DRUMMER BOY

NEW SONG

Nikki found this song on Youtube. I know, scary that he could easily find things on his own... Anyway, it has such a catchy melody that the boys love listening to this over and over. I also noticed that after Nikki listened to this repeatedly, his lower case alphabet improved a lot. Goodie. =D




Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

A told B, and B told C, "I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree."
"Wheel!" said D to E F G, "I'll beat you to the top of the coconut tree."
Chicka chicka boom boom! Will there be enough room? Here comes H up the coconut tree,
and I and J and tag-along K, all on their way up the coconut tree.
Chicka chicka boom boom! Will there be enough room? Look who's coming! L M N O P!
And Q R S! And T U V! Still more - W! And X Y Z!
The whole alphabet up the - Oh, no! Chicka chicka... BOOM! BOOM!
Skit skat skoodle doot. Flip flop flee. Everybody running to the coconut tree.
Mamas and papas and uncles and aunts hug their little dears, then dust their pants.
"Help us up," cried A B C.
Next from the pileup skinned-knee D and stubbed-toe E and patched-up F. Then comes G all out of breath.
H is tangled up with I. J and K are about to cry. L is knotted like a tie.
M is looped. N is stopped. O is twisted alley-oop. Skit skat skoodle doot. Flip flop flee.
Look who's coming! It's black-eyed P, Q R S, and loose-tooth T. Then U V W wiggle-jiggle free.
Last to come X Y Z. And the sun goes down on the coconut tree...
But - chicka chicka boom boom! Look, there's a full moon.
A is out of bed, and this is what he said, "Dare double dare, you can't catch me. I'll beat you up the top of the coconut tree."Chicka chicka BOOM! BOOM!


Here's the video. =D

VIVALDI

Nikki enjoys listening to this CD. He discovered classical music while watching Little Einsteins on the Playhouse Disney channel. I found out later on that he would hum some songs and pieces and I thought of getting him a CD. He listens to this at least twice a week and I am thinking of getting him more CD from other composers. I hope he will continue to enjoy classical music until he is bigger. =D

MUSIC

Here's Nikki with his Blue's Clues piano. It's really a fun piano and teaches simple songs like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". Hopefully, Nikki will want to learn how to play the piano when he's bigger.

LEARNING MUSIC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/parents/learninganinstrument/whichinstrument.shtml

WHICH INSTRUMENT IS RIGHT FOR YOUR CHILD?
Practical advice on commonly-chosen instruments.

You can tell if it's suitable for your child if they get some positive enjoyment out of it, pick it up of their own accord, find some new way of playing around with it, so they're not just practising in a rote fashion but actually wanting to make music with it.
Liz Wilhide, Parent

Choosing the right instrument for your child needn't be a nightmare. Most children will begin on one of a handful of instruments: piano, recorder, violin or cello.

You'll want to make sure they are comfortable with it. Some instruments are better for younger players. The recorder, for instance, is easy to handle. Some stringed instruments are available in smaller versions for beginners. Whereas anything involving breathing, like brass and woodwind, should wait until they have the strength to blow and their second set of teeth have appeared. Every instrument is different.

I think if you find you're really enthusiastic about wanting to play it then that's probably a good indicator.
Louise Brown, 14, learning saxophone

TOP TIPS:

• Take your children to hear live music to find out about different instruments. Encourage them to think about the genres that interest them - rock, classical or jazz?
• Try before you buy - an instrument can be costly.
• Think about where your child will fit in. For example, there are often more clarinet and flute pupils than there are groups for them to play in, while bassoonists and oboists are more scarce, and so might enjoy more opportunities. Bass players are also rarely short of a gig, unlike their guitar-playing counterparts.
• If your child finds it difficult at first, encourage them to persevere, the rewards are worth it.
• Some instruments, like recorder or piano, are best for beginners and some string instruments may be available in special small sizes.
• Some, especially brass or woodwind, are more suited for older children.
• Think about practical considerations: will the noise disturb the neighbours, is it too big too lug around, have you got room for your child to practise?

CLASSICAL MUSIC

I decided to play some classical music today for Nikki and Ethan. I wanted them to be exposed to different kinds of music aside from their nursery rhymes. Nikki already appreciates classical music and I see no need to stop exposing him (and Ethan to it). Hopefully, my boys will discover what type of music suits them as they grow older.

For today, these are the pieces we listened to:

1. Spring - Antonio Vivaldi
2. Summer -Antonio Vivaldi
3. Autumn - Antonio Vivaldi
4. Winter - Antonio Vivaldi
5. The Toreador Song from Carmen - Georges Bizet
6. The Flight of the Bumblebee - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
7. The New World Symphony - Antonin Leopold Dvorak
8. Moonlight Sonata - Ludwig Van Beethoven

NIKKI

Nikki on the piano playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star one hot evening. =D