Musical 3yo

Does anyone have any suggestions for encouraging a musical preschooler?
My 3yo has always been very interested in and responsive to music. He
likes to sing and listen to music (children's, classical, and otherwise).
He has some shakers and things, and a decent Sonar glockenspiel. Are
there easy songs he could learn to play on the glock? Now he mostly
takes it apart and puts it back together, or asks me to play something
for him. (And, WHY, does the B note have an "H" engraved on the other
end? Evan is very skeptical of my claim that A comes next after G when
there is an H sitting there!)

We have done a couple of kindermusik classes, but they don't often
fit into our schedule. Other than just listening/dancing to music,
what are good activities to do with a 3yo?

Thanks,
--Robyn (mommy to Ryan 9/93 and Matthew 6/96 and Evan 3/01)

In article ,
Robyn Kozierok wrote:

Does anyone have any suggestions for encouraging a musical preschooler?
My 3yo has always been very interested in and responsive to music. He
likes to sing and listen to music (children's, classical, and otherwise).
He has some shakers and things, and a decent Sonar glockenspiel. Are
there easy songs he could learn to play on the glock? Now he mostly
takes it apart and puts it back together, or asks me to play something
for him. (And, WHY, does the B note have an "H" engraved on the other
end? Evan is very skeptical of my claim that A comes next after G when
there is an H sitting there!)

We have done a couple of kindermusik classes, but they don't often
fit into our schedule. Other than just listening/dancing to music,
what are good activities to do with a 3yo?

Thanks,
--Robyn (mommy to Ryan 9/93 and Matthew 6/96 and Evan 3/01)


I think keeping good music around, and singing with him, are the best
things you can do.
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

Hi -

For a 3-year old:

Lots of listening to and singing along with and dancing to a wide
variety of music, wide variety of styles.

Rhythm games, ie clap a rhythm and have him repeat it, jump in a
particular rhythm, etc.

Tone games, ie which of two tones is higher, which is lower, sing a tone
higher than this one, lower than this one, progress on to singing the
*next* note in a song, in a scale, etc.

Attend instrument "petting zoos" at your local children's orchestra.
Rent videos that feature particular musical instruments, find ways to
touch and gently try out different instruments, esp. percussion (drums,
xylphones) and strings, also recorders and other tooters.

That's probably enough to keep you busy for a while. You could also
investigate Orff, Eurythmic or Suzuki classes, all of which are music
designed for young children.

Don't worry about note names yet. They're irrelevant, as your son has
already shown you :-)

Hope this helps,
--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.

In article , Robyn Kozierok wrote:
... (And, WHY, does the B note have an "H" engraved on the other
end? Evan is very skeptical of my claim that A comes next after G when
there is an H sitting there!)

According to wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Note

"In parts of Europe, including Germany, the natural symbol transformed
into the letter H: in German music notation, H is B-natural and B is B-flat."

--
Kevin Karplus http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/~karplus
life member (LAB, Adventure Cycling, American Youth Hostels)
Effective Cycling Instructor #218-ck (lapsed)
Professor of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz
Undergraduate and Graduate Director, Bioinformatics
Affiliations for identification only.

Robyn Kozierok wrote in :

[snip]
We have done a couple of kindermusik classes, but they don't often
fit into our schedule. Other than just listening/dancing to music,
what are good activities to do with a 3yo?

According to a radio program I listened to a while ago, the way to
get musical children is to have parents who take an interest in music.
It siad they didn't have to play an instrument, but to listen to
it and have it playing around the house.

--
Penny Gaines
UK mum to three

Kevin Karplus wrote in :

In article , Robyn Kozierok wrote:
... (And, WHY, does the B note have an "H" engraved on the other
end? Evan is very skeptical of my claim that A comes next after G when
there is an H sitting there!)

According to wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Note

"In parts of Europe, including Germany, the natural symbol transformed
into the letter H: in German music notation, H is B-natural and B is
B-flat."

