Kids Blog : Performance

Boom-a-Tunes for Preschoolers!

FiddleChick@evpl — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 19:07:00 GMT

For the past three years I have taught instrumental music lessons for 6-12 year olds at Central Library. During this time many of the parents have asked, “When will you be offering this kind of program for preschoolers?” Well parents, grandparents and guardians alike…I am FINALLY offering an instrumental program for preschoolers. Just as I have begun a Boomwhacker program for ages 6-12 I have begun one for ages 3-5 called Boom-a-Tunes!

So I bet you’re wondering, “What will you be teaching in this class and what in the world is a Boomwhacker?” I’m glad you asked! A Boomwhacker is a tuned percussion tube and when whacked it emits a specific note. Think hand bell choir meets PVC pipes. Boomwhackers are perfect for teaching as both an aural and visual aid. With each tube they will be taught color recognition, rhythm and the relationship between size and pitch and create tactile and kinesthetic experience. Basically, we are going to have TONS of fun while integrating some great learning materials with not only music concepts but colors, numbers, the alphabet all the while using our imaginations!

As a private tutor in violin I also LOVE to incorporate some Suzuki methods while I am teaching in group settings such as this. Thus I believe that this class will be a fun and exciting way to introduce your child to instrumental music. And hey, if they really want to continue with instrumental music after the age of 5, I also have a great Boomwhacker course for ages 6-12 and Beginning Recorder class offered at Central Library. And guess what the best part of this is? These programs are completely free!

Registration for Boom-a-Tunes (ages 3-5) will begin December 16^th. To do so, either click on this link or call the READ Center at 812-428-8225.

This class will be offered Mondays at 10:00am.

If you have a child ages 6-12, they can register for Boomwhackers instead. Registration also begins December 16^th. To do so, either click on this link or call the READ Center at 812-428-8225.

This class will be offered Tuesdays at 4:30pm.

Calling All Tweens: Open Mic Night this Friday!

FiddleChick@evpl — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:32:00 GMT

Are you eager to show off your latest poetry, short story, unique abilities or musical talents? Do you have some excellent artwork to display? Join the ‘Tween Open Mic Night for the opportunity to show off your creative side.

Each individual who registers to show their creative abilities on the stage will be allowed up to 3 minutes to show their stuff!

Not feeling particularly creative, feel free to come and enjoy. Who knows? You might be inspired!

For further information, feel free to contact Christa Shipley at christas@evpl.org

Beginning Recorder Class Registration is OPEN!

FiddleChick@evpl — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:00:00 GMT

Central Library's Beginning Recorder Class is back! I am excited to announce that it has officially been one year since this course has been implemented and over 70 students have participated in this two month course and played at our student recital.

You might be wondering what this course costs. Absolutely nothing! As long as you or your child has a vaild EVPL card and are 6-12 years old they are eligible to take this course. But remember, only 15 students are able to register for this course and seats go fast!

To register for this course call the READ Center at 812-428-8225 or register online by clicking the link below.

Beginning Recorder Class Link

Holiday Harmony Multi-Cultural Event

FiddleChick@evpl — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:21:00 GMT

We are currently looking for people to sing or speak the first verse of Silent Night in other languages.

In the past we have had the pleasure of hearing this verse in Swahili, Navajo, Dutch, German, Japanese and Gaelic.

If you or someone you know would be interested in participating in our Annual Holiday Harmony event, held Wednesday, December 16th at 5:30pm christas@evpl.org

We look forward to hearing from you!

Recorder Registrations Are Around the Corner

FiddleChick@evpl — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:41:00 GMT

The fall season is right around the corner, as is the fall registration for the 4th season of our Beginning Recorder Classes. The Beginning Recorder Class will teach children basic skills in reading music, learning rhythm and defining musical terms while gaining an appreciation of music; a perfect course for kids interested in music and need somewhere to start. For those who have already taken the Beginning Recorder Classes, they may inquire about the Intermediate Recorder Classes that will also be offered again this fall.

Prerequisites for joining the Intermediate Recorder Class are as follows:

Former students of Central Library Beginning Recorder Class.
Ability to identify notes and metre.
Shows adequate knowledge of the notes B, A, G, C, and D.
Performed at student recital.

At the end of these 9 week courses, recorder class students will be expected to perform at the student class recital in order to graduate to the next level of their studies. Beginning Recorder Class sessions will be every Wednesday at 3:30pm starting September 2nd. Intermediate Recorder Class sessions will be every Friday at 3:30pm beginning September 4th.

