Our studio values are the foundational pillars we have built this studio on. They are joy, connection, family, growth, and heart.
Let’s talk about FAMILY.
The family is the foundational unit of society. Without functional families we don’t have a functional society. Children rely upon their families for safety, care, love, learning, support, and all their many needs.
One of our goals at Song of the Heart Studios is to support your family’s growth and connection. One of the ways we do this is through sprinkling parenting tips throughout our Little Learner classes.
Our team is trained in Conscious Discipline and has a wealth of knowledge and experience on how to co-regulate with children, how to manage an unregulated child, how to calm yourself first and be more effective when you interact with your child, and more. Sometimes we may give little gold nuggets of parenting or child development information. Most of time we model how to positively interact with children and build connection with them.
Beyond that, we recognize the value in all family structures. Modern families can be structured in a variety of ways and we have seen a lot of different types of caregivers bring children to our studios. We honor all caregivers and the role they play in a child’s life. Birth parents, adoptive parents, foster parents, grandparents, nannies, neighbors, aunts, uncles, au pairs, and more. Whatever role you play in a child’s life it is an important and valuable one, and we want to support you in it.
When you bring your child to our music classes you are providing them with an experience of safety, joy, exploration, and connection. This will build your relationship with them and give them a sense of security within that relationship. They know you are their safe place.
While we want to empower caregivers and provide connective activities for your family, we also recognize our wider studio family. All of you are our “Heart-ies.” You contribute to the culture here in our studio and bring value to our educators and to the other children and caregivers in your class.
Music is a universal bonding agent that has strengthened communities throughout human history. We all play a part in building that bond. Thank you for being part of this community, our Song of the Heart “family”, and for contributing to the joy that is found within our walls.
We ended our 2017-2018 season with a bang at our annual Family Jam! Thanks to those of you who came to celebrate! Kicking off the event, we watched our precious Kindermusik graduates showcase their musical abilities and perform for their loved ones. It made us reflect upon all they have learned in the years they have been with us and how much joy we have shared. Transitions are always bittersweet; we will miss our graduates so, and yet we have so much joy in seeing them perform in a big ensemble.
After the graduation we had the wonderful opportunity to enjoy a comedic magic show by Magic Brooklyn, indulge in tasty treats provided by Pink Beehive Cotton Candy and Walker Pediatric Dentistry, make and take a simple instrument, enjoy face painting, pose with Maestro the dog, and even hear the wonderful talents of several Kindermusik graduates and parents who played and displayed their instruments for us all to enjoy.
One of the highlights of the Family Jam was the Instrument Petting Zoo, provided by Summerhays Music. We hope it inspired someone in your family to try a new instrument! Who knows what future musical journey may have received its seeds there! Did your child get to hold and touch a trumpet, or a flute, or a cello? We saw their eyes light up as they experienced the magic of gleaming brass, curious levers, slides, reeds, and bows. Best of all was the amazement they felt when they succeeded in producing sound on something so new!
Thanks to all of YOU, dear parents, grandparents, and other adult loved ones who have given your child the gift of Kindermusik at Song of the Heart Studios this past year. We hope that is has brought not only music into your family life but also growth, connection, and made your hearts swell with joy!
We are sharing the joy all summer long, so come sing with us at Summermusik!
Kindermusik class is like one long I Love You Ritual, isn’t it? We think that eye contact, touch, presence, and a playful structure are a fantastic combination. Mix them with MUSIC and it’s absolute perfection. We believe it’s the best combo for kids!
Why? Because music is the only activity that lights up the whole brain and I Love You Rituals are simple yet astoundingly powerful. Caring touch, kind words, and intentional routine will help form the kind of bond and connection that opens not just the heart but also the mind and the will. Because of the dopamine that’s released and the emotional connections that are made, I Love You Rituals actually wire the brain for greater impulse control, spur a desire for positive behavior, and increase attention span – all things that are crucial for children to succeed in relationships, in school, and in life.
Just as important as the I Love You part is the Ritual part. Rituals are those special ways you do things – the way you greet one another, the way you reconnect after time apart, or what you do every night before bed time. Rituals are not only meaningful, they are also deliberate and predictable. A simple I Love You Ritual strengthens relationships, builds trust, and makes life kinder and happier. Who doesn’t want that for their family?
My heart was both broken and mended today. An old friend stopped by my table at a restaurant. A beautiful, funny, warm soul whom I’ve known since early childhood. We played with Barbies together, climbed into (and fell out of) treehouses, had sleepovers with raucous card games, laughed till we cried and then dropped in and out of each other’s lives for too many years. She married right out of college and started her nursing career and her family. Two occupations she was supremely suited for. She and her husband made a lovely team. I married later and we lost touch but were lucky enough to reconnect when our kids ended up in preschool together.
Today, she shared a sorrow with me that broke my heart. And then she mended it.
Because of his actions, her child – the child who went to preschool with mine – has gone away for a very long time. He had to leave his wife and his child behind along with his parents, his siblings and his whole extended family. When she saw both the shock on my face and the tears in my eyes she knew that I hadn’t known. I held her hand and told her I would have called if I had. I would have given my support. But I didn’t know and my heart was broken for her family. Then she said something like this, “We visited him recently. We love him. What he did was terrible but he will get the help he needs and I know he can heal. We love him.” And my heart was mended. She taught me in just a few words what it means to be a parent. Love. Stand with your child. Keep your arms wide open.
Parenting is hard. Parenting is joyful. Parenting is relentless. Parenting is forever.
What is my job as a parent? What is your job as a parent? My dear, kind old friend said it that day in the restaurant while we held each other’s hands. We love. We stand. We welcome with arms wide open – no matter what.
