And We're Back ... Again! J: 41 mo; K: 20 mo

A BIT ABOUT US: www.softmozart.com/forum/2-introduce-you...-from-va-usa--d.html
OUR SOFTMOZART BEGINNINGS: softmozart.com/forum/33-progress-diaries...tejoey-age-31mo.html
THE PROGRESS THREAD BEFORE THIS: www.softmozart.com/forum/33-progress-dia...-joey-age-31-mo.html
WHERE THIS THREAD LEADS: www.softmozart.com/forum/33-progress-dia...ack--again.html#8228
OUR JOURNEY TO DATE: softmozart.com/profile/1064-queriquita.html - IN OUR STATUS (hope to update our status with each new progress thread)

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I wrote two days ago in our profile status:

Oh, how time flies! ... but, we are back! The keyboard is set up again and after so many months gone, we are hoping to make this try a winner For those who aren't aware, we started SM when J was 31 months (or so) and K was about 10 m/o. We had to stop because of a lot of reasons (although they loved and missed the keyboard). Now, J is 41 m/o, and K is 20 m/o.

So, that about sums it up. And I have to mention that I am so relieved to be back. Plus, I've spent the last two days scoping out the additions to the site and I love the section with the semester breakdowns!

The kids are at an indoor playground right now, so I'm taking advantage and updating everyone, finally. Since our 'return' to SM, I've spent the last two nights up until 5am, trying to get everything setup again, and well, it's just not gonna cut it for a third night. Of course, I loved the program before and still love it, so clearly I'm anxious to get things back on track. Relearning, organizing, and planning have really been the bulk of the last few days, since deciding to actively teach music to the kiddos again.

Over the last month or so, we've been doing BrillKid's Little Musician program, which I feel compliments this one so well. This past weekend, knowing that we would be on the keyboard again this week, I also started playing a handful of songs in solfege within LM so that we can start committing the songs to memory.

Our current top picks:

• Hot Cross Buns
• Ode to Joy
• Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
• Row, Row, Row Your Boat
• Itsy Bitsy Spider

I don't do each of these everyday, but I try to at least do one on LM after each lesson, and then I try to remember to sing it while we're just hanging out. If I'm lucky, Joey will chime in, which is exciting.

So, we do BK fairly consistently now, and incorporate an eclectic collection of songs throughout our days. Along with listening to a variety of music, I also intentionally (albeit randomly over the last ten months) expose them to the following:

• Themes to Remember music: back-to-bach.com/ (There's so much great info here, I can see myself turning their website into a 'course' for the kids when they get a little older.
• KinderBach
• Beethoven's Wigs (thank you library for having these to borrow!)
• TuneToddler (it's been a long time on this one, but I hope to get it going again soon)
• Music collections on YouTube from our Music playlist, as well as anything else interesting and pertinent, usually from a subscription or suggested video link

All of this I consider passive learning though, or music theory, at best, since none of it is actually practicing how to play an instrument - the piano (enter SoftMozart - yay!). So now in addition to the above, thanks to reviewing the weekly goals in the 0-5 age group and the 5-adult age group lesson guides, I'll be incorporating the following:

1. adding video of Hanon (maybe the video of 3 yr old Morgan ?), and attempting to at least play it myself in front of the kids (at least once/day) so that they can see it live. Honestly, committing to anything daily right now seems like such a stretch, but hey, I'm trying.
2. creating a solfege wheel so that we can eventually build up to
this , or at the very least, this .

Also, I just created these magnetic color notes (pics found at plus.google.com/107370484583164372350 ), thanks to Tonya (TMT on BK) and her wonderful music staff floor creation;

too daunting and large a task for this noncrafter to undertake, but sticking stickers on magnets took very little time and energy. What I really want now is a large cookie sheet to use as a magnetic desk of sorts, so that we're not having to run to the refrigerator to play around with our magnetic notes. I'll find one around here, I'm sure.

And, since this wonderful video () is so fast for a beginner, I will be attempting to create something that we can use to slow it down. Wish me luck

Oh! As for the kids. As soon as I hooked up the keyboard, Joey asked to play the SM games (from ten months ago!). He did well, especially considering that the majority of the stickers had fallen off in the move. I didn't write down his stats, but will be doing so on our next try - I hope. (Note to self: Must print out a tracking sheet, like everyone suggested I do ten months ago! lol)

Kaelie? Well, I don't know yet. I suppose I'll find out more about her this week. She's more musically inclined than Joey, so it will be interesting to see how these next few months unfold with her.

