Surviving Homework with the Help Of Music!

Every parent who has a school-aged child has experienced at least once ‘the homework battle’. This is the battle in which you calmly tell your child to do their homework and they react with, “but” – “I will in a minute” – “I want to play” – “I don’t have any” – or just plain screaming. Now, you as the parent try to stay calm, this patience wears off after 10 minutes into what has now become the homework battle and now you are both screaming!

You have probably tried some of these tactics: Let them play and then they will do it later, make them do it right away and get it over with, give them a snack while they do it, have them take a nap first (sometimes a battle in itself), and even bribery.

Here are a few tips that you may have not considered. Music can be very calming. Research has found that listening to Mozart’s music makes one relaxed and attentive. In a book authored by Don Campbell, an experiment found that, by listening to music by Mozart, student’s IQ’s were temporarily boosted by 8 to 9 points. Don Campbell said that listening to Mozart’s music actually helps the mind organize time and space.

Now that we know Mozart can calm and relax children, making them smarter in the process, why not give it a try! Buy a CD of Mozart’s music and turn it on for the drive home from your child’s school. If you want them to do their homework right away, tell them that the drive is their downtime, have them close their eyes and relax, listening to the music. You can also have them lie down at home in thier room for 30 minutes, listening to the music and relaxing. Put the music on quietly while they are doing their homework. This music may be the solution to the homework battle!

Not only does listening to Mozart make your kids smarter, but studies show that kids who learn to play music at a young age are more interested in school and get better grades. Exposing your child to learning about music early in life can eliminate the homework battle situation altogether!

We would love to hear back from you on this, please let us know if music by Mozart is working or has worked for you!

“Listening to Mozart actually makes you smarter” –Alex Ross, NY Times music columnist

–Music at Your Doorstep
Changing Lives One Note at a Time!

Click here to get a free, no obligation music lesson from Music at Your Doorstep! Happy Holidays! Enter Promo Code: DEC1203 This offer is good through December 31st only, so contact us today for more information!

References:
http://www.cs.rutgers.edu/~biglars/Mozart.html
http://www.addchoices.com

Never Too Old To Take Music Lessons

…or learn new tricks!

In today’s society, with all of our scientific breakthroughs and new medicines, who would have guessed that music, a wonderful tool that has been around since the beginning of time, can help the elderly with issues such as arthritis, depression, anxiety and even Alzheimer’s?

Researchers from BSMU and Bedford VA Hospital conducted a study that came back with strong evidence that music improves memory in patients with Alzheimers1. In another report by the New England Journal of Medicine, it was found that adults who participate in activities such as games, reading and playing an instrument, are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s in the first place2! Learning a new talent with music lessons while improving your memory is a win/win situation.

Not only have music lessons shown to help with memory, but  another study conducted by Namm and the collaboration of five universities showed that elderly people who took keyboard lessons had decreases in anxiety, depression and loneliness3. Picking up a hobby, such as music, can give a person a sense of accomplishment and goals.

A study that comes out of MSU found that HGH (Human Growth Hormone) – a hormone that typically decreases rapidly as we get older, actually had increased up to 90% in seniors that were taking piano lessons! HGH gives the body a stronger ability to fight off illness and provides us with energy! They also found that playing an instrument helped keep the ligaments and joints moving and flexible, thus treating and even preventing arthritis4.

Music lessons can promote your overall health, movement and memory. A survey by the International Music Products Association found that 85% of the adults wished they had learned to play a musical instrument5. It’s never too late to begin music lessons! When walking into the twilight of our lives and we retire, we begin to slow down. In later years, as the golf clubs gathers dust, we begin to go even slower. It is important to keep a hobby. Music lessons can help seniors in a variety of ways and are a great way to stay alert and have fun!