According to "Godel, Escher, Bach: an eternal golden braid", it also allowed
Bach to write his own name into his "Art of the Fugue". The notes are
B-flat - A - C - B .

--
Penny Gaines
UK mum to three

In article ,
Kevin Karplus wrote:
In article , Robyn Kozierok wrote:
... (And, WHY, does the B note have an "H" engraved on the other
end? Evan is very skeptical of my claim that A comes next after G when
there is an H sitting there!)

According to wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Note

"In parts of Europe, including Germany, the natural symbol transformed
into the letter H: in German music notation, H is B-natural and B is B-flat."


Thanks! I never would have guessed but I figured there had to be *some*
reason! It is kind of a confusing notation, IMO!

--Robyn

In article ,
Penny Gaines wrote:
Robyn Kozierok wrote in :

[snip]
We have done a couple of kindermusik classes, but they don't often
fit into our schedule. Other than just listening/dancing to music,
what are good activities to do with a 3yo?

According to a radio program I listened to a while ago, the way to
get musical children is to have parents who take an interest in music.
It siad they didn't have to play an instrument, but to listen to
it and have it playing around the house.

Well, I'm not exactly trying to "get" a musical child. I have a child
who seems naturally inclined to be a musical child, and want to know how
to encourage him, given that DH and myself are not particularly musical
people. (We've both had several years of piano lessons, and do listen
to music, though DH usually uses headphones.)

Thanks,

--Robyn (mommy to Ryan 9/93 and Matthew 6/96 and Evan 3/01)

In article ,
Beth Kevles wrote:

Hi -

For a 3-year old:

Lots of listening to and singing along with and dancing to a wide
variety of music, wide variety of styles.

Rhythm games, ie clap a rhythm and have him repeat it, jump in a
particular rhythm, etc.

Tone games, ie which of two tones is higher, which is lower, sing a tone
higher than this one, lower than this one, progress on to singing the
*next* note in a song, in a scale, etc.

Thanks, these are good ideas.

We live in a pretty rural area, so we don't have access to a variety of
classes, children's orchestra, etc. There is a children's chorus that
he can join when he is older.

Rent videos that feature particular musical instruments

Is there a good series out there? I'm not familiar with videos featuring
the acctual instruments.

The "musical" videos we have are in the Baby Einstein series, and he's
losing interest in these at this point. He does still wantch Fantasia
sometimes.

Thanks for all your great suggestions!


Robyn (mommy to Ryan 9/93 and Matthew 6/96 and Evan 3/01)
--
"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to
work hard at work worth doing." -- Theodore Roosevelt

Robyn Kozierok wrote:
In article ,
Beth Kevles wrote:

Hi -

For a 3-year old:

Lots of listening to and singing along with and dancing to a wide
variety of music, wide variety of styles.

Rhythm games, ie clap a rhythm and have him repeat it, jump in a
particular rhythm, etc.

Tone games, ie which of two tones is higher, which is lower, sing a tone
higher than this one, lower than this one, progress on to singing the
*next* note in a song, in a scale, etc.


Thanks, these are good ideas.

We live in a pretty rural area, so we don't have access to a variety of
classes, children's orchestra, etc. There is a children's chorus that
he can join when he is older.


Rent videos that feature particular musical instruments


Is there a good series out there? I'm not familiar with videos featuring
the acctual instruments.

The "musical" videos we have are in the Baby Einstein series, and he's
losing interest in these at this point. He does still wantch Fantasia
sometimes.

Thanks for all your great suggestions!


DD is a pretty musical kid as well. We often watched videos
of classical musicals -- she really liked Meet me in St.
Louis, and Annie Get Your Gun. And then I rented the CDs
of the soundtracks from the library, and she listened to
them that way as well. I think exposure to music is
more important than them actually doing something,
esp. at age 3.

Scott DD 10.9 and DS 8.4