Valentine-y

It's so cold and miserable here in the Midwest that I have gained a new appreciation for Valentines Day.  ANYthing that involves chocolate and red things is a welcome distraction during this time of year!  So why not add some sweet songs to the mix?  I realized I had never taught WonderGirl Skidda Marinka Dinky Dink, which is almost as much of a travesty as my spelling of its title, so that's my goal for the weekend.  Maybe for the big day I'll manage to get a video of us singing it - but I think just by our singing it with each other will lift our sagging snowed-in spirits.


Here's a cute video I found of a bunch of school children singing it for Mother's Day:



Sing it with your wee one this Valentines Day!


Skinny marinky dinky dink
Skinny marinky doo
I love you

Skinny marinky dinky dink
Skinny marinky do
I love you

I love you in the morning
and in the afternoon.
I love you in the evening
and underneath the moon

Skinny marinky dinky dink
Skinny marinky doo
I love you!

Living Room Dance Party #3

Anna mentioned to me that finding the right kind of classical dance-around-like-mad music can be tricky.  I completely agree - and for my next installment for the Living Room Dance Party, I picked a rip-roarin' good time!

Who doesn't like Aaron Copland?  Is that even possible??  Everything he wrote - and I mean everything - makes my spirit sing.  Both of these ballet scores are must-haves.  Your kid won't recognize the Hoedown suite as the "Beef - it's what's for dinner" theme, they'll just love jumping around with the huge dynamic changes from super quiet to WOWEE LOUD.

One of my favorites is the Buckaroo Holiday from Rodeo.  I found a video on Youtube of the Indiana University's working and dress rehearsals of it, and it's pretty neat to see the actual ballet moves.  I personally think they could benefit from some of our living room choreography, but it's impressive nonetheless :)



I grew up listening to this recording from Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony that gave me an early love and appreciation for Copland.  Another great recording is the Leonard Bernstein Copland collection - I heartily approve his tempi and style.

This recording comes in a downloadable MP3 version as well as a regular CD, PLUS it also has Appalachian Spring AND Fanfare For the Common Man, both of which regularly make me weep.  Of course I'm already a seriously weepy person, but they are still absolutely amazing.  I'm saving those tunes for other Living Room Dance Parties as they are their own kind of awesome dance possibilities.  Now go get your rompin' and stompin' on!

Let's Sing Together video #1

I have such a fantastic model (the Dude) I thought I'd make videos of some of the nursery rhyme-type songs we sing together.  We learned this at story time a few weeks ago and he laughed so hard you couldn't even hear the librarian!  Ignore my insane just-got-out-of-the-shower hair.

Living Room Dance Party #1

Hands down, my favorite Living Room Dance Party CD is the San Francisco Symphony & Chorus' recording of Orff's Carmina Burana.  Dramatic, loud, epic, it's fantastic.  If you don't regularly rock out to symphonic music, THIS is the one to try.  I've spent at least half of my life sitting in orchestras, and this is my all time favorite thing to play (and I'm a verra picky player).  There isn't a moment in the entire piece where I ever get bored, and it's perfect to play with kids around, since all 26 movements are around 2 minutes in length, and the longest is only about 4.

The version I adore is the San Fransisco Symphony & Chorus 1991 recording with Herbert Blomstedt.  They nailed it.  (and I've heard some disasters - beware!)

And people - it absolutely lends itself to interpretive dance.  This is the kind of thing that window blinds were made for - go nuts.  Take the first movement here (the first 2 and a half minutes) - it's like the choreography writes itself.



Press play and try some of my sweet moves here:

0 - :22  Clomp around like you are a dinosaur.
:22 -1:36  Pretend like you are sneaking about, searching for lost treasure.
1:37- 2:16: Run around like a maniac (you found the treasure, woohoo!)
2:17 - 2:26 Spin spin spin!
2:27 - 2:30 Try to stand up, fall down on top of each other because you are all crazy dizzy.

Seriously, try it!  When I turn this puppy on, the energy level in the house skyrockets and the kids get absolutely giddy.  Now, when I turn the music on and have to step out for a minute, I come back and both kids are doing all the same moves, every time.  Even the 17 month old!  He especially anticipates the spinning part, he knows exactly where it is, and even sings along with come of the the melodies, too!  These kid-things are like sponges!  WonderGirl, my 4 year old, plays choreographer with following movements and barks out orders ("Now you're frog, looking for flies!  HOP!!").

What are your favorite tunes for Living Room Dance parties??