Annie here again! We’re coming up to the halfway point in our Fall term. Time flies when you’re making music.
By this point, families should be very familiar with all the songs in the collection and enjoy singing them at home, and in class of course!
At the beginning of term I always tell my families that it’s not so important to learn all the lyrics to the songs but it IS really important to get to know the MUSIC.
The Fiddle Collection in particular is very “wordy”. Even I have trouble learning the lyrics, so for our non-native English speakers it must be very daunting! The “I’ve Got The Rhythm” song always gets me, I get the “ding dongs” mixed up with the “hot dogs” all the time, but the thing is it doesn’t really matter at all. We’re not looking for perfection—there are no mistakes in a Music Together class. The important thing is to join in and enjoy the music, even if you don’t know the words at all. You’ve probably heard your teacher in class encouraging you to sing “lalalala” or “doodoodoo”, because we don’t really mind if you don’t know the lyrics, but we do mind if you don’t join in. We also enjoy making up our own lyrics in class and we encourage you to make up your own at home too.
Children learn best from those whom they love. They want to copy mum, dad, grandpa and grandma, and others close to them. If you, the parent or caregiver is participating enthusiastically in class your child will gain an interest and love for music because you are being a great musical model for them. I guarantee that it makes a big difference. If you enter class with an open mind and a willingness to join in then your child will benefit so much more than if you don’t sing. So remember, if in doubt sing, “LA LA LA”!