Contact Info

Social Media: Baby Music of Abilene, FaceBook
When: Every Thursday, 5:30 pm
Where: St. Paul United Methodist Church
Who: Parent & Child (birth-4 years)
Cost: First Class is FREE
Phone: 325.829.4440/ 325.668.3189



Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Christmas is Here!

Miss Caitlin and I can hardly believe that almost one year of Suzuki Early Childhood classes have passed!  We are having so much fun with your children!  Each week we see more learning taking place--more language, voluntary counting, keeping steady beat on hands, knees, legs, and with mallets. We are dancing this season with Celtic Woman's Carol of the Bells, which has dramatic glissandos and lovely violin solos. Michael Tilson Thomas, conducting Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, is our seasonal music for rolling the ball. The March is lively and features many instruments in the orchestra for rich listening.  Our new words for Falling Thirds with the xylophone are:
"Silent night, silent night, holy holy is the night."


We have seen three children take their first steps in class now.  Thrilling for all of us!  There is such quiet expectation before the triangle and rain stick are introduced, and putting the mouse under the chair is everyone's desire.  I am personally very happy when the children understand that it is their turn to sing, or keep the beat, or show finger play, rather than doing the "solo part."  Everyone is important in an orchestra, and everyone is important in a classroom.

At home you may want to emphasize listening, especially for instructions, and show pictures of instruments from library or other books.  It would also be helpful to talk about taking turns: we earn a turn by staying in the circle, by listening quietly to all the sounds and to every child sing and play, we also take a turn with our parent or grandparent and by doing the finger plays and singing while others are doing a solo.  Since this is how we sit in a concert and appreciate the music we are learning valuable lessons!

You may want to view this article, which reinforces that all we are doing is beneficial.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/135027758.html

See you in class!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

What a great week!



The photos are from the Tuesday morning class, but both classes were full of "firsts" this week and so much fun!  Miss K and Mr. A loved dancing with the new shakers I bought in Mexico.  They demonstrated more language, kept the beat with perfection, stacked drums, played on the cue of "fall" in Humpty Dumpty, and behaved with respect.  Miss Caitlyn and Mrs. Joyce were so excited and encouraged.

Thursday night's class was our first big class of all boys, ranging in age from 15 months to 3 years.  Little K's Mom had a cake crisis tonight, and they were absent.  Two of our boys, Mr. H and Mr. L, brothers, were attending their first class with both parents.  First of all we witnessed Mr. N roll the ball by himself. Then we saw everyone in the class offer their handshake as we sang the greeting song.  Several boys put the puppy on their shoulder or said "Tommy" as we sang Tommy Tucker.  All boys were happy to perform solos on the glockenspiel and xylophone. There were softer hands tonight, choices in songs, with two or three preferring our new song of the week for falling thirds :
Falling leaves, falling leaves, falling from the Autumn trees

Mr. B reached up and down without his Mom's prompting for high and low pitches. Drum solos were initiated by each child, even NBaby!  Additionally three of the boys played beats on their knees in perfect sync with our songs.  We had some awesome popping on cue with Pop Goes the Weasel. Criss-Cross was a big hit tonight. Wee Willie Winkie was called "Willie" by Mr. J, who offered us his most charming smiles and best behavior.  Dancing with the shakers was fun to "Jamaican Rumba" played by Brian Lewis, violinist.  We love that the piano plays a glissando just like we demonstrate on the glockenspiel.   The most exciting "first" of the evening was NBaby walking around the circle--his first steps alone! There was both participation and total quiet as Mrs. Joyce read Brown Bear.   I think we all wore one another completely out with excitement tonight.  It was AWESOME!  

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

One of a Kind

Today's class had One. One of a Kind Miss K.  Mr. A was missing because his grandmother was out of town. Miss B has moved to the Thursday night class. Miss A was just missing. One of A Kind Miss K was super at rolling the ball and she sang our new song in honor of the Monarch migration:
Butterflies, Butterflies,
Flying through the sunny skies.

Her pronunciation of "butterflies" was excellent. She even had butterflies on her shirt!  Since Miss Caitlin needed to go back to her work place quickly due to short staff, I taught alone and didn't have enough hands to photograph the fun.  

