Happy New Year!  Welcome back to school!  Perhaps you greeted the new year by singing, or – more likely – humming, the traditional song, Auld Lang Syne.  We hear it every year so the tune is familiar, but few of us know the words or their meaning.  Nonetheless, the music somehow evokes nostalgic feelings and prompts reflections on the year past, while it signals a hopeful segue way into possibilities for the year to come.

Auld Lang Syne (Old Long Ago)
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?
And here's a hand, my trusty friend and gie's a hand o' thine
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

At the Children’s School, we have begun exploring music in more intentional ways this year.  For example, Mrs. Solomon’s group has added vocal warm ups and a “conductor” role to their circle time routine.  Miss McMichael’s preschool gym classes have been practicing “Sound Play” and learning a wide range of movement choices for responding to music.  Mr. Myers has introduced a variety of new instruments, including a piano in his group area.  The Kindergarten friends have begun identifying styles of music (with jazz being a particular favorite) and noting which instruments contribute to the accompaniment on the CD’s they play.

Beginning in a few weeks, we will embark on a musical journey via our whole-school thematic unit on MUSIC.  We’ll be singing some of the old favorites, including many of the songs written for young children by Fred Rogers.  We’ll be learning some new ones and writing some of our own.  We’ll be exploring SOUND, experimenting with RHTHYM, listening for MELODY lines and varied HARMONY, and feeling the ways that music helps with self EXPRESSION.  Throughout the unit, we will experience different instruments and styles of music, noting that individuals have different preferences, depending on their purposes, cultures, and current situations.  We encourage you to take this opportunity to focus some of your family time on exploring sound and music in your everyday lives.  If you play an instrument or have other sound / music experiences to share, please contact your child’s teacher soon so that they can be incorporated meaningfully into the unit.  In addition, the newly renovated Children’s Museum will have a new exhibit, “Making America’s Music”, opening on January 22nd.  Mrs. Bird’s church community, Waverly Presbyterian Church, invites you to a Family Mardi Gras party on Saturday, February 12th (where you can hear Mr. Bird play with his band), and the Children’s School’s Family Festival of Music will be on Thursday, February 17th.  We look forward to hearing about your musical discoveries.

May you and your family experience a year of health and wholeness in 2005!