I discovered this handy little ebook in an online search and have found it to be a great resource of free Christmas sheet music.  It has well known Christmas carols and many that are not so well known. It’s called The Caroler and can be found at…
http://www.christmasgifts.com/christmas-music-book.html

It has the lyrics, sheet music, and a midi recording of each song–everything you need except guitar chords.

One drawback is that it only has older songs that are  in the public domain. The newer songs like The Christmas Song, Jingle Bell Rock, etc. are still under copyright so you will need to purchase them.  A fake book or songbook of Christmas songs is going to be a better value than individual sheet music unless you truly need only one song.

The music of the season is truly one of life’s great meaningful pleasures.

Deborah

P.S.  Do you know of any free Christmas music goodies? Please share them with us in the comments section below.

Here are a few pointers for getting the right gift for the right person.

• Know the Person – As with all gift giving, think about the person you want to give the gift to.
  • Has the person expressed an interest in playing an instrument?
  • Are they desiring a specific instrument?
  • What is the person’s musical experience?
  • What style of music do they love?
  • What are their reasons for wanting to play?

Choosing a quality instrument

If you are not familiar with musical instruments, this will take some effort, but don’t let that discourage you.

• Know Your Limitations and Get Help-
  Ask lots of questions of knowledgeable musicians who play the instrument you are considering. Be sure to ask them about facts to look for and brands they recommend.
• Online Reviews-
  Do an online search for reviews. Include the word review along with things like the type of instrument, brand, and/or model. Amazon and are a great resource for personal reviews from people who have owned the product.
• Return Policy-
  Make sure there is a good return policy just in case the instrument is not a good fit.
• Use Gift Cards-
  An instrument can be a very personal decision. A gift card allows the recepient to choose what is best for them.
• Avoid buying used or from online auctions-
  If you are not familiar with an instrument, you may want to avoid buying a used instrument or buying from online auctions. Stick with a reputable company with a good return policy.  Even the new items on the online auctions can be suspect. Many are poor quality instruments imported cheaply from overseas.

Instrument Ideas
Here are a few instrument ideas and resources for finding them.

• Simple to Learn Instruments-ukelele, dulcimer, recorder, harmonica, kazoo and many percussion instruments
• Instrument Families
  • Brass – trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba…
  • Woodwind – flute, clarinet, oboe, sax…
  • Classical Strings – violin, viola, cello and bass
  • Other Strings – guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, banjo, dulcimers…
  • Percussion – Snare drum, drum set (standard or electronic), xylophone, glockenspiel, world percussion, handheld percussion…
  • Keyboard – piano, digital piano, keyboard

An additional tip, if you can afford it, add music lessons as part of the gift. If you can’t afford to add lessons, do some research and give them the name of one or more teachers to contact. Instruction books and videos can be helpful, too.

Hoping you have musical holidays,

Deborah

Don’t worry if you don’t know much about music, you can get some advice from someone who is.  Ask a lot of questions and you can grow in your musical knowledge, too.

Here are some musical gift ideas for you to think about. (Stay tuned for more in depth discussion about some of these topics in future posts)

• Musical Instruments
• Music Lessons
• Accessories for Instruments
• Music Magazines
• Sheet Music
• Books about Music
• Biographys of Musicians and Composers
• Music Themed Gift Items (tote bags, clothing, jewelry, nick nacks, etc.)

Resources:
Here are some trustworthy businesses that carry musical items

• The Woodwind & Brasswind – Don’t let the name mislead you. They carry a full array of instruments and accessories not just wind instruments. I’ve purchased from them for over 20 years. Plus they have a 110% low price guarantee and free shipping for orders over $49.
• Sheet Music Plus – A large selection of sheet music, songbooks and guitar tabs.
• Amazon has many musical options and offers free shipping for orders over $25 (for most items)
  • Books About Music
  • Musical Instruments
  • Music Gifts
  • Music Magazines

Hoping you have a very musical Christmas,

Deborah

We are both firm believers in general music classes for young children, followed by a foundation in piano, and then private study and ensemble experience with the instrument of their choice. Up until about age 8 or 9 music is more developmental and process oriented, and we don’t believe in structured private lessons at too young of an age.

We have taken him to Kindermusik classes since he was about 15 months old. (The Kodaly and Orff music education methods are also good). He has two more years of Kindermusik and then he will begin keyboard training through a program called Music Makers at the Keyboard. It is a wonderful program where the kids learn to hear music first then write it–just like language is learned. In St. Louis we enroll him in Community Music School, but these classes are offered across the country (and possibly internationally).

We will begin private piano instruction when these classes are over or toward the end. We really have to assess it as it goes. Somewhere in the process he will most likely choose a different instrument he wants to be his focus of study.

As part of our homeschooling we will soon begin playing music from a single composer. We will have the music playing in our home for several weeks with some of the time spent actively listening and discussing the music. We will tie it in with other things he is learning such as history, geography, science, art. It will change over time. Since he is only five, much of what we do will be learning through play and through reading.

The goal is so he can build a relationship with the music and the composer.  We will begin with Tchaikovsky since we are seeing The Nutcracker ballet in December.

This is our approach for our structured music training. There are many ways you can tailor this in your own family and we have seen many approaches.  This is not a set in stone plan, either. For instance, if our son had a super focused interest in a particular instrument we would have weighed that in with our decision making.

When it comes to activities for our son, music is our priority. If we can’t afford anything else, we will have music class–even if it is a sacrifice.

Our main goal is to create a musical foundation for him that he can stand on no matter what his musical choices are later. That foundation includes developing musical skills, understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation. The added brain and motor development is a big plus, too.

Musically yours,

Deborah

Many school leaders make these decisions based on the requirements of testing even though students who have experience in the arts generally do better on standardized tests.

