Hello families. I trust that everyone is enjoying the holiday cheer and not getting too overwhelmed. I am excited about our new Homeschool choir beginning in January, 2014. Let’s start out the New Year with a song in our hearts, and share the magic of music with the seniors on our community. If your child, ages 8 to 18, loves to sing and has a desire to become a stronger singer who can perform with confidence, then this choir is for you.

      I am offering a free trial class on Tuesday, January 14^th,

from 11 am to noon at my home studio. 

      I am very excited and passionate about singing and am looking forward to sharing my expertise and years of training with young people who love to sing.

      We will perform at local nursing care facilities.

Details for those performances will be discussed when our class begins in January.

The new "Culver City Living" Brochure is here. 
Sing, Dance & Play begins the week of January 6th. 
Happy Holidays! May you enjoy the moments and cherish 
the people you love this season and throughout the New Year. 
Love, Teacher Susy


http://www.culvercity.org/~/media/Files/PRCS/ccliving/CulverCityWinter2014.ashx

I wanted to share a great review a mom of two gave me on Peachhead. It meant a lot to me. It's nice to hear about what specific things people appreciate about our class. Thank you Amanda! Here's the review:

My whole family LOVES Sing, Dance, Play with Teacher Susy! The class is run through Culver City parks and rec and the most affordable class I have found....and the most fun!

My daughters have completely different personalities (oldest very shy and reserved and youngest very social/outgoing), and both enjoy the class. It was hard finding a class my oldest liked, many teachers find it hard to relate to a shy kid, and would try to change her (one teacher even called her stubborn to her face when she was 2 because she was too timid to come get a sticker), but what I really appreciate about Susy is how she makes each feeling you have feel ok (she evens ends her classes with a song about it :)

My husband is not the type of guy to look forward to kids classes but always looked forward to going, and even took my daughters when I was working, and willingly came even when I brought them. My mother-in-law will be attending the next session with my youngest, and I am sad I'll be working and can't go myself.

Class schedule:

Our last classes of the year are happening  Monday, Nov. 25th at 9:45 & 10:45 a.m.

and one last class at 10:45 on Thursday, December 5th.

Thank you all for another wonderful, magical year of sharing the joy of music with your children!

Have a blessed, peaceful and love filled Holiday season. I look forward to seeing you in 2014.

Details about class dates and registration to come.

you can always go to the Culver City website at Culver City.org

How To Love Unconditionally When You're Angry

I found this wonderful article on the net and want to share it with you here. We, as parents deal with our own emotions as well as our children's feelings and behavior every day. It can be a challenge to balance our own feelings with the chaos of what might be happening at any given moment. I thought this article was concise and helpful. Happy parenting. and remember music makes everything better! Susy

http://www.ahaparenting.com/_blog/Parenting_Blog/post/Unconditional_love_When_Angry_at_child/

Sing, Dance, and Play!

$99 Resident, $110 Non-Resident 10 wks

Our music class combines music with creative movement and dramatic play. A

wide variety of musical instruments and props are used to engage children in expressive and 

free movement.

For children birth to 4 years old. 

Dates Day

9/23-11/25

Mon  9:45 to 10:30   9/23-11/25

Mon 10:45 to 11:30  9/25-11/27

Thu  10:45 to 11:30  9/26-12/5

Location: Veteran's Memorial Park on the corner of Overland and Culver Blvd in the Uruapan room.

Attention parents!!
Have you picked a preschool for your child? Are you overwhelmed with choices? Los Angeles is a big city with many options.
Come to a FREE event happening Sunday, November 3rd from 1:30 to 4:30 at The WIlshire Boulevard Temple located at 11661 W. Olympic Blvd.
For more information and to register (the event is free, but you do need to sign up) go to:
Parent's Education League.org
Have fun exploring all your options and remember the early years are the "playing" years!!
To truly set your young child up for a lifetime of passionate learning, make sure his preschool is alive with Freedom, Flexibility, Fascination, and Fun! Kids learn best when engaged with excitement, enthusiasm and enjoyment.  (paraphrased from "The Power Of Play" A Discussion About Early Childhood Education with Dr. Michael K. Meyerhoff of The Education for Parenthood Informstion Center"
If you do attend, come share with the rest of the parents in class. Susy

Keep Singing!

