Clap for Classics!

Latest Episodes:

18. A Happy King, a Busy Hen and a Sleeping Princess May 12, 2022

Show notes

In this episode we share 3 activities that come from our Fairy Tale Course inside of our All Access Membership. Grab a drum and some rhythm sticks and let’s enjoy these musical stories together.

Old King Cole: for this one you need your drum and a mallet to keep a steady beat and do some actions. We’ll also be learning about the musical concepts of staccato and legato during this activity. To watch the video of this activity and get some more ways to extend and adapt this song check out our latest blog post: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/oldkingcole

The Little Red Hen: Grab your rhythm sticks for this one and make up some actions with your little one while you listen. This simple tune that we’ve added makes the story more memorable, we think you’ll be singing and acting this one out all day.

The Fairy Garden, from Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite. For our final activity today we tell the end of the story of Sleeping Beauty while listening to this gorgeous classical piece of music. We couldn’t bear to cut any of this piece out, so we share the whole piece which is a full 4 minutes, but you’ll love listening to the story, acting it out, or imagining what is happening in this culminating movement from Ravel’s suite for children.

To hear a bit more of Sleeping Beauty’s story, listen to Episode 5 of our podcast: Love Songs for Little Ones.

For information on our Clap for Classics! All Access Membership where you can get access to a library of music activities like the ones on this podcast go to www.clapforclassics.com/join.

Classical pieces featured in this episode have been licensed for Clap for Classics to use by Classical.com

Don’t forget to call in and leave Forte a message or a joke! We’d love to feature your little one on the podcast! Here is that link: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics

17. Bo Peep, Black Sheep and Bach: 3 Nursery rhymes and a calm classical piece May 05, 2022

Show notes

Click here to grab your free Sheep lesson plan that includes songs and lyrics for the songs we’ve shared, a Mary Had a Little Lamb printable as well as a bunch of extension ideas to keep the learning going beyond the music! www.clapforclassics.com/episode17

We begin with a beautiful, calm piece about sheep by Bach. The Sheep Safely Graze. The recording we use on the podcast is in the public domain and was found on musopen. It was performed by the Toronto Chamber Orchestra.

We enjoyed sharing these 3 sheep- themed nursery rhymes in fun and creative ways. Mary Had a Little Lamb, Baa Baa Black Sheep, and Little Bo Peep.

You don’t want to miss the fun video we recorded at Mary’s original schoolhouse, (and read a quick history lesson). Check it out here: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/mary

For information on our Clap for Classics! All Access Membership where you can get access to a library of music activities like the ones on this podcast go to www.clapforclassics.com/join.

16. Springtime, seeds, and butterflies. Apr 29, 2022

Show notes

Today’s episode is a sneak peek into our Four Seasons: Music and More Spring Curriculum! We share 4 different audio clips from our music, art, poetry, and STEM sections. We know you'll love these nature-themed activities.

To find out more about our Four Seasons Curriculum for kids ages 8 and under, go to www.clapforclassics.com/fourseasons

Music: Maytime Magic by Mabel Watts, melody by Kathryn Lieppman.

Can you make up some simple actions while you listen to this sweet springtime song?

A little seed for me to sow

A little earth to make it grow

A little hole

A little pat

A little wish

And that is that.

A little sun, a little shower,

A little while, and then... a flower.

Poetry: Spring by Karla Kuskin.

Grab a scarf and enjoy listening and experiencing this poem with Leslie Thomas and Ruby, our poetry educators.

I’m shouting

I’m singing

I’m swinging through trees

I’m winging sky-high

With the buzzing black bees.

I’m the sun

I’m the moon

I’m the dew on the rose.

I’m a rabbit

Whose habit Is twitching his nose.

I’m lively

I’m lovely

I’m kicking my heels.

I’m crying “Come dance” to the freshwater eels.

I’m racing through meadows

Without any coat

I’m a gamboling lamb

I’m a light leaping goat

I’m a bud

I’m a bloom

I’m a dove on the wing.

I’m running on rooftops

And welcoming spring!

Art: Yayoi Kusama. Grab this butterfly printable for today’s painting activity with Krisanne Knudsen, our art educator: www.clapforclassics.com/episode16

Here is the image of Yayoi Kusama that Krisanne referenced: https://hirshhorn.si.edu/kusama/yayoi-kusama/

Here you can see the Butterfly painting by Yayoi Kusama: https://www.wikiart.org/en/yayoi-kusama/butterfly-1988

STEM: fruit dissection. You will need a fruit with seeds for this STEM lab. (Dr. Rojas uses a bell pepper) Dr. Eugenia Rojas will guide us through this lab and help us explore and be inquisitive scientists.

