Holiday Music at Your Fingertips

Source: Koerts Music

It's that time of year when musicians are hurrying to put together their holiday music.  I usually like to have most of my Advent, Christmas and Epiphany selections chosen months in advance so that I have time to rehearse and plan.  This year I have not been so lucky.  I started a new interim music director position a couple months ago so November and December planning has been rushed quite a bit.

The list I have created below are some of my favorite websites that I go to again and again for sheet music of all kinds.  Each one makes downloading and printing at home easy so you don't have to wait for it to come in the mail.  I also love anything I can get for free especially with the limited budgets I usually work with in music ministry.

I hope these resources help you wrap up your holiday season planning and give you some extra time with your family and friends.  You deserve it!

  

• Holiday Sheet Music has a great collection of PDF's you can download for free to use when caroling this holiday season.  

• The piano page on About.com has a few free holiday piano solos with stories behind each song for free download.  

• I love Susan Paradis and her collection of music for piano and teacher resources.  She has been my go to place for several years now.  Her collection of seasonal music is awesome.  I especially like the early non-reader arrangements so even my youngest piano students just starting out can enjoy playing a song for the holidays.  

• Worship Together is my go to place for free contemporary Christian music resources that are hot off the press.  They have compiled a list of 10 original songs for you to use this holiday season.  Each song has a free lead sheet and links to buy full accompaniments and recordings when available.   

• Making Music Fun has quite a few pieces for piano that you can print and use whenever the spirit moves you.  Their list is arranged by level making it easy to find the perfect holiday song for each of your piano students or yourself.  There are also midi recordings of each arrangement to aid in practice.  Check out the Jazz piano Intermediate level 4 arrangement of "Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella".  

• Do you work with a children's hand bell group?  I would encourage you to visit The Inspired Instructor.  There is a wonderful collection of Christmas songs already marked for your color coded bells.   

• Joy Morin at Color in my Piano has a fantastic list of free Christmas music from all over the web.  She continues to update it so don't forget to bookmark this site for next year.  

• 8notes.com has another collection of easy sheet music that is helpful if you are working with many different instrumentalists.  You pick the song and the instrument that is going to play it and download the arrangement.  These are also good choices when you want simple arrangements or are working on sight reading.  

• Free-Scores.com is another wonderful site for free sheet music of all kinds.  You can search by instrument and find arrangements from all over the world.  I have been thinking about borrowing a xylophone for the holiday season so I can play a few carols along with piano accompaniment.  I was able to download a free arrangement of "O Holy Night" that will do quite nicely.  

• Koerts Music offers a nice arrangement for piano of "Joy to the World" matched with "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" for free download.  I downloaded this one for myself this year.

This is no where near an exhaustive list of what the world wide web has to offer.  Tell us in the comments your favorite site for sheet music.  

Great Egg Shaker Technique

I love playing auxiliary percussion instruments.  I feel that they are unsung hero's in the percussion world.  I have been working on some of my percussion technique lately and came across this video that sucked me and had me replaying it several times in fascination.  Enjoy! 

Video of the Week: Canaro en Paris

I love to play my electric piano in the vibraphone sound. It brings me back to the time when I actually played the vibes in symphonic band during my high school days. I found this week's video while I was looking up videos of the vibraphone to share with a student so they could see what the instrument actually looked like. This piano and vibraphone duet is a fantastic marriage of these two instruments. The piece "Canaro en Paris" is played by Scarpino Caldarella and Schwarcz Ghersawho who form the "Duo De Taquito". For more information about this piece and the Argentinian Tango check out this website.

Enjoy!

Noridan Makes Music With Everyday Cast-offs

It's amazing what can be made from trash. Noridan is a South Korean band that makes amazingly beautiful instruments from these everyday cast-offs. If only I was so creative. Enjoy!

Music From a Tree

If you don't know by now I am a big crafter. One of my secret pleasures is reading all of the posts from craft websites that I have in my RSS feeder with Google. I just love that thing. Today's video came from Dudecraft. You should hop over there once you read this post. Really cool stuff posted there.

Diego Stocco was curious if the large tree in his backyard could make music. This curiosity led him to put together this film, "Music From a Tree". For more information check out this link. Enjoy!

Diego Stocco - Music From A Tree from Diego Stocco on Vimeo.

Come Join in the Fun at Elliott Music Classes

At Elliott Music Classes, it's important to us that music class be fun, creative, imaginative and educational. Through our unique programs, children learn fundamental music skills and concepts. They learn to focus and expand their attention through exposure to many different kinds of music, rhymes and rhythms. Our classes for children include parent and child style music and movement classes that are specifically designed to meet the developmental needs of young children, infants and toddlers.

