Welcome to another week of our Kindermusik virtual online house party. We are SO HAPPY to see you you dancing, playing, singing and connecting with your children. As we continue on, our hope is that our activities and songs lift you up while igniting all areas of your child’s brain! YAY Kindermusik! As we expressed last week, this isn’t easy, and we are honored to be in this together with you. Thank you for choosing us to enrich your home.

Weekly disclaimer: This is NOT the kind of activity where your child watches and you go cook dinner. The program has been designed in the same spirit as our classes, where the teacher is the facilitator to your engagement with your child. It is designed for you to be very hands on with your child(ren), while familiar faces are on the computer singing and guiding you along through the amazing Kindermusik curriculum.

Here is all the information you need to join in this week! If you wish to enroll, it’s easy. Just visit growandsing.com/classes/house-party, scroll to bottom, click on “enrolling” and the form will drop down.

SCHEDULE
Below is our schedule for the week of April 6 – 10, 2020. Music is healing so you are welcome to participate in or listen to any and all programs below regardless of the typical age range. All children in your household are invited!

MONDAY – APRIL 6
10:00 am – Kindermusik Dance Party
Dance with us to some Kindermusik favorites! If just joining us, get acclimated to our online Zoom Platform, test your sound, and make sure you know how it works so you are ready for classes.

12:00 pm – Woodwind Instrument Demonstration Class
Put on your listening ears! Join Ms. Kristen (flute), Mr. Will (saxophone) and “soon to be” UCF School of Music student Anna Lesnick, (clarinet) in an educational demonstration of each instrument, along with some beautiful playing from all three musicians.

7:00 pm – Lullabies and stories with Ms. Holly
Join Ms. Holly for 15 – 20 minutes of relaxing lullabies and bedtime stories as you head into your bedtime ritual with your little one.

TUESDAY – APRIL 7
11:00 am – Mixed Age Kindermusik class with the Grow and Sing Studios team
Typical age range is newborn through 7 years old. Activities will include Hello, Goodbye, and Quiet time rituals along with rhythm play, dancing, story time and active listening.

12:30 pm – Foundations Kindermusik class with the Grow and Sing Studios team
Typical age range is newborn to walking. Activities will include Hello, Goodbye and Quiet time rituals, along with massage, exercise, and story time.

WEDNESDAY – APRIL 8
10:00 am – Mixed age Kindermusik class with the Grow and Sing Studios team
Typical age range is newborn through 7 years old. Activities will include Hello, Goodbye, and Quiet time rituals along with rhythm play, dancing, story time and active listening.

11:30 am – Level 3 Kindermusik class with the Grow and Sing Studios team
Typical age range is 3 – 5 years old (but tons of fun for the older kids too!). Activities are part of the Toys I Made, Trips I Take curriculum. This week is all about boats and the sea!

THURSDAY – APRIL 9
9:30 am – Foundations Kindermusik class with the Grow and Sing Studios team
Typical age range is newborn to walking. Activities will include Hello, Goodbye and Quiet time rituals, along with massage, exercise, and story time.

11:00 am – Bilingual Birdies with Miss Marisol
Typical age range is 2 – 5 years, but everyone is welcome to learn some Spanish! Bilingual Birdies is a super fun foreign language and music program where we teach basic vocabulary and short phrases in Spanish through music, dance, and puppetry.

FUN FRIDAY – APRIL 10
Join us in some 20ish minute activities for our Fun Friday!
10:00 am – Sing along with Miss Marisol
12:00 pm – HOP TO IT Bunny Party with Miss Angelyn
It’s time to celebrate Spring! We invite you to perhaps wear some bunny ears, dress up like a bunny, share your stuffed animal bunnies (or real ones?)or even dress in your Easter clothes if you would like. This fun activity will include dances, stories and songs about all things BUNNIES!
7:00 pm – Bedtime Sing-a-story with Ms. Lisa

To enroll just visit growandsing.com/classes/house-party, scroll to bottom, click on “enrolling” and the form will drop down.

Happy December everyone!

