New Resources for Preschool Music Monday, March 25, 2019
recommended by Jen Sper, School Choral and Classroom Music Specialist
Celebrations and Seasons by Mari Schay
Celebrate seasons, holidays, and special days throughout the year – and teach music fluency at the same time! These creative activities are specially designed for preschoolers and Kindergartners, and each one lists the appropriate standards from the National Association for Music Education and Common Core. The enclosed CD includes demonstration recordings of each song along with reproducible teaching aids you can use in your classroom. Don’t miss these other resources in Mari’s “Busy Bodies, Busy Brains” series – The Music In Me and You, Up Up and Away, and Silly and Serious.
Kitty Alone by John Feierabend
“Kitty Alone” is the latest in series of captivating picture books, each based on a beloved songtale from the great American folk music heritage, and collected by John M. Feierabend. This beautifully illustrated book was conceived by illustrator Mina Echevarria, who suggested setting the song in the Appalachian Mountains and using a bobcat as the title character. Since they are rarely seen in the daytime, Appalachian locals refer to the bobcat as the “woods ghost.” Here the illustrations create the ghostly bobcat in the evening darkness of the forest encountering several delightful friends. Also notice the red thread that appears throughout. Find it in the last picture…was it all just a dream? Like the other picture books in the series, “Kitty Alone” includes a description of the history of the song, the notation of the song, and a link to download the song sung by Jill Trinka at no cost. For more in the series: The Crabfish, The Derby Ram, Father Grumble, The Frog and the Mouse, Jennie Jenkins, Momma Buy Me a China Doll, My Aunt Came Back, The Other Day I Met a Bear, Over in the Meadow, Risseldy Rosseldy, The Tailor and the Mouse, There Was a Man and He Was Mad, and There’s a Hole in the Bucket.
About the Author:
Jen Sper has been with Stanton’s since 2006. A former middle school and high school choral director, she holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory of Music. An active choral singer and accompanist throughout the Central Ohio area, she also enjoys good food, running (to counteract the good food…) and the Muppets.