Today was a fun day as we explored Christmas carols and also met a very famous gentleman who is one of my very favorite trumpet players...Dizzy Gillespie! Of course we were only able to become acquainted through this awesome Youtube Video:
I asked the children if they thought that growing a beard would make me a better flautist--they all said yes! Hahah! Of course I'm referring to the incredible bearded gentleman who opens up the jazz orchestra shown above.
The children were very entertained by the the massive amount of air that Dizzy could hold in his cheeks! We all tried (pictures below) to do the same! We discussed a little about Dizzy--he was born in South Carolina, and got his nickname from silly antics on stage. The trumpet he is playing (like other trumpets) has many parts, but we highlighted the mouth piece, the bell, and the valves (what we press to make the notes). The trumpet has three valves.
Your 2 years + child took home a coloring sheet with facts on it today about Dizzy!
We also had fun using jingle bells today. The four year old and school age class practiced a "reindeer crescendo". We began shaking the bells at a "piano"-or soft--volume. Then, we performed a crescendo, gradually increasing to a "forte"--or loud--volume. I likened this to the reindeer being far away, approaching, and then finally, jingling loudly on the roof! See this in the video below!
Here's a little version of "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" from today's class to get you into the Christmas spirit! :)