Still working on:
  • Staying in the circle
  • Non verbal encouragement
  • Listening
  • No feet or hands on the instrument keys
Doing well with:
  • Ball rolling
  • Cuckoo
  • Greeting with handshake offered freely!
  • Matching pitches
  • Keeping the beat
  • Playing pianissimo on nose and drums
  • Mooing
  • Quacking
  • Listening to story time

Friday, September 16, 2011

Progress and excitement


We have so much fun in Baby Music Class.  Progress in the past months has included finding fingers for finger play and motions to songs. And saying lyrics at the appropriate moment within the body of the songs. We see duck tails regularly. And experience silence when listening for the drum, triangle, and rain stick.  Solos on the drum, with the wood block and with other instruments with mallets have gone to a new level as mallets are being held more loosely and efforts are made to play solos with beautiful tone.  I love teaching these sweet little ones and their families! 





 Playing a solo on the glockenspiel while others in the class listen for high and low pitches, or a signal to turn around 

 Giving Mom a hug after Pat-a-Cake!

 We dance so fast that we're a blur! Skipping to my Lou!

 Shake it up, baby!


Monday, August 8, 2011

Babies Don't Keep


Rocking My Baby

Author: Unknown
Cleaning And Scrubbing
Can Wait
Till Tomorrow...

For Babies Grow Up
We've Learned
To Our Sorrow...

So Quiet Down
Cobwebs...
Dust Go To
Sleep...

I'm Rocking
My Baby,
And Babies
Don't Keep.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Exciting Observations!

Wow!  Miss Caitlin and I are so excited to see so many indications of rapid and deep learning in our two classes.  We notice that ball rolling has become less of a "me" activity and more of a "we" activity. Some children always give Caitlin and I a turn as well. Thank you! And as soon as "Cuckoo" is sung there is awareness that each person gets to hold the ball close for a turn.  Most exciting is more language and finger play --everyone offered a handshake today; several attempted counting with fingers; all formed a bowl for porridge; all found a beat on the knees and on the hands; several tried to show us ducks, frogs, bugs, and snakes in the water.

Words and signs of encouragement were abundant: "good job," "way to go," hugs, smiles, thumbs up, sweet interactions, applause, nods, and "thank yous."

Today's favorite moments were:

  1. "Scrambled Eggs" on the xylophone.  Miss A sang and played today!
  2. Triangle.  Nice listening to the ring.  Miss K said it was a "doorbell."
  3. Rainstick.  Total quiet in the room and Miss P followed with her eyes and body all around the room.  
  4. Ring around the Rosie.  Such nice mooing, counting, and buttercup picking! 

We love your comments.  That's encouraging too!
For the next two weeks, please help Miss Caitlin by coming on time and staying quietly in the circle with your partner.  I will be rocking my new Grandboy.  
Love to you!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Learning




Children in both morning and evening classes are demonstrating new learning this week.  We see many offering their hands to shake in greeting with teachers, parents, and one another as we sing our greeting song.  Our newcomer was made to feel most welcome.   Almost everyone has learned to roll the ball on the floor now.  We heard plenty of language this week in the morning class--"Bow Wow Wow" with matching pitches, "Tommy Tucker," and everyone's favorite "Bubble Bath" song with falling thirds in the evening class.  I'm pleased to observe little ones coming into the circle on their own two feet and voluntarily also. 

I was delighted to see two children demonstrate their understanding of the words "cool breeze" in our Criss Cross poem when they cupped their hands and blew over them--just as in Pease Porridge.  Smart boys and girls!

Scarf dancing was tremendously creative this week.  Miss Caitlin and Mrs. Joyce also noticed several excellent models of finger play--Six Little Ducks, Up & Down, This Old Man, to name a few.  We're still working on holding up individual fingers, but most of us are just barely two years old or have just had our first birthday.  Taking turns and listening have become commonplace.  We are still working on keeping everyone in the circle with their adult partner, and the classes tend to be pretty chatty.  Better listening would indicate more learning and peace, I think.  Occasionally someone has an "off" day and fusses a little at not being selected for a solo or not being chosen first in an activity.  Still working on that discipline.  Several weeks we have see toddlers holding a shaker egg completely still in one hand while listening as the vocalist "talks" in part of Skip to my Lou.  Great job, everybody!  Thank you for coming to Baby Music!

