SIGN UP FOR AN AUDITION TIME! SEPT 5TH!

CONTACT US FOR AN AUDITION TIME! 

Auditions will be held on Sept. 5th at the San Elijo Rec Center between 4-5PM.  Please contact us to reserve a time. 

TIME FOR FALL CHOIR! Starts September 12th!

Join our children's choir.  Classes start Sept. 12th.  We will have three performance this semester including the San Marcos Tree Lighting, Quail Botanical Gardens, and the Dove Library Auditorium.

Children develop their sight reading, ear training, and vocal skills in this singing ensemble.  Songs learned will be performed at our Spring Concert.  Often our choir is invited to perform at various community events.  Past performances include Sea Port Village, Horton Plaza, Rancho Carlsbad, San Marcos Tree Lighting, Balboa Park December Nights, and Carlsbad Premium Outlets.  Space is limited.  

Tuesdays

4-5pm

San Elijo Recreation Center
Sept 12- Dec 12 (No class 11/21)  
REGISTER HERE

FALL REGISTRATION STARTS AUG 19TH

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!  FALL CLASSES ARE ALMOST HERE!  

Registration begins August 19th and classes can fill up quickly. 

Registration is through the city of San Marcos and we'll provide links through our site as soon as they are available.

New this semester is our Intermediate Vocal Ensemble for ages 12-15.   Spread the word if you know someone that would be a good fit for this class. Auditions will be held September 5th, but don't let that stop you from registering earlier.  Please e-mail us at info@soundsystemkids.org for more details and to schedule an audition time.

You're totally welcome to share this info with your friends.  It's alright with us.

Children's Choir (Ages 7-12)

Children develop their sight reading, ear training, and vocal skills in this singing ensemble.  Songs learned will be performed at our Spring Concert.  Often our choir is invited to perform at various community events.  Past performances include Sea Port Village, Horton Plaza, Rancho Carlsbad, San Marcos Tree Lighting, Balboa Park December Nights, and Carlsbad Premium Outlets.

Tuesdays
4-5pm
San Elijo Recreation Center
Feb 28th - May 30th (no class 4/4, 4/11)
Register Here

*Tuition does not include costume fee.

Vocal Group (Ages 12-14)
Please contact us if interested in this advanced singing group.  Audition required.

We Had a Wonderful Time

We recorded one of our choir songs last semester.

Here it is...

20 Important Benefits of Music Education

There are numerous benefits to a musical education.  It may be surprising how many skills are enhanced by music training.  Here is an interesting list.

20 Important Benefits of Music Education

Have you seen these benefits in your own experiences?  We would love to hear your thoughts.

Your voice is your first instrument

If you were asked to name an instrument, what would come to your mind first?  Most people would think piano or violin or maybe guitar.  Something that would be found in an orchestra or a band.  It is interesting that the instrument that is most important in music training can sometimes be neglected. I'm referring to the instrument you were born with, your voice.  

Your voice is important because it is integrally connected to your brain.  Your voice does not sound without your brain engaged.  This is why the singing voice should be your first instrument.  In order for your voice to sing, your brain must first think the note.  Thinking musically is called audiation.  Learn more about audiation here.  An example of audiation is when a song gets stuck in your head.  You don't hear it out loud, you hear it in your brain. 

The better you are at the skill of audiation, the better you are at singing and matching pitches. Singing then becomes the evidence that your brain is audiating.  Singing is important to help us know that a student's brain is engaged in the musical process and shows us evidence of progress.

This is why Sound System focuses so much on the singing voice as preparation for other instrument learning and why instrument lessons seem to come easier to our kids.

What have been your experiences with learning an instrument?  Was singing involved?

Speaking of singing, for those in our baby music class, here are the lyrics to the traditional song "Michael Finnigin":

There was an old man
named Michael Finnegan
He had whiskers
on his chin-again
The wind came out
and blew them in again.
Poor old Michael Finnegan.

Begin again!

Singing to your Baby

Did you know that a fetus begins moving to the rhythm of their mother's speech at six months?  There is a strong connection that early between mother and child.  A baby's hearing is tuned to a mother's voice and that voice and other voices the baby becomes familiar with (father's voice, other care giver's voice) provide comfort and even emotional nutrients for the infant.  In the reverse, a baby's cry is tuned to the frequency that is most sensitive in a mother's ear.  No wonder those mother's who are not usually light sleepers, suddenly can hear their baby cry in the middle of the night

These things are not by accident.   A mother and infant are biologically designed for communication.  This is so the needs of the infant can be met physically and emotionally.  Singing soft melodies can nourish a child's brain development and provide them with feelings of love and comfort.

More research on singing to babies.  Read about it, but more importantly, do it.  It's good for them.