Thanks for the shout out. What you need is an "oil pan" from walmart. I am in the process of making a magnetic schedule and this is the base of it, they are very popular on Pinterest at the moment (which is how I learned of these). I spray painted mine black, but that is really an extra step and experience the paint chips without a sealant. If you are pressed for time just leave it silver and maybe add some skinny black electrical tape for the staff. They come with a non-stick coating so you'll need to use a damp cloth or some mild cleaner before use. Mine was $12 at walmart and I actually had to ask an employee where to find them, they really hide them well! haha

pinterest.com/joni_spencer/oil-pan-fun/

Andrea,

Thanks so much for the welcome back and encouragement!

So glad you like the links, too! I figured they'd come in handy, and if for nothing else, they really help me keep track too lol.

Tonya, well, you already know, since we just skyped, but I guess I'll be running out to wally world again this week lol. thank you so much for the idea! My plan is to get dry erase roll and put it on top. Or maybe I'll just put the duck contact paper laminate over top of white paper. Who knows. Let's just say that I'm sure the product will show up in a progress pic or video - hopefully sooner than later!

Ok, It's almost 5am. The kids wake up between 6:30a and 7:30a, agh, but I wanted to post an update, even if it's a quick one. So, here ya go: Wednesday's progress.

Joey: first official day back to the keys - yay! I was so pleased. Here's the link to the pics with the comments (you actually have to click on an image to read my comment on the side): plus.google.com/photos/10737048458316437.../5842135674641505809 . Here's the link to the video: .

Enjoy

Kaelie: We pointed to the colored images of the SM solfege wheel while listening to the alphabet chant tracks 1 & 2. What I would really like to know (feel free to chime in Sonya), is what's to be expected at this age, and how to make it happen.

Also: In addition to SM, BK LMu, and what you see in the pics (fridge magnet games), I played this Hanon video a few times for the kids, which I really liked bc it shows a good shot of both hands, which they can observe (plus I practiced it in front of them too).


After watching these videos, though, I think I'm going to try and set this up for them, as well, since we also have synthesia. When? I'm not sure, since I clearly don't even have time to sleep. lol But we'll see.




I also played TuneToddlers while the kids played with their toys. Plus, while I tried to put K to sleep, I let Joey play with our YouTube Music playlist up.

So, that about covers our music progress for today. I was exhausted (we also cover a lot of other subject material in the day), but very pleased. Here's hoping tomorrow's another good day tomorrow - er ... today!

Must get to bed. I got NO sleep last night, but interestingly, it was a rather 'good' day. We accomplished all of our morning tasks, and then I took the kids to an indoor playground, followed by going and getting those metal items for the music magnets - yay! More details here: giftedpath.blogspot.com/2013/02/forward-...by-oil-drip-pan.html .

As for Music: I played Alphabet Chants (Tracks 1 & 2 - Joey sang to these while he played with his cars), Hanon DVD (he thinks it's like him, and Kaelie wanted to imitate it - nice!), and then while K was occupied eating I let J do 2 minutes each of Fruit Lines and Alphabet Game, followed by playing Ode to Joy 3 times. He requested SM, but I told him he had to collect money by playing the first two games. We were squeezing it in around dinner time, so it all went pretty quickly, but he did well! Again, only once out of the three times he earned all 30 flowers, but he did it. At that point, Kaelie came in and wanted to play, so even though Joey requested Guess the Note, he couldn't do it because she kept trying to do it too. I'm hoping tomorrow goes even better. I think we're progressing, and that's always good. I'm really excited about getting 'to the finish line' as Joey (aka Lightening McQueen) always says.

Here's what I have so far as vids and pics go:
Pics: plus.google.com/photos/10737048458316437...thkey=CIOsgMKt5LG2ew

Attempt #2:

As I wrote in the comments: he wanted to incorporate his left hand today. Tomorrow I hope to get him started on his left hand, and add stickers to his fingers so that he can try to play it more like Ella in her Ode to Joy video, which I couldn't find, and Owen in this one: .