Please leave a comment or observation if you are in the classes.  We love feedback!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

A great class!

What an awesome small class we had today!  Two were not feeling well and one was out of town, but the two who were there, Miss A and Miss K, were in great form.  "Firsts" I noticed today:


  • Great sharing with ball rolling
  • Real handshaking, voluntarily with each person in the room at greeting time
  • Eagerness to participate in almost every activity
  • Pitch matching singing falling thirds!!!!! And language--"bubble bath" from Miss A!
  • Perfect rhythm matching with hand clapping, arm waving, drum mallet, and tub drumming.  That was awesome!!  So proud of our girls!
  • Insistence that the duck is "yellow"--memory of last week's counting six yellow ducks, even though today's song is Little White Duck.  Good memory!  
  • Holding hands in the circle and walking independently--BIG development
  • Great dancing with some awesome rhythm and egg shaking and greater endurance for dancing
  • Eensy Weensy Spider was just amazing!  I heard "eensy weensy" on pitch and in rhythm, saw motions with thumb and fingers as well as climbing the rain stick; was thrilled when they asked to sing it once again and did the motions a second time. 
  • Attention span for the entire reading of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom was excellent. And they looked for colors and letters while grandmothers were writing observations. 
  • My personal favorite "first" was a big, long hug from Miss K 


Friday, June 10, 2011

Suzuki Baby Music: Joint Attention Activities

Suzuki Baby Music: Joint Attention Activities

Suzuki Baby Music: Joint Attention Activities

Suzuki Baby Music: Joint Attention Activities

Joint Attention Activities


Participating in activities that require "joint attention" is another way of saying that two people are focused on the same task, object, or skill at the same time that they are focused on one another.  In other words, parent and baby are playing (which is a child's real work) so they are learning together while they are learning about each other.  


We may do body motions to keep a rhythm or in singing Eensy Weensy Spider. While we sing together we are looking at one another and learning the motor skills for the motions, learning the pitches for the song, learning the language and vocabulary, understanding the rhyming patterns, and making all the motions coordinate to the song.  Recently a two year old demonstrated that she understood the vocabulary in the Spider song by turning the rain stick upside down exactly as we sang the phrase "down came the rain".  We know that she understood, because she did this perfectly with the word "down" not just once, but two times--a perfect illustration of joint attention.


Another unique example of learning jointly is illustrated above as Miss Caitlyn helps Mr. N play the "falling thirds" songs on the alto xylophone.  The title "falling thirds" means that we are singing an interval of a third (from A to F#) in a descending pattern in the first notes of the song.  We sing about scrambled eggs, bubble bath, choo choo trains in these patterns while each child takes a turn holding the mallets and plays.  They learn that the high pitch is on the right and the low pitch is toward the left, just as a keyboard is arranged.  They are also learning to cross the midline of their body, which is an important skill for pre-reading (tracking words left to right) and for finding one's center.  

 Joint attention activities begin early because learning begins early.  So far our youngest learner in Suzuki Early Childhood Education classes is five months old.  She kicks her legs in a swimming motion when she sees the scarves and knows that it is time to dance.  Or maybe she just likes the colors and the Boccherini Minuet or Tchaikovsky Waltz playing as we dance.  Either way she is learning about color, creativity, rhythm, motion and hearing good examples of dance music.


As the children participate in the joint attention activities with a teacher, those who are waiting their turn are learning patience, which is very useful for real life, in school and in jobs.


In classes this week children ranging in age from 14 months to 26 months old came voluntarily, one at a time to play the xylophone with Miss Caitlyn, and when the song was finished they demonstrated that they knew how to store the mallets inside the xylophone as a signal that their turn was finished.


While each soloist is playing the xylophone the chorus of Moms, Grandparents, and babies sing and tap the xylophone's pattern on their knees.  So the song, language, pitch, rhythm, and keyboard pattern is repeated as many times as there are children in the class. Repetition fosters security!

Come join us.  Learning is so much fun!  Tuesday mornings 10 AM, Thursday evenings 6:30 PM. Call 325-668-3189 or 325-829-4440 for more information.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

May is almost gone!





