Perhaps it’s the early winter sunsets, but everyone was a bit sleepy when I arrived at Ernestine. Jakey, one of the most enthusiastic kids, was out like a light until about halfway through the class. Though it took a bit of time to get everyone into the energy, the frog songs and wooden frog (Instrument of the Week) brought everybody’s focus back in. The kids shared the frog around the circle very well, and enjoyed making funny frog faces along with it.
Everyone had such great energy today. I brought animal week to Birkdale and they had a blast wearing the animal head bands and acting out their favourite animals during our circle song time. We finished off the class with a classic Bob Marley tune named Three Little Birds and The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
Today started off a bit chaotically, as the kids were calming down from their toy time before I arrived. At first it seemed like I would be fighting to hold their focus for the duration of the class, but Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes brought them all back. We sang Elephants Marching, and all the kids held hands as we walked around in a circle. They kept holding hands for Hello/Goodbye scales, and kept that same collective energy for the sharing of the bean bag around the room. It's a large group, but they work well together!
Wow! So much dancing at Robertson House today, including one 16 month old girl who came for the first time! It’s always encouraging to see that the kids have gained the confidence to stand up and dance during the jam session. They definitely have some great moves. Despite some latecomers, the class steadily grew to a large group today. Lots of parents too!
We had a great time with our CultureLink participants this week. Due to the weather the group was a bit smaller this time around, but parent attendance was great! I was very impressed with how quickly the kids grasped how to play our instrument of the week, the kalimba. One girl got a big round of applause when she played a full scale on the kalimba on her first try. Looking forward to more great classes!
Some of the kids from last week were out with their mom this week, but we still had an enthusiastic group of 4-5 year olds, plus one newborn. The kids were freshly energized from their dinner, so I made sure to include all the bouncy songs I could think of. The best part of the class was Little Green Frog, which I slowed down in the intro, giving the kids the chance to really milk it with their funny faces, and make each other laugh. Unfortunately we didn’t have quite enough space for a parachute this week, but that was made up for with the shell shaker, which I brought as a special instrument, and the kids shared it without any fuss. Everyone sang along during the jam, and finished off with big high fives and big smiles.
Today I brought the Middle Eastern Darabouka (also nicknamed the Dumbek) to class today. The kids were mesmerized with the sounds it can make and the Middle Eastern rhythm I taught them (named the Baladi rhythm). One child found a steady beat and even shook his hips to the beat as he hit the drum steadily. We also explored team work as we practiced rowing our boat and singing to the beat with the rainbow stretchy rope that I brought along.
Today was another gigantic group. The staff members at the Plaza set up the room so that the parents formed a sort of barrier between the kids and the toys on the other end of the room. It was very effective, and the organization of the room made things quite cozy, and the kids seemed more engaged as a result. There was lots of talk back (mostly positive… occasionally disruptive, but still from an enthusiastic place), but that made for an excellent version of I’m In the Mood For Singing, in which the kids shouted out suggestion after suggestion, and delighted in having some input into the song.
An emotional moment came after class, when one of the parents told me that she was celebrating her mother’s life on the anniversary of her passing, which was always attached to the song Three Little Birds by Bob Marley, which I happened to play during the jam. She was stunned at the coincidence, and thanked me for playing it. Suffice to say, I was stunned as well.
Lots of fun with our group at Robertson House today! The kids and grown-ups were very engaged throughout the class. Everyone really had fun shaking their sillies out during the movement portion of the class. When it came to tip-toe around the circle like mice, it was awesome to see everyone so focused on being as quiet as possible. Great way to learn about musical dynamics! Looking forward to next week’s class.
We had a great class with our CultureLink participants today. Overall, the young ones were very focused and engaged with the music and movement. We had a lot of fun with the wooden Thai frogs (wood blocks). We paired the sound of the frogs with the rain sticks and all closed our eyes to imagine we were in the rainforest. It actually sounded like we were! The kids were so quiet and listened very intently. Looking forward to next week’s class!
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