Classical music used on this and all our podcast episodes is licensed to us by Classical.com

Don’t forget to call in and leave Forte a message or a joke! We’d love to feature your little one on the podcast! Here is that link: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics

15. Let's explore the beautiful earth with our 5 senses. Apr 21, 2022

Show notes

Come and celebrate the beauties of the earth through music! You don’t need any extra props for today’s episode, just press play and enjoy!

Musical Selections included in today’s episode: Go In and Out the Window: Children’s music standard, written by Lew Pollack (1895-1946)

Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, 1st movement: Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68. I. Allegro ma non troppo

I Love the Mountains: (Hawaiian folk song), with additional lyrics (“I Love the Oceans”) by Kathryn Lieppman

Grab our FREE “5 Under 5” musical play series to receive some of our favorite musical activities delivered right to your inbox at www.clapforclassics.com/5under5

To watch an Earth Day themed mini music class with Ms. Elizabeth, that includes one of the songs we learn today go to https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/earth-day-mini-music-class Don’t forget to call in and leave Forte a message or a joke! We’d love to feature your little one on the podcast! Here is that link: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics Special thanks to Classical.com for licensing the classical music to us that we share on this podcast.

14. Eggs, eggs, and more eggs. Apr 14, 2022

Show notes

Have you grabbed our 5 Under 5 Musical Play Series yet? Sign up and we’ll send you 5 days of musical fun for you and your little one in under 5 minutes each day. We share some of our favorite musical activities that require no preparation, but are packed full of fun and learning! Go to www.clapforclassics.com/5under5 to sign up and get started!

For today’s podcast episode you will need to grab an egg shaker (or find a substitute around the house: the spice cabinet is a great place to look!) and let’s sing songs about eggs today.

“Shake and shake and shake and shake and stop” is a favorite around here to practice listening skills and impulse control, but we can customize it so many ways that the teaching opportunities are endless!

We’re gonna shake and shake and shake and shake and stop.

“Eggs, eggs, we like eggs!” This simple tune is a fun one for breakfast time, or anytime! We work on color recognition and body part recognition too- a great one for young toddlers.

Eggs, eggs, we like eggs,

Hard boiled poached or scrambled.

If you have a blue egg….

Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks from Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” is a short, fast-paced, imagination-packed classical piece that you don’t want to miss!

The final egg-themed song is a Clap for Classics! Original: “Shakey the Shaker.”

Shakey the shaker makes a sound,

Shaky the shaker spins around

She can do a dance

Take a bow

How would you like to shake her now?

To watch an egg-themed mini music class with Ms. Elizabeth, similar to what you heard on the podcast today, check out this link: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/eggshakers

Looking for more mini classes with Ms. Elizabeth and Charlotte? Here’s one you might like all about bunnies! https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/bunnies

Don’t forget to call in and leave Forte a message or a joke! We’d love to feature your little one on the podcast! Here is that link: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics

Thank you to Classical.com for licensing the classical music that we use on our podcast and inside our membership and courses!

13. All about birds: a nursery rhyme, folk song and Vivaldi! Apr 07, 2022

Show notes

If you’d like to help your little ones develop an appreciation for classical music, make musical memories with your family, enjoy flexibility of an at-home program, and learn right alongside your kiddos, come join us in our All Access Membership.

Check out details and get signed up at www.clapforclassics.com/join

Today’s episode is all about birds! Grab a scarf and let’s get started!

We’ve created a free printable that is optional to use during the Classical listening activity: www.clapforclassics.com/episode13

Today we share three bird-themed activities:

Little Bird: traditional folk song. Use your scarf to fly like a bird while we sing about lots of different kinds of birds. Do you have a favorite bird?

Little bird, little bird, fly through my window

Find molasses candy.

Fly through my window my sugar lump

And find molasses candy.

(then substitute different birds for the words “little bird’)

Vivaldi’s Four seasons: Spring concerto, 1st movement. Learn what a concerto is, and listen for the different springtime sounds that Vivaldi wrote into this piece: birds, a brook, and a thunder storm.
2 Little Blackbirds: nursery rhyme with melody by Kathryn Lieppman. We practice opposites with this fun fingerplay! If you’d like to watch a video of us teaching this song, go to https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/2-little-blackbirds-fingerplay

What other verses can you come up with?