Registration for both courses will be available Monday, August 17th at 9am. For more information, please contact Miss. Christa at christas@evpl.org

Recorder Classes Free to the Public

FiddleChick@evpl — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:18:00 GMT

One of the first questions I am often asked when talking about the recorder classes offered at Central Library is, "How much will it cost?" Well, thanks to generous grants from the Boer-Suhrheinrich Foundation, The George Mesker Music Trust and The James R. and Adelaid Duncan Foundation the cost is zero. Well, that may not be completely true. The total cost is time and as we all know time is money. But what better way can your child spend the summer during these hard pressed times for cash? Many parents who already have musical children who study privately, can tell you that for an hour lesson once a week on average can cost you around $35.00 dollars. Multiply that by 4 and you get $140.00 a month. Then you need to think about instrument costs. Are you going to rent? Are you going to own? How much will it cost to maintain your childs instrument? What about accidents? All these questions can come into play when a child begins to ponder playing music. Don't be worried or discouraged. A great way to start your child on a musical path is to begin them on the recorder. It's easy to maintain, hard to break (short of throwing it to the ground) and relatively easy to learn. Learning the recorder can be a great experience for children to help them decide if music is for them. Also, it can give them a great advantage when they are ready to move onto another instrument. Once again, Central Library will be offering a Beginning Recorder Class for ages 6-12, an Intermediate Recorder Class for ages 6-12 and a Parent & Child Beginning Recorder Class for ages 6-12.

The Beginning Recorder Class will teach children basic skills in reading music, learning rhythm and defining musical terms while gaining an appreciation of music. A perfect course for kids interested in music and need somewhere to start.

For those that are confused about the Parent & Child Recorder Class, it will be a beginner course in music. However, the parents will also have an instrument and they will be encouraged to play alongside their children. The reasoning behind this is so that parents can be active participants within their children's musical learning. Sometimes parent's will find it frustrating when they can't help their child with their musical homework because, well, they can't read music. This class teaches both the child and the parent so that they can help one another in this course.

The Intermediate Recorder Class is specifically for students who have taken the Beginning Recorder Class offered at Central Library. This course will delve deeper into musical studies and will give them an opportunity to meet with local professional musicians to decide where they can go in their musical career. Such local professionals include Irish tenor flutists Graham K. Draughon and Micah Schweizer as well as tin whistler Daniel Craig, founder and member of Rowan Tree Irish Traditional Band of Evansville, Indiana.

Did I mention that these classes are free?

Interested in taking one of these courses or just plain curious? Register by clicking on the appropriate link below.

Beginning Recorder Class

Intermediate Recorder Class

Parent & Child Beginning Recorder Class

Father Goose: An Up and Coming Children's Music Artist

FiddleChick@evpl — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:59:00 GMT

If you haven’t noticed, musical artists are finally recognizing children as a target audience. However, if you are anything like me, you don’t want to be stuck listening to Barney or the Wiggles for days as their music is truly not that stimulating. Believe it or not, parents want to have fun with their children while stimulating their children’s minds. Music is an outlet many are looking to. Wayne Rhoden, also known as Rankin Don in dance halls in Jamaica, is a new up and coming children’s music artist. To children, he is known as Father Goose. His new solo album “It's a Bam Bam Diddly” is a compilation of songs he has heard and sang as a child with his own “twist.” This album which is also produced by Dan Zanes, a well known children’s artist, helps make this C.D. an exciting and fun compilation for children to sing and dance to. Special appearances are made by Father Goose’s mother, Dan Zanes, Sheryl Crowe and various other musical artists. This is a MUST listen.

For more information about Father Goose, click the link below for his interview with NPR.

Father Goose: ‘It’s a Bam Bam Diddly’

Want to try a fun music program for your child?

FiddleChick@evpl — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:06:00 GMT

This year’s 3rd Annual Holiday Harmony event was a great success! Firstly I want to thank all of the EVPL staff who volunteered their times to make this celebration a great success.

