Piano Achievers – Makes piano study social for students who also take private piano lessons; focus on fun and performance with music theory games, composer study, and ensemble music-making! Includes enrollment in Carnegie Hall’s National Achievement Program and extra performance opportunities.

The students are so excited and busily preparing for their performance and “red-carpet” event. The performance space is elegant, acoustically live, and roomy for extended family and friends. The piano is a beautifully-kept, antique, concert-grande Steinway. We have a surprise Finale planned. I fully expect parents to become our very own paparazzi, as they do for every recital!

Please get in touch with the studio if you would like to attend: 201-255-7755.

Last weekend, I had the great pleasure of attending the 2012 National Conference of the Music Teacher’s National Association, held in NYC. Over 2000 attended from across the country, 80% of whom are independent (private) piano teachers. Featured artists/teachers included:

• Melvin Stecher & Norman Horowitz: Opening Session
• Benjamin Zander: Keynote Speaker
• Menahem Pressler: Piano Masterclass

The conference was fantastic in its content and valuable connections, and I brought home countless publications and techniques to apply immediately, including:

• a pedal extender for children who are ready to play the pedals and can’t reach
• a routine of Group Classes for students who are excelling to share their musical ideas with peers
• a network of music-theory based video games to be tabulated as part of students’ lessons

Please get in touch with me to learn about more exciting changes for Fall 2012: 201-255-7755.

Bella and I put a Musical Holiday Greeting on YouTube.
On the date of this posting it has 837 views.
Want a good laugh? Take a peak.

Video: Kristin and Bella Sing You a Happy Holiday

Singing with Bobby McFerrin

This past summer, I had the amazing opportunity to sing in a choir setting with the incomparable Bobby McFerrin for nearly a week. The format was vocal improvisation, mostly a genre called “Circle Singing.” We sang with McFerrin and his co-teachers about six hours per day in the beautiful, holistic resort, the Omega Institute, in Rhinebeck, NY.

In this genre, the leader (standing in the center) divides a ring of singers into sections (usually by voice part) and assigns a 1-2 bar phrase to be repeated indefinitely. Each vocal section is given a contrasting, yet harmonically pleasing, part which layers simultaneously with the other voice parts. Vocal percussion, sometimes known as beat-boxing, is added, and the leader improvises on top of all (with a microphone). The effect is joyous, spontaneous, and spiritual.

As a classically-trained singer and pianist, who often rehearses many hours for each performance, the practice of vocal improvisation is liberating. The goal isn’t musical perfection, or telling a story, or even entertaining a crowd. Its about transcending expectations and flowing with the music in the moment. The magic is music that is invented, manifested, performed, and witnessed by all participants at the exact same time.

There are many musicians across the world who have learned this style of “Circle Singing,” including a couple groups in NYC. Mostly, leaders create in 4:4 time in Major or Minor tonal patterns. But, McFerrin epitomizes vocal improvisation leadership, by creating in 5:4, 7:8, 9:8, and 13:8 time. He also creates in various modes. One of his co-teachers, Chistiane Karam from Lebanon, improvises vocal music on quarter tones (see video).

It’s Valentine’s Weekend, the time to focus on love and adoration.

In my preschool classes, the students are dancing to the Beatles’ recording of ‘Til There Was You from The Music Man (with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson). We are singing The More We Get Together and playing a matching (find your partner) game with the letters of the musical alphabet (A-G).

With President’s Day around the corner, and inspired by George M. Cohan, I’ve prepared a tribute to Vaudeville. We start with the book The Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman with illustrations by Stephen Gammell. Following the book, there will come a hat dance (read paper plates) with music, Hello My Baby, made legend by Warner Brother’s Michigan J. Frog. Sesame Street has released a brilliantly accessible take-off on Vaudeville, A Very Easy Dance to Do.

To all children, students of music, and teachers,
Happy February and Keep on Singing!

Anne Farber, Faculty, Lucy Moses School at the Kaufman Center, NYC
Read more about Ms. Farber on the Tri-State Dalcroze Society of America Blog.

“Kristin is an excellent teacher. I’m truly impressed by her enthusiastic way of relating to young children while teaching the foundations of music and movement.”

Parent-Child Music Classes:
Anonymous Mother at A Whole New World Day Care
“My son LOVES your music class. I can’t thank you enough for bringing Music Together to his school.”

Academia:

Erik Noteboom, Vice President of Digital Arts Education, Full Sail University
“Kristin proved to be an excellent teacher with great creativity and self-motivation, developing new curriculum in an innovative field. Unique in her passion for combining multimedia and the performing arts, she often exceeded expectations in her assigned courses and frequently collaborated with the students and staff in Music History, MIDI Recording, and Cinematic Audio.