Check out this article. I have met so many people who stopped singing and cannot even sing in my class with their baby. It saddens me and I wish that I could set them free and support them to sing out and enjoy the pure pleasure of singing. It's NOT about being Barbra Streisand, it's about the joy of singing. I thought my mother had the most beautiful voice in the world. I loved listening to her sing while she did the dishes, or whatever she was doing around the house. It wasn't until I went away to college and majored in music and had sight and ear training that I realized that my mom was actually quite "pitchy" (off key). But I wouldn't trade those sweet memories of hearing my mom sing for anything. Your child is comforted by the sound of your voice. When you sing with wild abandon, with joy and fun, you are modeling music appreciation as well as simple happiness and relaxation. Don't let old critical voices stop you from singing with your baby and family! Sing our mommy!


http://www.rebellesociety.com/2013/09/30/keep-singing-the-power-of-music-to-shape-your-reality/

Hello Everybody. Our fall session has begun and classes will happen on Mondays at 9:45 & 10:45, and Thursdays at 10:45 (no class Oct 3rd). Come join the fun and experience the magic of music with your young child.

Sing, Dance & Play begins Monday

Come join the fun! Our fall session begins Monday, Sept 23rd at 9:45 & 10:45 a.m. We offer 6 classes a week. Modays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 9:45 & 10:45 a.m. We meet in the Uruapan Room at Veteran's Park, on Culver & Overland blvds. This class is especially created for young children age birth to 4 yrs old. Kids have fun dancing, playing high quality instruments, and being a part of our magical, musical  class. Meet other parents and enjoy bonding with your young child in a warm and creative environment. Moms have been telling me stories for years about how my class has helped their child blossom socially, increase their language skills and enhance their enjoyment of music. Your child  will learn many songs and dance to beautiful classical music as well as music that I have collected over years of research and experience. Come and be a part of this wonderful class. It is one of the best gifts you can give your young child and they will benefit greatly, I promise! Teacher Susy

Here is a sample of some of our favorite songs and activities we do during our class. Singing these songs during your daily routine can help your day go more smoothly and help with transitions like nap time, bath time and cleaning up toys, and they're really fun!

EARLY CHILDHOOD MUSIC ACTIVITIES AND LYRICS

Compiled by Susan Porter

Fall 2005

FINGER PLAY

Don’t dismiss the old standards, such as Patty-cake, Patty- cake, Where is Thumbkin?, or Open, Shut Them. Children love them and you can add your own style to these old faves and make them fun for you to share.

“Peek-A-Boo”

Peek-a-boo, Peek-A-boo,

I see your smiling face, la la la la la

Peek-a-boo, Peek-A-boo,

I see your smiling face. Peek-A-Boo!, Peek-A-Boo

“The Garden Snail”

Slowly slowly, very slowly, creeps the garden snail.

Slowly slowly, very slowly, up the wooden rail.

Quickly, quickly, very quickly, runs the little mouse.

Quickly, quickly, very quickly in his little house.

 “The Flea Song”

On my toe, there is a flea,

Now he’s climbing up on me.

Past my tummy, past my nose,

On my head where my hair grows.

On my head there is a flea,

Now he’s climbing down on me.

Past my tummy, past my knee,

On my toe, take that you flea!

“Shoo Fly”

Shoo fly, don’t bother me,

Shoo fly, don’t bother me,

Shoo fly, don’t bother me,

‘Cause I belong to somebody

I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star.

I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star.

“Beehive”

Here is the beehive, but where are the bees?

Hidden away where nobody sees.

Watch and you’ll see them come out of the hive,

One two, three, four five.

BZZZZZZZZ!