Recently I was hired to do a presentation via video conference call for a parenting group in Arizona. This group found me on Instagram where I tend to share a lot of developmental nuggets about how music affects a child’s development. I was honored to be asked and accepted the task. Can I just say that I had the BEST TIME? Sharing my passion with a wonderful group of moms was so much fun and rewarding. I hope I left a bit of an impression that trickles down to their precious babies.

I’m not presenting to you today in my blog post, but I did want to share one “whoa” moment to consider as you enter into what tends to be a chaotic time of year. For a child in their first 2000 days, the days between birth and Kindergarten, it is the time when their brain will form the most rapidly in their entire life. I learned (and then subsequently passed it on in my presentation) that a baby’s brain forms synapses (connections) at a rate of 1 MILLION PER SECOND! The actual “whoa” though is the fact that if those synapses aren’t strengthened, they prune and shed. Like, gone forever. The ones that are strengthened, shape who your baby will become as a person. These synapses are formed for vision, hearing, language and cognitive function, and this all happens in the first year of life. Not only that but social and emotional function as well. Each of us is born with the potential to control impulses and be focused but acquiring these skills happens in the early years when these synapses are forming. It helps create a foundation that will carry through a person’s entire life.

Large bodies of research have reported that high quality Birth-8 years learning environments, with regular attendance help build a strong foundation for the forming of these synapses. (NC Early Childhood Foundation)

Okay, you probably see where I’m going with this.
MUSIC!

Music is magical.
It’s is a multi-sensory activity. When children are engaged with music and movement, their hearing and visual senses are fully engaged. When multiple senses are engaged in an activity, more areas of the brain are activated. The more areas of the brain activated, the more brain connections formed. It is a fact that MUSIC is one of the only activities that activates, stimulates and uses the ENTIRE brain. I think that is fascinating, and exciting.

For the last 18 years, I have been SO PROUD to enhance the lives of families all across Central Florida with the gift of Kindermusik. Kindermusik was created with the idea that in a child’s early years, we can use the best tool EVER to strengthen those synapses so pruning and shedding is minimal.

Okay here’s my pitch. A month of Kindermusik at Grow and Sing Studios is $68. That may seem like a lot, but, considering that your baby is forming 1 million synapses a second right now, and each one of those needs love and care, it’s a pretty good deal.

I have an even BETTER deal! For the month of December, you can attend 2 per week until Christmas at 35% off, PLUS you’ll receive an invitation to our Jingle Jam Holiday Party (our entire team of teachers is singing!). To learn more, fill out the form here, and mention our “New Family December Offer”. We’ll hook you up.

If you decide to wait, we’ll hold back the guilt and encourage you to consider asking for a Kindermusik Gift Certificate so you can join us in 2020. Click here for more on that.

Oh, and if you are reading this from far and wide, and are part of a parenting group I would love to share my presentation with you. I’m for hire! Just contact me and we can chat. Also, you can find a Kindermusik class all around the globe by clicking here.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season, and lots of strong synapse forming days with your child!

Holly Lesnick is a Licensed Kindermusik Educator and Studio owner at Grow and Sing Studios, a Bachelor of Music Therapy, mom of 2 and has been married to her husband Will for 21 years. Holly is the Kindermusik International Brand Ambassador for the U.S., and always happy to collaborate with brands and businesses she believes in.

Reference: First 2000 days information found mostly at NC Early Childhood Foundation.

October is almost here and that means OCTOBER DEMO DAYS at Grow and Sing Studios are coming!! Have you been meaning to come try out a class, or are you just finding out about our program for the first time? We invite you to come check out one of these classes, have some fun, make some music and hopefully fall in love with the magic of Kindermusik! Reservations are required and space is limited. If you do not see a class posted that works for you, we have many more. Just contact us and we can attempt to match you up with one. View the schedule below and CLICK HERE including the following information so we can get you scheduled.
Parent Name:
Child(ren)’s Name:
Child(ren)’s Age(s):
Email Address:
Phone #:
Class of choice:

We will confirm your reservation as soon as possible!
Click here to reserve  your time! 

Hello Central Florida Families!

Did you know that the study, practice, and discipline of making music gives the brain and body a complete workout? Imagine activities that are designed to encourage multi-sensory learning, which employs and integrates several senses at once, stimulating multiple areas of the brain.

