Starting NOTES For Enrolled Families - MT OUTDOORS
for Music Together of Newport County
with smiles and songs,Starting notes:
Music Together® of Newport County
FALL2024
The "FIDDLE" Song Collection
In a 9-week session1. A current class schedule of all classes for the session.
(8 Weeks plus 1 extra makeup week)
Beginning the week of SEPTEMBER 4th
from SEPTEMBER 4th to OCTOBER 25th
(Followed by 1 Week of extra makeup classes til October 31st)
In this email, you'll find:
2. A list of OUTDOOR class notes and prep for all.
3. General Covid-Awareness / Health Guidelines.
4. A Page of music education guidelines
that are helpful reminders for all,
to enable us to all offer the best musical and learning experience for our children and families.5. Directions to our MT OUTDOOR class locations FALL2024
See you all soon!
in Newport (Wednesdays) and Middletown (Thursdays).
with Lots of smiles,
Christopher & Katherine Carbone
(and read below for the full info....)
Music Together® of Newport County
(401) 846 - 9014 [email protected]
www.musictogethernewport.com
If it's easier to view these emailed starting notes online, view here on website
CLASSES START: the week of SEPTEMBER 4th
PLEASE NOTE CLASS TIMES:
(*note: all classes are Mixed-Ages 0-5 years)
our Outdoor Classes start at 9:30am and at 10:30am
Whenever possible, please aim to arrive 5-10 minutes early, for the benefit of all.
FALL2024: All Classes taught by Mr. Christopher
Newport
Wednesdays
Trinity Church lawn
9:30 – 10:15am
10:30 -11:15am
Middletown
Thursdays
Norman Bird Sanctuary
9:30 – 10:15am
10:30 -11:15am
Music Together® of Newport County- 401 846-9014
Some Policies & Procedures...
for MT OUTDOORS:
as of FALL2024
We're so excited to be making Music Together in-person again!
While we've been running our program here for 24 years now,
and while we've done lots of events outdoors over the years,
it's just recently that we've been doing whole seasons outdoors in this way-
so we ask you to be gracious with us as we navigate this new-ish terrain together!
Our Primary goal is to share our love for Music-Making with families
in safe and healthy ways, to create the best musical experience possible
even in the midst of new and different times.
Notes given may be updated as we go,
as we continue to evolve with what is most helpful and important along the way.
2. Prep notes for MT OUTDOORS
TO BRING WITH YOU
•Making Space: A big blanket ideally to sit on for you and your child/ren -
along with any other seating items if needed (baby carrier, seats, etc)
Each blanket will help provide a "home-base" and clear visual place-setting
to help spread us out in the space
while we sing, dance, and jam together-- setting blankets around in a semi-circle as a starting place.
(Knowing that some children will naturally wander and explore for sure,
it gives at least a clear landing place for every family)
•Stuff: To help keep objects as clean and safe for all this season,
We'll ask families to bring their own instruments (home-made are great!) and props to class this season:
For example, to start out for playalong times in the class, suggestions:
-Shakers/Rattles for shaking,
-Sticks/Spoons for tapping,
-Scarves/blankets for dancing
- Have a couple for the whole family: enough for parent AND child -
these are good to start with and all you need to begin.
Homemade instruments are especially fun - simple shakers from containers,
kitchen spoons and tupperware, using boxes as drums, etc...
See our webpage for more info/ideas about gathering/making home-made instruments.
It can be fun to create your own little kits for playing along with for class and for at home.
Over the weeks we'll make suggestions about special things to try out or bring for class,
but whatever you and your child enjoy will work well for this outdoor setting.
note: you do NOT have to buy instruments,
as families can bring what they already own or have made.
If interested, info on purchasing instruments can be found online:
especially in the Music Together store - with high-quality child-friendly instruments
for example this mini-kit with shakers, rhythm sticks and scarves in a bag.
•Comfort/Extras: Whatever you need to be comfortable outdoors:
Water Bottles, Hats, Sunscreen, Insect repellant, etc as needed
Each location has areas for Sun and Shade
so you may sit where comfortable.
•Hygiene: Hand Sanitizer/ Wipes for your own family as needed.
•Diaper changing? Whatever works for you:
"Handwashing is a great helper" a healthy habit to plan on,
washing or cleaning hands after any group activities.
Diapers can be changed on a mat outside.
RestRooms will also available at each location, just be prepared to pack-in/pack-out with you
any diapers or cleaning items, as a courtesy to all others using the bathroom.