-Music at Your Doorstep, Changing Lives One Note at a Time!
www.musicatyourdoorstep.com

Sources:

1.http://www.science20.com/news_articles/music_improves_memory_alzheimers_patients
2. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra040223?ck=nck&
3. http://www.amc-music.com/
4. http://www.scribd.com/doc/13064396/The-Music-making-and-Wellness-project
5. http://playintimeadvantage.com/parentpage/documents/musicadvocacy.pdf

Pinecone Thanksgiving Turkey

by Jill Dvornik

Pick up some pinecones on your next nature walk, and turn them into an easy-to-make, festive turkey decoration for your Thanksgiving table.

Age: Preschool through elementary
Time: An hour or more
Type of activity: Arts-and-crafts
Materials:
•    Pine cones
•    Red, yellow, and orange construction paper
•    Glue
•    Styrofoam ball
•    White and orange felt
•    Red pipe cleaners
•    Brown paint
•    Paint brush

Directions:
•    Take a walk with your child and collect some large pinecones. This project works best with pinecones that can sit flat on a table.
•    To get rid of any insects, bake the pinecones for at least an hour at 150 degrees.
•    Draw and cut out 10 feather shapes from the colored construction paper.
•    At the large end of the pinecone, glue the feathers so they fan out from one side to the other.
•    Paint the styrofoam ball, brown.
•    When the paint is dry, glue the ball to the small, pointy end of the pinecone. This will be the turkey’s head. If you’re having problems with the glue, lightly push the ball into the pinecone.
•    Cut out two eyes from the white felt and a triangle beak from the orange felt.
•    Glue the eyes and beak onto the turkey’s head.
•    Cut a piece of red pipe cleaner in half and bend it to make the turkey’s wattle.
•    Stick the wattle into the bottom of the turkey’s head.

Your pinecone turkey is ready to decorate the dinner table!

We hope you enjoy this craft with your family! For more fun arts and crafts and some music lesson-themed games, please click here!

Happy Holidays!

www.musicatyourdoorstep.com
1-800-846-MAYD (6293)

Turkey Musical Note Speller – A Fun & Educational Music Tool!

This is a great sheet for someone who is taking music lessons, or for any one who enjoys music! Print out the full page below. You can hand this out to your music student(s)! It’s a great seasonal-educational tool!

Ted the turkey has a beautiful tail but it’s missing something!

On each staff draw a quarter note for the note name listed below it. For example in the first box draw a C on the staff.
For even more fun, color his tail too!

Click here to get your Turkey Musical Note Speller!

For more fun and music lesson themed activities, please click here!

Happy Holidays!

www.musicatyourdoorstep.com

1-800-846-MAYD (6293)

Gift Music Lessons With Our Holiday Referral Contest – Current Teachers

Music at Your Doorstep Teacher Holiday Referral Contest

Get your holiday shopping done early this year… for free!!

1.    Tell your friends and family about Music at Your Doorstep.
2.    You receive $10 cash and a $10 Music at Your Doorstep Gift Card for every student you refer to us!
3.    Give your gift cards to your friends, family members, or use as holiday gifts!!
4.    Refer the most students… and win an Ipod Touch, $100 gas card, or $50 cash!!

There’s more!!  Each student you refer ALSO gets a $20 Music at Your Doorstep Gift Card!!

How does the contest work?

Contest Dates:  November 15th- December 15th
•    You get a $10 added to your paycheck for each person that you refer to Music at Your Doorstep who enrolls as a student with us.

•    You also receive a $10 MAYD gift card for each person that you refer to Music at Your Doorstep who enrolls as a student with us.

•    Each person you refer who enrolls as a student with Music at Your Doorstep also receives a $20 MAYD gift card.

•    You can give your gift cards to your friends, family members or give as holiday gifts!

•    Music at Your Doorstep Gift cards are redeemable for music lessons with Music at Your Doorstep.

•    There are no limits to how many students you can refer.

•    The person who refers the most students by the contest deadline will win their choice of an Ipod Touch, $100 gas card, or $50 cash!!

How do I Refer a Student?

