Term 3: Songbirds (Fridays)

Welcome, lovely one! Perhaps your child has been showing an interest in singing for a while. It might have started with singing along to music playing in the house - and now you're noticing that small desire growing each day, and you're wondering how you can support them in their curiosity. Well.. you've definitely landed in the right place! I am a mama myself - a Steiner mama - and I have had the best time weaving song and music into our family's lives. It's incredible how much we can bond, laugh and cry when we share song. It is such a beautiful way to connect, express and share our hearts with those around us. I want you to know that when you join the Wild Songbird community, when any member does - your whole family does too. We have events like songs by the fireside, uke club - you're all welcome to join! Before I get to the nitty gritty of what we do in class, I want to emphasize that Steiner philosophy guides the way that I raise my children & the way I run classes. Kindness, inclusion and creative openness is paramount. If you're looking for a strict, disciplinary teacher - I am not for you. So now the info!! Each class begins with a mini sound meditation to help calm their nervous systems after a big day at school. This also helps kids breathe through nerves that may arise at the idea of having to sing in front of other people! During the meditation, we start vocal toning and harmonizing with each other - a lot easier when everyone has their eyes closed and no-one knows where the voice is coming from! We then move into a fun activity which is tied into the theme of the month. For example, "musicals" or "movie songs" or "jazz". We might make a song together, or learn how to scat - it really depends on the genre and what the kids are into. I work very intuitively in this part of the session, as the idea is to get them having fun and enjoying themselves while testing their creative edges and experimenting with their voice in new ways. Then we move into breathing and vocal exercises, runs and scales. This helps with improving pitch, breath support and control. Each student brings along a song they'd like to work on and we build on it each week, either with or without musical accompaniment. The lesson concludes with performance of chosen song, with parents and carers invited in to watch. It's so much fun and such a friendly, encouraging environment. September is our opening term. So.. will you and your family be joining us??