Bang on the Drums All Day! Part 1

Everyone loves the drums! They’re fun and expressive and there are so many different kinds. Drums belong to the percussion family meaning they are played by being shaken or hit. Drums are at the heart of any musical groove. They provide a driving beat that can make us want to dance and move. We’re going to discover how drums can be used for musical games and activities, too. Let’s start by making some drums of our own, and then exploring family music-making activities so you can bang on the drums all day!

Make Your Own Drum
It’s easy to do with just a few household items. Here’s what you’ll need:
• One empty coffee can with a plastic lid (one can per drum)
• Two wooden spoons (two sticks per drum)
• Construction paper, markers, crayons, paint, glitter and other decorative items of your choice to make your drum festive and fun!
• Scissors
• Glue or tape

Decorate your coffee-can drums and play them with the handle end of the wooden spoons. For a unique drum sound, put a layer of coffee beans, rice, small pebbles, or popcorn kernels at the bottom of the can. Experiment with different materials and discover together how the sound (timbre) of the drum changes.

Next we’ll add some drum rhythms and games for the whole family to play!

Your Child’s First Concert

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Three “M”s to maximize the experience!

Do you remember the very first concert you attended as a child? Whether it was a symphony orchestra, a rock band, or a sing-along with your favorite children’s artist, your first-time concert experience was probably a memorable one. There is nothing like the sound of a live musical performance, the excitement of the crowd, and the connection felt between the performers and the audience. If you are getting ready for your child’s first concert, here are some fun things you can do—before and after the concert—to help make it an even more meaningful experience.

Prelude
Three “M”s, to focus on before the concert: Music, Milieu, and Manners.

1. Music: Getting to Know You!
The best way to maximize the concert experience is to listen to the music several weeks before the show. Buy the artist’s most recent CD and actively listen to it together. Familiarity is bliss! Although the saying isn’t an elegant one, it’s true. (Can anyone say “oldies” collections?) Take some time to help your child get to know the music she will be hearing at the concert. Dance to it, sing with it, and discover your favorite pieces together. Read stories or articles about the band or composer. Draw pictures of what the band might look like on stage performing. Your child will feel more connected to the overall concert experience if she’s gotten to know the music ahead of time.

Talk about the band, the musicians, and their instruments. What kind of group will it be? Is it a concert band, orchestra, jazz band, folk group? What are the names of the instruments will you be hearing? What instrument families do they belong to? What styles of music will the band be playing? Do you have other recordings in those styles? Listen to them together and compare.

2. Milieu: Here at last!
What is this place going to be like? Talk about the concert/theater setting. It is a very different place for first-time concertgoers. Explain that there will be musicians on stage. They will be playing and singing through microphones that are connected to a sound system with speakers. Explain that the sound system enables vocalists to use their regular singing voices and still be heard by everyone in the audience; even the ones seated way back in the last row.

In addition to the sound system, talk about the show’s lighting system. The lights will project different colors on stage to support the songs. Speaking of lights, be sure to share that they will probably flicker on and off when it’s time to be in your seats, and they will dim as the show begins.

Talk about who you will see on stage. (conductor, instrumentalists, singers) Who will you interact with before the show? (ticket-taker, the usher, the snack vendor) Explain that there will be other people there to see the show sitting in front of you, behind you, and on either side of you. Being aware of the surroundings ahead of time will help your child to relax and enjoy the show.

3. Manners: Excuse me, Pardon me, Excuse me…
Talk to your child about concert-specific manners known as “concert etiquette.” The time to clap, for example, varies by the style of music being performed. Some of us have learned the hard way that you don’t clap in between movements of a classical piece, but in a jazz concert, you clap in the middle of the song each time an instrumentalist finishes a solo. Talk about what’s appropriate for the concert you’ll be attending. There are other concert etiquette considerations such as when it is ok to talk and move about. Will there be an intermission? What is a standing ovation? Why does the band come out and play another song after they’ve already said goodbye? The more your child knows about the rules of the concert game, the more comfortable she’ll be, and the better the overall experience.

Postlude: The Reviews Are In!
Once the show is over, it’s time to put on your critics hats and review the performance together! Talk about your favorite part of the show. Was there a least-favorite part? Were there any surprises in the show? Would you recommend the concert to your friends? Why or why not? Compare/contrast the concert to the recordings you listened to at home weeks before the show. How was the live performance different from the recorded version? Which did you like better? Why?

