Hey my fellow busy parents,

Every wonder how to keep up with all the activities with your little ones? Between all the classes, play dates, and all that we do, it’s not easy to keep up with music practice, aural skills and music theory, but here’s some time savers for you, that have helped us a load!

1. Play songs they are learning in the car while you drive! Even if they can’t play their instrument while you’re driving (unless they’re singers!) this mental practice can go a long way to learning the music, memorizing it and keeping it top of mind for when they ARE practising at home.

2. Teach rhythm by playing songs while you drive or, while you’re cooking or whatever, by tapping different rhythms and beats to different songs!

3. Learning the textures and hearing different instruments- ask your kids to sing the different parts of a song: tap the drum beat, sing the bass, can you hear the piano? What’s it doing? The guitar? Are there any other instruments? This is also easy to do while driving or just hanging out listening to music.

4. Teach them different genres of music! Listen to different songs in completely different genres- heavy metal, classical, pop, r’n’b, and ask them to tell you what is different about them. Ask them what they like and don’t like.

5. Teach them where music comes from: how do they think music is created? Just like learning that food comes from a farm, how it’s grown, some kids seem to think music just comes out of the iPad or whatever device. Teach them that they can create music too- even as early as 3 or 4. Share with them how someone created that song or piece, it’s amazing when they realize this, and that they can create music too. Seems little, but opens up little minds to many ideas and thoughts!

Questions? Send me an email!

Sophie XO