The first week back at Arise was full of love and appreciation. Everyone is so happy to see me with a warm welcome. The school age students learning vocals and ukulele are so dedicated and are always thrilled to get to work once our group class is finished. The progress is slow but substantial. Each student paving their own path through their musical learning.

Counting, Dancing, and Reading

Our first class today was very dance-focused, and I think we all needed it! There was lots of sibling energy in the room that was best worked around with call and response and dancing games, and we had a good talk about the importance of listening to each other in class, which we practiced by going around the circle and allowing each person to come up with their own dance that the group would repeat back. In the second hour, we focused more on piano and sight reading, elaborating off our major scale solfege exercises and beginning to look at more of the songs in the music binder. As always, the kids were attentive, polite, and excited to learn. What a great group of students!

Learning and Listening

I’m so happy about where today’s classes went, because they highlighted the most important musical instrument we have: our ears. In the first hour, one participant started out quite shy and didn’t want to talk much, so we played some musical call and response games, and that got her in the spirit. We did some mindful listening with the ting sha bells, and soon she was feeling social enough to sing Solfege with me, which we then took to the piano. During the second hour we also did some mindful listening and rhythm practice, and at the end we focused on one of the students’ favourite songs from the previous week: POV by Ariana Grande. We all listened to the song, focusing for elements in the music and instrumentation that jumped out at us. It was great to hear what the students are listening for, and we all agreed (staff included) that we were all able to hear so much more out of the song when we took the time to just use our ears. This will definitely be an exercise to repeat.

Breathing and Singing Together

The first hour at the Redwood this time was a bit of a smaller group, but it was great to keep getting to know the kids better. We started off with some mindful breathing exercises, and focused on counting while breathing in and out for extended periods of time. That certainly helped calm some of the energy in the room (along with a rendition of Shake Your Sillies Out), and we were able to spend some time getting into the musical elements of the kids’ favourite songs from last week. We tapped out the rhythm of one of the songs, and because the song is a rap that increases in speed over the course of the song, we used that opportunity to talk about rhythms in double time and half time. The second hour was quite rhythmic as well, and I was amazed at how focused and thoughtful the kids were when talking about music, and during our Rose Bud Thorn check in. They’re not shy at all about singing and sustaining their notes together, and I can feel how excited they are to learn more!

Introductions and Body Percussions

What a wonderful way to be introduced to everybody at the Redwood! Our first class was a mixed age group, and the kids were enthusiastic to share a lot of their favourite songs and had no qualms about singing them on the spot. One staff member was also very helpful, playing the songs on her phone as the kids were mentioning them. It was a great way to get to know what gets everyone excited about music! We talked about the building blocks of music and focused some time on Solfege as an introduction to learning the major scale on the piano. When the next group of kids joined in the second hour, some of the previous kids didn’t want to leave! We continued with some piano basics, but what really energized the room was practicing counting musically with body percussion, which the kids got into without any problem. The staff and kids at the Redwood were so enthusiastic, they stuck around to keep playing music on the keyboard even after I left!

Introducing the Ukulele

We had a great first day of ukulele classes at the Redwood. The participants were so excited they couldn’t wait for their group to start. We talked about the parts of the instruments and the many ways it can be played. We learned our playing position and played some strumming patterns together. We also learned how to read chords from a chord chart and jammed to simple songs like Row Your Boat. Lots of fun discovering this magical instrument!

Empowered and Strong

We had another great turn-out with every mom equally invested in the group. The group had a warm and safe energy that allowed for an openness to share. After completing a meditation, we sang some music and talked about the lyrics in the songs. The mothers shared about their strengths, the things that make them who they are, and they took turns telling each other what made them proud to be themselves.

Welcome!

The young musicians at Arise have been enjoying exploring new instruments. This week we listened to and examined the rain stick. Together everyone took their turn on the rain stick while the others created rain and thunder using their hands as percussion. The dynamics of the group are always changing as families often come and go from Arise. Making music together is such a wonderful way to welcome new residents into the community.

New Beginnings

Despite some technical difficulties, the moms of the shelter met for music therapy. Since it was the first session back from the break, I shared about the benefits of music in healing and wellness. The moms then sang along with me and shared about their support systems. They also shared with the group words that represented strength and support, and turned those words into positive affirmations in song.

Pure Magic

It is truly magical how I can arrive to our program feeling exhausted from my day and walk out of our music class completely refreshed and energized. The children in this group are all working from different levels of ability. They love to help each other and share. There is a wonderful vibe in a mixed ages class where everyone gets to learn from each other. I love to observe as participants navigate the class at their own pace and join in when they are inspired by a song or an instrument. It is a joy to watch it unfold.