“Uno, Dos, Tres Amigos”

Uno, dos, tres amigos,

Cuatro, cinquo, seis amigos

Siete, ocho, nueve amigos

Deiz amigos son.

One, two, three friends,

Four, five, six friends,

Seven, eight, nine friends,

Ten friends are we.

 “The Magic Penny Song”

Love is something if you give it away,

Give it away, give it away.

Oh, Love is something if you give it away,

It comes right back to you.

It’s just like a magic penny, hold it close and you won’t have any.

Lend it spend it, give it away, it comes right back to you.

“Tick Tock”

Tick tock, tick tock goes the grandfather clock.

But the cuckoo clock goes double-time,

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

“Zoom, Zoom, Zoom”

Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon.

Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon.

If you want to take a trip,

Climb aboard my rocket ship.

Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon.

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1…zoooooooom!

“Rocket Ship”

Rocket ship, rocket ship, to the moon.

Rocket ship, rocket ship, to the moon.

Rocket ship, rocket ship, to the moon.

Zooooooooooooooom!

Choo choo train, choo choo train, choo choo by. (Repeat 3x)

Choo choo, chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, choo choo!

Race car, race car, racing by (Repeat 3x)

Brrrrrrrrrr  (lips!)

Airplane, airplane, flying high.  (Repeat 3x)

Whoooooooosh!

Butterfly, butterfly, flutter by. (Repeat 3x)

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

“This Old Man”

This Old Man , he played one, he played knick-knack on my thumb.

With a knick-knack patty whack give the dog a bone,

this old man came rolling home.

This old man he played two, he played knick-knack on my shoe.

He played three, he played knick-knack on my knee. 

“Ding Dong, Hot Dog”

Ding dong , I’ve got the rhythm in my hands.

Hot dog I’ve got the rhythm in my hands,

Ding dong I’ve got the rhythm in my hands,

Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, hot dog!

(Replace hands with feet, arms, head, fingers, etc.)

“Who Stole The Cookies From The Cookie Jar?”

Who Stole The Cookies From the cookie Jar?

Jackie stole the cookies from the cookie jar.

Who me? Couldn’t be, then who?

Ruth stole the cookies from the cookie jar

Who me? Couldn’t be, Then who?

WHOLE BODY/GROSS MOTOR SONGS

“Jack Be Nimble”

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,

Jack jumped over the candlestick.

Jack jumped high, and Jack jumped low.

Jack jumped low and stubbed his toe.  Oh, no!

(Repeat, change ending to his other toe, his nose, and he made it!)

“Babybird”

Here’s A babybird,

He’s hatching from his shell.

First comes his head, and then comes his tail.

Now his legs he stretches, his wings he gives a flap,

And then he flies and flies and flies, what do you think of that?

Down, down , down, down, down, down, down, down. BOOM!

“One Elephant Went Out to Play”

One elephant went out to play,

Out on a spider’s web one day.

He had such enormous fun,

He called for another elephant to come.

(Replace elephant with any big animal, such as a dinosaur, or a kangaroo)

“Clap and Stop”

I’m gonna clap and clap and clap and stop.

I’m gonna clap and clap and clap and stop.

I’m gonna clap and clap and clap and stop.

Clap and clap and clap and stop.

“Walking, Walking” (To the tune of “Are You Sleeping”)

Walking, walking, walking, walking,

Hop, hop , hop, hop, hop, hop.

Running, running running, running running running,

Now I stop, now I stop.

“My Two Hands”

My two hands go clap, clap, clap.

My two feet go stomp, stomp, stomp

My one body turns around,

And quietly sits on the ground.

CHANTS AND RHYMES

“The Sounds of Fall” by Ken Guilmartin from Music Together

Listen to the leaves falling one by one, chh chh chh chh,

When we rake them up, we’re gonna have some fun.

Listen to the birds in the tree so high, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp.

Don’t you wish that you could spread your wings and fly?

“The Earth is Our Mother”

The earth is our mother; we must take care of her.

The earth is our mother; we must take care of her.

Hey yanna ho yanna hey yanna ho.