Times flies when you're having fun and we are most definitely having fun in Baby Music of Abilene classes.  Tuesday morning class is mostly grandmothers and grandchildren, sometimes Moms, sometimes great-grandmothers, friends, uncles, and observers and guests.  Thursday evening class has three charming young men and Miss K with her flower headbands.  Both classes are delightful.  Last week I noticed several significant changes:

  • more participation and initiation of motions from Miss B
  • calm participation and demonstration of language understanding from Miss K
  • looseness in wrists and arms when using mallets from everyone
  • lots of giggles in listening for high/low pitches and singing familiar songs
  • demonstration that listening to the CD at home definitely fosters security in repetition
  • a preference for hearing Where is the Green Sheep? and Brown Bear at story time
  • total silence as we held our shakers still and listened to the singer "talk" in the middle of Skip to my Lou.  That was awesome listening!
We have a new helper on Tuesday mornings, who may also join us in some evening classes, Mrs. Joyce's violin student, Alex.  She loves playing with all the babies, and her younger sisters also visited us and performed their violin recital pieces for us.  Miss Caitlin will join us again for morning classes when her long term substitute job is finished in May and we are excited about that!  

Miss Caitlin and Mrs Joyce had a booth at Baby Expo Saturday, May 21 and about 200 people passed by and received coupons for a free Baby Music class.  We enjoyed showing the rain stick, lollipop drum, and scarves to visitors of all ages.  

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Returning to Joy

Mr. N smiles with encouragement and comfort from Mom

In my Wednesday morning Bible study I've been learning about being a mature person.  Let me explain that further. Not being a person of advancing age. Not being a person who "acts like an adult." But learning to be a person who can return to joy when life doesn't hand out joy filled circumstances. Even when the circumstances are painful and traumatic.  We read a vital book titled The Life Model: Learning to Live from the Heart that Jesus Gave You.   Through this book and another workbook we learned that babies from birth to three years need to be with people who love them, who look in their faces and affirm them, who value them for who they are, who help them to return to joy when they are sad, shamed, fearful, hurt or wounded.  Each time we help them return to joy we are building in them the capacity to learn to do that themselves. Each time they build capacity their brain actually signals their body to act differently, to calm, to center, to relax.  


Let's think about this just in Baby Music class.  Let's say that your child comes to class and finds a new circumstance--a new class member, an observer, a new classroom, one of the teachers is out for the day, etc. Baby reacts by crying, with shyness, showing insecurity in other ways.  What is the best action?

  • Comfort Baby by holding and talking softly
  • Take Baby into the hall or just aside in the room for a moment of quiet and comfort
  • Distract Baby with the music or words or activities under way at the moment
  • Remember that the goal is to quiet the baby and return Baby to joy, rather than to get Baby to perform or to participate.  That will come later.
  • Be aware that if Baby is watching or listening, even while not participating, that he/she is learning more than you may imagine
  • Arrive in time for ball rolling, a quietly centered activity.
  • While playing the Songs & Lullabies CD at home, try to reproduce some of the activities, motions, words, or just talk about the other children in the class and what they like to do with those songs. Make an association for your child that brings joy.  If they see that you are joyful about the class chances are better that they will be also.  
  • Listen to the CD yourself and try to memorize one song or rhyme each week.  Repeat this often with your Baby at fun times like bathing or diapering or swinging or riding in the car.  Let them know that you like the sounds of the songs and rhymes too.
  • Choose one of your Baby's favorite activities at home--watching a signing times DVD, or PBS show, or bath time, or playtime--and silently "model" the motions to one of the rhymes.  Criss Cross, 1-2 Tie my Shoe, Mulberry Bush actions are places to begin.  Smile and let Baby know that this is FUN!  Reach high and low to indicate pitches in a song.  Dance.  Use these times to return the Baby to joy.  
Not only are you contributing to your little ones' education in music and language, but you are also building in them the capacity to withstand and endure life's hard times.  Remember: 

ENCOURAGEMENT IS ESSENTIAL
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IS CRITICAL

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Grandmother Bridge


Today in music class we had the Grandmothers make a scarf bridge while the little ones danced under and through it.  The Minuet played on the iPod dock and we all danced with our scarves. 

