It's 7:10 am and my husband has been gone for almost an hour and isn't due back for 12 more. It's me and an 13 month old baby who while adorable and active doesn't say too much. We've been to the park, we've been to the library and we've finger painted for hours, what next?
I discovered Music Together a little over a year ago when my son was just a little over a year old. We haven't skipped a session since. There are a lot of classes for babies and children out there ,dancing, swimming,gymnastics and even toddler yoga! How do you know what is really worth it? Let's face it these classes aren't cheap, you want to make sure you are getting your money's worth. I am pretty hard to impress but Music Together hits the mark.
Music Together classes are multi-age, not only is that beneficial developmentally but it is simply practical for young families, you don't have to worry about what to do with your baby while your preschooler is playing w
ith the maracas , you can have them both right there singing with you.
Each session of classes has a song collection, that is used in some combination each week. You are given 2 separate cds so you can have one in the car and one at home, this is genius! My son adores these Cds and on a road trip from Dallas to San Antonio last March we forgot to pack it. The results were terrible, my husband and I had to sing song everything we said from Waco to San Antonio to the tune of "Hello Everybody" the opening song to every Music Together class. Oh and slap our thighs to keep the beat. My son was calm, my legs were bright red and I have never forgotten to pack at least one Music Together Cd with me since!
Any music class can provide you with 2 cds though so that really isn'tthe heart of why Music Together is such a great program. What makes it great are it's teachers, how they are trained, and the general philosophy they take on music education. The main points stick out at me in their philosophy one being the importance of adults modeling participation and learning being developmentally appropriate and non performance based. Having studied how young children learn and thrive these points are essential, and better yet in my experience they practice what they preach. Young children are not forced to stay at the circle because the teachers know that even when children aren't sitting at the circle they are still absorbing the lesson,they will sit when they are ready and in the meantime seeing the adults and older children model the desired behavior they will eventually join in. The free instrument play and the free dance that is a part of the class every week really allows and encourages children to explore music both making it and moving to it.
Now you don't have to sign up for a class to sample how wonderful Music Together is, they have recently released compilation of the favorite songs from all there song collections. The Cd includes a booklet that talks about each song, and even has activities parents can do with their children for each selection! Family Favorites will become your go to children's Cd, not only are there some zippy songs perfect for the car and unlike some children's music these songs won't make people over 12 want to throw themselves out of the car,quite the opposite you'll be singing a long too ! Trust me I have spent so many years listening to kiddie music that I constantly have it in my head, I am so thankful to now have some good songs stuck in there!
For the Giveaway: Music Together has generously provided me with a copy of Family Favorites to giveaway to one lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment telling us what kiddie song you have stuck in your head all day ! There is even more to win over at the Music Together website too, they are celebrating Sing With Your Child Month this month and have some wonderful prizes so don't forget to check it out.
The contest is open to US residents only. Contest closes at 12 am PST on March 19th 2009. Winner will be drawn by random.org, announced on March 20th, and notified by email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the email or a second winner will be drawn.
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I hope I'm commenting in the right place! I always get "Moving Everyday" (not sure who it's by) stuck in my head…"Monday is my Marching day, I march and march and march all day!"
My family is enjoying listening to Bill Harley these days and so I seem to have his song "There's a Pea on My Plate" running around and around in my head
…. check out Bill Harley if you like children's music … he's great!
Since you mentioned "Hello, Everybody" in your blog, it is now in my head!
A favorite CD at our house is Splash Zone by Linda Arnold from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
My daughter is stuck on "Oh, Susannah", so I find myself humming it 24/7!
Hi, we are currently stuck on Baby Beluga, as sung by the Wiggles. "…in the deep blue sea, you swim so wild and you swim so free…" This song can start instant dancing here.
soundslike a fun and amazing experience
The song in my head is from Fun Time Nursery Rhymes, a personalized CD that someone gave my son for Christmas. They "inject" your child's name strategically through the songs to make them feel special. The song is called Imaginary Fun.
My daughter's favorite is "This Train…" from our Music Together class! She sings it all the time!
Oh, we LOVE music in our house. And we love finding new music to listen to together.
This would be wonderful!
Oh, "The Wheels on the Bus." Ever since my son was tiny, I've used that song to get through transitions and new experiences all day long. Getting a hair cut? "The scissors in your hair go SNIP, SNIP, SNIP." Folding laundry? "The socks for your feet go IN A BALL, IN A BALL, IN A BALL." Time to leave playgroup? "The zipper on your coat goes ZIP, ZIP, ZIP."
It's our go-to song for everything… and it's always running through my head!
My nephew's 1st birthday is coming up next week. This would be an awesome gift for him and his mom!
Well my son is currently perfecting the "ABC" song and "Twinkle Twinkle" so they seem to be sung all day at my house.
Yay!
My son is obsessed with 2 songs. No more Monkeys Jumpin' on the bed and twinkle Twinkle little star. Those songs are on repeat in my head 24/7.
We love to listen to Seeds Family Worship (www.seedsworship.com). There are four different CDs. All the songs are scripture to music. And like you said about Music Together, it doesn't want to make those over 12 scream! My husband and I love them as well. It is such a blessing to know that my child and I are hiding God's Word in our hearts while enjoying the gift of music!
The Wheels on the Bus….goes round and round in my head!!
"Mister Sun" is always stuck in my head because it's my babies favorite. This CD looks really fun.
We sing so much that – happily – the song in my head changes all the time. We were in Music Together classes for a number of years — loved it! It's everything you described it as and more! Sadly, the classes in our area ended so now we make do with the CDs we got in class and hope a new instructor steps forward.