If you don't already know, Holiday Harmony is a wonderful program that happens once a year around Christmas time. Our core focus during this program is to celebrate various cultures/beliefs during this holiday season (December) through song and live instrumentation. Rowan Tree, traditional Irish band and 2006 Evansville Living Magazines voted "Best Place to Spend a Sunday Evening," was present and in top form by accompanying our "Silent Night" singers who sang in various languages ranging from Navajo to Japanese. Signing Hands, a class directed by Miss Lola Snyder at Central Library, were also present that evening to not only sign a verse of "Silent Night" but also sign a Christmas favorite "Up on the Housetop." This year, we were also able to begin a new music program at Central Library called the Beginning Recorder Class. Under my own direction, this 7 week course teaches children between the ages of 6 - 10 how to play the recorder, read music, clap rhythms, know musical terms and eventually compile all of their knowledge by performing at the Holiday Harmony event. This course will be offered again in March of 2009 and will span a total of 2 months (9 weeks) and will end with a recital to be held at Central Library. Parents will be able to sign up their children in February. Limited seats will be available so mark it in your calendars! Also, parents who sign up their children must attend all rehearsals as well as the recital.

For more information about the Beginning Recorder Class or other music programs held at Central Library, you are more than welcome to leave me a message on my blog or e-mail me at christas@evpl.org

Thanksgiving Tunes are Slim Pickn's

FiddleChick@evpl — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:27:00 GMT

As I was getting ready for my program, Music Mania, I did what I always do; I research tunes that I can play on violin or guitar. However, I didn't expect Thanksgiving to be an underappreciated musical holiday. Of course, many may already know that "Over the River and Through the Woods" would be a spectacular tune to play as it is a Thanksgiving song. However, it’s not a very interactive song and at times...these kids get bored fast if you don't keep them moving. So, what did I do? I changed up the lyrics on a few tunes I already had and created some new ones as well. One song in particular that I really enjoyed was a traditional mountain music song I found which held only one verse and one refrain. I ended up creating 3 new verses by finding a silly Thanksgiving poem and inserting the refrain after every verse.

Turkey Song

As I came over yonders hill,

I spied a mighty turkey,

he flapped his wings and he spread his tail,

and his feet looked awful dirty.

Refrain

Fol-link-a-tidy,

Fol-de-link-a-tidy-o,

Fol-link-a-tidy,

and his feet looked awful dirty.

I'm full of tomatoes,

and french fried potatoes,

my stomach is swollen and sore,

but there's still some dessert,

so I guess it won't hurt,

if I eat just a little bit more.

Refrain

Using tunes with simple refrain or chorus are always the best to use with children; especially if they are silly and easy to learn.

Beginning Recorder Class in Evansville Parent Magazine

FiddleChick@evpl — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:01:00 GMT

Within the November 2008 issue of Evansville Parent magazine, myself along with Rowan Tree are featured under the paragraph titled: The Library. "A special course will be beginning on Nov. 5 at Central Library for elementary-school children interested in learning about music." I will be teaching a Beginning Recorder Class where the students will eventually perform at our Annual Holiday Harmony event alongside traditional irish group Rowan Tree.

Below is a link you can follow to see the issue. The article is on page 8.

http://www.evansvilleparent.com/current.htm

The Laurie Berkner Songbook is a MUST!

FiddleChick@evpl — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:45:00 GMT

First, I must say how much I love and enjoy my job. I'm sure many librarian's already know of Laurie Berkner, but for those of you who do not, Laurie Berkner is a former rock musician turned children's musical artist. She is perhaps one of the greatest composer's/musician's to grace this genre. I thoroughly enjoy her music and so do the kids. Her songs are very interactive and make children WANT to be involved (so it makes our jobs just a little bit easier). Recently I had come across her newest songbook "The Laurie Berkner Songbook" and have truly enjoyed it! This easy to read song book is not only notated, but it also has easy piano notes, vocals, and guitar chords. For those that integrate musical instruments (ie guitar, piano, violin, etc.) within their children's program this is a great resource. I loved this book so much I ended up going out to buy it! I use it often with my program Music Mania by playing the guitar chords while singing the songs and the kids go wild over it (REALLY! I'm not exaggerating!)!!

So, whether you want to check it out the songbook, or perhaps check out some of her c.d.'s, one thing is for sure...you will LOVE the silly lyrics and fun songs.

Beginning Recorder Class Registration Open!

FiddleChick@evpl — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Learn the Recorder!

This course will help children learn basic skills in reading music, learning rhythm, and defining musical terms while gaining an appreciation of music. At the end of this course, students will perform a selected repertoire for the Holiday Harmony event Wednesday, December 17^th. Click on the link above to register TODAY! Seats are filling up fast!