“My passion is tying together the effectiveness of music in overall development with the current research and creating music / music activities to help parents / teachers put it in action.”

In 2022, Mar. did her first Ted Talk and released her new book “Building Brains with Music.”  She says:

Anyone who has a child in their life, whether as a parent, family member, teacher, or someone else involved in the child’s care, should read this book. The information contained will change how you view music. It will not only have a positive, direct impact on the child; it will have an impact on you, the reader, as well.

Every parent or teacher has the capability of using music. Would more of them take the time to sing and dance if they knew how valuable taking the time was? If one of the basic tools for building a brain was music, would you use it? I am handing you that tool right now with this book.

Her book also includes access to her wonderful music. For $19.99, you not only get the book, but access to 27 of her digital songs.

1,2,3,4, 5 Fingers
Bounce, Bounce Baby
All Around the Circle
Catching Bubbles
Clap Your Hands
Drawing in the Air
Five Fingers in my Pocket
Grand Old Duke of York
Having a Ball With Music
I Can Play Kazoo
I Like Apples
I Like My Bath
In and Out the Window
I’ve Got a Bean Bag
Mardi Gras March
Moving with a Scarf
My Froggy
Parachute Goes Up and Down
Playing With a Bean Bag
Pretty Scarves
Shaker Eggs
Tap Your Drum
Tap Your Sticks
Who Can Pull the Stretchy Band
Wide Mouth Bullfrog
Wiggly Fingers
You Have a Nose

We have also pulled together a kit that pairs nicely with her song/activity suggestions.

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Small hand instruments are a great way to incorporate creative live music making with groups.  There are studies that show how live music effects a person more than recorded.  To actively participate in group music is to bring a feeling of teamwork and joy.  Music activities can incorporate creative movement, listening lessons, brain integration, and more, all while actively playing.  We are excited to offer some small instruments along with our movement products and music choices. Instrument colors will vary with availability.

Castanets:  $1.50

Rhythm Sticks/Pair:  $6.50

Chiquitas/Pair: $4.50

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The music found here was created to be used with our scarf kits. We are excited to explore how Bear Paw Creek’s other music movement products can be used with this music as well: stretchy band, streamers, scarves, bean bags, and balloon balls. IDEAS Music was created especially for kids, as a tool for developing knowledge and skills in many disciplines.

Composed by Linda Worsley, each of the ear-catching pieces captures the child’s attention while you choose the focus of the lesson. Using different styles and instrument combinations,
Linda has created contrasting moods and possibilities for exploration. Each piece is a sort but complete whole, childlike without being childish or trite.

Children deserve the best quality sounds, so they become discriminating listeners. Recording was done in the same studios used by famous bands and demanding performers, and mixed using the newest digital technology. Synthesized and acoustic sounds are blended to create warm, rich, real music. IDEAS created these pieces to honor children’s right to quality and developmentally appropriate learning tools. When you use quality materials, you will find yourself engaged right along with the kids. Enjoy them together!

2023 Update – As we are selling out of the physical cd copies, all orders will include access to ALL aeIDEAS music as a digital download. 

Music Colors  –  Digital Download

The Many Colored Days music tracks accompany the Dr. Seuss board Book and colored scarf kit.  It is for both classroom and individual use and the music is perfect for use by itself for exploration of movement, mood and creativity.

The 22 tracks include short excerpts to go along with each page, and then the complete musical selections for extended listening. This magical musical set is ready for action play and learning for the family or classroom.

Track List
Excerpts to go with Book Reading:

1. Different Colored Days
2. Red (Wild Horseman, Schumann)
3. Blue
4. Brown
5. Yellow
6. Gray
7. Orange
8. Green
9. Purple
10. Pink (Chinese Dance, Tchaikovsky)
11. Black
12. Mixed Up
13. Different Colored Days

Complete Selections:

14. Contrasts, Jensen (Different Colored Days)
15. Rondeau, Bach (Blue)
16. The Elephant, Saint-Saëns (Brown)
17. Flight of the Bumblebee, Rimsky-Korsakov (Yellow)
18. The Entertainer, Joplin (Orange)
19. Air, Bach (Green)
20. Moonlight Sonata, Beethoven (Purple)
21. Russian Sailors’ Dance, Gliére (Black)
22. Batik, Worsley (Mixed Up)

