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Visiting Music Groups


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Hi, we are considering asking a local preschool music provider to offer weekly sessions for the children. I know of at least two organisations that provide this sort of thing (one is Jo jingles) the other less well known.

 

I wonder if any of you have a group visiting and if it's something you recommened

 

many thanks

 

Sally

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Hi Sally -

Welcome to the Forum! :D

 

We're lucky in having a kindermusik specialist who plans and runs most of our music for us - and we have music daily consequently - so we don't need to bring in external groups.

 

I'd be interested to hear more about them though - is that kind of service expensive? It sounds like you have some music expertise yourself given your member name...

 

Welcome again - please make yourself at home! :)

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Hi Steve, I've made a few enquiries and it won't actually cost us anything. It' s the parents who pay (entirely optional, if they don't want their children to take part they can choose not to). I believe they will have to pay for a term's worth of session up front.

 

Your mention of kindermusic is interesting, do they operate in the same way? (visit weekly?, do you pay them, or do the parents pay?)

 

I think I have seen their website somewhere, so will try and look it up

 

thanks

 

Sally

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Hi Sally,

I'm the Kindermusik teacher Steve was talking about! This term is used by our LEA when we offer music classes for 5-7 year olds, on Saturday mornings. The classes are held at a local school in several areas across the County. I hadn't heard of a company called Kindermusik until now, and I've just looked them up on the web. They seem to be American; I've typed in several postcodes (they also ask for zip codes)to locate a Kindermusik teacher, but I can't find any!

I've seen some adverts in the early years magazines for something like this too; I'll dig some out and find their name....might be "The Wonderful World of Music"?

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Thanks for your replies everyone. I am considering approaching a local lady (have decided against Jo Jingles), she will provide a session for the 2-3 year old and a session for preschool (3-5), sessions about 40 minutes long, the charge will be £2.50 per session which parents will pay for up front at the start of each term.

 

I think we can do a free trial session. I have spoken to a friend who uses this lady in her preschool and she does lots of singing, music and movement, finger plays, clapping songs, counting songs etc. Sounds as if she has lots of props too to use throughout each session and percussion instruments.

 

What does everyone think? Sounds to me as if she is using music to introduce language and numeracy skills, rather than teaching music (although the children do get introduced to the rudiments of rhythm, tone etc)

 

I have also heard of a husband and wife team that visit preschools and nurseries to run music groups, they are both accomplished musicians and bring a variety of instruments in. My only concern is that the children won't want to sit there, week in, week out while some lady plays her flute!

 

Not sure which one to go for, your thought please!

 

many thanks

 

Sally

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Hi Musicbugs,

Thought I would add my thoughts to all the others here! Like Helen, I too am a kindermusik teacher.

I have also visited a local setting that has a music specialist come in once a week to work with a few of the children whose parents pay for the 'lesson'.

I think there is a lot of value in using music for developing language and number. Research has highlighted the importance of rhythm in contributing to cognitive development. Movement to music is a vehicle for expression and a great aid to physical development not to mention just listening to different music to create different moods.

The age old problem seems to be that a lot of practitioners are uncomfortable or lack confidence in providing music for their children. But it doesn't have to be spectacular. After all, how many of us are great painters? Yet we all encourage our children to paint!

I would look carefully at what your 'specialist' provides. Is it appropriate to your children's needs. Do they need to be learning how to read music, or to know that 8 notes make a scale? Do they need to be able to identify different rhythms by name? Or is learning our traditional nursery rhymes and circle games more appropriate for them? And don't you have someone in your setting who can provide that?

Sorry that was a bit long, I seem to have got carried away!!

Hope you find a solution.

cas

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I am no musician (though somewhere I do have a certificate for playing the recorder :D )

 

Music features highly in our setting and takes place every day in some form.

 

We talk about rhythm and listen to a wide variety of music both as background music and as a whole group activity trying to identify the different instruments.

 

We have a good supply of various instruments that the children use regularly.

I am surprised you didnt all hear us yesterday, our rendition of Jingle bells with 14 children ringing bells of different sorts was great fun. After a sort of free for all version we tried singing along but only using the bells when it said Jingle bells and then later tried to 'ring out the rythmn' We had several who could manage to ring jin gle bells if you see what I mean :D

 

We often have an activity where an adult will play a short rythym and children try to copy with their instruments, great for developing listening skills amongst other things!

 

I am intrigued as to the need to bring a specialist in and wonder whether you mean it as some sort of extra special session for childen whose parents who want it?? Also interested to know how you would deal with 'non paying' children who saw/heard what was going on and wanted to join in? Please dont think this is criticism because its not :D just genuinely intrigued, we did think about having a French speaking lady in at one time but decided against it as it would have been too formal so we do that with just our basic french speaking skills we have between us!

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Hi Geraldine and Cas!

 

you have both given food for thought....

 

We also use music everyday in our setting and the children have access to a variety of different instruments. We sing the register, have tidying up songs and play different types of music throughout the day to match our mood/activity/weather.

 

The lady that I had in mind seems to have invested in a wonderful array of props and equipment that we couldn't possibly afford, so i think that the children will benefit.

 

We are fortunate enough to have 3 separate rooms for different activities, so those children that aren't taking part can do art work or sand play etc in a different room, so shouldn't be a problem hopefully.

 

Cas, Im really interested in Kindermusic, how do you become a kindermusic teacher?, do ytou ahve to pay? or be a trained musician?, do you visit local nurseries/preschools etc. Would love more information

 

cheers everyone!

 

Sally

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Geraldine, we do pretty much the same as you, but to extend this I asked the local secondary school if some of their more able students would bring their instruments to us for the chidren to hear, see and have a go on. Unfortunatly it didnt happen because the music teacher I spoke to left, but it's on my 'to do' list.

The school has a gold award in community partnership so that helped, and it would of been free. :D

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thanks for the PM cas, could only say that on here as tried to reply direct but failed miserably (me and computers :o )

 

thanks, should probably log off now, as it's gone 11pm, time for a glass of wine me thinks xD

 

Sally

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  • 1 month later...

Hi

in our setting we have music lady coming once a week and she do sessions with children in small groups of 7 children at the time. She also bring to us her planning and all staff copy it and then every week one of us is responsible to repeat everything music lady does. If you get a book Music senses you could be music lady yourself.The book contain 2 CD's and CD where you have everything explained how to do. Book is available from Amazon at about £23 and is for 3-5 years old. We got it in the setting and everybody benefit from it.If you need more details give a shout!

Brankica

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