Thursday, January 28, 2016

More than Music Rocks!

Today we welcome Michelle, a guest blogger and also a new member of our Lehigh Valey Find&GoSeek team as she shares her recent experience with More Than Music LLC's You & Me Music Class!




Studies show that introducing your child to music early on can help set the stage for lifelong musical development and that music can help brighten their mood, benefit their brain, and boost their language skills!


We saw living proof of that when we sat in on a few You & Me Music Early Childhood Music Classes recently offered by More Than Music LLC. Since our little one had a lot of fun during the classes, we thought we’d give you an idea of what to expect should you decide to enroll.

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Seamless Structure
Led by founder Hilari Stahler, MT-BC (“Miss Hilari”), the classes are designed for children ages 6 months to 5 years and their guardians. Each class is about 40 minutes long and includes a handful of musical activities sandwiched between the welcoming “Hello” song and the concluding “Goodbye” song. Miss Hilari keeps the class moving and is incredibly skilled at transitioning from one activity to the next, so much so that you hardly know it’s happening!

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Improvisation with Instruments
In addition to singing and dancing, each child (and guardian!) gets to improvise with musical instruments. This kind of free play allows them to begin to understand how to manipulate the instruments to produce different sounds… and some of their reactions were priceless!

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Of course, there are times when Miss Hilari directs the interaction with the instruments. She’s really great about giving each of them a turn and making sure they’ve had a fair amount of time with the instrument before moving on to the next child. Plus, wherever possible, she incorporates each child’s name into the song they’re singing, which makes the class that much more special.

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Interactive Activities
No prior musical experience is needed and, thankfully, children and adults of all musical abilities are welcome, so there’s no judgment for singing along slightly off-key! Guardians are enthusiastically encouraged to follow Miss Hilari’s lead and to participate in all of the activities.

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Including the dancing!

Monthly enrollment for You & Me Early Childhood Music Classes is $45 for the first child and $22.50 for siblings 1 year and older, and tuition is required to reserve your space each month. Visit More Than Music LLC for more information and to enroll today! Check out the promo code below and save $15 off February registration!



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Saturday, January 9, 2016

Miller Symphony Hall Family Series





Miller Symphony Hall is gearing up for the remaining shows of their 2015-2016 season and some great family programming will be be featuring starting in February.

Their Family Series of Live Musical Theater performances is an excellent local family entertainment option and a super cool way to expose your children to the wonders of art and live theater!

Tickets to a show make an amazing gift to any child! From Ladybug Girl to Clifford to the ASO Musical Fairy Tale Show there's certainly something to entertain any young one.  Plan a special day out, with lunch and a show.  Tickets can be booked online by clicking any link to any of the highlighted shows, just choose your seats, pay and your are all set! 



February 20th 2:00PM at Miller Symphony Hall
For this performance - Children are free! 

The fairy tales and stories we remember from our childhood expressed through the sounds of the orchestra. An event for the whole family, the Allentown Symphony Orchestra plays a program of orchestral classics for families and friends. Music from Aladdin, Scheherazade – 1001 Nights, Sleeping Beauty, Carnival of the Animals, Beauty and the Beast, Casey at the Bat, Hansel and Gretel. It's a  great way to introduce your child to orchestral music.
Go early! Pre-Concert Activities begin at 12:30pm.



February 27th 2:00PM at  Miller Symphony Hall
Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy celebrates the power of imagination and promotes a sense of adventure and exploration of the world around you.
Inspired by the New York Times Top 10 best-selling Children's Books (September 14, 2014) with 14 titles and over 3.3 million copies in print, this lively new musical “buzzes” with the inventive energy of childhood. Lulu is disappointed that she is too little to play baseball with her big brother, grabs her trusty sidekick, Bingo, the family dog, and goes off to the park, seeking adventure. She meets up with her friends, Sam, Marley and Kiki and they morph into the Bug Squad as Ladybug Girl, Bumblebee Boy, Dragonfly Girl and Butterfly Girl fight the Mean Alien...or is that Lulu's brother? Imagination will triumph!
Ladybug Girl books are available in all major booksellers, mass merchandisers, educational venues including Scholastic Book Fairs and Clubs, mid-tier chains, and high-end department stores. The story and content appeals to both boys and girls.
Recommended for ages 2 and up.

Saturday March 26th 2:00PM at Miller Symphony Hall
Here comes Peter Cottontail, hoppin' down the bunny trail, Hippity-Hoppity Easter's on its way! This musical is just in time for the Easter holiday!
"Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were - Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail and Peter . . . "  These famous opening lines of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" have enchanted young audiences for over  one hundred years.
In celebration of Beatrix Potter's 150 birthday anniversary, Enchantment Theatre brings her captivating stories to life. Using fantastic masks, whimsical puppets, gorgeous scenery and original music, the magical, marvelous World of Beatrix Potter come alive on stage!
Meet Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny as they escape from Mr. McGregor, outfox Mr. Tod and rescue the Flopsy Bunnies from the disagreeable badger, Tommy Brock. When Benjamin's children disappear, he goes to his cousin, Peter Rabbit, to help him find the bunnies. But Peter thinks he's had quite enough of adventure, remembering his youthful escapades in Mr. McGregor's garden. As the cousing reminisce about their past adventures, their friends - Squirrel Nutkin, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Mrs. Tittlemouse - gather to encourage Peter on this one last quest.
Recommended for ages 3 and up.



Saturday April 23rd 2:00pm at Miller Symphony Hall
It only takes a little to BE BIG!™ The ‘big red dog,’ a character beloved for generations, comes to life on stage in a BIG way in this interactive musical! Join Clifford, Emily Elizabeth and all their friends from Birdwell Island as they embark on an adventure filled with singing, dancing and more. Share in the timeless values of Clifford’s BIG Ideas: Share, Play Fair, Have Respect, Work Together, Be Responsible, Be Truthful, Be Kind, Believe In Yourself, Be A Good Friend and Help Others – with this musical experience the whole family will love!

Recommended for ages 3 and up.