Welcome to the first post a new series here at Developing Melodies called “What are we Reading?!” This post is inspired by the many books that we read in and out of our home. My daughter is often asking mommy and daddy to read with her (which is such a wonderful thing!), I use books and poems constantly in my work as a music therapist and music educator or to wind down at night and on those rare occasions when I get a break, I read books on my nook. My husband and I are constantly reading articles and blogs about music, play, children, home improvement, cooking and pretty much anything else we can get our hands on. With so much reading going on in our house it was inevitable that a series was coming.
So on with it!
Here is what we are reading at home:
Ever since reading “Sing You Home” by Jodi Picoult, I have been on a Pi-kick and so I read “Change of Heart”. This is an excellent read focusing on religion and the death penalty. Jodi Picoult has a great way of bringing two opposite worlds together in one easy-to-read-and-enjoy story. She brings out emotions you never knew you had and thoughts about all topics taboo. Thank You for writing what you do, Jodi! For more reviews on “Sing You Home”, check out Kimberly Sena Moore at The Music Therapy Maven, and Rachel Rambach at Listen and Learn.
Before Farrah was born, the Brown’s took their summer getaways anywhere that had a concert or festival. We spent many a summer weekends enjoying the music (it truly is our life). As we await the day when we feel comfortable bringing Farrah along for the ride, we read Relix regularly in an effort to stay on top of new and upcoming artists, festivals and all things relating to our pre-baby and post-toddler life. Every issue comes with a sampler CD and most issues I find a good three or four tunes to add to my regular rotation.
A favorite of many and read by all. Goodnight Moon is the book that puts my daughter to bed each night. ‘nough said.
What we are reading at work:
We are currently singing this book at The Center, yes singing. This is one of my favorite singable stories. The pictures are clear and colorful, the animals are new and different to most kids and the lines are repetitive. It’s the perfect mix for the preschool classroom. For this particular book we incorporate gestures and a very easily sung tune (we may reveal this in a later blog post).
With The Center learning about animals this month, we have been reading a ton of animal books and doing a lot of animal songs (which you can read more about here). Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain is a book that my husband and I learned about when participating in our Orff Level 1 training. The book is sequential and it rhymes, which makes it a perfect choice for our older preschoolers and beyond. Our musical component includes vocalizations and instruments, which we use to enhance the story about Ki-Pat and how he was able to make it rain on Kapiti Plain.
So now you know what we are reading, what books/magazines/blogs are you reading?