Hey yanna ho yanna hey yanna ho.

The sky is our father; we must take care of him.

The rivers are our sisters; we must take care of them.

The trees are our brothers; we must take care of them.

The earth is our mother; she will take care of us.

“A Parachute Song” (To the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle”)

Red and yellow and green and blue,

These are the colors over you.

Red as an apple.

Green as a tree.

Yellow as the sun.

Blue as the sea.

RECORDED MUSIC WITH MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES

“Rondo Alla Turca” from “Moving with Mozart” by Georgiana Stewart

“Etude #1 in A Flat” by Chopin from “Musical Moments”

  by USC Thornton School of Music

“DeColores” traditional folk song from “Bells Collection” by Music Together

“Animals” by Saint-Saens from “Wee Sing and Pretend” by Price Stern Sloan

“Wipe Out” by The Ventures:  surf to it , play air guitar, silly freeze.

“Sail Away” by Enya from “Paint the Sky with Stars” by Enya

“The Pizzicati” by Delibes

Check out this article on Patch writen by a mom who took my class!Article about out class!

About Teacher Susy

Biographical Information For Susan Porter

     Susan Porter has been working with young children since 1996. She was a full-time toddler teacher at Creative Kids for two years, where she led music time and storytelling. Susan has entertained children at hundreds of birthday parties. Trained in acting and singing, she has performed in musical theater, plays, and voice-over work. She is an accomplished flutist, singer, and guitar player.

Susan also has extensive background in child development. She is a member of the ECMMA (The Early Childhood Music and Movement Association), and continues to further her education and skills by attending conferences, workshops, and trainings throughout the year. She stays current with the latest research, publications, and books concerning education, theories of learning, and musical pedagogy. Susan has completed advanced trainings with “Music Together” and “Musikgarten”, both national, research- based music education companies. Susan uses these resources in her teaching.

Susan’s Teaching Philosophy

Susan’s philosophy concerning the infant and toddler learners is that music-making is an experience that is geared towards the joyful process of creating rather than perfection, performing, or the end product. The emphasis in class is on creativity, experimentation, exploration, and enjoying musical experiences. At this early age, with fine motor skills still developing, the value of music is to ignite their inner rhythm, increase their awareness of basic fundamentals (like high and low, fast and slow), and to give them positive experiences that lead to a lifelong interest and involvement in music. The benefits of early exposure and involvement with music are significant and include enhancing cognitive, motor, memory, and social - emotional skills, as well as language acquisition. Bonding with mom and dad (or caregiver) is key, as music provides an intimate and unique way to connect with each other.

There is no “right or wrong” way to play an instrument at this stage. As the children get older and their abilities, attention span, and cognitive skills advance, then we can begin to work on control, making the music louder, softer, slower, faster. Children progress naturally if they have the basic confidence, security, and freedom to do so at their own pace, in their own way. Susan’s highest priority is that the children feel safe and comfortable in the class environment. The environment is set up in a way that the children can interact with, touch, and explore the instruments and props. All class materials that Susan uses have been tried and tested over the years for durability, quality of sound, and safety.

 

Class Description

     A wide variety of musical instruments are used during each class, including Remo drums, tone blocks, claves, guirro tone blocks, finger cymbals, bells, shaker eggs, and resonator bells. High quality props such as scarves, rainbow streamers and hoops are also used to help motivate children to move expressively and freely.

In addition to high quality children’s music, Susan also incorporates classical music into her program, making it fun, enjoyable, and accessible for even the youngest of students. She incorporates creative movement and dramatic play. Some of our favorite pieces are: “In The Hall Of The Mountain King” by Grieg, Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite”, “The Carnival Of Animals” by Saint Saens, “Overture to William Tell” by G.Rossini ,Leroy Anderson’s “The Syncopated Clock”, and “The Musical Typewriter”.

Our fall session of "Sing, Dance & Play" at Veteran's Park begins on Monday, September 23rd, 2013.

Teacher Susy is offering her "in Home" music class!!