Come join in the fun as we explore music together!

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Musical Offerings of Elliott Music Classes:

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Tiny Tot's Music I & II

Exploring the World of Music With Your Baby and Toddler.

Ages: 16 - 30 months old or 2 1/2 - 4 years old

When: Tuesdays @ 6:00 pm beginning September 29th

Class Length: 30 Minutes per week

Class Size: 4 Student Minimum - 6 Student Maximum

Class Location: Elliott Music Studio

Explore with your child activities designed to build a strong foundation of musical skills. This will be done through singing, instrumental play and rhythmic movements with a variety of mu­sical styles. This is a parent/caregiver participation class. Enroll today!

Classroom Music for Little Mozarts

An Introduction to Music Making

Ages: 4, 5 & 6 year's old

When: Tuesdays @ 10:30 am or Thursdays @ 3:45 pm - beginning September 29

Class Length: 30 Minutes per week

Class Size: 4 Student Minimum - 6 Student Maximum

Class Location: Elliott Music Studio

This comprehensive approach to musical learning develops singing, movement, and listening skills simultaneously with an introduction to musical styles and concepts. No keyboard instruction is included, but rhythm instruments are used to support basic musical concepts. Parents are required to attend all Classes. Lesson 10 is a showcase for all parents and family to attend. No textbooks are required and children do not need a keyboard at home. Come join in the fun as we explore music together! Enroll today!

Family Music

Ages: All Ages Class

When: Mondays @ 5:30 pm - Beginning September 28

Class Length: 30 Minutes per week

Class Size: 3 Family Minimum - 5 Family Maximum

Class Location: Elliott Music Studio

Move your way through an exploration of the elements of music with your whole family. We will explore rhythm, pitch, dynamics and movement through developmentally appropriate activities that the whole family can enjoy together, including finger plays, songs, circle dances, story time and family instrument jam. Come join in the fun as we explore music together! Enroll today!

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Friends and Family Referral Discount

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I want to thank you for sharing the Elliott Music Studio & Elliott Music Classes with your friends and family with our Friends and Family Referral Discount. Let your friends and family know about the Elliott Music Studio and receive the Friends and Family Referral Discount. If they sign-up for their first month of lessons or music classes you get one lesson or class free ($15.00 - $30.00 value) your next month. It's our thank you to you for sharing us with the people in your life. We look forward to sharing music with your friends and family this fall!

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Gift Certificates

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Music classes and lessons are a great gift any time of the year for birthdays, graduations or special occasions. We have made it easy to give the gift of music any time of year with 1, 2 or 3 month gift certificates starting at $60.00 for one month of weekly half hour lessons. For more information about this great gift contact the Elliott Music Studio at 816.372.7169.

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Children's Music Making Essentials

My list of the top 5 things you need to enrich your child's life with music.

1. Library Card - Our public libraries are an amazing source for music materials and as long as you return them on time they are practically free. The Children's Books section houses many selections authored from our favorite nursery rhymes. Taking old favorites and making them new again. Videos and Cd's are also available for you to try. Since you aren't buying them you can widen your scope of selection and take something new home. Who knows you may find a new favorite. Don't feel like you have to stick to just children's themed items. Kids are more sophisticated than we realize and are able to appreciate many different styles. The skies the limit.
2. Homemade Music Instruments - This mostly applies to crafting your own percussion instruments from things you may already have around your house. Toilet paper tube or water bottle shakers, coffee can drums, hand painted dowel rod rhythm sticks. Tutorials for all of these things and more can be found online or soon on the Elliott Music Studio blog. Give supplies to your child and let them loose. Don't forget to take video of your new handmade music band.
   
3. CD Player or MP3 player - This is pretty self explanatory but I had to list it. Once you have visited the library or borrowed music from a friend you need something to play it with. CD players are great for younger children who are old enough to push play by themselves or stop or fast forward, etc..
   
4. Computer - In my music making this is probably my most important tool when I am learning new things. With YouTube.com and the tons of children's music websites out there with free downloads you shouldn't run out of new things to explore. Search for Children's Music on this blog to find some of my favorites. With older children you can download one of the many open source recording software programs out there and start your own recording studio at home.
   
5. You - You are your child's most important music making tool. You are there to expand their horizons and share with them new and exciting things. You don't have to be an amazing musician to accomplish this. You just have to want to start this journey with your child.
   

Happy Music Making!

Indian & African Percussionists of Children's Lament

I have been missing my days in high school when I played percussion in the band. I wish I had the room and the money to buy a marimba to play whenever the mood stuck me. Until then I will live vicariously through these neat videos. I came across this video searching for other videos of children playing percussion instruments for another post you should see within the week about sharing music with your children at home. Enjoy!