Special Story Hour at Barnes & Noble this Saturday, Oct 31st!

Wonderful KM mom, Victoria Crane, is volunteering much of her time with the WNCAP organization and they are sponsoring an incredible event. It's not very often you can hear a ballet soloist, from the Moscow Ballet, read a very special story, in person, here in Asheville! Read on........and consider going!!!

The Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP) is honored to be partnering with the Moscow Ballet for a very special fundraiser opportunity. WNCAP is selling fundraiser tickets to The Great Russian Nutcracker scheduled for December 22, at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium . To help promote this special event, Moscow Ballet Soloist Nataliya Miroshnyk is coming to Asheville this weekend, October 31. Nataliya will be participating in a special story hour at Barnes & Noble in the Asheville Mall at 2:00, and later that day she will be attending WNCAP’s Raise Your Hand Auction at the Deerpark Restaurant on Biltmore Estate.

So if you have children and are looking for something to do before the trick-or-treating begins, head to Asheville Mall and meet Nataliya at Barnes & Noble, if you’re not trick-or-treating, we hope to see you at the Raise Your Hand auction.

Two great events all for a great cause -- to purchase tickets for both The Raise Your Hand Auction and for the Great Russian Nutcracker, please visit the WNCAP website at www.wncap.org

Making Halloween a little bit musical

It's that time of year...Halloween! And here in this photo, is my daughter, Hannah, from a few years ago.

Please feel free to come to class this week in costume - it's sooooo fun for your child to be totally into their character!

I have to share one of the most endearing stories I've ever heard in my ten years of teaching Kindermusik. Several years ago, about a week before Halloween, Cassandra and her son, Solomon, about three years old, were discussing Halloween costumes as they were arriving for KM class. She came inside the class and whispered in my ear the conversation she'd had with him. "Mommy, I know what I want to be for Halloween. I want to be Miss Beth." Thump-thump-thump went my heart. I was speechless, and his Mom and I did our best to stifle our laughter in front of Solomon... No doubt about it - the best compliment I could ever get from a child. :)

So regarding this time of year, musically speaking...... while there's a lot of Halloween-type songs and chants out there, I find many of them a bit scary for our littlest ones. Here are three little songs/chants you can have fun with!

Pumpkins on the Ground (To the Tune of: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)

Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground (crouch down)

How'd you get so big and round? (stretch arms out wide to sides and then make a circle)

Once you were a seed so small, (pretend to hold a seed)

Now you are a great big ball! (make huge circle with hands)

Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground (crouch down)

How'd you get so big and round? (stretch arms out wide to sides and then make a circle)

Five Little Pumpkins

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate (hold up five fingers and point to each in turn…)

The first one said, Oh My it's getting late

The second one said, “There’s witches in the air”

The third one said, “But we don’t care” (hand gesture)

The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run” (make running sounds with hands on floor)

The fifth one said, “I’m ready for some fun!”

When whishhhhhhhhhh went the wind (gesture with arms the wind wishing)

and OUT went the light (clap hands together)

and the 5 little pumpkins rolled out of sight (roll hands & then run fingers behind back)

Did You Ever See a Pumpkin? (To the Tune of: Did You Ever See a Lassie)

Did You ever see a pumpkin, a pumpkin, a pumpkin,

Did you ever see a pumpkin with no face at all?

With no eyes and no nose and no mouth and no teeth,

Did you ever see a pumpkin with no face at all?

So I made a Jack-O-Lantern, a Jack-O-Lantern, a Jack-O-Lantern,

So I made a Jack-O-Lantern with a big funny face,

With big eyes, and a big nose and a big mouth and big teeth,

So I made a Jack-O-Lantern with a big funny face!

Good, clean fun!

The scarves have migrated to my house for what feels like the zillionth time this semester. It's only October. At this rate, they're going to be in shreds by February.

But keeping germs to a minimum is my upmost concern.

To help me help you and your little one stay as healthy as possible, please consider washing hands or using hand sanitizer when you arrive and leave. Thanks!

Now aren't they pretty just sitting there in the dryer? In the Imagine That classes, we call this our leaf pile. Wheeeeeeeeee! :)

Why do we sing 'Bells Away' anyway?

Greetings Families! A fellow Kindermusik educator in Charlotte, NC, gave me permission to include the following in a newsletter several years ago. I thought you would find this very interesting!

Understanding the Links between Music, Language, and Behavior During Early Childhood.

Hello Neighbors! While attending the International Kindermusik Conference in Washington D.C. this summer, I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Adam Winsler, PhD., Dept of Psychology George Mason University, present a speech entitled Why Do We Sing "Bells Away" [or the Clean-up Song] Anyway? His answers are fascinating!