As an animation instructor, her efforts to encourage interaction between animation students and the local improvisation theater inspired students to develop creative characters in their projects. This initiative eventually lead to the creation of an “Acting for Animators” course, which continues to be one of our most popular courses today.”

Talent Management:
James von Scholz, President, Gotham Artisits Agency
“A well-established agency would benefit tremendously from Ms. Reign’s energy, self-discipline, coordination and chutzpah…her perseverance is noteworthy.”

Indie Client:
Music Celebrity and Composer, Jesse Gelber more
“Kristin is an extremely energetic and organized marketing manager. She was very helpful in giving me direction and ideas on how best to find my target audiences and move my media package forward. Kristin is very professional, and has a great business instinct…a pleasure.”

Advertising:
Dave Kaplan, Group Publication Director, McMahon Publishing Group
“Having managed Kristin directly, I will be the first to say that she has much to offer with regards to creativity and enthusiasm. She is willing to learn and to be an effective part of a team. Any organization in need of a person with these traits will not be disappointed in Kristin.”

Advertising:
Julianna Dawson, Sales Rep, McMahon Publishing Group
“Kristin is a superb presenter with lots of talents and a magnetic upbeat personality.”

Communications:
John Collins, President, Collins Communications Corporation
“Kristin’s performance in multiple roles was instrumental in the success of our company. Her ability to adapt quickly in stressful situations made her a valuable asset to our creative and video production teams….demonstrating the ability to focus and expand her knowledge in order to fulfill her growing list of responsibilities. Once you find someone like Kristin, you want to keep her forever.”

The answers reflect excellence standards as set by the Music Educators National Conference and published in The School Music Program: A New Vision

What are the principles of your music program?
The years before kindergarten are critical for children’s musical development.

• All children have musical potential that they ought to explore daily
• Young children are capable of developing critical thinking skills through musical ideas
• Children should experience age-appropriate musical activities and materials—created and modeled by trained, enthusiastic and responsive adults
• Young children should not be encumbered with the need to meet performance goals—learning should be process-oriented (exceptions include skits, sing-alongs, and the Suzuki method of private instruction which encourages performance on piano, violin or guitar)

What is your preschool’s music curriculum?
Developmentally appropriate early music experiences should occur in safe, teacher-supported environments where children can “work” at the skills relevant to them. Children need:

• Individual time with musical instruments and materials
• Group music time to experience the social and interactive benefits
• Enthusiastic encouragement for students’ questions and suggestions—which stimulate their critical thinking skills, confidence, and leadership abilities

Who sets the music curriculum and monitors facilitation?
Ideally, your chosen school would employ a Music Specialist trained in early-childhood development to provide musical expertise and model music education for the child-care staff.

Effective music teaching in the prekindergarten should:

• Support the child’s total development—physical, emotional, social & cognitive
• Recognize the wide range of “normal” development and the need to differentiate instruction to address different learning styles—such as visual, aural, or kinesthetic.
• Provide daily opportunities to explore sound through singing, moving, listening, and playing instruments—as well as introductory experiences in verbalization and visualization of musical ideas
• Encourage active participation (neurological development is insufficiently supported by the passive entertainment of children offered by CDs, TV, or video)
• Be integrated with children’s most important role models—their parents and family

What is the music literature?
Young children need to build a repertoire of songs they can sing, in order to work on their vocabulary, memory, and independence. Selected songs should be of age-appropriate and include:

• Traditional children’s songs
• Folk songs from a variety of cultures
• Classical Music with simple and repetitive melodic
and/or rhythmic themes
• Varied lyric, rhythmic, melodic and harmonic patterns

NEUROLOGICAL
Children’s brains at this age are over twice as active as adults’, burning twice as much glucose, which the degree of neural activity and development. The musical integration of small movement (such as finger play and playing instruments) and large muscle movement (such as dance) builds whole body balance and coordination.

SINGING, INSTRUMENTS, & DANCE
Children, ages 3-6, can develop “BASIC MUSIC COMPETENCY”, meaning they can replicate songs with accurate melody, rhythm, and physical coordination.

VOCABULARY
Children develop their use of 300+ words. Group singing can expand vocabulary, enhance speech technique and build memory skills.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Children are learning to expand their peer interactions: the repetition of songs builds self-confidence and interactive communication skills expand while playing music with adults and peers.

CRITICAL THINKING
As musical patterns are established and then varied, children learn to compare and contrast verses, instruments, movements, and their independent actions. When teachers ask for ideas for variations, or adapt a child’s ideas to the song, children develop their creativity and problem-solving skills.

In this capacity for eight months, I had the honor of working with the Publication Directors, editors, designers and salespeople responsible for leading newsmagazines such as General Surgery News, Pharmacy Practice News, and Gastroenterology and Endoscopy News.