Dean Zimmer has become a bit of a phenomenon these days. He is a gifted drummer who plays with a great deal of passion and skill. Although those attributes are rare, what has set him apart is his ability to overcome his physical limitations. Dean is truly an inspiration! His hands are deformed and he uses a wheelchair to get around, but none of these things keep him from doing what he loves.

This video chronicles a reply to an ad for a drummer. Dean actually struggled up a flight of stairs to respond to the ad.

Ever thought about quitting? I think Dean Zimmer will motivate you to continue on in your passion

Make some colorful shakers with your left over plastic Easter eggs - next year!  :)

Materials:
Plastic Easter Eggs (colorful or clear)
Rice, Popcorn Kernels, or Colorful Sand
Hot Glue Gun or Electrical Tape
Ribbon (optional)

Open each egg and fill halfway with your filling. If you're using a colorful egg, rice or popcorn kernels work great! If you have some clear eggs, you may want to consider using colorful sand.

You can use the hot glue gun to glue the egg shut. If you want some extra color, then glue a small ribbon around where to two parts connect.

Now, if your children are like my boys, they will have the ribbon off and the egg opened as quickly as possible. A better option may be to use electrical tape to close your egg. Not only will it stretch around the egg and keep it closed, but it adds a ribbon of color - you may even be able to find some fun designs!

These homemade instruments are the perfect size for little hands to gasp. Turn on the music and shake your eggs to the beat!

This week's idea comes from Make It & Love It blog. My little guys love to "play" the guitar, so I can't wait to give this project a try!

You'll need several different materials - some you may find around your house, others you can find for free at your local grocery, office supply, or book store. A few you may need to buy.

Materials:
Pattern Templates found here
Cardboard (used boxes work fine)
Utility Knife
Hot Glue Gun
Four Large (7") Rubber Bands
Two Paper Clips: 1" and 1-1/2"
Wooden Pencil or Dowel

For detailed instructions (complete with pictures), I'm going to send you on over to the Make It & Love It blog post: Cardboard Guitars. Have fun!

Did you know that toddler music classes can have an impact on early math development? Here are three benefits sited by Kindermusik International:

Spatial awareness refers to an individual's ability to recognize himself in space - to be aware of the objects around him and his relationship to those objects. This type of reasoning seems to develop more quickly for children who are involved in music classes.

Pattern recognition is another area where children can develop more quickly when involved in toddler music classes. And no wonder! Listening to music is a great workout for the brain! Our minds need to recognize and organize the rhythms and melodies to fully enjoy the music. And we take it a step further when we clap to a steady beat, dance along to the rhythm or use our instruments to play along!

Counting by rote requires repetition. There are many songs in the Kindermusik curriculum that make the memorization of numbers fun. For example, in our Time for Lunch unit, your toddlers learn to count to eight as they sing One Potato, Two Potato while creating an imaginary pot of yummy soup!

Music and math seem to go hand in hand - especially in the toddler music class. If you haven't already, contact us and schedule your free Kindermusik preview class!

When it comes to performance, the first ten seconds are the hardest and the most important.

"The most important part of any act is the first ten seconds and the last ten seconds...what happens in between isn't that important." - Singer and Dancer, George M. Cohan

So, what do you plan to do with those important ten seconds?

Grab the Audience's Attention as you walk up to the piano. Did you know that your attitude as you walk up to the piano is very important - for you as well as for the audience? Be confident! Be excited! And show that to everyone in the way that you walk up to the keyboard. Anticipate that you'll have fun and enjoy sharing your music!

Start with a bang! Well, not literally, but your first couple measures will set the tone for the rest of the piece. Even if you're not feeling confident, playing that beginning with strength and expression will calm your nerves. Once again, anticipate enjoying the beautiful sounds you'll create!

Anticipate the fun! Remember that we chose these pieces because you really, really liked them. What was it that attracted you to that piece? Was it the sound of all the notes blending together as you use the damper pedal or did you like the sound of those deep, low notes that finish the piece? I know for some, you enjoyed playing with both hands at the same time! And for my older students, it's so much fun to see how creative you can be with all the different styles of music that we've studied!

As you prepare to play at the recital, think about why you chose that piece in the first place. Why you enjoyed playing it so much during our lessons and your practice time! Make those first ten seconds exciting and the fun will continue throughout the rest of your performance!

Pull out the scissors, drinking straws, and some tape to make this entertaining instrument.

Materials:
4-8 beverage or milkshake straws
scissors
tape
cardboard (optional)

Cut the straws at different lengths, each one a half-inch shorter than the next one. If you can, cut at an angle. Line the straws in order from longest to shortest, and tape them together. Or you can tape them to the cardboard.

You'll play your new instrument by blowing across the top of the flat side of the straw. What do you hear? Since these straws are plastic, you won't actually hear a sound, but you will hear a different pitches as you listen to the air move over the pipe.

What songs can you play with your new instrument?

Originally posted on Kindermusik's Blog, Minds on Music: July 31, 2013

With so many choices out there for young children, we thought we’d try to help make the decision a little easier by sharing our top 10 benefits of enrolling in Kindermusik.

Benefit #1: Kindermusik gives your child that unique head start you’ve been looking for – musically, cognitively, and academically.

Benefit#2: Kindermusik inspires a love of music from an early age with songs, instruments, and activities that are just right for each age and every stage.

Benefit #3: Kindermusik enhances every area of your child’s development – we are so much more than just music!

Benefit #4: Kindermusik gives you the time and the tools to enjoy quality time with your child – in class and at home.

Benefit #5: Kindermusik Home Materials let you take the music, fun, and learning with you all week long, wherever you go.

Benefit #6: Kindermusik classes provide a happy social outlet for your child and a valuable support network for you.

Benefit #7: All Kindermusik activities are research-proven and giggle-approved, and all are supported by a developmental and musical focus.

Benefit #8: Kindermusik lays a strong foundation for future success in school and in formal music lessons later on.

Benefit #9: Kindermusik is something you and your child will use every day – at home or on the go!

Benefit #10: Kindermusik offers a comprehensive program with the potential for positively impacting your child from newborn all the way to 7 years of age.

From Music Skills to Life Skills, it's all there in Kindermusik! Best of all, your child will love it and so will you. Check out one of our age-appropriate classes today!

One of my student's parents introduced me to The GiggleBellies, and I can't wait to get some of these familiar songs for my boys. My boys absolutely love the colorful characters and the entertaining songs! This YouTube video features one of our favorite songs, we love to do the Finger Play while we sing:

Music provides so many benefits for youngsters. The calming lullabies on these digital downloads or DVDs may calm your child and lull them into sleep, while the upbeat songs will provide a great opportunity for dancing, singing and using their boundless amounts of energy - all in the safety of your playroom! Music has also been found to increase children's brain development in many areas, including Cognitive Development, Emotional/Social Interaction, Physical Development, and Language Acquisition.

Will your child begin band this year? Or is it just time to buy a band instrument since they're loving band and you don't want to keep renting an instrument year after year?

In addition to band instruments, the Guitar Center is celebrating it's 49th Anniversary with a huge sale on guitars. Click on the image above to see what they have to offer!