December can really be a magical time of year. I love finding songs and stories that convey that magic in a way that ALL children can understand and appreciate together. “Polar Bear Night” has been a favorite of mine – and my students – since I first discovered it. Talk about a simple plot. A […]
Category Archives: timbre
(Like young children, cats are enthusiastic and relentless scientists.) For years I’ve used strings (mostly ukulele strings and rubber bands) to help young children explore and understand how pitch (the highness and lowness of sounds) works. I plan to write more on this later, and I’ve shared several of these activities in my latest book, “Exploring […]
It’s so great that I love to make quiches and I’m too lazy to make my own crusts. Because then I have to buy frozen pie crusts – which come with FREE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS!!!! If you’ve never played the aluminum pie plate as a musical instrument, there are a couple things you should know: […]
I’m constantly tapping rhythms on stuff – cookie sheets, the dryer, cardboard boxes, anything that looks like it might make an interesting sound. That’s how I found myself starting, for the tenth time so far this summer, to sort through some stuff in the garage, picking up this large pot lid and tapping on it. […]
Don’t you love it when the materials you need for a project are available at the dollar store or, better yet, free? These science and music projects use any and all kinds of plastic cups you can round up. They might include large or small plastic or paper drinking cups, applesauce, yogurt and snack cups, […]
Violins made by the Italian masters Stradivari and Guarneri more than three hundred years ago are still the finest in the world. The brilliance and resonance of their tone is legendary, and scientists and musicians alike have been puzzling over the “secret” to the instruments’ tone for centuries. Finally, researchers may have discovered a clue: […]
Music (and Science) For Young Children 