friends are welcome!  If you are NEW to music class, this is a perfect time to meet others in the program!

Parent Meeting
Each year, parents come to a mandatory Parent Orientation Meeting for each level they have a child enrolled.  These meetings explain the Let's Play Music philosophy and vision.  Parents receive tips on how to get the most out of the musical experience and ask questions.  Student materials are handed out at the meeting...so you can start listening to the CDs with your kids!

Let's Play Music Parent Meetings will be on Thursday, August 21 at my home.
1st Year at 6:00 pm
2nd Year at 7:00 pm
3rd Year at 8:00 pm

Sound Beginnings' Orientation information will be emailed and discussed in the first class.

LPM Parents:  thank you for attending the Meeting and for your commitment to your child & this program.  If you have a conflict with Thursday evening, let me know ASAP and you may attend one of the other LPM studios' meeting.  (1st year at Ms. Ruth's on Tuesday the 20th OR all 3 years at Ms. Aimee's Wednesday the 21st.)

Start Date
Classes start on Tuesday, August 26th or on Wednesday, August 27th.  ALL parents for ALL classes attend that first lesson.  I will give you a detailed calendar at the Parent Meeting.

I look forward to starting another exciting musical year!  Please contact me if you have questions.

Still space in Sound Beginnings classes

Sound Beginnings is a course to develop intelligence and confidence in children ages 2-4 years old in a setting of music, play and parental nurturing!  Sound Beginnings introduce academic and musical concepts.  

Click on the demonstration video below:

Welcome to Sound Beginnings!  Where parent and child learn to play and interact in a nurturing, loving way.  Folk songs, finger plays, story books, and circle games delight children as they have for centuries.  Leave the digital world behind and come to a place where human touch is the best teacher.  Nestled safely in a beautiful music, is the curriculum that is a sound beginning.

This fun curriculum is specifically designed for ages 2-4 and their parents.  By providing a solid music and preschool foundation, Sound Beginnings prepares students for success in Kindergarten and Let's Play Music!  The curriculum is organized into four non-sequential semesters.  Each semester is four months long and provides experience with important music concepts and skills through different songs and games.  Classes include singing, movement, games stories, and activities, focusing on different concepts each semester including ABC's, letter sounds, sign language, solfeg, singing in tune, counting, shape recognition, colors, and so much more!

Registration has begun for the next school year's morning classes.

Tuition is $160 /semester ($40 /month)
    Discounts for siblings:
    2nd student tuition, ages 2-4 is $20 /month and $10/month for ages 0-2 years.

Tell your friends and share the joy of music!

Puppet Shows 2013-2014

Here are the students from both Ms. Aimee's & Ms. Emily's studios, acting out the puppet shows.  It has been a wonderful musical year!  Enjoy your summer break!