I hope these tips help you to maximize your child’s first concert experience. Studies show that experiences in music are important to developing the whole child. Attending musical performances are an important part of those experiences, and so much fun to share together.

Enjoy the show!

Family Music Activites, Part 3

Here is the third installment of some fun family music activities to share. Enjoy!

Rhythms All Around
Car wiper blades, heartbeat, washing machine, dryer, clocks, raindrops, etc. Help your child to listen for the rhythms of the sounds all around. Talk about the sounds you’ve found together that have a steady rhythm, and sounds you’ve found that have an unsteady rhythm. Play examples of steady and unsteady rhythms for each other using instruments, pots and pans, or even clapping hands.

Musical Listening
Listen to music together and ask your child about the sounds he/she hears. Is it high/low (pitch), fast/slow (tempo)? What instruments do you hear? Is the singer a male, female, or child’s voice? Try this activity using all different kinds of styles of music. Look for similarities and differences across styles. Have fun discovering music together.

Live Performances
Go to concerts, recitals and other musical performances—including performances with Debbie and Friends—whenever possible! Check out GoCityKids.com for local listings.

Family Music Activies, Part 2

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Here are some more family music activities to share.

Name that Tune
Hum the first several notes of a familiar song and challenge each other to guess the song. Give clues: Is the familiar song about an animal, a holiday, or something up in the sky? Take turns being the singer.

Hide and Go Play
The listener stands in the kitchen. The player takes a drum or shaker into another room of the house and plays some beats. The listener has to guess what room the player is in by the way the beats sound. Take turns.

Make Instruments
Drum: Fill a coffee can, oatmeal carton, or other large cylinder with dried beans to make a snare drum. Use wooden spoons as drum sticks.

• Shaker: Fill and empty plastic bottle or film canister with dried beans or popcorn kernels.

• Kazoo: Cover one end of an empty toilet paper roll with wax paper, fasten with a rubber band and hum through the open end to make a kazoo.

Family Music Activies, Part 1

Here are some fun ways to add music making to your family’s day. This is the first of a three-part series.

Sing Together
Studies show that a parent’s voice is a young child’s favorite sound. Sing with your child every day, and don’t worry about how you think you sound!

Make Up Your Own Songs (Parodies)
Make up new words to familiar songs together. You can try songs about a pet, friends, family, the morning routine, school, putting toys away, or anything at all.

Name that Sound Game
Play a typical sound from the kitchen and have your child identify the sound while listening from the next room. You can play sounds that are as easy as running water, or as challenging as pouring cereal into a bowl.

Kids and Parents Sharing A Musical Experience

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I feel like the luckiest person in the world when performing a Debbie and Friends concert. This past weekend, my trio had the great honor to perform for 300+ kids, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends at the Needham Public Library in Needham, MA. It was an incredibly moving experience! Everyone was singing and clapping and making music together. Here is a link to some pictures.

Music is important part of a child’s development, and sharing music with family is a powerful, wonderful bonding experience.

I really do feel lucky to be able to share in those experiences through Debbie and Friends!

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Roger H. Brown on Music for Children

Roger H. Brown, President of Berklee College of Music, shares his thoughts on the importance of music for child development, cultural awareness, communication, and family connections.

Beethoven’s Wig Just Got Bigger!

Learning that’s fun is impactful and lasting. For years, Beethoven’s Wig has provided a fun path to learning about classical music for children.

This month, Beethoven’s Wig 4 was released and once again it is where humor, classical music, and music education come together as one. And this time, to the delight of children and families everywhere, the collection is based on famous dance pieces.

The previous three Beethoven’s Wig CDs have won 40 national awards, and garnered Grammy® Award nominations in 2003, 2005 and 2007. The Sing Along Symphonies were featured on NBC’s Today show and National Public Radio’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

Beethoven’s Wig 4 is sure to follow similar acclaim… the music is wonderful, the lyrics are so clever, funny and inventive, and the cover art is incredible: Saturday Night Fever meets Beethoven… Great stuff! Beethoven’s Wig 4 is simply wonderful and should be part of every family’s music collection and every music educator’s classroom. Highly recommended.