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Heartland Music Together
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| Music Together is an internationally recognized early childhood music program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and the adults who love them. First offered to the public in 1987, it pioneered the concept of a research-based, developmentally appropriate early childhood music curriculum that strongly emphasizes and facilitates adult involvement. Music Together classes are based on the recognition that all children are musical. |
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Favorite Books
These are books that continue to inspire me, books that teach me something new with each re-reading, books that I lend or give to friends, and books that have shaped my ideas about music, learning and teaching, child development, and life in general. Just writing this list and handling these books makes me happy. Enjoy! Learning, and
teaching (not just about music) William Westney, Amadeus Press, 2003 The title says it all – how “juicy” mistakes help you discover your true connection to music making and the art of practicing. A must for music makers, teachers, and parents of music students. Eloise Ristad, Real People Press, 1982 Learning how to learn, finding the ways that work best for you – in music and in life. Sometimes it takes being “upside down” to discover your own best learning style. A lighthearted, warmhearted, funny book. Josh Waitzkin, Free Press, 2007 Josh Waitzkin was an internationally acclaimed chess grandmaster as a child and young man, and was the subject of the movie “Searching For Bobbie Fisher”. As an adult he gave up competitive chess and became a Tai Chi grandmaster. In the process he discovered that his best skill was learning itself. This book articulates the deeper principles of learning in a fascinating, highly readable style, illustrated with anecdotes from Waitzkin’s adventures in chess and competitive Tai Chi. Inspiring and immediately usable. Shinichi Suzuki: Alfred Publishing Co., 1986 Shinichi Suzuki’s autobiography, interspersed with anecdotes
illustrating his ideas about teaching and developing talent. The core of Suzuki’s ideas is that all
children are born with the potential for musical talent, just as all children
are born with the capacity to speak their mother tongue. Children can learn to play music as easily as
they learn to speak their mother tongue, when they are led to it with love and
nurturing. This is about more than music - it's about how to help children and ourselves grow into fine human beings. Creativity Stephen Nachmanovitch, Tarcher/Putnam, 1990 What creativity is, where it comes from, how we block it, and how we can make it sizzle. This is a densely written, thoughtful book, and worth the effort. Reading this book may help reawaken your creative fire, no matter what your passions. Julia Cameron, Tarcher/Putnam, 1992 A twelve-week creativity workshop on paper, this book will help you find or liberate your inner artist. Read the text, follow the suggested exercises, or even just browse the quotes on every page, and you might recover the same joy you may once had as a young child making mud pies or drawing funny pictures. This is a great book for finding your creativity no matter how you choose to express it. Music Stephanie Judy, Tarcher/Putnam, 1990 For adults who want to create music, no matter what their level of experience or ability. Sections include finding a teacher who works with adults, facing musical fears, finding your musical “voice” and connecting with a musical community. Includes a wonderfully compassionate chapter for people who believe they are “tone-deaf”, whom the author calls “not-yet-singers”. This book is packed with quotes, cartoons, first-person narratives from all kinds of musicians, and resources for further exploration. Peter Blood and Annie Patterson, editors; Sing Out Publications, 2004 Words to more than 1000 songs that most people know, arranged by topic and indexed by title, author, and special interest. Includes guitar chords, but has no written music notes, so it’s great for re-discovering songs you’d forgotten you know, but not so good for teaching new songs. However, you’ll probably discover you know at least one song on every page. A great camping/ group singing/ long car ride companion. Jackie Silberg, Gryphon House, 1998 Hundreds of music activities to share with your young child, laid out in an accessible, easy-to-use format. “If you can tap two spoons together, sway from side to side, or twang a rubber band, you can have a great time sharing music with young children.”
Daniel J. Levitin; Dutton, 2006 Written by a scientist for lay people, this book articulates
what happens in the brain when we participate in music, and why music is so
significant in our individual lives and in our culture. Music touches us so deeply because so many
parts of our brains are involved in processing and understanding music – even
if we consider ourselves non-musicians. More favorite books are coming! Check back as I add more favorite books to this list. Do you have a great book to share? Let me know about it! Miriam Klein, Director |
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Copyright 2008 Heartland Music Together. All rights reserved.
Music Together® art & logo design copyright © 1992-2009 Music Together LLC. Music Together was developed by the Center for Music & Young Children, Princeton, NJ. Music Together, CMYC, and Center For Music and Young Children are registered trademarks. For more Music Together locations: www.musictogether.com • (800) 728-2692