Some of us forgot to take our scarves with us under the bridge and others decided to take a little break.

Today I read The Carrot Seed and reminded each person of how a sprout of talent is growing as they water and weed at home.  I noticed some amazing "firsts" today as well:

  • K allowed me to assist her while her grandmother tended her little sister
  • Mr. A was very soft with the mallets for Falling Thirds. He also has an amazing sense of the order of activities in the class and anticipates them.
  • Miss A played up the scale on the glock with almost no assistance.
  • Miss B was very tired, and today was her birthday, but she became very interested in dancing and in helping to stack the drums.  
  • Baby P lit up like a light bulb with each activity with a mallet!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Fun Day

As the morning class fills with more children we have more and more fun. Three or four grandmas are bringing their granddaughters, and one comes with a grandson. Another mom comes as often as she can with her daughter, and one mom comes weekly with her fairy daughter.  I call her that because she is so tiny, with big eyes and looks like she would be perfect with a wand in her hand as she holds the mallets and plays.

Each week I see progress in learning. Today I observed that "Children learn from other children" and "Practice makes Permanent."   Since my partner, Caitlin, is teaching at a permanent sub job in the public school general music program, I have the morning class alone.  The children who have been coming showed the new student, K, how to sit down in the circle and not stand all the time.  They also taught her how to take turns.  It was fascinating to see that A, the lonely little boy, knew when it was time to use the drum. He brought it to me!  And he also modeled perfectly how to sit and play the xylophone.  Little girl A was a model of quiet behavior.  Little girl B, whose Mom is probably a tiny bit frustrated with her lack of participation, actually almost played the xylophone alone and was exceptionally engaged in dancing with the scarves, which also translated well to the other children.  Each one who has practiced sharing turns showed much discipline in that today. The other discipline I noticed was that those who have attended before began folding the scarves when the music finished. And yet another discipline was in putting the mallets away at the end of playing Scrambled Eggs.  Practice=Discipline=Permanent.

Hey y'all!  Children learn from other children!  Keep playing your CD's on the days that you eat.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

New Morning Class!



Baby Music of Abilene has a new class offering at 10:00 AM.  We meet at First United Methodist Church in the MAC building, which faces Butternut Street between S. 2nd and S. 3rd.  Go to the double glass doors facing East and ring the doorbell if you find the door locked.  

Today I distributed almost 50 coupons for one free class to Mom's at Beltway Mother's Day Out. Call if you would also like a free coupon!  The director there was very gracious to allow me to do a short demonstration class and give away the coupons.  There were some interested Moms and lots of adorable babies and toddlers.  If you are interested in networking with other Moms and giving your child an excellent foundation in secure social settings, pre-reading, motor skills,  music and much more.  Come join us.  More information at 325-829-4440.  

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Class News




At last Winter seems to be behind us and Spring is in the air!  Baby Music of Abilene is planting some seeds as well. Come grow with us! 

  • Classes at First United Methodist Church in the MAC building, which is in the east parking lot. Enter through the double glass doors facing east toward Butternut Street: 
  • Thursday evenings 6:30-7:30 
  • Tuesday mornings  10:00-11:00    At this posting this is Grandmothers and their grandchildren.  Moms and children are also welcome.  We love Grandmothers!  And we move at a slower tempo in this class!

  • The first class you attend is free.  
  • Deposit to hold your place and purchase the booklet and CD for home use is $43.00.  
  • Monthly tuition is $45.00 and is paid by the semester in one check or with post-dated checks for each month

  • Look for us at Beltway Baptist Mother's Day Out, March 24 from 8:45-9:15 a.m.  We're offering information and a mini class to Moms with children enrolled in that program 
  • Come visit us at the Baby Expo at Primetime, May 21st, 11-4pm.  40 or more vendors of interests to parents and expecting parents.
  • Call 829-4440 or 668-3189 for more information about Baby Music, and check the web site below as well.  

Monday, February 21, 2011

We are Famous!

Hannah Boen, writer, and Thomas Metthe, photographer, did a fabulous and professional Sunday newspaper article about Baby Music of Abilene.  You can see it here, with all the amazing photos of Baby Noah.  Thank you Hannah and Thomas! 
 Caitlin and Noah at the end of a class, reading a book.