Fiddle-Dee-Dee
Creatures of the animal kingdom--whether furry, web-footed, hoofed, winged or whiskered--are the subject matter for Fiddle-Dee-Dee, the fourth unit of Kindermusik Our Time. Animal sounds, which are so appealing to children, naturally prompt imitation and provide abundant active listening and vocal-play material. In the context of moving like animals we will focus on concepts such as high, low, smooth, bumpy, fast, and slow. On the Home CD’s you’ll hear a clear emphasis on the stringed instrument family, with instruments such as the mandolin, banjo, lute, classical and folk guitar, harp, string quartet and double bass. And, of course, there is the home instrument: a pair of Fiddlesticks. Sporting the bright stripes of a bumblebee, Fiddlesticks are a one-of-a-kind Kindermusik instrument that can be rattled, rolled, tapped and fiddled with to create fun sounds and play possibilities.

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Cities! Busy Places ~ Friendly Faces
"People on the go, rushing everywhere – in the city!" Meet Cities! Busy Places ~ Friendly Faces, a city that’s really many "cities" in one. There’s a city of music, of songs, of recorded works, and of city sounds. There’s a city of the imagination – of three- and four-year-olds being whoever they imagine themselves to be today: a broom man, or maybe an opera singer? There’s a city of stories – of lost dogs and found dogs and of a globe-trotting photographer. Best of all, in Cities, children from all kinds of communities will find commonalities with their lives. So join us as we set off on yet another grand, musical adventure! Specially designed Kindermusik Resonator Bars are the featured instruments in the At Home materials. In addition to the resonator bars, At Home materials include two CD’s, two literature books, a Home Activity book, and a Game Board with Game pieces.

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Semester I of Kindermusik for The Young Child opens the world to new and different ways of learning about music. The focus and content includes beat versus no beat, percussion instruments, brass instruments, melodic direction, exploring the staff, and notation. Semester I also introduces the glockenspiel, a pre-keyboard instrument. Some of the favorite themes in Semester I are "Music is Everywhere," "Meet the Mallets," and "Discovering Melody and Mozart."

Semester III: Children are delighted to learn more about stringed instruments with the introduction to their very own dulcimers in Semester III. Other musical concepts taught include call and response, improvisation, meter, notation, and a touch of Tchaikovsky. Themes in Semester III include "Music of Appalachia," "Music of the Sea," and "Native American Music."

Spring 2013: Semester II or Semester IV

Semester II: Building on the concepts introduced in Semester I, Semester II in Kindermusik for the Young Child (ages 4 – 7 years) will excite the young mind as it focuses on concepts such as piano/forte, crescendo/decrescendo, and legato/staccato. We will explore string and woodwind instruments, notation, and even a bit of Beethoven. Children love applying their new knowledge of listening skills, and of reading and writing music notation as they further develop their glockenspiel skills. Lesson highlights from Semester II include Peter and the Wolf, "The Orchestra," and "Sing and Celebrate!"

Semester IV of Kindermusik for the Young child is the fourth and final semester of this exceptional program. Together we will explore the sounds of wind with the introduction of the recorder! Semester IV truly is a great end to a terrific curriculum as students learn about verse and refrains, solos and chorus, and musical form (ABA and Rondo.) We will also review notation, rhythms, treble clef, and the complete C Scale. Lesson highlights from Semester IV include traveling (musically) to the Far East, Africa and Central and South America.