Language and music are two central cultural tools for early childhood. Singing is fun and stimulates many parts of the brain including the limbic system, a key area of emotions and socialization. Language and music together can guide behavior by breaking up the stimulus-response typically exhibited in lower animals and infants. Also, motions labeled within a song (bells away or toys away ) can seamlessly provide the child an opportunity to choose how to participate and therefore avoid power struggles. These music and language experiences sculpt the brain and develop "executive control" far more powerfully than many other types of experiences in early childhood. Dr Winsler highlighted 3 things that occur in Kindermusik classes that develop children's ability to regulate their own behavior including:

1. Active listening/vocal play.

2. Songs that link words to movements

3. Songs that systematically change behavior,using-body motions – modulating from slow/fast, up/down, and stop/go.

Have you seen your child delight in practicing these skills? There is a gradual shift in early childhood from external (parent) regulation, to self-regulation. Self-regulation is achieved mainly through internalization of language. Do you hear your child talking out loud to himself and or imaginary friends while playing? This is called private speech or self talk and is a very important part of language acquisition and the beginnings of internal thought. (Notice how different your child acts when just sitting and watching TV!) For our children, we should maximize opportunities encouraging them to talk to themselves so that good connections between language, plans, and behavior can be forged. (Gee- adults don't get this encouragement!) Researchers studying brain development, and early childhood specialists, are now proving with conviction what music teachers have known intuitively for a century: Music Makes the Difference!

– Maya S. Johnson

Susie Vanderlip - Legacy of Hope

For those of you with teenagers, here's an upcoming event you won't want to miss! Both my husband and I are going to attend with our sixteen year old daughter, Hannah. My hunch is this is going to be powerful and extremely thought provoking.

Susie is coming to Asheville, co-sponsored by First Congregational, United Church of Christ and Jubilee Community Church. This event is a theatrical one-woman show for the whole family with the goal of improving communication between teens and parents and it's also, an amazing message about how to protect our children.

She will share her eye-opening, entertaining approach to guiding our children to good choices. Vanderlip is an international theatrical speaker on youth and family issues, an author and educator. Susie portrays a variety of dramatic characters (partying teen, teenage love seeking teen, rebellious teen among a few) that will take you on a roller-coaster ride from laughter to tears, surprise, hope and enthusiasm.

You'll be touched and encouraged especially if you, your teens or friends have dealt with excessive stress, alcohol, tobacco or other drug abuse; depression; grief or loss; divorce; communication difficulties; life adversities. Be entertained and captivated while you gather new insights and HOPE!

Susie has spoken to one million teens and adults in 47 states and several countries. Don't miss her visit to Asheville! Cost $12 per person / $15 per family

Saturday, Oct. 24th 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

First Congregational, 20 Oak St

Contact: Rev. Shannon Spencer at 828-252-8729

Calling you bloggers out there......

Before class began today I was talking to a fabulous Kindermusik mom, Kara, and realized how much I enjoyed reading her blog a couple weeks back. When I clicked on it, I was transported, delightfully, into a world I don't get to see much outside of the classroom - hers. And that of her sweet boy, Rem's.

Reading about one particular day in the life of her family, and her two year old's adventures on that particular day, helped me see him in his big, little life. I loved it. It took me down memory lane. And I loved that. It made me realize, once again, the sacredness of each day with little ones, with each other.

Surprisingly, it made a difference in my awareness for the rest of day. I was more present with the Kindermusik class that I led after lunch, with two of my children later in the day, and on my walk that evening. I've thought of that entry and Rem's adventures into the land of imagination every time he's come to class since. I feel like I know him a little bit more. It helps me be in class with him a little bit differently, and I know that just a little bit of something, can sometimes make a big difference.

Are you a blogger in our Kindermusik community? If you're comfortable with my sharing your blog, I'd love to do that. One never knows where inspiration might be found.

Here's Kara's for you to take a look at, and in the meantime, send me yours. We can be a part of a bigger KM community ......can be more intricately connected. I don't know about you, but I need that in my life.

www.karachenevert.blogspot.com

Barbara Kingsolver coming to Asheville

For all you fans, mark your calendars!

Time: Monday, November 2, 2009 7:00 p.m.
Location: Asheville High School Auditorium, 419 McDowell St, Asheville, NC 28803
Title of Event: Barbara Kingsolver- A New Novel!

Malaprop's (and the entire Asheville region!) is honored to welcome one of our favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver, who will present her latest novel, The Lacuna. The event will take place at the Asheville High School auditorium at 7 pm on Monday, November 2nd, and one ticket is complimentary with each pre-purchase of The Lacuna from Malaprop's. For more information, please call us at 1-800-441-9849.