Do You Remember Kindergarten?

Google Image

By Diane Forrest

It’s been a few years now since I was in Kindergarten, but I still remember some of the things I did.  Above is a picture of me dressed as a pregnant lady, and another of me on the stage.  I remember this was my first public solo, and I sang:

A-tisket a-tasket

A green and yellow basket

I wrote a letter to my love

And on the way I dropped it

I dropped it, I dropped it

Yes, on the way I dropped

A little girlie picked it up

And took it to the market

This was also the time I had my first boy friend.  His name was John, and he always wanted to sit by me during story time.  This is an important time in a young child's life.  Not only do they learn basic educational tools such as colors, shapes, and the alphabet, but they also learn how to interact with other children, sometimes even forming life long friendships.  My son went to the same school from kindergarten to high school, and spent most of his life with some of the same people he started with.

According to holidayinsites.com, Kindergarten Day is celebrated in honor of Friedrich Froebel. He was born on this day in 1782. In 1837, he started the first Kindergarten in Germany. It became popular quickly. Kindergartens were originally a 1/2-day to get children acclimated into learning, social interaction, and school, in a fun, yet educational manner. Kindergarten has evolved in most areas into a full time program. This is partly the result of increasing pressures on education, and partly due to the increase in working mothers in America.

Today is Kindergarten Day, why not pull out your old photo albums and look at your pictures to see how much you have changed, if you don’t have any, maybe you can color a picture or make a play-doh model!

Singing with your Child

By Diane Forrest

Sing.
Sing a song.
Sing out loud, sing out strong.
Sing of good things, not bad.
Sing of happy, not sad.
Sing.
Sing a song.
Make it simple to last your whole life long.
Don´t worry that it´s not good enough for anyone else to hear.
Just sing.
Sing a song.
La La La La La La
La La La La La La
La La La La La La
Sing. Sing a song.
Let the world.
Sing out loud.
Sing of love there, could be.
Sing for you and for me.
Sing a song.
Make it simple to last your whole life long.
Don´t worry that it´s not good enough for anyone else to hear.
Just sing, sing a song.

This song was recorded by the group the Carpenters, and it is one of my favorites.  I love to sing, I began singing in church probably as soon as I could talk.  I have always been a part of a school or church choir.  One of the first performances I remember was in a program for my kindergarten class.  I sang a solo, a tisket a tasket, a green and yellow basket. 

So it was no wonder when my son was born that I would sing to him too.  From the time he was born until the age where he didn't want to be around his mother, we would sing songs together.  Even now we will occasionally sing a rounding version of Little Cabin in the Woods.  He still laughs when I do all the hand gestures.

Singing with your child is a wonderful way to bond and bring the family together. 

March is Sing with Your Child Month.  According to musictogether.com, When we take the time to sing and make music as a family, we form everlasting bonds, which ultimately allow our children to feel safe and secure as they grow, putting them on the road to future success. In addition to the bonding that occurs when parents sing and make music with their children, the children grow into confident music-makers who are able to participate with joy in the music of their culture. And, music learning supports all learning by promoting creativity, personal expression, and social interaction.

The beauty is that making music with children does not require special skills or “musical talent.” In fact, this may be the one time in your life when the audience (your children!) will always be thrilled with your participation — and want more! These experiences will live in your children’s memories for the rest of their lives and help them develop the necessary qualities to grow into loving and confident adults.

The impact of singing and making music with your child is immeasurable, and the rewards of this simple act will help us make the world a much better place than it is now. Sing a song, grab a drum (or even a plastic bowl and wooden spoon!) and join us as we celebrate Sing With Your Child Month.

(All Images from Google) 

Universal Music Day

(Google Image) 

By Diane Forrest

It’s a cold, cloudy rainy afternoon, so I'm sitting in front of the television watching a movie that I taped a while back, well actually there are three of them.  It's the series of High School Musical.  I love watching them and singing along with the songs.  I have always wondered why nobody at my school never broke out into song and dance.  Every time I'm feeling blue, a musical will always pick me up.  I love the show tunes, and think about singing in the rain with Gene Kelly.

There is nothing better than brightening your mood than to sing a song.  I love singing, since I was small I sang at church, then later I was in several choirs at school and church, and when I became a mother I sang to my baby every day.

I have a friend who will go out for breakfast in the morning and start the day rocking to different songs on his earphones.  I have a special CD I play when I travel in my car, it was my husband's favorite, and I turn it up and sing the songs over and over until I reach my destination.

My family sings as well.  My father used to sing in the church choir until he began having throat problems, my mother makes a "joyful noise" at church, and is often seen out shopping singing "Jingle Bells" no matter what time of year it is. My son is not much of a singer, but he loves to play the guitar, and loves listening to music.  In fact he went out of town to hear a concert this weekend.

(Google Image) 

Today is Universal Music day.  The goals for this day include:

• to support the 80% of people who WISH they could sing or play an instrument. They will then be your best supporters of the Arts.
• to keep Music in the schools
• to bring Music making into corporations
• to bring MUSIC to the bedside for sick and dying.
• to bring MUSIC back into the home.

(Google Image) 

According to their website at universalmusicday.com, their mission is to Encourage people to make MUSIC — sound, silence, vibrations, from their HEARTS with the intention of creating LOVE, JOY, BEAUTY, COMPASSION AND CREATIVE LIVING.  Music is something that just brings people together, and there are all kinds of styles and types of music.  There is rock and roll, classical, jazz, country, opera, rap, heavy metal, and others.  According to Plato, Music gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.

So today, on Universal Music Day, Sing...sings a song; sing out loud...sing out strong!!!  Sing of good things not bad....sing of happy not say, Sing, sing a song, make it simple to last the whole day long...don’t worry if it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear, just sing...sing a song!!!!

(Google Image) 

Today through Pictures

November 7, 2012

Right On! 

Something wrong here

Love and Trust

What's your favorite song?

Spot On!

Choice!

One Hit Wonder's

By Diane Forrest,

I'd like to thank the guy

Who wrote the song

That made my baby

Fall in love with me

Who put the bomp

In the bomp bah bomp bah bomp?

Who put the ram

In the rama lama ding dong?

Who put the bop

In the bop shoo bop shoo bop?

Who put the dip

In the dip da dip da dip?

Who was that man?

I'd like to shake his hand

He made my baby

Fall in love with me (yeah!!)

These are the lyrics to Who put the bomp bye Barry Mann, written in 1961.  This song was one included on a cd I have called top hits of the 60's.  You may not recognize the singer, that is because this was his one and only hit song.   It was a very catchy Dance song, with fun words.  Click on this link to hear it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXmsLe8t_gg.

"Don't Worry, be happy"

I am telling you this because today is One Hit Wonder day.   A One Hit Wonder is is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit song.   I was looking through the list of 100 One hit wonders....you may be surprised who it on that list.   From Randy Travis, to Paris Hilton ( who even knew she sang?)  To Geraldo. 

Some of the songs you can't forget are:

• "Who let the dogs out?"
• "Ice Ice Baby"
• "Don't Worry, be happy"
• "Don't break my heart, my achey brakey heart"
• "what the world needs now is Love sweet love"
• "Mr. Big Stuff, who do you think you are?"
• "I'd like to teach the world to sing"
• "smokin in the boy's room"

The list goes on and on.  Even though these artists only had one hit, they made their mark in history, and how many of us can say we had a hit song?  So cudo's to them for their contribution to the music industry, and for many memories these songs gave us.  To view more One Hit Wonders, click on this site: http://www.onehitwondercentral.com/