1,2,3,4 Chickens Just Back From the Shore

Thanks Sarah for sharing this delightful video of Feist on Sesame Street (which by the way, is filmed in my neighborhood!)

Summer Fun!

Yippee! I'm headed to vacation with my family. I haven't vacationed with my parents in years - should be a Blast! And although we don't have little ones in our extended family, I hope we have this much fun!

Hope you're enjoying your summer - don't forget the SPF!

Parenting meets the iPhone

A new day has dawned.

Meet Birth Buddy - an easy way to track contractions and send e-mails to interested family members.

I am a self-professed Apple nerd but not yet a parent. I wonder if I'll use iPhone applications, like this one that debuted today!

Wow!  

TED Conference

Have you heard of the TED Conference? It's an annual conference that focuses giving presentations about 'things worth spreading'. The presenters here are among an elite group. Mostly intellectuals at the top of their field. You can find their talks online, streaming for free.

Imagine my surprise seeing Benjamin Zander here! Remember this from Greensboro in 2006? I'd say Kindermusik International was pretty spot on in getting him! 

Hope to see you this year as we make more memories and blaze more trails!

Building a Community Through Music

It seems that each summer I'm reminded of  how towns connect and become reunited with music. I lived in Greensboro, NC for six years before moving to New York City just a few months ago. Each summer I looked forward to attending MUSEP (Music for a Sunday Evening in the Park). From Bluegrass to Jazz, every Sunday in the Summer, a free concert is put on in the evening. I loved seeing the elaborate picnics that would spring up. The couples dancing, the children running. Awesome.

Jessi and I would often play these sessions together with the Greensboro Concert Band. Above is a picture that I took from one of our evenings together.

I think about these nights even in New York where the city (as you might imagine) does a great job of promoting free summertime events. Just last week while I was in Greensboro visiting the Kindermusik office, my husband and friends saw the New York Phil playing 1812 in Central Park. Wow!

How are you staying connected to your community this summer with music?

Shakira, Shakira!

Major kudos to Shakira who united Mexican telecommunications billionaire Carlos Slim Helu and Howard Buffett (son of Warren) to work together on the "Wings" project. Together they have committed about $200 million to early childhood education in Mexico.

Bittersweet Moments

Kindermusik Mom, Becky Bilby, and her FOUR CHILDREN have all gone through Sioux City, IA's Heidi Hibma's Kindermusik classes. Becky writes on her blog that she and her youngest child, Chloe, are sad to see Kindermusik end this semester.

What a beautiful relationship that has blossomed here! And here's wishing to all parents and educators that your sad days turn bittersweet and that they then turn into happy reunions in Summer sessions and this Fall!

Thanks Becky for sharing your story!

Thanks Heidi for building wonderful connections with the Bilbys and each of your other parents!