January 19, 2010
January 19, 2010
| Thank you, Proof-Readers |
A group of teachers and parents from all over the world help me as volunteer proof-readers and I would like to thank them. They look over new publications, web pages and newsletters. Thanks to the magic of Internet, we do all our communication through emails. They download projects to their computers and respond with corrections and suggestions. The turnaround time is often rather quick and I'm grateful for their flexibility. Some of us have met and some have not. Some have studied with me at workshops and others only know Music Mind Games through the materials, book and website. This helps ensure understanding on many levels. Thank you everyone! Arian Johnson, Springfield, Virginia |
| Thank you, Blue Jello Puzzle Testers |
The revision of the blue jello rhythm puzzle has been in development for nearly two years. I would like to thank teachers who are helping me test the new puzzle sizes and proofread the inserts of game ideas. I'm delighted to announce that the puzzle is finally in the production phase. This means Panda Rhythm will be available in the spring. Alicia Derr, Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Thank you, Bingo Card Testers |
 
The melodic bingo cards (Panda Melody) and rhythm bingo cards (Panda Rhythm) have been a fun project but very labor intensive for more than two years. A big thank you to these teachers who are helping me test the cards and proofread the inserts of game ideas. Anita Schultz, Cottage Grove, Wisconsin
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| Freddie says "hi" |
Many of you tell me that your students really like Freddie, the drawing of the singing dog who tells us if the various Music Mind Games cards are upside down or right side up. Freddie is my dog and he is saying Hello! He was a rescue dog from our local Humane Society in 1995 when he was about one year old. He was really quite wild but responded well to our training. He learned to sit, lie down, stay and come with voice and hand commands. If we put a treat on his paw and give him the sign to stay, he won't eat his treat until we tell him, "Okay, Freddie". He never liked to walk on the leash so we taught him to walk on the grass next to us. He sits down at the end of each curb and waits until he's told to cross, even if we cross ahead of him. When we get to the other side we turn around and he's looking at us with a twinkle in his eye. We call out "Cross, Freddie" and he bounds happily across the street full of pride. We've also taught him not to chase squirrels or cats since he's never been very fast and besides, it's not polite or kind. He learned to sing on command, too. Often when my husband Cris would practice his saxophone, Freddie would begin to howl. We would say, "Good singing, Freddie," so he learned the word "sing". Soon we could say, "Sing, Freddie," and he would sing. It helped if I would howl a few notes to get him started. Freddie is half German Shepherd and half Chow. He weighs about 62 pounds and is a happy dog. He is more than 15 years old which is old for a dog his size. His fur has turned grey around his eyes and he can't bark or sit any more. He takes medicine for arthritis, has had lyme disease two times and has an inner ear problem so he's a bit wobbly. He eats twice a day and enjoys his daily walks in the neighborhood. He loves when it snows and can't wait to go out and play (like me). He loves to eat snow. We have never fed him table scraps or people food except for a few raw vegetables he gets when we're cooking. His favorites are green peppers, cucumbers, the spines of romaine lettuce and the ends of brocolli and asparagus. He also likes to eat grass. As I write this, he's sleeping upside down with his feet in the air, right by the front door and a heating vent. This is his favorite spot and he's proud of what a good watch dog he is. He doesn't know that he's old enough to retire. He used to come downstairs into my teaching studio to listen to lessons and lie in the middle of Music Mind Games classes and workshops. Sometimes we'd have to make our cards go around him or he'd roll over the top of our staff slates so our magic notes would slide around. Now his legs aren't strong enough to take him up or down a flight of stairs. Freddie has an excellent memory. He acts differently and makes special sounds when friends or family arrive at our door. Several times someone has visited us after more than five years. We could tell Freddie remembered them because he made his special sounds. He has very expressive eyes and will blink at me when he understands. Just like people, our pets are often smarter than we think if we only go out of our way to recognize it. If you have a favorite pet whom you love, you will know what I mean.
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