Primary

Meet the Music

1. Sailing
   Sailing provides a chance for individuals to try out different ways to move. Props might
   include scarves, streamers, or other objects which flow to show a phrase. Musical features
   are clear flowing phrases, and a rhythm that keeps things moving. The form is introduction,
   A, A’, B, interlude, A, coda. Listen for the keyboard and soprano saxophone during the
   melody. At first, just turn at the beginning of each phrase. Then begin to add locomotor
   movement changing direction on every new phrase. On another listening, move to the
   longer, steady tones of the bass.
2. Tortoise and Hare
   Remember that story about the Tortoise and Hare? Listen to ehar how this version of the
   story works out! Music al features are slow/fast contrast, low and high pitch, and a haunting
   melody. Building on the clear, consistent phrases of Sailing, this piece tries to fool you by
   playing with phrase length. Listen for the clarinet and guitar during the slow sections, flute
   and mandolin during the fast sections. Dramatize the story with one person, a pair, or twogroups. Scarves can be costumes or props. Check for listening by having children draw a
   tortoise on one side of a paper plate, the hare on the other side, then hold up the
   appropriate picture as they listen, turning the plate when they hear a different character
   appear. Students could draw a map of this story, then follow it as they listen to the music.
3. Follow Me
   An echo is an exact imitation of sound, and children learn by imitation. Listen for the oboe
   solos, then the exact echo by the keyboard, glockenspiel, and mandolin. The for is rondo:
   introduction, A, B, A, C, A; with B and C half the length of A. Watch a leader, then imitate
   the movements as a visual echo, to build a larger repertoire of movements. In a group,
   form a circle and let each person have a turn leading one pattern. Take time to discuss
   those patterns that were particularly interesting or fun and combine these patterns into a
   movement piece. Now have the students decide what sounds they can create to go with
   this new piece and compose their own music.
4. Rainbows
   A mirror image occurs when two people move the same way at exactly the same time. The
   long, flowing phrases of Rainbows, supported by string and harp-like accompaniment
   rainbows, will give shape to your movement. Face a partner and one lead as the other
   follows, just like a mirror image. Who is leading? You can specify who will lead and when to
   change leadership, or you might explore the mirror by putting hands on the surface and
   having no leader. Be sure to encourage mirroring other body parts than just hands and
   arms. Listen for clarinet, flute and glockenspiel; and ABABA form.
5. Pudding and Popcorn
   The title describes the contrast between slow, flowing phrases and short, separated sounds.
   Listen and move as the oboe, flute and guitar play with one another. Choose pudding or
   popcorn, and don’t’ let the instruments fool you! By now, you have a large repertoire of
   movement, and are used to moving along with others. On the first listening, face a partner
   and do a hand dance, using just hands and arms to show the pudding and popcorn textures.
   Then, just as the instruments play together, let your movement be part of a larger dance
   with others. Watch for movements you like, and join in. It may take several listenings to
   develop a dance that feels cohesive, but that’s the point. The more times we listen, the
   more we understand.

Intermediate  

Meet the Music

1. Serenade
   Serenade provides a chance to try out different ways to move. Musical features are flowing phrases in a through-composed melody, with an exotic feeling. Listen for the sounds of oboe and clarinet. After experimenting individually and watching each other to build a repertoire of possible movements, have children mirror one another in pairs. Mirroring is done by one partner moving slowly to the music, and the other partner matching the movements exactly, as in a mirror. This activity requires intense concentration and builds interpersonal understanding at the same time.
2. Echo Playground
   This joyful echo piece is inspired by the actions and sounds of the playground. Use the first listening to identify the sounds that remind the listener of a playground. It would be fun to echo-mime playground actions before listening, to build a repertoire of movements. On the first listening, just identify the sounds of the playground. The clarinet, flute and guitar play together, always playing a pattern then its echo. First it is follow-the-leader (clarinet), then the leader follows. Try moving in three groups, or groups of three, with one group or individual assigned to move for each instrument. Move to the ends of sections together.
3. Jazz Triad
   Building on the three groups in Echo Playground, Jazz Triad is a playful interplay of keyboard, soprano sax and guitar. In three groups, or groups of three, have students choreograph a dance, with each group or individual moving to one of the instruments. Add scarves as part of the movement, or as costumes.
4. Wind Song
   The introvert feeling of 3/ 4 meter, coupled with long phrases and the sound of clarinets and flutes give the flowing, lilting feeling of wind on a hill. Explore the upward and downward flow of the melody, as it unwinds on the musical landscape. As you move, notice the movements of others around you, and react to them.
5. Contrasts
   This piece is a classic theme and variations. Variation 1 is slower, 2 gets faster, 3 is windy and twirly, 4 combines stoic pipe organ and rock guitar, the final culmination combines aspects of all previous variations. Create a movement to the theme then have individuals or groups create movement variations that keep the basic movement idea, but also reflect the musical characteristics of their particular variation.