Our program focuses on each CHILD’S BRAIN, BODY, AND HEART.

The benefits of music are truly transformational. When paired with movement and instrument play, it creates neurological magic, lighting up a child’s brain and positively impacting all areas of development.

Here at Grow and Sing Studios, we use the power and joy of music-making to help children learn and grow during the years most critical to brain development. Our research-based curricula and interactive music experiences establish a foundation of early learning that supports sustained growth, confidence, and creativity throughout the life of a child.

What is Kindermusik?

Kindermusik is music-making with a purpose. Science has shown that children of any age learn more when the learning is playful and fun. Kindermusik kids laugh, smile, stomp, play, kick, clap, jump, sing, and dance. But having fun is just the beginning.

Steeped in educational theory, our programs engage the potential found in every child.

In our classes, children newborn through age 7 experience music of varying styles, genres, and cultures. They interact with other peers and engage in movement, rhythm, and vocal activities that develop far more than just music skills. Our approach to early childhood education primes children for success in school and in life.

Each class focuses on all areas of development including:

• Receptive Language
• Whole body movement
• Social-Emotional Development
• Sensory Awareness
• Musical Skills
• Fine Motor Movement
• Expressive Language
• Cognition

Our classes begin in just two weeks! Enroll now. Discover the power and joy of music-based learning by clicking here to view classes and enroll.

For a limited time, new families to our program receive $20 off their first month. So, for one month you receive all the amazing home materials included in class, plus a month of classes for $48. Only days remaining on this offer. Enter NEWFAMILY20 in the additional information field when you register here and we’ll adjust your first payment.

In addition to that all registrants previous and new, are invited to attend a SECOND class each week, FREE. Learn more about our subscriber benefits.

Have you already registered? Great! We can’t wait to see you (and look out soon for your music downloads!). Has your child aged out? That’s okay, we KNOW you know someone who could benefit from this email. We thank you for sharing.

We are ready to help you build a strong foundation for your child for a lifetime love of learning. Let’s go!

Oh by the way! We are giving away free prizes on our live event this Friday. Click GOING right now! Join us at 11am on instagram or facebook, to perhaps win a REMO hand drum, tushbaby carrier (as seen on shark tank) or a FREE MONTH OF CLASSES. See you there!

What is something you absolutely love to do? What are you good at? What is your favorite band? Who are your best friends?

Now, imagine how different your path with any of these things would be if you only went by your very first impression. Did you know instantly that you loved to do that thing? Or did you need to try a few times before you realized it was something you liked to do, or were good at. Maybe running, or dancing, or sports. What about your favorite song or band? Did you sing along the first time you heard it?

Think about it. How long does it take you to sing along to a song? I mean ACTUALLY SING ALONG. On first listen, you are most likely processing. Thinking about if you would like to hear it again. The second time, you may be tapping your foot, or humming along. The third time, maybe you are singing along to the chorus. You get the idea. It takes time to process experiences. It takes time to decide if it’s something we want to do again. It takes us time to form relationships, or skills.

As parents, we just want our kids to be happy. We want them to have fun, and feel safe. But the truth is, there’s growth in a bit of the unknown, in the processing.

Time and time again, we witness families with their babies or toddlers in a first time preview of one of our music classes. New experiences are challenging for children and adults. It takes time to process new environments and take it all in. Many times, as young children are easing into their first class, they may be quiet, cry, or even the opposite, it may overexcite them. This is all part of processing and it’s only the first impression.  In fact, what we are really talking about here is a parent’s first impression of their child’s first impression.

“She’s never like this at home”. We hear this a lot. As educators, we aren’t surprised. Why? Because Kindermusik is a sensory rich environment filled with sights, sounds, socialization, brain work, team work and the list goes on. It would be surprising to think that a child isn’t processing this new environment. To either clam up quietly as an observer, or to run around wildly as a kinesthetic learner. All of this is part of the first impression. When a parent decides to not enroll based on this first impression, could it be that so much learning and growth opportunities are missed? Imagine an environment that allows for these first impression moments in a non-judgmental way, and allows for a 2nd, 3rd or even 4th impression before making a final decision. Imagine the possibilities.

Consider giving your child the gift of time.

