D.C.
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Greater Washington, DC Chapter
Email Contact
kaja.weeks@gmail.com
We try to make our newsletter, "Musings," relevant to all --
including those outside our chapter,
so please enjoy by clicking on the newsletter you wish to read below.
The May (Spring) '08 issue covers "Drumming for Joy," a training and experiential workshop for which we called in master drum circle facilitator, Jacqui MacMillan. Vera's BOOK CORNER offers many creative ways to use books with drumming, singing and movement. A SPOTlight on one of our chapter members, Corinne Mvou Turner, details her early life growing up in central Africa, where drumming and singing were inseparable from daily life.
This issue summarizes our chapter meeting, "The Young Child's Singing Voice." Vera Owens suggests a creative and wide-reaching musical use of the story "The Big Fat Hen" in Vera's BOOK CORNER. Kaja Weeks considers the importance of gestures when working with children in music and movement and reports research in an exploratory study done on this topic. Katie Cole, a music teacher who is also working on her master's degree in Kodaly at the Hartt School of Music, is featured in SPOTlight on members. Special Interest Group meetings are summarized: 1.) Music and Special Needs and 2.) Use of piano or keyboard in Monica Dale's MusiKinesis, a contemporary approach to Dalcroze.
"Circle, Contra & Folk: A Gathering of Song and Dance," our spring chapter meeting is described. Guest contributer Lara Davis writes an insightful column describing and advocating teacher use of the ukulele with preschool children. Kaja Weeks relays information from a research report which provides concrete evidence that playing a musical instrument significantly enhances the brainstem's sensitivity to speech sounds. Regina Lacy Wilt offers a photo montage of the ECMMA NE Regional Conference.
This issue describes our shared activities and dancing at a member-donated meeting space in a unique art museum. Vera Owens writes about "Books that Move You" in Vera's BOOK CORNER. The work of Dr. Lori Custodero, of Columbia University, pertaining to the role of singing in children's daily lives is summarized by Kaja Weeks in "OF NOTE." Regina Lacy Wilt offer "Teacher TIPS and Beyond."
May (Spring) 2006 newsletter [coming online soon]
The first newsletter describes the start of our chapter and our first meeting activities. Vera's BOOK CORNER is about "Over in the Meadow," a counting rhyme. Kaja Weeks' "Of Note" in research summarizes findings by Laurel Trainor showing that applying movement with babies strengthens their musical perception. "SPOTlight on Members" is an interview with Maddy O'Neill-Dean, a Music Together teacher and singer/musician in an Irish/Celtic/Folk band.
***
Wonderful Washington, DC area musicians at our 2009 Family Music Afternoon
Bobby Betlejewski, guitar and
Susan Jones, fiddle
made our event totally musical and entrancing
Family Arches! At our Family Music Afternoon
Family groups spontaneously formed arches
(which would usually be formed by partners)
in this line dance
TO JOIN OUR CHAPTER:
Click below to open a registration form for the Washington DC Chapter.
Please print it, complete and mail. We welcome new members!
ECMMA-GWDC Member Registration Form
Chapter News
Save The Date in D.C. - April 17th
12/02/2011
ECMMA’s Greater Washington, DC Chapter
Officers: Kaja Weeks, President; Diana Greene, Vice-President; Caron Dale, Treasurer
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Officers: Kaja Weeks, President; Diana Greene, Vice-President; Caron Dale, Treasurer
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- Chapter Activities
We have two large meetings a year (Fall and Spring) during which we usually try to provide training opportunities for our members. Sometimes we hire clinicians and sometimes we draw from our own membership. We always sing opening and closing rounds and enjoy social time/potluck as well.
We also have more informal "Interest Group Meetings" that anyone can set up at home or elsewhere.
- Newsletters
We try to make our newsletter, "Musings," relevant to all --
including those outside our chapter,
so please enjoy by clicking on the newsletter you wish to read below.
The December (Fall) '09 issue reports on "Beyond the Bars," a workshop exploring use of Orff and Kodaly approaches in a manner specifically appropriate for the preschool population. Lynn Rechel, a PhD candidate at the Hartt School of Music and a music teacher and co-author of the Arlington, VA public schools preschool music standards, led the program. Caron Dale and Beth Rubens, both early childhood music teachers in the Washington DC area, are featured in their unique musical journeys of becoming cantors."BOOK CORNER" by Vera Owens unfolds the story and related musical activities of animals in winter snow through the book "Oh" by Kevin Henkes. In "OF NOTE" Kaja Weeks summarizes a 2009 study by neuroscientist Nina Kraus that provides biological (brain-based) evidence of musical training enhancing an individual's ability to recognize emotion in sound and its implications. Chapter member performances, publications, news and awards are noted, as well as a list of new members.