This Semester:
• Important: our MT Outdoor classes are held on a weather-permitting basis.
In cases of inclement weather,
class will be held online livestream via Zoom.
If you're not able to attend the Zoom class,
Those classes will also be recorded by Mr. Christopher
and will be available to everyone to follow along with at home at any time after class.
For more info about the MT Online/Zoom classes prep notes see here.
•Our classes are open only to currently enrolled families,
closed to families not enrolled in the program.
3. General Covid-Awareness / Health Guidelines:
•We will follow CDC guidance and RI Dept of Health guidance
about vaccination and masking as it is updated through the season.
-At this time, we encourage all adults attending our classes to be vaccinated when possible.
-Attendees are not required to wear masks in our outdoor settings.
•Before coming to class each week, please ask yourself and your family these questions:
*Do you currently have any symptoms of a cold or flu? .
*Have you or anyone in your household been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus in the past 5 days ?
*Have you or anyone in your household been directed to self-quarantine ?
If you answer "yes" to any of the above classes, please do not come to class.
•We are still living in the time of this milder but still ongoing Covid endemic -
•Music Together families are asked to follow these above Terms and Conditions.
and these policies / practices may need to be updated as we go.
We ask for your patience and flexibility as we navigate this together for the greatest good for all.
• For example, if RI State mandates changes in current COVID-19 protocols during the season,
there's the chance that gatherings may need to switch from in-person to fully online.
Most likely this will not happen, but we need to announce this in advance.
There would be no refunds or credits due to classes moving fully online
and we would aim to adapt to create best experience possible if that were to happen.
As RI health regulations are not fully under our control,
we need to be ready for modifications or changes in service as deemed necessary.
We cannot offer credits or refunds for changes or missed classes.
•You are responsible for ensuring that any adult who brings your child
understands these guidelines, policies and procedures prior to attending the class.
---
Sick? Our families have been very considerate about this. Let’s continue it, especially now.
As mentioned above, Please be respectful of other families and if you or your child are not well with any illness,
keep yourselves home and plan to come in when you feel better.
Missing Class? Please let us know in advance if possible (or afterwards is also helpful)
if you are going to miss your regular class for any reason via email or text.
This helps us keep in touch & helps us to know how everyone is doing.Makeups?
We will offer special Makeup Days at the end of the semester, most likely via Zoom.
• At this moment, we are not able to have families doing makeup classes at another day / location.
If that policy changes we will update you all.
In addition, to help we will be sending musical videos and suggestions
for at-home activities throughout the semester
which can be used for at-home experiences when you're not able to attend class.Weather? MT Outdoor Classes are not held in-person during inclement weather (Rain, Storms, etc)
and will be held via ZOOM instead that day.
We send out emails & text messages announcing any changes by 8:00am that morning.
Contact us if you are not sure.Any Questions ...
call Christopher 401 846-9014 email: [email protected]
Mobile 401-835-2165
4. Some music education guidelines for Class in general
Especially helpful for New Families, but good reminders for all!
Hello, Everybody, We’re so Glad to see you!
& Welcome to a New Semester of Music Together!We are here for a wonderful journey together...
Here are a few notes to get ourselves off to a fresh start:•You are your child’s most important teacher!
Show them how valuable music is by actively singing, moving, and listening.
The children learn from you: the values you teach through your actions and ways of being
stay with them for years to come.
• Don't worry about the "performance quality" of your singing or dancing--
just have fun and your child will too! Even let yourself be silly sometimes!
It's not so much about "performance" as it is about "participation." Enjoy!
• Parents are role models not only for their own child,
but for all the other children (and parents) in the class.
In other words, remember that this is not so much a "performance" by the teacher but a group Musical Adventure.
What a powerful message we send our children when a class full of adults form a musical community,
giving our children a rich musical experience by modeling music making - together!
• Please try to arrive 5-10 minutes before class starts, to allow for parking, getting ready, etc.
This helps your children’s transition and helps all of us
to settle more comfortably into our “groove,” for a fun, stimulating musical experience.
And coming early also gives people a chance to talk and socialize BEFORE class begins,
getting to meet and know other amazing people in that way too, if you like.•And DURING class time, once we start our HELLO SONG
it's a MUSICAL TIME we create....
So...
Please resist the urge to talk, chat or to have extra conversations
with other parents or your child during class time.
Especially during songs, but even in-between songs, talking to each other
can be distracting to the teacher and to the other members of the class.
