Rock Music for Kids

As stated in my History Page, it was in 1998 that I found my true calling - Children's Entertainment! I began teaching music to preschool kids in Washtenaw County's surrounding preschools; HICKORY TREE CHILDREN CENTER, CRADLES AND CRIBS, LITTLE TIGERS CHILDREN CENTER, JACK AND JILL DAYCARE, WEE WISDOM CHILDREN CENTER, and ANNIE'S DAYCARE CHILDREN CENTER, to name a few.  (NOTE: Hickory Tree Children Center commissioned me to compose their school
theme song! "Holly's Hickory Tree.")  My years as a single parent gives me a unique view in both the work and joys of young children and early childhood education.  This single-fathering experience helps me connect with children, and they with me.  Presently I am focused on gathering new employment in the local childcare centers again.

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BASIC CLASS STRUCTURE  NOTE: 20 minute "try out" class = FREE of charge

WARM UP

I begin by warming up to the kids with no brainers, as this gets the class off to a good start.  Songs everybody knows, like The Itsy Bitsy Spider, The More We Get Together, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  Wheels on the Bus is my personal fave.
I make absolute sure I fall asleep half way through, so they can all shout out loud: "Wake up, Mister Laurence!"

STAND UP

Then we all stand up and run through a small handful of motion numbers. Fun songs where the kids can act out a bit more.   I'M A LITTLE TEAPOT (careful not to tip all the way out!), HERE WE GO 'ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH, and IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT, to name a few.  I love having the whole class freeze as a thing to do during If You're Happy And You Know It.  "Hold perfectly still!  Don't move!  Don't even laugh!"  Of course, that makes everyone laugh, including myself...

EAR TRAINING: THE GUESSING GAME

About midway through the class we sit down and I pull out my accordion.  It's now time for "ear training", oh yeah.
With instruction NOT TO RAISE YOUR HAND UNTIL YOU'VE ACTUALLY HEARD A FEW NOTES FIRST as the usual prompt, the kids have fun guessing what song it could possibly be. I play the melodic lines to many of the songs we sing together, while the kids scramble in trying to figure out which one it is, before their friends do.  "Remember now, try NOT to raise your hand until I've had a chance to actually play a note, first..."  They're always surprised to find that Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, The ABC Song, and Bah Bah Black Sheep all have the same exact melody.  Who would have thunk?

B-I-N-G-O or ANIMAL SOUNDS

My class finally ends up with either a rousing game of B-I-N-G-O.  I pick out a handful of kids to stand up at the head of the class where they hold large laminated cards with huge letters on one side and hand clapping pictographs on the flip side.  Loads of fun.  Recently we've added a new game-song called ANIMAL SOUNDS.  Kids have the chance to learn both the spelling of the animals and of course the fun of mimicing their wild sounds.  The sound of a dinosaur is a huge fave...

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For the oldest Pre-K kids: BASIC PARAMETERS OF MUSIC

Next it's time to go over the basic parameters of music.  I'll have one of the kids pass out the Bell Bracelets ~ simple percussive instruments I've created out of pipe cleaners, beads, and bells.  The kids put these on their wrists, or simply hold on to them and keep the beat of the music by clapping their hands or tapping on their knees the best they can.

TEMPO

We begin with the concept of TEMPO:  "Remember what I was saying last week about how fast or how slow a song can be played?  What's that called in the language of music?  That's correct!  TEMPO!"  We then try THE MORE WE GET TOGETHER THE HAPPIER WE'LL BE, very very very slow... and then again at a super fast TEMPO! "Remember! Do your best to keep correct time with the bell bracelets!"

DYNAMICS

Then it's DYNAMICS ~ the volume at which a song is performed. Nothing like getting little kids to w h i s p e r thru any given song!  Now that's what I call solid ear training! Yahoo!

PITCH

If it looks like we have time, I'll challenge the children by having them sing a particular song in a higher "key".  I take out my trusty capo and set the guitar up one fret at a time (up one note / one key).  From there we quickly learn the idea of pitch and how it effects both the melody and our voice.  Simple!

Before we all know it, time's up and class is over!

I ask the children to all get in a line in front of me.  One by one each child has a chance to hold the
guitar pick and strum the guitar "Like you're petting a kitty cat or a doggie!"  I then stamp their
hands with my little stamp which says: MISTER LAURENCE thinks you're the greatest!
and let each of them know what a grand job they've done for the day!

"Goodbye, Mister Laurence!"  

"Goodbye, kids!  See you next time!"

                         NOTE:  I use original prerecorded backing tracks ( THE PLAY MONEY BAND).  This                     
                                   increases enthusiasm in the classroom and keeps the little ones glued.                            

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BASIC RATE

Ann Arbor
$50.00 an hour

mlbmiller@gmail.com

Ann Arbor:

ANNIE'S CHILDREN'S CENTER
Park Rd. Branch, Beakes St. Branch, and Oakwood St. Branch

Saline:

ANNIE'S CHILDREN'S CENTER
Monroe St. Branch

Dexter:

LITTLE FRIENDS PRESCHOOL

MORNING STAR CHILDCARE

(Mister Laurence has also been hired on occasion for Ann Arbor's Camp Gan Israel Summer Camp)

PRESCHOOL  SNAP  SHOTS

Mister Laurence reading to preschool kids at Jack N' Jill Learning Center,
back in the early days of 1998, just prior to reinventing himself

A candid shot with one of the kids at Ann Arbor's CRADLES AND CRIBS,
now having reinvented himself as MISTER LAURENCE Music Guy

Mister Laurence on MySpace
www.misterlaurence.com