Here are a few words of familiar folk songs that you can use to communicate musically with your baby:


"My Bonnie"

My Bonnie lies over the ocean
My Bonnie lies over the sea
My Bonnie lies over the ocean
Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me

Bring back, bring back
Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me
Bring back, bring back
Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me



"Hush, Little Baby"

Hush, little baby, don't say a word,
Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

And if that mockingbird don't sing,
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring.

And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass.

And if that looking glass is broke,
Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat,

And if that billy goat won't pull,
Mama's gonna buy you a cart and a bull.

And if that cart and bull turn over,
Mama's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.

And if that dog named Rover won't bark,
Mama's gonna buy you a horse and a cart.

And if that horse and cart fall down,
you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town.

Music is Learned Like a Language

Music is learned like a language.  The best time to start learning a language is birth to age 5.  Babies begin decoding the sounds around them.  The ears of an infant is even tuned to the sound of the mother's voice.  This voice is soothing and comforting as well as a nutrient to the baby providing feeling of joy, love and hope.

A babies ear starts to listen for the sounds around and be able to think them in their brain.  This process is called audiation.  A music rich environment will provide a baby with the developing stimulus to think musically.  When the brain and development of vocals are ready, a baby begins to imitate the sounds she has heard.  In speech, we refer to this as babbling.  In music, we can start to hear the sounds of singing.  These beginning vocalizations develop overtime to sound more like words/songs and the brain begins to associate meaning with the sounds.  Children begin to interact and communicate with these sounds.

This is the beginning of music education.  It starts with providing stimulus for the brain, developing the ear, and vocalizing.

For more details on this process, visit the Gordon Institute of Music Learning.

Winter Session Starts This Week

REGISTER FOR 2016 WINTER CLASSES BELOW:

Contact us if you need help finding the right class for your child.  

San Marcos Classes

San Elijo Recreation Center, 1105 Elfin Forest Rd., San Marcos

San Marcos Community Center, 3 Civic Center Dr., San Marcos

(Registration through the City of San Marcos Parks and Recreation Department)

Baby Music  (0 - 15 months)

Designed for parents and their babies to take together, these weekly classes help you learn how to play musically with your baby.  Each class features bouncing and rocking songs, wiggle and peek-a-boo games, and other fun activities for the two of you.  This year curriculum increases your baby's curiosity about music, develops listening skills and a sense of beat, establishes a foundation for singing and musical thought, helps you form a closer bond with your baby, and gives you and your baby a chance to interact with other parents and babies.

Tuesdays 

11:15 - 11:45am

San Elijo Recreation Center

Session 1: Jan 10th - Feb 21st Register Here

Sesssion 2: Feb 28th - April 25th Register Here

Family Music for Toddlers (1 - 3 Years) 
Participate with your child each week in singing, chanting, moving, dancing, listening, and playing simple instruments. These weekly classes are action-filled for toddlers - full of energy, often on the move, always exploring and learning.  All activities are designed to bridge the natural connection between music and movement through two years of curriculum. Two sessions currently available, with six classes each.  Begins January 10th and 11th.

Tuesdays 

10:15 - 10:45am

San Elijo Recreation Center

Session 1: Jan 10th - Feb 21st Register Here
Sesssion 2: Feb 28th - April 25th Register Here

Wednesdays 

10:15-10:45am

San Marcos Community Center

Session 1: Jan 11th - Feb 22nd Register Here
Sesssion 2: March 1st - April 26th Register Here

Preschool Music Class (Ages 3-5) 

Celebrate your child’s love of nature and growing independence through activities involving the four seasons.  Developed to build attention and self-expression, activities include singing, chanting, moving, focused listening, musical games, exploring musical instruments, creative movement and storytelling. This class nurtures your growing child’s ability to use language and participate in dramatic play within a musical context.  Fall and Winter semesters of this class are taught with curriculum unique to that semester.  We advise students to participate in at least two semesters of the Preschool Music Class before they move on to Music Makers.  One session currently available, with six classes.  Begins September 6th and 7th.

Tuesdays 
9:15-10am

San Elijo Recreation Center

Session 1: Jan 10th - Feb 21st Register Here
Sesssion 2: Feb 28th - April 25th Register Here

Wednesdays 
9:15-10:30am

San Marcos Community Center

Session 1: Jan 11th - Feb 22nd Register Here

Sesssion 2: March 1st - April 26th Register Here

Children's Choir (Ages 7-12)

Children develop their sight reading, ear training, and vocal skills in this singing ensemble.  Songs learned will be performed at our Spring Concert.  Often our choir is invited to perform at various community events.  Past performances include Sea Port Village, Horton Plaza, Rancho Carlsbad, San Marcos Tree Lighting, Balboa Park December Nights, and Carlsbad Premium Outlets.  Space is limited.  Will begin registering for Winter at the end of January.

Rehearsal and performance dates TBA

*Tuition does not include costume fee.