Great Lakes Music Together
Guelph and Kitchener, ON, Canada

Mother's Day is Sunday! If your children are looking for a special way to celebrate, they can join Sasha to learn a new song, complete with a little sign language. She also demonstrates how to extend the song with a musical craft. Have fun!

Earlier this week we shared a great article from the Globe & Mail bout the role the arts play in the lives of our children. In addition to boosting brain power, it also helps children develop social and emotional skills, like compassion. http://ow.ly/5XsE50EGssh

Happy Cinco de Mayo! There's at least one Spanish song in every Music Together collection and this semester it's "Maria Isabel," a traditional song from Spain. Check out this rendition from a talented troupe of performers in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBrAb5sW_zU

Bird Song is one of the songs from our upcoming Triangle Collection. Test your listening skills with Bird Song Hero and see if you can match the bird calls with the birds! https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/.../bird-song-hero...

"There are a million answers to the question of why arts education is important. One often-heard reason especially when it comes to advocating for arts education is that kids who study the arts build brain power and tend to do better in other subjects, like math." Great read from The Globe and Mail about the role arts education plays in the lives of our children, the impact of the pandemic and the role of virtual classes and connections. https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-from-dance-to-d/

You may be wondering how the provincial shutdown and subsequent stay at home order has impacted the in-person classes of our spring session. The most important news is that music class will go ahead via Zoom, transitioning to in-person just as soon as we are able.

Great quote from Dr. Ian Howell - Voice and Vocal Pedagogy expert and Music Together dad! After a year of online classes, we've learned a thing or two about how to optimize the online experience for our families. We've tweaked our delivery and listened to your feedback. With Zoom, our classes are as interactive as possible and, just like our in-person classes, families can see and interact with each other and their teacher. While this session may not be starting as we'd like..., please know we'll be bringing all of our enthusiasm, expertise, proven curriculum and fun to our Zoom classes. Families can expect to sing, move, play instruments and have fun. Read more about what to expect on our blog! - https://greatlakesmusictogether.com//hsmlblog/comments/1923

Hello, Kitchener families! Check out the Seed Exchange, a new program from the Kitchener Public Library! Simply place your order online for veggies, herbs or flowers and pick-up curbside. Happy gardening

Are you ready to sing Ladybug from our Triangle Song Collection this coming semester? You can make your very own ladybugs with just a few simple craft suppliesand some googly eyes, of course! #ladybugs #craftmonth https://onelittleproject.com/egg-carton-ladybugs/

Hello spring families. As you may be aware, provincial shutdown restrictions means we're unable to gather outdoors for our in-person spring session as planned. Instead, families who have registered for spring will begin the session online (via Zoom), transitioning to in-person classes just as soon as we're able! We know you may be disappointed (we are too), but please know we bring the same enthusiasm, curriculum, expertise and passion to our online programing, making it as personal, interactive and fun as possible! Thank you again to everyone for your understanding during this unpredictable time! For more information about our spring session and what to expect, please visit our news feed on our website - www.greatlakesmusictogether.com.

Only a few more days to provide your thoughts on our upcoming spring session! We're going to try our best to accommodate everyone, just let us know the class type, day and time that suits your family. Survey link below! https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSfPT2MukZ3WyI0ud/viewform

Having a musical conversation is just one way you can encourage your child to be a confident music-maker! We're all born with the capacity to learn to sing and dance as part of everyday life, and it's so easy for you to support this growth now when they are little: Just make music as a family.

So neat! Check out this TikTok video from Thailand showing how music is used to coordinate the efforts of this construction team. We particularly love how one member of the team has a tambourine to help keep the beat!

It's another instalment of Music Monday! This activity encourages your child to develop keen listening skills and the ability to experiment with different instruments and materials. Have fun!

SINCE THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE OPEN OUR OUTDOOR CLASSES AT RIVERSIDE PARK ARE ON!!!

Grab one of the remaining spots in our mini session, which starts this week! This session is three weeks long and is a great way to see if our new musical hikes are right for your family! - Mondays, Parents with Babies at 12:00 pm - 2 spots left - Thursdays, Mixed Ages at 9:30 am - 1 spot left - Thursdays, Mixed Ages at 10:45 am - 4 spots left... - Saturdays, Mixed Ages at 10:15 am - 2 spots left See our full schedule and book your spot here > http://ow.ly/jSPW50Crvuc

Join us in Kitchener for the next three Thursdays for our mini session! It's a great way to experience our new musical hike programming designed for our littlest music makers! - Thursdays, Mixed Ages at 9:30 am - 6 spots left - Thursdays, Mixed Ages at 10:45 am - 2 spots left - Thursdays, Parents with Babies at 1:30 pm - 2 spots left... Grab your spot now http://ow.ly/cUm350Crz5d

In our mini and winter sessions, we'll be hiking for warmth, not distance! Some families will prefer to employ other ways to move about and we have some recommendations! Mini session - Strollers and wagons for snow-free days Winter session - Sleds for snow-covered ground... Your children are at the heart of everything we do! We've designed our "hikes" to be very walkable by your toddler. Any questions, please ask!

A touching read! This classically trained singer using her voice (and some favourite songs) to reconnect with her dad, who is living with Alzheimer's. https://www.nytimes.com//fa/singing-my-dad-back-to-me.html

We're all born with a natural musical aptitude and this (very stylish) baby proves it. Taking this same energy with us into the weekend! #happyfriday

Curious about our musical hikes, but aren't ready to commit to our winter session? Join us for our three week mini session, which starts next week! Our classes focus on family fun and age-appropriate musical education that supports your child in all areas of their development. Cost - $66/first child, $45/siblings over 8 months, free for siblings less than 8 months!

The robust safety precautions that we put in place for our fall in-person classes will be carried over to our mini and winter session. This includes a safety screening for each family at the start of class and guidelines to keep everyone as safe as possible. We know that this is a fluid situation and continue to liaise with public health professionals adjusting our protocols as necessary. Learn more about our in-person safety here -> https://greatlakesmusictogether.com/vlt167401.htm

Our new musical hikes will be a first for us and you! Naturally, you may be curious about what classes will look like and if they're right for you and your little ones! We're hoping this series of FAQs will help to answer some of your questions. Our "hikes" will be toddler friendly! The idea is to keep moving and stay warm in cooler temperatures; we're not planning to cover large distances! In addition to singing and making music, we'll be hiking, walking, galloping, marching and dancing!

So much enthusiasm from this tiny musician. Be sure to watch until the end for the grand finale!

Received this feedback from a parent last week and have heard the same sentiment from other families about our first outdoor session. We've loved teaching outdoors, seeing all our families again and look forward to continuing to make music in the great outdoors all winter long!

Today is #WorldKindnessDay! With all that's going on this year, this may be a good opportunity to show a little kindness to yourself and have your kids do the same! #worldkindnessday2020