CD 1 is the primary and intermediate CD compilation and will be included with each order.

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Carole Stephens of Macaroni Soup has been the Pied Piper of children’s music in Chicago since 1989. Her concerts have everyone singing, jumping and wiggling…and smiling til it hurts! Her clean sound and slower tempos, easily understood by even the smallest child, encourages everyone to sing along and dance along. Children ask for her music over and over because they love the music, pretend, and silly fun it provides.

Carole Stephens (formerly Peterson) grew up in a house with a pre-school attached! She graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science from the Communications Department in musical theater, acting in shows in Chicago and New York City (even a stint on All My Children!) before going afloat as a cruise director in the Caribbean. Back on land again, she hosted the nightly TV show “PM MAGAZINE” before settling down to “mommy.” She created music classes to meet the needs of her 2 children, who are now twenty-somethings. As MACARONI SOUP!, she has been providing musical entertainment and education for children 1 – 10 years old since1989. Carole’s CDs have won the Parents’ Choice, NAPPA, I-Parenting Media, Creative Children, Mom’s Choice and Children’s Music Web Awards.

Carole presents concerts and workshops all over the United States. In 2009 she was a presenter at the European Conference of International Schools in Belgium! Carole’s topics include Active Music for Toddlers, Pre-Schoolers and Kindergarteners, the connection between active music and early literacy, and developmentally appropriate music for children and teachers of ALL abilities.
Beloved by her students as “Miss Carole”, she teaches Parent/Child, Toddler, Pre-school and Theater (6 – 12 year olds) classes in the Chicago area. She also does Artist-in-Residence programs for Pre-K/K programs.

Carole considers it a privilege to work with young children and those that care for them!

Bear Paw Creek is excited to offer all ten of Miss Carole’s cds. Click on each cd to hear a sample and learn about the songs on the album.

1. Macaroni Soup
2. Welcome
3. Polka Dots
4. Season Sings. SOLD OUT
5. Baloney!
6. Dancing Feet   SOLD OUT
7. Stinky Cake
8. Tiny Tunes: Music for the Very Young Child
9. H.U.M. Highly Usable Music
10. Sticky Bubble Gum SOLD OUT

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We are no longer creating our jingles on the wrist scrunchie.  We loved to make these and offer them but were running into some quality issues. Cheap bells didn’t wear our the ribbon attachment and the better quality bells would break through the ribbon after many uses in a clinic setting. So….for now we are offering the jingle bells on wrist bands. In our standard full disclosure, they are not made by us, but sourced a different manufacturer.

MSRP: $2 each or a set of 6 in a storage bag for $10.00.  Colors will vary to availability. When ordering multiple sets, please indicate how many drawstring storage bags you would like! 

Jingle Bells on Wrist Scrunchie– 6 for $30

(September 2019 ~ we are excited to announce that we have finally found superior quality, Made in the USA, since 1832 jingle bells!  Our other jingles were recently put through the testing ground in daily use and found lacking.  These bells are made by Bevin Brothers and are much heavier and have a beautiful sound.)

Introducing jingle bells on a wrist scrunchie!  Another great product that can be used in so many ways. Use them for individuals with grasping issues, place them on body parts for movement and dance, focus on motor strength, eye tracking, and more. Sold in a set of six with drawstring bag for storage.

Place them on our new connect-a-stretchy band matching up or contrasting colors while working on motor skills: putting them over the band, sliding, pulling, and moving them into place.

Here  are just a few of the great song/ideas to use with the jingle bells.

Check out Listen Learn Music’s Blog about Bear Paw Creek’s Wrist Jingle Bells with songs.

Ryan Judd of The Rhythm Tree released this awesome video showcasing the benefits of using rhythm sticks and jingle bells.

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