Have them fill out a web form
All they need to do is

1.    Go to www.musicatyourdoorstep.com
2.    Fill out a “Find a teacher today” form with their information
3.    Promo Code: YOUR FULL NAME

Or, for a surprise, you can fill out a form for them

1.    Go to www.musicatyourdoorstep.com
2.    Fill out a “Find a teacher today” form with the referral’s information
3.    Promo Code: YOUR FULL NAME

Make sure that all forms have your name in the Promo Code box.

This is how we calculate your referrals and know to send your gift cards! It’s also how we know to send your referrals their gift cards.

Thank you for your loyalty and for being such an important part of the team!

If you have any questions you can call or email us at any time!!

Music At Your Doorstep

www.musicatyourdoorstep.com
1-800-846-MAYD (6293)

Music Students & Teachers: Win Free Music Lessons and More – Daily Prizes!

Music Students: Wanna win some free stuff??

Music at Your Doorstep wanted to do something really fun that would help music students learn and be more motivated!  Plus who doesn’t love contests and winning free stuff??

Prize Points!
We are going to have tons of different ways to win prize points!  You can cash in those prize points for discounts, musical apparel and accessories, chances to win bigger prizes… and more!

There are many different ways to win prize points!

1.    Daily Music at Your Doorstep Facebook question
•    Every day we will post a musical question on our Facebook page.
•    Just click on the Prize Code Entry Form link and fill in correct answer to claim your prize points!

It’s like answering the question at Starbucks, but instead of getting ten cents off your coffee, you get prize points!!

Become our friend on Facebook!  Just click “like”!

2.    Music at Your Doorstep Newsletter Prize Code
•    Each month Music at Your Doorstep will email all students and teachers a newsletter full of musical games, activities, songs, and even recipes!
•    In each newsletter there will be a prize code.
•    (Prize codes will be in our newsletters starting in the November issue.)
•    Just click on the Prize Code Entry Form link in the newsletter and fill the prize code to claim your prize points!

You not only get fun stuff… you get prize points to win more fun stuff!

Check out our October newsletter!
http://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=9ae0a1fe06e765e6d86c13995&id=f02368739e

Want to get a jump start to your prize points?  Just go to our Facebook page and click on the info tab.  Click on the Prize Code Entry Form link and enter “pumpkin” as your prize code to claim your prize points!

Learn… and win!!

3.    Twitter prize codes

•    Follow us on twitter to get prize code tweets!
•    Just click on the Prize Code Entry Form link and fill the prize code to claim your prize points!

Follow us on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/musicatyourdoor

4.    Referrals

•    Refer a friend to Music at Your Doorstep and you BOTH earn prize points!!
•    Just go to our Facebook page and click on the info tab.
•    Click on the Refer a Friend Prize Code Entry Form link to claim your prize points!

More free stuff!!

Check out our brand new website for even more fun musical activities and information!
http://www.musicatyourdoorstep.com/resources.html

If you ever have any questions, feedback, or ideas we’d love to talk to you!!

Music at Your Doorstep
1-800-846-MAYD
www.musicatyourdoorstep.com

Thanksgiving Musical Word Search

Fun for the whole family! Click here to get your Thanksgiving Musical Word Search

Musical Instrument Word Find

Visit our website for more music resources and Holiday Fun!

http://www.musicatyourdoorstep.com/resources.html

Music Lessons with a Best Price Guarantee!

We at Music at Your Doorstep would like to thank all of our blog readers and let you know about our Best Price Guarantee.

When it comes to buying anything for your family, we know that price is important!  That’s why we created the Music at Your Doorstep Best Price Guarantee. You get great music lessons at the lowest price in town… guaranteed!

Music at Your Doorstep Best Price Guarantee
It’s simple! Music at Your Doorstep guarantees you’re getting the best price.  If you find a lower price, we will refund the difference—and you keep that price for life!!
Click on the link below for more information about our Best Price Guarantee.
How It Works

•    The convenience of music lessons in your home
•    Experienced and friendly teachers
•    Lessons designed specifically for each student
•    Excellent student and teacher support
•    We bring the music school to you… at the best price!!

