Blog Archives
Movin’ right along!!!
Mister Bradley customized Holiday CD update: I recorded the instrumentals today for “The Christmas Song” and “Jingle Bell Rock”. I’m so stoked! Also, here are some mock-ups for how the covers might look. In addition to a customized cover with your little one’s name in the title, I’ll be taking orders for favorite colors too! Who else would like to “Pledge-to-Order”? Email me! bradley@misterbradley.com . I’m looking for 12 more pledges before I really start cutting a rug over here. CDs will be 40 bucks.
Mister Bradley performing this Saturday & Sunday at Houston’s Children Museum
I hope your Thanksgiving was fantastic!
And I want to spread the word: Mister Bradley will be performing at the Houston Children’s Museum this Saturday and Sunday in the auditorium. 3:00pm on both days. Come on out! And make musical merriment with us!
Details here:
http://www.cmhouston.org/event/mister-bradley’s-musical-jam-childrens-museum
Love,
Bradley
TIME TO SIGN UP FOR SUMMER!
Summer Is Here, Rockstars!
As the Spring session wraps up, I wanted to update you all again on what kind of musical mahem we’ve been up to!
More awesome success with learning music theory: We’ve spent a lot of time practicing different note patterns using the “Do Re Mi” method of notation. However, I have also introduced the idea of the “musical alphabet” and we learned what the difference is between the ABC alphabet which has, “lets count them”, 26 letters and starts on “A.”
But the musical alphabet is weird and wonderful. It starts on the letter “C and when it gets to “G” it doesn’t go to “H” of course, but all the way back to A. There are only 7 letters in the musical alphabet but it can repeat going lower or higher.
So we practice singing our musical alphabet (singing a C Major scale)
Children took turns playing boomwackers and handbells, which took lots and lots of patience and listening.
We sang Jingle Bells, Farmer in the Dell, Old MacDonald, BINGO, Three Blind Mice, Row Row Row Your Boat.
Children also took turns playing different rhythm patterns lollypop drums and tested “Billy Bird” to see if he could play the same thing. So they had to listen to each other very closely.
We also, learn more about different instrument families, continuing on with what we began at the beginning of the session. We learned about the string family: Viola, Violin, Cello, and Double Bass.
We also enjoyed listening to the different Saxophones and The Pink Panther theme played on the baritone saxophone was very popular many of the students. Here is the version they heard (I ripped the sound from the youtube video and we listened on a blue tooth speaker). We talked about how the music sounded “suspensful” and “sneaky”.
Also, here is a video of my students at the Innovative School singing Do Ra Mi. I have the video in a post on the Mister Bradley’s Musical Jam Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/misterbradleymusic
They sound great and I’m so proud of them.
FINALLY, and the is very important, NOW is the time to enroll for Summer session. This is the LAST WEEK of SPRING SESSION and if your child attends RICE CHILDREN’S CAMPUS, THE CATHEDRAL HOUSE SCHOOL or HEARTSHOME BRIGHT HORIZONS, please don’t be late! Sign up today! You should all have had flyers in your child’s mailbox.
It’s easy to sign up online
https://opusonekids.com/register/houston/
Or, of course, you may leave a check at your child’s school.
If you are on a “Pay-as-You” plan, you’re already taken care of!
Thanks again for taking an interest in your child’s education. It’s an honor for me and it’s been a great Spring. Here’s to the SUMMERTIME!
-Mister Bradley
Spring time, Spring Time, Spring Time!
Greetings, Rockstars!
February was an awesome month for music. Of course, Valentines Day inspired songs of love and I always enjoy a good excuse to play Beatles songs! The kids learned the chorus to ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE and we sang it from the heart!
We also spent more time learning the different families of symphonic instruments. I have flash cards and we talk about what the instruments have in common… what makes them belong to the same “family”. Of course, since I’m a rockin’ roller, I throw a couple curve balls, just because I think it’s always important to experiment outside boxes: “Did you know the guitar can be percussion instrument too?” And I’ll play muted strums, or tap rhythms on the back of the body and sing, “ Pitter Patter Goes The Rain” , BINGO
Also, we’ve been enjoying “Baby Shark”, which helps with developing control over motor skills by making the finger plays gradually bigger with each verse. First snapping baby sharks, then snapping mama sharks, papa sharks, grandpa sharks, and so on. Also, we get to practice dynamics, go from soft to loud or “piano” to “forte”
March:
This month is has become increasingly more important to me to really try and stretch the childrens’ experience with what it is to make music in a GROUP, to increase their sensitivity. For a couple weeks, I used my iPhone to record the kids singing BINGO and making sure they get the right number of claps on each verse. I used to think that it very well could be impossible to get ALL kids counting together. But recording them has been a very interesting experiment. When the kids hear it back, they get to hear themselves and remember what they did. And an extrodinary amount of learning happens in those moments. Because then the second time we record and sing the songs, the level of listening and heightened attention goes way up! And, in several cases, ALL children were on the same page. Amazing.
And here’s the remarkable thing: the lesson hasn’t been forgotten. The last couple weeks have been pretty impressive to me, with regards to listening and making music TOGETHER.
Also it had been a while since we sang with the “shakey eggs”. Some of the classes are getting so big, I’ve had to replenish my egg shaker supply so that there’s enough to go around for everyone.
“I Know a Chicken” (Laurie Berkner)
“Shake It! (Mister Bradley)
“We’re Going To Kentucky” (traditional)
And Spring is approaching so…
“Rain is falling”
“Zip a Dee Doo Dah”
And, most recently, we learned all about Fruit Bats! And were reminded how all things are connected. Trees give us Oxygen, we give trees Carbon Dioxide, and animals help carry seeds to Sunshine.
Can You See The Connection (Lucas Miller)
As always, Thank You for having me be a part of your child’s musical development. It’s a privilege and an honor!
Best.
Mister Bradley
By the way, I have a summer party special! Book today if you are having a party this summer!
Summer is Here!
Why not celebrate your child’s birthday with a Mister Bradley Concert? Call me!: 512-999-5305
Also, I recently… and FINALLY… purchased a piano! And if you’d like piano lessons for your kid over the summer and beyond, I’m available! I live off South Congress and can do lessons in my apartment.
Finally, I’ll be performing at Austin Children’s Museum quite a bit this summer… stay tuned for details…
-Mister Bradley
MISTER BRADLEY'S MUSICAL JAM! 