Holly Lesnick is a Licensed Kindermusik Educator and Studio owner at Grow and Sing Studios, a Bachelor of Music Therapy, mom of 2 and celebrated 20 years of marriage with her husband Will.  Holly is the Kindermusik International Brand Ambassador for the U.S., and always happy to collaborate with brands she believes in.

Click here for offer for new families to Grow and Sing Studios. 

We are thrilled to introduce a Spanish Foreign Language Music program to Central Florida. A pilot offered through Kindermusik International.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND ENROLL NOW FOR 8 WEEK PILOT PROGRAM Grow and Sing Studios WEBSITE EMAIL 407.970.2774 STAY CONNECTED  ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌

Welcome to our BABY DAYS 2018 at Grow and Sing Studios!!
Kindermusik Foundations, for children newborn to walking, incorporates the most current research on early childhood development and provides families a special place for learning and connecting with other parents and babies through music and movement.

Our Foundations classes offer a sensory-rich yet caring and gentle environment where babies can explore and react to new sounds, sensations, objects, and movements. Classes include instrument play, scarves, dancing, singing, rocking, massage, exercise, drumming and SO much more!

Check out our baby days schedule below.

I woke up this fine Tuesday morning, after a nice Labor Day weekend with my family thinking about all the emails and messages I need to reply to. I’m so excited that many parents are investigating a musical experience for their child and themselves. It’s great. However, in reading these emails I am noticing a lot of the following.

“My son loves music.”

“My daughter loves to sing.”

“My child is always dancing.”

or on the flipside:

“I want to try to see if my newborn likes it.”

“I’m not sure my toddler will like music.”

I am not surprised at all to hear that a child loves music and that they like to sing and dance. It’s play, and it’s a child’s work to play.

However, I am surprised to hear that parents of small children want to try music to see if their child likes it.

Who doesn’t like music?

That is the question I asked myself this morning.

Did you know a study by Nielsen Music in 2017 reported that the average American listens to music 32 hours a week? That’s on AVERAGE. That’s a LOT of hours. Music is all around us. It’s in the background in the movies and shows we watch. It’s on in the background while we are doing work. It’s playing in the car. It’s playing in the grocery store. It’s everywhere.

Why?

Honestly, as a music therapist, I could go on all day on the healing elements of music. But I’ll give you a little list today that might help explain WHY your child loves music. Why YOU love music. Why music is everywhere.

First, music can improve cognitive function. Music ignites all areas of the brain. It lights it up, helps those connections, well connect. When parents say their child loves music I always think “of course he does”, because his brain is excited and it’s connecting through music in a way no other thing on earth could ever do. Music is rhythm and almost every function of daily living requires some rhythm. Walking, talking, writing, typing, running, throwing, kicking. All of it.

Another reason we love music is that it relaxes us. It’s scientifically proven that music reduces stress. By listening to music, the nervous system calms and recovers quickly from the many stressors in life. This is why in our classes, we work on the learned skill of relaxation while listening to music. We are teaching children early on to help their body calm and recover.

Have you ever tried to memorize something, and it just wasn’t sticking? But then, when you put the information into a song, or a rhyme, voila, you remembered? That’s because music has been proven to improve memory. Could it have something to do with the fact that our hearts have beats so we have an innate NEED for music and rhythm in our bodies and brains? I think so.

Music is also a great tool for managing pain, boosting mood, reducing depression and improving sleep. Who doesn’t like that?

I’m excited to reply to these parents who are in tune with the fact their children love music. However, in the future, I would love to get messages that read something like this:

“I know that music is one of the most important aspects of life. I’m ready to learn the many ways music benefits my baby, and what I can do at home when we aren’t in class”.

To everyone out there, I assure you, your baby will love it. After 15 years of teaching Kindermusik, I haven’t met a baby yet that hasn’t liked music.

Happy singing!

Holly Lesnick is a Licensed Kindermusik Educator and Studio owner at Grow and Sing Studios, a Bachelor of Music Therapy, mom of 2 and in September will celebrate 20 years of marriage with her husband Will. 

There are so many healthy benefits of music. Here are 7 reasons that may inspire you. Let your child’s healthy music life begin at #Kindermusik. growandsing.com