How tweet it is ...

In 140 characters or less, parents, Educators, and studio owners twitter about their Kindermusik experiences. Take a look!

Parents

Cellists

New Educators

Vocal coaches

Dubai!

Community Centers

Bloggers

Face to Face Training

Photo taken from Helen Peterson's Kindermusik class in Minneapolis, MN

Face to Face training
Teaching a curriculum based on years of proven and ongoing research is one thing. Learning from the experience of your peers -- sharing frustrations, road blocks, and learning from them -- is one of the greatest benefits of teaching Kindermusik.

From the first day of online training, you'll find you're instantly connected to a network of over 5,000 Educators around the world, solving problems, growing businesses, and leaning on each other for support.

And if you need solutions closer to home, you can always find someone to reach out to in a way that works with your busy life. For example, here's how Kindermusik Educator Karen Schanerberger helps Educators stay connected and learning from each other:

• Sign up for the email newsletter
• Attend face to face training
• If you can't attend the meeting, you can Skype in

We'd love to help you get connected today. Please call and ask about how you can get started teaching Kindermusik. We're here to help.

Ready for the "new" classroom?

"The classroom, as we understand it from the industrial model, where we had kids sitting in rows, with a person standing in front, delivering information to a group who was assumed to be all of the same capabilities -- and that would be tested on their memory at the end of the year, and a report given, and said, 'Well that equals "they're learning" ' --  is a nonsense in a connected online world. So that is dead.

"What we're doing now, what we're seeing now, is the emergence of a new way to go about schooling."

Greg Whitby, Executive Director of Schools

Why listen to Whitby?

In 2007 he was named the most innovative and creative educator in Australia's Bulletin Magazine, as well as named Apple's Distinguished Educator for "his contribution to the implementation of Learning Technologies in Education."

We like the way Whitby thinks.

Since its creation over 25 years ago, the Kindermusik classroom was founded on research proven techniques to honor each child's learning ability. We also created a classroom that allows children to move and learn at their own pace. And we created a training program that gives educators the information and connection to each other -- using new technology --  to help prepare parents and children for a lifetime of learning.

The new classroom Whitby describes strongly aligns with the Kindermusik method.

• Agile learning space -- Movement and learning go hand in hand in the Kindermusik classroom, literally. From hands-on activities, to circle dances, to music-playing.
• Sound learning "theory of practice" - a recognition that the world is different now, because of the information age, and education needs to change with it -- Kindermusik's curricula is based on over 25 years of proven and ongoing research into the way children think, move and express.
• Personalized Education -- You'll receive training which allows you to recognize and honor each child's individual learning abilities.
• Allows Educators to work collaboratively -- Kindermusik's online classroom connects you to over 5,000 Educators teaching in classrooms around the world.

In the video, Whitby says the campfire was the first classroom, which eventually gave way to the creation of aschools. It took a while for the campfire to give way to new innovation, Whitby says, and now it's time for the traditional classroom to make room for a new kind of learning.

We'd love to help you learn more about how Kindermusik is helping children and Educators around the world prepare for the "new classroom." Call today.

Work Out

So much is happening in this Kindermusik photo right now.

This child is getting the physical movement he needs to prepare for a lifetime of reading. And the adult is getting out from behind the desk, or behind the wheel, and into a Kindermusik class, moving to a steady beat. More and more studies show that adults – as well as children – need more time to move every day.

Take a look:

“Today’s children sit more than ever. Babies spend hours confined in car seats and carriers rather than crawling, toddling or being carried. …Children have 25 percent less time for free play than they did a generation ago, and that’s before factoring in distractions like TV or video games.” GeekMom, Reading Readiness

What’s worse than that? The amount of time adults spend sitting in a chair during the course of a day.

A recent study found that we’re sitting around a lot more – we, meaning us, the adults – and reversing that trend, says the American Cancer Society, can help you live longer.

Make your move. Help more families incorporate music and movement into their lives. Teach Kindermusik.

Not bad for a day's work, eh?

Helen Peterson is a Kindermusik educator based in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. In this video, she welcomes new families to her fall classes, and provides just a glimpse into what children and their caregivers can experience in a Kindermusik class:

• exposure to a wide variety of music -- from Classical music to multi-lingual folk songs from around the world
• activities to develop physical coordination and critical thinking skills 
• activities to develop a child's multi-sensory learning strengths
• weekly classes to create a sense of community among new parents 
• experiences to develop a new parent's sense of "parenting esteem" (self-esteem)

You can do so much for the new families in your community -- and yourself! -- when you become a Kindermusik Educator.

Give us a call, we'd love to tell you more about how to get started.

The Kindermusik Experience....

Some refer to it as a calling, a way of life that embodies professional experience with personal advocacy. Some see it as an entreprenuerial adventure that brings music, education, and early childhood development full circle. Some even say, Kindermusik is a learning experience for the educator, as well as, the student.

Kindermusik's emphasis is truly on the family and the importance of the child -- helping the child to unfold, giving them an opportunity to be creative. Our focus is on nurturing the joys of childhood through music and movement.

If you love children, and want to seem them blossom through the gift of Kindermusik, this rewarding career is for you. Take control of your life! Join the Kindermusik community. Set your own hours, develop your own fee structure, establish classes in a location that works best for you. Call us today.

What do you hear?

This is a wonderful article posted on our Minds on Music Blog, October 15th 2010 at 2:21 pm, by Theresa Case. Theresa's Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios in Greenville, SC is among the top 1% of Kindermusik programs worldwide. I thought you would enjoy reading it.

Pitter, patter, pitter, patter… I can HEAR the rain.

Musically speaking, rain sounds are short sounds. The musical term “staccato” refers to sounds that are separated and often short. It’s the perfect word to use when playing with – and describing – rain sounds. But did you know that being able to identify a sound as “short” (staccato) or “long” (legato) actually involves some pretty high-level thinking and listening skills?

Active listening differs from simple hearing in that we must choose it as an intentional act. Analytical listening, like the kind we will do in Kindermusik class when we explore different shaker sounds and mimic and identify a variety of rain sounds, takes the development of our music listening skills to a whole new level.

Analytical listening is an absolutely vital skill, for music class and for life because it requires children to:

• Evaluate what is heard and comprehended
• Contemplate and reflect
• Weigh new information against what is already known
• Discuss by sharing thoughts, opinions, and viewpoints
  

As Kindermusik teachers, it is an awesome privilege for us to be able to help shape a child’s disposition and aptitude for learning music - practicing the skills that lead to competency and enjoyment and encouraging the attitude that music is fun. Music truly is a powerful tool for representing ideas and expressing individuality, especially when a child develops the ability to listen analytically.

In the Kindermusik classroom where so many of the senses are often engaged simultaneously and where imagination can soar, musical learning truly has the potential to be the strongest and most powerful.