The problem is that these decisions are being made in a black and white, linear fashion without making the connection that learning is a process and not just a regurgitation of facts. Any computer can spout out facts and make calculations. Being human means we can reason, create and grow. It’s what brings innovation and makes for a better world.

One of the sad things about the layoffs is that it takes many years to build a strong music program. It also takes many years to build music in a person. When it goes away, it has to be rebuilt.

It’s not the kind of thing that will spill over into the private arena either. Many parents don’t see the value in giving their child a solid music and arts education, so if the schools stop, the music stops. Even if they see the value, they may not value it enough to put money  behind it.

I think it will be a long time before schools see music and the arts as more of a priority. It is my hope that the community will begin taking up the slack, but that will take time, too.

I grew up in a very small town. We didn’t have strong music education where I went to school, but the difference was made up for it at church. The state of music education in the church has really diminished as well. The days of traveling music teachers are pretty much over and most churches don’t even have children and youth choirs anymore. Many have given up adult choirs, too.

I’m not worried for my son because we homeschool and we will seek out or create our own opportunities. I’m concerned for the increasing number of people who will grow up without understanding the value of music in education and in all of life. It is more than recreation–it’s part of human development.

Live musically,

Deborah

I taught in people’s homes back then and observed a lot of what their mom, Phyllis, did to help them. She strongly believes in the importance of music for people on the autism spectrum because she has seen the benefits with her two Asperger’s kids and her autistic brother.

The benefits are many. I recently wrote article about it called “Autism Symptoms & Music – 5 Ways Music Can Make a Difference With Autism”. In it I discuss ways that music can help autistic people have a better quality of live physically, mentally, and socially.

You can read get the full article by clicking the “articles” tab above. You can also get there by clicking
www.ourmusicalhome.com/blog/articles/ or www.articlesbydeborah.com

I hope it helps. I’d love to hear your thoughts. The comment area is open 24/7.

Until next time,
Deborah

P.S. My friend, Phyllis, has written a book titled “Nurturing Your Asperger’s Child”. If you are caring for someone with Asperger’s or even PDD-NOS it’s worth checking out. Just go to www.myautisminfo.com

I bought this one at Cracker Barrel for 6 bucks. It’s a
Hohner and it’s really great quality. Great sound and it holds up well to the explorations of a young child. It’s really important to get good quality instruments for your child and for yourself.

Quality instruments don’t need to be expensive to have a good sound. The problem is that a lot of what’s marketed out there as instruments are really just noisemakers. Even a non musician can hear the difference. Try to listen and ask “Does it thud or does the sound carry through the air? Does it squeak or does it sing?”

Even if you don’t have a lot of musical experience, you can learn to listen for the difference by comparing the sounds different things make. One thing you can start with is to tap on things around the house and compare the differences and similarities. Try tapping in different places and with different items to see how the sound changes.

It doesn’t take much to start developing your ability to listen and to begin to understand music better. Having that understanding opens the door to having richer experiences with music. We’ve got plenty of noise in this culture. Wouldn’t it be great to replace some of it with music.

Deborah

Is there anything you’d like to read more about in this blog or as an article? I’d love to hear your ideas.

During the months of February & March 2009, put comment on this post with your ideas and topic suggestions and I’ll send you my ebook 7 Keys to a More Meaningful Musical Life for FREE.

This ebook is about getting past ideas you may have that keep you from making music and provides ideas for small changes you can make to have music as part of your life whether you are a music lover or a music maker. My friends are really on me to start selling this ebook, so this may be the last time I offer it for free.

I look forward to hearing what you would like to learn about.

Deborah

• We can passively listen to music while we do other things
• We can listen to music expressively by focusing on how it has an effect on our moods and emotions
• We can look at it intellectually by analyzing the components of the music and its form.

Developing our listening ability gives us ways to be more connected to our music. It’s like the difference between fast food and fine dining. Good listening lets you savor the music. You can do little things everyday to develop those listening skills. It doesn’t have to be difficult.

Open your mind to what’s around you. Have your brain start to check-in when you’re listening to the radio in the car or the background music at a place of business.

As you are listening start asking yourself questions, like what style is this, what instruments are used, what is the melody line. Try to get a feel for the beat of the song and see if you can hear how the melody line moves up and down.

Little activities can do a lot for helping you see music in a different way.

Get in touch with your emotions about music. Does it calm you or cause some stress? Do you have any feelings about what the music is communicating? If it is a familiar piece of music, have you had strong emotions about it in the past? Are they different now?

You see, it doesn’t take much to start moving in a musical direction. Start with awareness.

One of the most fascinating discussions was with a scientist by the name of Dr. Gregory Simpson. We spent several hours discussing how both music and science apply to all of life.

He started thinking about this connection when he observed some students he was tutoring in science. He saw that the kids who had studied music were able to understand the scientific process extremely quickly.

It doesn’t surprise me. I’ve known for a long time that majoring in music is one of the best things you can do if you want to go to medical school. Actually, 66% of music majors who apply to medical school are accepted–more than any other group. The second group is biochemistry majors at 44%.

Other countries see the importance, too…

The world’s top academic countries place a high value on music education. Hungary, Netherlands and Japan stand atop worldwide science achievement and have strong commitment to music education. All three countries have required music training at the elementary and middle school levels, both instrumental and vocal, for several decades. The centrality of music education to learning in the top-ranked countries seems to contradict the United States’ focus on math, science, vocabulary, and technology. –http://www.amc-music.com/research_briefs.htm

This is one of the many reasons I know music is not just a pastime, it is an important part of being human. It is essential to who we are physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

Deborah

P.S. Gregory and I are joining together to write more about the science and music connection–so stay tuned.