Enroll today and get a $25 Music at Your Doorstep Gift Card!!
Give to a friend or family member or apply it to your payment!

If you ever have any questions, please feel free to call or email at any time!
Thank you so much!

Music at Your Doorstep

www.musicatyourdoorstep.com

1-800-846-MAYD

What’s The Right Age To Start My Child In Voice Lessons?

You can never be too young to be exposed to music! There are, however, better ages to start training on particular instruments.  The voice is one of the most delicate instruments of all. If you drop your guitar you can always buy a new one. If a string breaks on your piano you can always repair it. If you damage your voice, it’s a bit more difficult to be fix. Don’t let that scare you though!  There are many options for your child and Music at Your Doorstep can help you pick the best one!

Generally there are 2 different schools of thought when it comes to voice lessons.

1. Waiting until a student is older

The first school of thought is to wait until a child is physically and more emotionally mature for voice lessons, around the age of 13.  There are certain techniques and training that are safer and more suitable for an older and more mature voice.

2. Starting voice lessons as soon as possible

The second school of thought is to start voice lessons as soon as possible.   That way the child can learn proper techniques right away preventing damage from singing incorrectly.
So which is correct?

At Music at Your Doorstep we take a little bit of a different approach.  We believe that students can start voice lessons at any age. It’s the kind of voice lessons that is the important factor to look at.

Ages 0-5

Being exposed to music at an early age is one of the best things you can do for you child!! Think of learning music as like learning a foreign language.
A young child is like a little sponge and is the best equipped to learn technique as well as develop a musical ear.

Before the age of 5 a group-style general music lesson is a great option. Kindermusik is a very popular choice for group lessons. The focus is on being exposed to music and its basic concepts.  There, your child is singing, dancing and playing instruments. It’s the perfect start to incorporating music into your child’s life.

Because group classes are more for enjoyment and basic music concepts, you will want to transition your child to private music lessons once they are ready.

Ages 5-10

Students interested in voice lessons will greatly benefit from starting their musical training on a keyboard instrument. Piano/keyboard skills are the perfect foundation to learning any instrument, especially the voice. Music fundamentals and theory are universal to all musical instruments. Learning those concepts on the piano not only protects a young voice but gives that student vital keyboard and piano skills as well!

Piano skills will help a vocal student:

1.    Understand the music theory and concepts needed for vocal training.
2.    More easily learn a song because they can play vocal part and the accompaniment on the piano.
3.    Develop a musical ear; which is vital to vocal training
And much more!

You can also add very basic vocal technique training at this age. These vocal lessons would focus more on basic musicianship skills and vocal breathing techniques in order to prepare a student for serious training as their body and voice matures.

Ages 10-12

A student of this age can begin to dive a bit more deeply into vocal technique. Learning piano/keyboard skills are still recommended but in addition a student would be able to start learning:

1. Correct breathing for singing
2. The proper singing vowels
3. How to correctly open the mouth for each vowel
4. How to practice
5. How to learn songs
6. How to hold out notes and phrases
And more

Ages 12 and older

At this age a child’s voice has had a chance to physically mature and will be more prepared for in-depth vocal training. You can compare it to training for a sport. A voice student’s instrument is part of their body. A child wouldn’t start intense training for football at an early age. It’s the same for vocal training.

A child of this age will also have had a chance to emotionally mature.  Emotionally maturity is just as important as physical maturity when it comes to voice lessons! Singing is very personal since a singer’s instrument, is themselves.

Ultimately the individual student is the deciding factor

At Music at Your Doorstep, we believe the perfect age to begin voice lessons ultimately depends on the individual child.  Some students find success at beginning lessons at a much earlier age than normally recommended. Other students benefit from waiting until an older age to start lessons.  Overall, once you determine your child is ready, the sooner you start music lessons, the better!!  If they are excited and motivated, then that’s the perfect time to start!!