I often have Elizabeth Mitchell's "Little Bird" song in my head because not only does my 2 year old and 11 month old love it, but my husband often sings it in a goofy voice around the house with the kids just to be silly.
I always have the Veggietales theme song stuck in my head- but then I was a fan when I was younger too.
Nathan just loves a book we have, "Down By the Station" so we read it often, which means I am singing the song all the time (because you just can't read a song) and it is always in my head.
My kids (three of them) love to sing. My wife gets them all going at times, and it's just music to my ears. Probably one of their favorites (and admittedly, mine too) is the "Peanut Song" where the peanut is sitting on the railroad tracks, his heart all "aflutter." I don't know the name of it, but I can certainly sing it, complete with the hand motions, on command. So can the little ones. [smile]
My son loves to sing Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree so that he can sing and do the hand actions too. So this song is constantly running through my head.
This is sad, but it's "I Love You, You Love Me" from Barney because my 2 yr old constantly is singing it and is an obsessed fan of that purple guy. Allie tells me it's a phase, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she's right! Yesterday, we sang a lot of the "ABC song" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", too!
I've got three little ones at home and we love music! This CD looks really fun. After reading some comments I've got "Hello Everybody" in my head.
"Oh, Suzanna" has been in my head lately. We have a CD that plays in the car all the time of kids songs and usually, the last one I heard in the car stays with me.
With a newly 2 year old and one on the way, we are always looking for good music to enrich our lives. Currently we've had a barage of birthdays so I'm singing Happy Birthday at least 50 times a day…save me!
we've taken these classes as well and totally loved them- our favorite is the hello song..
My son's favorite is "Catch You, Run" or "I'm Gonna Catch you, You Better Run" by the Laurie Berkner Band, so that is always in my head!
My girls love listening to kid songs in the car and at home. They listen to them as they fall asleep even. I find myself singing "The other day (the other day(echo)) I met a bear (I met a bear)….
Not one of my fav songs but my 3 and 1 yr old love it.
We LOVE music together, too. My son's favorite right now is Trot 'Ol Joe, so that is always stuck in my head.
I hope we when…I've been wanting their favorites to get some of the songs we've missed since we started. We have the last 3 semesters and need more!!
we Love our music together classes! the cd have made car trips pleasant since day one- i would love the family favorites as my son is getting to the age where he likes to hear me sing and then he mimics the fluctuations in my voice! we only have 2 semester cd's right now but can't wait to learn something new!!
My daughter constantly sings, "The Wheels on the Bus", and my son is always skipping around the house humming, "Skip to my Lou". These two songs are what I am always singing in my head! I'd love some new music!
We love listening to The Terrible Twos album 'If You Ever See An Owl." I always get 'Pizza And Chocolate Milk' stuck in my head!
My daughter is obsessed with The Wiggles, so I get all their songs stuck in my head. It's usually "Fruit Salad, Yummy, Yummy" or "Quack Quack Quack" that stay in my head all day!
My daughter's favorite at the time is Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, but she forgets the Shoulders part. hehe
If your happy and you know it!
Lately, I've had the "Silly Pizza Song" by Rachel Coleman of Signing Time stuck in my head. I'd love to check out the Music Together CD. We've attended some of their free classes but have yet to sign up for a semester… although we have loved the program when we've had a taste.
We love to sing around here, so there are always lots of songs running through my head. Like previous posters, the Veggietales theme gets stuck on repeat in my head often… "Cauliflower, sweet and sour, half an hour – Veggietales!" Also, we sing the "Uh Oh, Peanut Butter!" song, too! What my daughter's been singing for the past few days is The Bumblebee Song. Her favorite two lines are, "I have found a baby bumblebee… ouch, he stung me!"
My son is hooked on Laurie Berkner, so most of her songs are stuck in my head all day. But the latest song I find myself humming is "Fly Me To the Moon", which is not a bad kiddie song to have stuck in your head, all things considered. Would love to have the Music Together CD to add some variety!
You are my sunshine!
My son is on a Beatles kick: "She loves you, yeah yeah yeah… she loves you, yeah, yeah yeah" (lather, rinse, repeat!)
Thanks for the chance to win this CD. It has been on my wish list since I first heard about it. We had a Music Together teacher at my daughter's Montessori school, but she moved away recently so I'm waiting for the next session of Music Together classes to start so I can enroll my kids. Having the CD at home would be fun for all of us–and a nice break from the girls' current musical addiction, the soundtrack to "Annie."
I always have the Rescue Pack song from Diego in my head. My son loves to sing it and I love to think about him singing it!
We have been on a nursery rhyme kick around here, and Hey Diddle Diddle seems to be the most popular right now.
I always have "Sing Sweet Nightingale" from Disney's Cinderella stuck in my head – because my 3yo sings it/makes me sing it ALL DAY LONG! Why, out of all the Disney songs, did she choose THAT one as her favorite?!
This sounds great! I'd love some new music to mix things up around here!
Itsy bitsy spider is a big one around here right now.
The song stuck in my head right now is "Here I go" from Baby Signing Time DVD Vol. 2. My son has to watch it every day! He loves music!
heatherlbrandt(at)verizon (dot) net
My 18 mth old made up a song that consists of "I love you" and "I don't know" Chanted intermittently. Not sure where she came up with it but it is pretty catchy!
We are constantly singing around our house. Currently it's the ABC song so our 2 year old can learn his letters. His big sister (who's 3) thinks its her job to sing it over and over again until he gets it right.
we're big fans of jim gill. the washing machine song can always get us giggling and dancing.