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill.

One named Jack and one named Jill.

Fly away Jack, fly away Jill.

Come back Jack, come back Jill.

Two little blackbirds flying in the sky.

One named Low and one named High...

Sitting on the snow . . . 1 named fast, 1 named slow . . .

Sitting on a clover . . . 1 named under and one named over

Sitting on a lily… 1 was serious, the other was silly...

Special thanks to www.Classical.com for licensing the classical music to us that we share on this podcast.

We would love to hear from your kids! Leave Forte a joke, or just call in and say hi and tell us where you’re from: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics We would love to feature you on the next podcast!

12. Let's Move and Rhyme Mar 31, 2022

Show notes

In this episode we introduce you to a few activities from our free “5 Under 5” musical play resource we created for you.

We’ll be sharing 3 of our favorite songs and activities:

1. Baby Kangaroo: a Clap for Classics! Original and one of our favorite movement songs. (Found in our Carnival of the Animals course)

2. Hey Diddle Diddle, a classic nursery rhyme with a twist

3. Classical Music Freeze dance with “Flight of the Bumblebee”

Our free musical play series designed for busy parents is called “5 Under 5” and was developed to help stressed parents have fun with their kids and ensure they’re learning, too.

You’ll receive 5 days of short musical activities right to your inbox. In addition to the videos you’ll receive a bunch of ideas on how to expand the learning if you so choose. Grab it at www.clapforclassics.com/5under5

Each video is:

✅ Less than 5 minutes - perfect to squeeze in between laundry or to avoid a meltdown

✅ Educational, entertaining, and helps kids develop their skills and knowledge

✅ Ready to go - no prep, planning, or explanation from you. Just press “play” and it’s time for play! Sign up now at www.clapforclassics.com/5under5 and get ready to play along!

Baby Kangaroo- one of our favorite movement songs. You’ll alternate between snuggling up and hopping up and down for this one. Listen carefully to the song to know what to do!

Baby kangaroo is snuggled up with mama

Inside her warm and cozy pouch

One sunny day, baby kanga wants to play

Says “knock knock knock - mama let me out!” (OK!)

So… Out she pops, hoppity hop

Hoppity hoppity hop - a- don’t stop

Hop hop hop until she drops

Ouch! Should she try again?

Up she pops, hoppity hop

Hoppity hoppity hop - a- don’t stop

Hop hop hop until she drops

Baby kangaroo is tired…

Baby kangaroo goes hopping to her mama

Into her warm and cozy pouch

It is time for sleep, but baby wants to keep on

Hopping, though she’s really worn out

So… Out she pops, hoppity hop

Hoppity hoppity hop - a- don’t stop

Hop hop hop until she drops

Baby kangaroo goes hopping to her mama

Into her warm and cozy pouch

Now she snuggles in, and hugs her mama tight

She’ll dream of those hops - all night - goodnight!

In the morning… Out she pops!...

Hey Diddle Diddle. Nursery rhymes have tons of benefits for young children! To learn more about the benefits of nursery rhymes, and to watch a video with this activity in it click here: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/language

Hey Diddle diddle the cat and the fiddle

The cow jumps over the moon

The little dog laughs to see such sport

And the dish runs away with the spoon

Classical Freeze Dance- this one is a classic and the simplicity of it is not to be underestimated!

Music was “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Rimsky Korsakov. This recording is part of the public domain.

Other classical music played on this podcast are licensed to us by Classical.com

We would love to hear from your kids and feature them on the podcast!

Leave Forte a joke, or just call in and say hi and tell us where you’re from: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics

If you’d like to help your little ones develop an appreciation for classical music, make musical memories with your family, enjoy flexibility of an at-home program, and learn right alongside your kiddos, come join us in our All Access Membership. Check out details and get signed up at www.clapforclassics.com/join

11. A Musical Trip to Outer Space Mar 24, 2022

Show notes

Do you have a little one who loves space? You won’t want to miss this episode that is out of this world!

In this episode we share 4 musical activities and a free printable!

1. A nursery rhyme song about the man in the moon

2. 2 contrasting movements of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and compare them to the dark and bright sides of the moon!

3. An asteroid chant and learn about asteroids and meteorites.

4. One of our favorite Clap for Classics! originals: “The Planets of the Solar System.

To grab the free planet cards printable, go to www.clapforclassics.com/episode11

The activities featured in this podcast all come from our All Access Membership. Inside the membership we have lots of themed musical content including a whole course all about space! To access the rest of our space-themed course, join us in our All Access Membership: www.clapforclassics.com/join

The Man in the Moon

The man in the moon

Looked out of the moon

And this is what he said,

“Tis time that, now I’m getting up,

All babies went to bed."