If you would like the convenience of having a music class come to you, in the comfort of your own home, here is your opportunity. Teacher Susy will bring all the instruments and props necessary for a super fun class! If you are interested, you can message teacher Susy here on this blog, or you can call her at 310-913-1385.

Sing, Dance & Play!

This summer at The Getty!

Attention families!

Don't miss the fun at the Getty this summer! Check out the great family events!

Free concerts and fun events at The Getty!

http://www.getty.edu/visit/calendar/events/Family.html

This is my favorite Teacher Susy picture!
Done by a girl who took my class when she was a toddler.

Teacher Susy will be in France from July 15th to August 10th.
Please call the Culver City office to register for our class.
I'm not sure If I will have internet access in France .
Culver City Parks & Rec. : 310-253-6650

Office Hours: 

Mondays: 8 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Tuesdays - Friday: 11:30 - 6:30
Saturday - 10 - 6:30

Link to Culver City Living Brochure (Our class is on page 12)

Have a great summer!

4 & 5 Week Summer Session!

Our summer session will begin On Monday,  August 19th until September 16th,

Wednesday, August 21st to Wednesday, September 18th and Thursday August 22nd until Thursday, Septemebr 19th. The monday classes will run for 4 weeks and the Wednesday & Thursday classes will run for 5 weeks. ($40 for 4 wks, $50 for 5 wks.)

The best place for outdoor summer concerts for young children!

http://www.getty.edu/education/kids_families/programs/garden_concerts.html


Check out the summer concert series st The Getty Center! These concerts are very kid friendly. They happen in the beautiful outdoor gardens at The Getty Center. They are free, so get there early to get a good parking space. Make a day of it, pack a picnic. My favorite performer is Elizabeth Mitchell. She performs with her husband and daughter and has a gorgeous, gentle voice. She sings old folk songs in her own cool style. I highly recommend her concert.

Sparky is an adorable, precocious little boy who embarks on quite a few musical adventures. My favorite recording is pictured above:"Sparky's Magic Piano".  He meets the entire orchestra in "Sparky's Magic Baton". Other fun stories are "Sparky's Magic Echo" and "Sparky and The Talking Train". The train story will thrill any child who loves trains! I highly recommend all of these recordings. They are very well done, kid appropriate, and imaginative. You can listen to these at "Kiddie Records Weekly" or buy them at Amazon.com.

http:/kiddierecords.com

Hello, here is a link to "Kiddie Records".Everything is free to download!http:/www.kiddierecords.comThis is a fantastic site that has radio dramas, storytelling, and dramatic readings by stars of the 20's through the 1950's. There are some real gems here, so look around. You'll find sweet stories about elves & fairies, or adventure stories as well as standards like "Peter Pan" and even "Howdy Doody". I love sharing these old recordings with my children. They are sweet and harken back to a different era. Have fun finding your favorite stories and songs!

My favorite classical music for young children is Saint-Saens "Carnival Of The Animals". It is made up of fourteen short songs, each with a name of an animal and one called "pianists" This music is fun and imaginative. The composer uses instruments to imitate animal sounds, like the deep, rich cello for the "Swan". Many versions of this piece are available. My favorite one comes with a beautiful book with commentary by Barrie Carson Turner and illustrations by Sue Williams, published by Henry Holt and Company. Each piece has it's own page with gorgeous pictures and a little explanation about the instruments used and the sounds the animals make. I highly recommend this book and CD. I have used it for years and the kids always love moving and playing along with this music!

Our summer session will begin On Monday,  August 19th until September 16th,
Wednesday, August 21st to Wednesday, September 18th and Thursday August 22nd until Thursday, Septemebr 19th. The monday classes will run for 4 weeks and the Wednesday & Thursday classes will run for 5 weeks.

Our current class schedule at Vet's Park is as follows: Monday 9:45 & 10:45; Wednesday at 9:45; Thursday at 10:45 a.m.

Our current 10 week session ends the week of June 10th.

We will be offering a four week session beginning in August. We will post those dates soon.