The June (Spring) '09 issue describes our chapter's offering of a Family Music Afternoon that was attended by about 75 people on a "cold, rainy, spring day" that turned out to be a wonderful event. There are also "Tips"we put together from our experiences of planning and carrying it out. Vera Owens' BOOK CORNER is ripe for reading and trying out! She presents a beautifully thought-out and crafted series of classes related to Frog went a-courtin' complete with songs, movement and games. The "OF NOTE" in Research column by Kaja Weeks has a book review of Kenneth Phillips' book "Exploring Research in Music Education and Music Therapy."
The December (Fall) '08 issue has some nice ideas about using specific circle dances: A Chicken and a chicken and a crowd of crows; Here we go Zodio, Little Sally Walker, Washerman (from India), and Circle round the zero, as well as interesting historical perspectives on Little Sally Walker. Vera's BOOK CORNER (by Vera Owens) discusses books and activities in a column titled "Singing Games and Stories" and includes such perennial favorites as Paw-Paw Patch, The Noble Duke of York, We're Going on a Bear Hunt, and London Bridges Falling Down. Kaja Weeks gives a brief review of Daniel Levitin's book, "The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature."
The May (Spring) '08 issue covers "Drumming for Joy," a training and experiential workshop for which we called in master drum circle facilitator, Jacqui MacMillan. Vera's BOOK CORNER offers many creative ways to use books with drumming, singing and movement. A SPOTlight on one of our chapter members, Corinne Mvou Turner, details her early life growing up in central Africa, where drumming and singing were inseparable from daily life.
This issue summarizes our chapter meeting, "The Young Child's Singing Voice." Vera Owens suggests a creative and wide-reaching musical use of the story "The Big Fat Hen" in Vera's BOOK CORNER. Kaja Weeks considers the importance of gestures when working with children in music and movement and reports research in an exploratory study done on this topic. Katie Cole, a music teacher who is also working on her master's degree in Kodaly at the Hartt School of Music, is featured in SPOTlight on members. Special Interest Group meetings are summarized: 1.) Music and Special Needs and 2.) Use of piano or keyboard in Monica Dale's MusiKinesis, a contemporary approach to Dalcroze.
"Circle, Contra & Folk: A Gathering of Song and Dance," our spring chapter meeting is described. Guest contributer Lara Davis writes an insightful column describing and advocating teacher use of the ukulele with preschool children. Kaja Weeks relays information from a research report which provides concrete evidence that playing a musical instrument significantly enhances the brainstem's sensitivity to speech sounds. Regina Lacy Wilt offers a photo montage of the ECMMA NE Regional Conference.
This issue describes our shared activities and dancing at a member-donated meeting space in a unique art museum. Vera Owens writes about "Books that Move You" in Vera's BOOK CORNER. The work of Dr. Lori Custodero, of Columbia University, pertaining to the role of singing in children's daily lives is summarized by Kaja Weeks in "OF NOTE." Regina Lacy Wilt offer "Teacher TIPS and Beyond."
May (Spring) 2006 newsletter [coming online soon]
The first newsletter describes the start of our chapter and our first meeting activities. Vera's BOOK CORNER is about "Over in the Meadow," a counting rhyme. Kaja Weeks' "Of Note" in research summarizes findings by Laurel Trainor showing that applying movement with babies strengthens their musical perception. "SPOTlight on Members" is an interview with Maddy O'Neill-Dean, a Music Together teacher and singer/musician in an Irish/Celtic/Folk band.
***
Wonderful Washington, DC area musicians at our 2009 Family Music Afternoon
Bobby Betlejewski, guitar and
Susan Jones, fiddle
made our event totally musical and entrancing
Family Arches! At our Family Music Afternoon
Family groups spontaneously formed arches
(which would usually be formed by partners)
in this line dance
TO JOIN OUR CHAPTER:
Click below to open a registration form for the Washington DC Chapter.
Please print it, complete and mail. We welcome new members!
ECMMA-GWDC Member Registration Form
