Why the pitch pipe?

One of the best things about teaching Music Together is that we get to interact not only with the children, but also with the adults in class. And very often, the adults have really great questions. Something I was asked recently was, why do the teachers always use a pitch pipe in class?
Well, it's not just because we find the sound so utterly beautiful. Since I don't have perfect pitch, I use the pitch pipe to find the correct key and starting note for each song. This will always be the same key that you hear on the recordings. You see, the songs are pitched rather specifically so as to be appropriate for a child's voice. A lot of popular music (and even a lot of recorded children's music) is quite low; comfortable for an adult to sing along with, but not really comfortable or healthy for a child's singing voice. Singing in tune is one of the main components of basic music competence; this skill is much harder to achieve if you're forever singing songs where you have to struggle to sing the right notes!
So, what is a proper vocal range for a young child? For the most part, it's from about middle C, to the D that is an octave above that note. That's a range of just over one octave. Now and then you'll notice an MT song that briefly goes a little higher, or a little lower, but for the most part they'll stay within that range.
By the way, this range is also very healthy and singable for adults, but a lot of us are accustomed to singing and speaking in our chest voice rather than our head voice. All that means, really, is that we're much more comfortable with the lower register of our voice that we are with the higher one. Getting used to using both of them is just a matter of practice, so start singing those MT songs with your child!

Music Together Outreach

I hope everyone has had a great first two weeks of the Bells collection! Remember to keep singing and moving with your kids at home. Remember, you are their most important music teacher.
Did you know that the parent/child program is not the only version of Music Together? The program is also available for use in a preschool setting, and we are fortunate to be able to provide Music Together as an outreach program for pre-kindergarten students at the Early Childhood Center in Sand Springs.
Many of you know Teresa Mossburg, who taught several of our classes at the Conservatory last year. She's now doing a wonderful job of teaching MT in Sand Springs.
There's a nice article in today's paper about the program. Click here to access it. (And feel free to leave positive comments in the space below the article if you are so inclined!) If you have any questions at all about it, please let me know. There are a few differences between the parent/child and the pre-k programs, but the basic goal is the same: to help kids reach basic music competence in a fun, age-appropriate fashion.
Have a great week!

Christy

Welcome back!

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a good break and are excited to be back for the winter session of Music Together. Returning families, you probably remember that when you signed up for class for the first time, you were given a booklet called "Music and Your Child," which explained the Music Together philosophy, as well as including several good things to know about your child's musical development.

Well, that booklet has now been replaced by a DVD parent guide. Our new families are receiving it along with their regular class materials. However, if you're a returning parent but would like to see the DVD, you may watch it at www.musictogether.com/parentguideDVD. Personally, I found it really interesting and very enjoyable.

Thank you so much for joining us for this session. We're so lucky to have so many great families in our program. I hope you're enjoying the Bells collection so far, and I'm looking forward to a great winter of music-making with everyone.

Christy