Check out this article on Patch writen by a mom who took my class!Article about out class!

About Teacher Susy

Biographical Information For Susan Porter

     Susan Porter has been working with young children since 1996. She was a full-time toddler teacher at Creative Kids for two years, where she led music time and storytelling. Susan has entertained children at hundreds of birthday parties. Trained in acting and singing, she has performed in musical theater, plays, and voice-over work. She is an accomplished flutist, singer, and guitar player.

Susan also has extensive background in child development. She is a member of the ECMMA (The Early Childhood Music and Movement Association), and continues to further her education and skills by attending conferences, workshops, and trainings throughout the year. She stays current with the latest research, publications, and books concerning education, theories of learning, and musical pedagogy. Susan has completed advanced trainings with “Music Together” and “Musikgarten”, both national, research- based music education companies. Susan uses these resources in her teaching. CD’s of this music can be ordered if you would like to “bring the music home”!

Susan’s Teaching Philosophy

Susan’s philosophy concerning the infant and toddler learners is that music-making is an experience that is geared towards the joyful process of creating rather than perfection, performing, or the end product. The emphasis in class is on creativity, experimentation, exploration, and enjoying musical experiences. At this early age, with fine motor skills still developing, the value of music is to ignite their inner rhythm, increase their awareness of basic fundamentals (like high and low, fast and slow), and to give them positive experiences that lead to a lifelong interest and involvement in music. The benefits of early exposure and involvement with music are significant and include enhancing cognitive, motor, memory, and social - emotional skills, as well as language acquisition. Bonding with mom and dad (or caregiver) is key, as music provides an intimate and unique way to connect with each other.

There is no “right or wrong” way to play an instrument at this stage. As the children get older and their abilities, attention span, and cognitive skills advance, then we can begin to work on control, making the music louder, softer, slower, faster. Children progress naturally if they have the basic confidence, security, and freedom to do so at their own pace, in their own way. Susan’s highest priority is that the children feel safe and comfortable in the class environment. The environment is set up in a way that the children can interact with, touch, and explore the instruments and props. All class materials that Susan uses have been tried and tested over the years for durability, quality of sound, and safety.

 

Class Description

     A wide variety of musical instruments are used during each class, including Remo drums, tone blocks, claves, guirro tone blocks, finger cymbals, bells, shaker eggs, and resonator bells. High quality props such as scarves, rainbow streamers and hoops are also used to help motivate children to move expressively and freely.

In addition to high quality children’s music, Susan also incorporates classical music into her program, making it fun, enjoyable, and accessible for even the youngest of students. She incorporates creative movement and dramatic play. Some of our favorite pieces are: “In The Hall Of The Mountain King” by Grieg, Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite”, “The Carnival Of Animals” by Saint Saens, “Overture to William Tell” by G.Rossini ,Leroy Anderson’s “The Syncopated Clock”, and “The Musical Typewriter”.

Sing,Dance & Play is a unique and wonderful class that is fun and beneficial for the growth and development of young children birth to four years old. Our class promotes bonding between parents and children. We play high quality musical instruments such as wood blocks, claves, tone blocks, shaker eggs, tambourines and REMO drums. We dance to music ranging from classical to folk music. Sing, Dance & Play provides a chance for you to unwind, relax and play with your child in a safe ,fun and enriching environment. You will meet friendy moms and learn a ton of great songs and musical games to play at home. Kids love our class! They learn and grow so much by participating or by listening and watching. Come and enjoy a class for free. Registration and payment happens through Culver City Parks & Rec. You can find Sing, Dance & Play at Culvercity.org, the link for "Parks & Recreation classes", or "Culver City Living". This site will lead you to Active.com, where you can sign up for the class. Or, you can come into the office at Vet's Park on Culver & Overland. The office opens at 11:30 a.m. We offer classes on Mon, Wed, and Thursday at 9:45 & 10:45 a.m. Please call first before you drop by. I can be reached at 310-913-1385. Susy Porter, aka "Teacher Susy" have a musical fun day!