Is your child naturally drawn to the instrument? Have they shown true interest in learning to play (are they experimenting on the piano and making up songs)? Are you prepared as a parent to commit to weekly lessons and sitting with your child for daily practice?

I truly understand that parents are eager to get their children started in lessons as soon as possible. Studies show that children who play an instrument do better in school, are more focused, are better critical thinkers, are more successful, and so on. However, it is important to give your child a strong musical foundation before beginning the intensity of private lessons. Music is a language and when learning a language children need ample time to experiment/play/engage with it long before they learn to read.

So excited to let you all know that our children’s album, Skip to my Lou will be available everywhere (Amazon, Itunes, CDBaby) on Valentine’s Day!

Here’s a great article Sarah Nicholson from the EUGENE DAILY NEWS wrote about Little Timbre Studio last year. We’ve since moved to our new location at St. Mary’s, but all of our class offerings are the same.

Check it out:

Music Exploration for the Very Young at Little Timbre Music Studio.

“Tis the season for lights and bells! Here are a few musical favorites with the children in my music studio right now:

Jingle Bells
Ukrainian Carol
Silver Bells
Winter Wonderland
Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy

The sound of church bells ringing or jingle bells is also a big hit with wee little ones. It’s wonderful to listen to all the beautiful sounds of this season in addition to enjoying all the beautiful lights around town.

Happy Holidays!

Rhythm and Tonal Patterns – the building blocks of music.

In every class I will do a series of both rhythmic and tonal patterns – short rhythmic phrases or little snippets of melody. These patterns are the basic building blocks of music (simple duple and triple rhythm patterns and simple major/minor tonal patterns). I pull these patterns directly from the folk songs we sing together. I ask everyone to echo me as a group. As our comfort level dictates, I invite individual children to come take turns.  Some children delight in this activity, while others don’t want to have anything to do with it. Take heart; at this point, it really doesn’t matter what your child does with patterns in class. Much more important is what they do in the comfort of your home, or in your car. Think of the pattern work we do in class as a model for you and your child to play with patterns at home.

Through playing with rhythm and tonal patterns your child is building his/her own musical vocabulary. Just as language is learned from sounds to words and later to writing and reading, so musical understanding begins first with musical patterns and develops later to an understanding within a wider musical literacy framework and which operates on many levels.

In our baby and toddlers classes, I use neutral syllables (ba ba) for both the rhythm and tonal patterns. The Cycles/Music Makers students are now using solfege (do re mi…) and Gordon’s rhythm solfege ( du-de, du-de). Later in Music Makers (ages 5-6) because of their early exposure to the patterns and ample time to play with these patterns, children will easily recognize these patterns in written music!

Create your own simple patterns (tonal and rhythm) and play an echo game with your child. Ask your child to make-up their own patterns and have you or another family member echo their pattern back. Build upon your patterns as your child become more confident with the game.  Have fun!

In all of our classes we sing and move to lullabies. Rocking songs and lullabies constitute our musical expressions of deep human attachment. Adults and children experience the soothing combination of the tonal environment plus movement while passing on our common musical heritage. Do not worry about your singing competence – this is a time to just connect with your child, through the power of song.

Stroking your child slowly and firmly with one or both hands is an important alternative movement to add to rocking songs and lullabies. Touch is the prime psycho-physical communication which heightens body awareness and communicates feeling.

Additionally, rocking stimulates the vestibular (balance) system located deep in the inner ear. When the head and body move, the fluid in the inner ear records body position and movement in space. Rocking is the motion which makes the connection between a feeling body, a listening ear, and a thinking mind.

The soothing music and movement helps your child learn how to calm him/herself. I am always amazed in class when even the most active toddlers or preschoolers will stop what they’re doing and rock with mommy or daddy when we sing our lullabies. They are learning to calm themselves through music and movement.

What a powerful gift to give them!

Some of my favorites: All the Pretty Little Horses, You Are My Sunshine, Bim Bam

You asked and I listened! I’m opening up two new classes this term:

Toddlers – Tuesdays 10:30am

8 week class – October 11-December 13th (no classes 11/22 or 11/29) – REGISTER

Mixed Ages (6m to 4.5 years) – Thursdays 10:30am

4 week class – October 13- November 3 – REGISTER

Visit our Fall page to see all of our music class offerings this term.

Thank you!

Musikgarten

Fall Session 2 Musikgarten starts next month and the classes are filling up.
Classes run October 3- December 16th (10 weeks)

Classes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.

Class Info and Schedule

REGISTER

Piano

I have 1 opening for the 2011-2012 school year. All lessons are held at Little Timbre Studio in the SW Hills. Visit the Lessons page for more information about lessons and how to register your child.

Little Timbre Studio is now registering for fall music classes for children – come join the fun!

Register for our Musikgarten Fall Session 2 by September 1st and save $10 on your child’s tuition!

Classes held in two Eugene locations – St. Mary’s Church on 13th/Pearl in downtown Eugene and at Little Timbre Studio in SW Eugene. See our Classes page for more details.

Piano lessons – only two spots available for the 2011-2012 school year.

Little Timbre Studio remodel is almost finished! Here’s a preview:

Musikgarten

We have two Musikgarten sessions this fall. A short 4-week preview session for Babies and Toddlers (September) and then our full 10 week session for all levels – Ages 0-6 (October-December).

Fall Session 1
September 5 – 30th (4 weeks)

Fall Session 2
October 3- December 16th (10 weeks)

* M,T,TH classes held at St. Mary’s Church on Pearl/13th
* W,F classes held at Little Timbre Studio in SW Eugene (Bailey Hill/hills south of Churchill High)

More Information about our Musikgarten classes

Piano

Fall piano lessons start back up the week of September 12th. I have 2 possible openings for the 2011-2012 school year. All lessons are held at Little Timbre Studio in the SW Hills. Visit the Lessons page for more information about lessons and how to register your child.