You may notice that if you are chatting or talking more during the music,
it tends to dissipate the musical feeling during class -
instead, aim to tune in, connect and communicate in other ways during class.
We teachers may gently remind the group from time to time,
to help us remember how important this is for the experience and for the musical learning of the children.
The less that you talk during the class, and the more that you make music, play, move and sing,
the more musical fun we all have together.
Singing with each other, moving and playing musically with each other, is a great choice instead!
Use gestures, facial expressions, movements, and musical ways of communicating
with your child and others as much as possible.
While the teacher may serve as “facilitator”, we all are co-creators of the atmosphere here.
Our experience is that classes with participatory and attentive parents
are the classes with the most involved and attentive children,
and consequently everything flows much more easily and joyfully in class.
We even see the most musical progress in these classes.
Have fun making music and the whole class benefits!
(In learning a language or culture, immersion is a deep way of attuning to that language:
in this class for 45 minutes we are immersing ourselves in the "language" of music and movement,
and there is great magic for the children in being immersed in that culture.)
• Allow the music to take over, even between songs.
Join in the musical transitions, sound patterns and moments of listening.
You may hear children singing/sounding if we allow some pauses and/or musical moments.
During those moments, children may begin to “audiate” songs,
that's "listening to the song inside themselves" - a major step in musical development.• Encourage your child (if possible) to sit or be with you during the first song (Hello, Everybody)
•Remember that every child learns, absorbs and expresses this learning differently:
with their own unique ways of being and learning in a group setting.
Some children may be sitting and watching, absorbing by observation or through listening,
others may be moving & exploring how they move in space,
some may be making sounds in response, some may be fascinated by playing with the props and instruments.
Let go of "performance" expectations on your child,
and find ways to appreciate and support their own learning style at this point in their development.
Remember that we often see how much they are learning AFTER the experience happens,
when they go home and continue trying out what they've experienced, then on their own.
and last two songs (Resting and Goodbye song).
Even then, we try to keep them with our attention, presence, and focus, rather than by forcing them to stay still.
•At other times some children may be moving around the space:
in that case, your child is free to sit, stand or move in the space.
You can keep participating with the group,
or follow your child's lead while still maintaining contact with the group.
A good time to re-focus him/her is during some of your child’s favorite songs or instrument playing.
As long as moving children are safe and non-disruptive, they’re fine.
But, please do stay attentive to your own child for the safety and comfort of everyone.
We’re looking to achieve a balance between having gentle boundaries and natural expression,
so that the best experience can be had by all.
•At Home:
The first day of class,
You will receive a music packet with CD and SONGBOOK and APP for your phone -
To help with your child’s learning and experience in class,
play the recording frequently at home and in life (even if it’s in the background)
and do some musical activities at home and around town!
Also be sure to sing the songs together on your own,
so that your child can experience the power and sound of one's "live"voice.
Let the music become part of your daily life and play with it. Have fun!
(and stay tuned to email throughout the season for more "take-home" suggestions, too. )
5. Directions to MT OUTDOOR Locations FALL2024
Music Together of Newport County***
Music Together
Newport, RI: OUTDOOR Class Location
WEDNESDAYS FALL2024Trinity Church - Outside on the Lawn
1 Queen Anne Square, Newport, RI 02840
(Church Lawn closer to FALL Street:
between Frank Street and Mill Street)
GOOGLE MAP to Trinity Church HERE
For Newport: Come 10-15 minutes EARLY
be prepared to park in the Mary Street Parking Lot nearby
at 17 Mary Street, Newport, RI 02840
or find creative parking on other nearby streets,
as parking at the church is very limited at this time.
Bringing a STROLLER recommended
to transport from parking to our lawn.
*****
Music Together
Middletown, RI: OUTDOOR Class Location
THURSDAYS FALL2024
Norman Bird Sanctuary - Outside
in the ORCHARD next to the front parking lot
583 3rd Beach Rd, Middletown, RI 02842
GOOGLE MAP to Norman Bird Sanctuary HERE
Bringing a STROLLER recommended
to transport from parking lot to the orchard.
For Middletown: Come 5-10 minutes EARLY
be prepared to park in the main lot
and since we have been allocated limited number of parking spaces
at the Bird Sanctuary:
we will need to make room for others after our classes.
*****
Thank you for reading through these important notes,
we look forward to making Music Together with you!
Christopher & Katherine Carbone
Music Together of Newport County, RI
401 846-9014 [email protected]
www.musictogethernewport.com