We all know first-hand the joy and inspiration that comes from sharing musical experiences with others. It’s why you choose to be part of our Kindermusik family. It’s why we buy tickets to live concerts. It’s why the biggest touring Broadway shows always make a stop in our fine city.
That energy, the wordless power of music to bind us together and to fill our hearts, is what keeps us coming back to it again and again. We choose to invest our time and our resources into musical experiences for ourselves and our families because those experiences feed our souls.
Earlier this month your Song of the Heart Kindermusik team had the joyful opportunity to participate in the Heart & Soul Music Stroll for the fourth year in a row. Heart & Soul brings joy and healing through live music to people who live among us and yet are often isolated from our community, including those in convalescent homes, senior centers, psychiatric facilities, domestic abuse shelters, centers for children with disabilities, and prisons.
Heart & Soul’s mission perfectly aligns with our studio values of Joy, Connection, Family, Growth, and Heart, as they work to use music as a tool to connect generations and help heal the human spirit. That is why we have chosen to joyfully give back to our studio’s neighborhood by getting involved with their organization, sharing their mission, and being a part of this incredible annual event.
Our own Ms Katie said of the event, “It was my third year attending the Heart & Soul music stroll and I enjoyed all of it! Great music, great food trucks, and great company! I loved seeing the joy in all the kids’ and grown-ups’ faces as they sang and danced with Kindermusik! Such a blast!”
Our experience at the Heart & Soul Music Stroll echoes our own efforts at community outreach as we share music with our grand-friends at BeeHive Homes assisted living center each month. Many of you volunteer your time and join us in sharing the joy of music with residents and to make beautiful connections across the generations.
Haven’t heard of our Kindermusik Playdates at BeeHive Homes? More to come.
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?
4 Musical Resolutions for 2018
Make your everyday routines easier and special memories a little more lasting. Music does it all. 1 – Sing More With Your Little One
At first, you’ll almost need to make a plan to sing MORE. But once it is second nature, you’ll find you can find a song – or make up a song – for nearly EVERY part of your day. Your daily routines will become easier, and even the unexpected moments will become a little more manageable when you have a song or two to ease you and your child through.
And remember, whether you would ever sing in public or not, to your child, YOUR voice is the most beautiful sound in the world. Filling your child’s heart with special songs makes for precious memories that your family will cherish forever.
2 – Cuddle and Dance Every Day
Taking more time to use music to cuddle and dance together will definitely bring you closer. You’ll probably find that your own stress levels are reduced and that your child will have fewer meltdowns as a result of taking more time for intentional and loving connection.
Enjoy a few extra musical cuddles before naps or bedtime. And dancing? A spontaneous dance can happen anytime throughout the day. Nothing gets rid of the grumps or brings a smile of delight more quickly than a dance around the room – to singing or recorded music.
3 – Create Family Playlists
A musical environment comes from experiencing music. Take a few minutes to create some playlists of your child’s favorite music. Your Kindermusik Online Parent Guides are the best place to start.
Organize and label your playlists according to the kind of music each playlist contains. For example, those soft, sweet lullabies are perfect to play when your child is settling down for a nap or for bedtime. A playlist of fun, energetic music inspires your child to dance, move, and play… and expend a little energy! A sing-along playlist of your child’s favorite songs to SING helps errands in the car go so much more quickly and smoothly.
4 – Commit to Fostering Your Child’s Musical Development
The window for benefitting from playing, making, and listening to music is open the widest in the very early years of childhood. We ALL want our children to have every possible advantage – academically, socially, developmentally, and even musically. So, give yourself a little round of applause for commiting to your child’s overall development with your regular Kindermusik classes.
“The best things to do with the best things in life
is to give them away.” – Dorothy Day
One of our joys during the holiday season is our Song of the Heart Studios service project. We call it Wear a Pair – Share a Pair and we gather new children’s pajamas to donate to those in need.
We invite our beautiful students to wear a pair and bring a new pair (or more!) of children’s pajamas to share the week before Thanksgiving. Sometimes even the delightful grown-ups wear a pair, too.
Why? Because pajamas are cozy and warm. Because they make us feel safe and comfortable and at home. Because pajamas are one of the best things in life. Because somewhere, right here in our valley, there are little ones who aren’t cozy and warm. Who aren’t safe and comfortable and at home.
There is nothing better than seeing one of our wonderful Kindermusik kids skipping down the back hall into the studio and placing a new pair of jammies into our pajama collection bin. That’s a simple joy that makes our hearts swell and their hearts sing. Comfort. Coziness. Safety. Home. EVERY child deserves them.
We all know first-hand the joy and inspiration that comes from sharing musical experiences with others. It’s why you choose to be part of our Kindermusik family. It’s why we buy tickets to live concerts. It’s why the biggest touring Broadway shows always make a stop in our fine city.
Earlier this month your Song of the Heart Kindermusik team had the joyful opportunity to participate in the Heart & Soul Music Stroll for the fourth year in a row. Heart & Soul brings joy and healing through live music to people who live among us and yet are often isolated from our community, including those in convalescent homes, senior centers, psychiatric facilities, domestic abuse shelters, centers for children with disabilities, and prisons.
Our experience at the Heart & Soul Music Stroll echoes our own efforts at community outreach as we share music with our grand-friends at BeeHive Homes assisted living center each month. Many of you volunteer your time and join us in sharing the joy of music with residents and to make beautiful connections across the generations. 