Music has so many benefits beyond music education! Music increases math, reading, spatial skills, and SAT scores. It teaches commitment, organization, self-discipline, positive social skills and increases a child’s self esteem!   Voice lessons are particularly special! They give a student the chance to find their own personal sound and a way to express themselves like no other instrument can!

Music Changes Lives!!

Music can bring such fulfillment and enrichment to your life, but did you know it can also make you smarter?!

1. Music lessons increase math, reading, and spatial skills!
2. Music lessons increase students’ SAT scores!
3. Music lessons teaches commitment, organization, self discipline and     positive social skills!
4. Students who participate in music usually socialize with other students who participate in music and engage in enriching, safe, extracurricular activities!
5. Participating in music lessons increases a child’s self esteem!

“Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music.”
– Gerald Ford, former President, United States of America

Students with coursework/experience in music performance and music appreciation scored higher on the SAT: students in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal and 41 points higher on the math, and students in music appreciation scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on the math, than did students with no arts participation. College-Bound Seniors National Report: Profile of SAT Program Test Takers. Princeton, NJ: The College Entrance Examination Board.

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania School District analyzed its 1997 dropout rate in terms of students’ musical experience. Students with no ensemble performance experience had a dropout rate of 7.4 percent. Students with one to two years of ensemble experience had a dropout rate of 1 percent, and those with three or more years of performance experience had a dropout rate of 0.0 percent.

Eleanor Chute, “Music and Art Lessons Do More Than Complement Three R’s,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

In the Kindergarten classes of the school district of Kettle Moraine, Wisconsin, children who were given music instruction scored 48 percent higher on spatial-temporal skill tests than those who did not receive music training.

Rauscher, F.H., and Zupan, M.A. Classroom keyboard instruction improves kindergarten children’s spatial-temporal performance: A field study. Manuscript in press, Early Childhood Research Quarterly.

Music students out-perform non-music on achievement tests in reading and math. Skills such as reading, anticipating, memory, listening, forecasting, recall, and concentration are developed in musical performance, and these skills are valuable to students in math, reading, and science.

B. Friedman, “An Evaluation of the Achievement in Reading and Arithmetic of Pupils in Elementary School Instrumental Music Classes,” Dissertation Abstracts International.

Students with band and orchestra experience attend college at a rate twice the national average.
– Bands Across the USA.

Music is beating computers at Enhancing Early Childhood Development. Music training, specifically piano instruction, is far superior to computer instruction in dramatically enhancing children’s abstract reasoning skills necessary for learning math and science. Learning music at an early age causes long-term enhancement of spatial-temporal reasoning.
– Frances Rauscher, Ph.D., Gordon Shaw, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine.

In a 1999 Columbia University study, students in the arts are found to be more cooperative with teachers and peers, more self-confident, and better able to express their ideas. These benefits exist across socioeconomic levels.
– The Arts Education Partnership

A study of 237 second grade children used piano keyboard training and newly designed math software to demonstrate improvement in math skills. The group scored 27% higher on proportional math and fractions tests than children that used only the math software.

Graziano, Amy, Matthew Peterson, and Gordon Shaw, “Enhanced learning of proportional math through music training and spatial-temporal training.”
– Neurological Research 21

The Mozart effect surfaced about four years ago when research uncovered that adults who listened to music of complexity for ten minutes or so experienced temporary increases in their spatial IQ scores.
– Frances Rauscher, Ph.D.,Gordon Shaw, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine

“Music making makes the elderly healthier…. There were significant decreases in anxiety, depression, and loneliness following keyboard lessons. These are factors that are critical in coping with stress, stimulating the immune system, and in improved health. Results also show significant increases in human growth hormones following the same group keyboard lessons. (Human growth hormone is implicated in aches and pains.)”
–  Dr. Frederick Tims, reported in AMC Music News.

So go ahead and flex that brain of yours!!

Music at Your Doorstep is so happy to be your personal trainer!!