Asteroid Rhythm Chant

An asteroid flies through the sky at night

When it hits the earth it's a meteorite!

The Planets of the Solar System, by Kathryn Lieppman

Mercury is closest to the sun

Next is Venus, it’s the hottest one

Here’s Earth, the planet where we see

Amazing life that breathes

And then there’s Mars nearby

It looks red in the sky

Whoa - big! It’s Jupiter, the giant planet made of gas

Next Saturn is a planet that has rings that spin so fast

Brrr! Uranus is so cold, so cold

And Neptune is furthest from the sun. Now we’re done.

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

These are the planets of the solar system!

If you’d like to watch a video of "The Planets of the Solar System" activity, go to this link: www.clapforclassics.com/blog/planets

We would love to hear from your kids! Leave Forte a joke, or just call in and say hi and tell us where you’re from: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics We would love to feature you on the podcast!

Classical Music Tracks used in this episode are licensed to us by Classical.com Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 (Moonlight)

10. This is the Way We Tap Our Sticks Mar 17, 2022

Show notes

Grab some rhythm sticks (or 2 wooden spoons, or 2 blocks, etc) and let’s learn about beat and rhythm with Ms. Elizabeth and Forte the Lion!

Let’s explore the many ways we can play with one of our favorite instruments for kids: rhythm sticks.

This is The Way We Tap Our Sticks

This is the way we tap our sticks, tap our sticks, tap our sticks,

This is the way we tap our sticks: tap tap tap.

This is the way we rub our sticks: rub rub rub.

This is the way we hammer our sticks, hammer, hammer, hammer.

This is the way we roll our sticks, roll our sticks, roll our sticks.

Let’s practice a steady beat with 3 classical pieces.

Can you find the beat and tap along?

We listened to excerpts from the following pieces:

1. Mozart:Horn Concerto No. 4 in E flat, K. 495 - K. 495 performed by Jeffrey Bryant (Horn) Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Ensemble)

2. Vivaldi: The Four Seasons: Spring in E major, RV 269 / Op. 8 No. 1 performed by Ensemble Orchestral de Paris

3. Handel: Water Music Suite No. 2 in D, HWV 349 - HWV 349 performed by Orchestre Symphonique de Radio-Télé-Luxembourg

Classical.com has licensed the classical music for us to use on this podcast.

Zip and Zap. This is a fun and silly action song. The actions are easy to pick up on and a fun way to use your imagination with your rhythm sticks. Most kids music is written in major keys, and this one is in a minor key, which is great for developing kids ears and listening abilities.

Hello Zip! Hello Zap! Zip and Zap go tap tap tap.

Goodbye Zip! Goodbye Zap! Zip and Zap behind the back.

Zip goes high, Zap goes high, Zip and Zap can touch the sky!

Zip goes low, Zap goes low, Zip and Zap can touch my toes.

Zip to the side, Zap to the side Zip and Zap can reach so wide.

Zip comes back, Zap comes back Zip and Zap go tap tap tap

Tap tap tap, Tap tap tap, Tap tap tap Tap tap tap tap

If you’d like to watch a video of Zip and Zap, check out this blog post: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/zipandzap

The last activity but one of our favorites is a Beat vs. Rhythm challenge. We use the well known nursery rhyme, “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” to practice! Will you give it a try?

To watch a rhythm stick mini music class to get even more practice with steady beat check this out: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/rhythmsticks

We would love to hear from your kids! Leave Forte a joke, or just call in and say hi and tell us where you’re from: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics

We would love to feature you on the podcast! If you’d like to help your little ones develop an appreciation for classical music, make musical memories with your family, enjoy flexibility of an at-home program, and learn right alongside your kiddos, come join us in our All Access Membership. Check out details and get signed up at www.clapforclassics.com/join

9. Bouncy Chickens and a Graceful Swan: Staccato/Legato Mar 10, 2022

Show notes

Grab a scarf or clear some space to move your body while you learn about the difference between staccato and legato with Ms. Elizabeth and Forte.

We’ll be experiencing this musical concept with our voices and with our bodies and then we’ll compare and contrast two different classical movements from Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals to reinforce the idea.

We often share free printables to accompany our podcast episodes. For this episode we’ve created a staccato and legato printable for your little one to give them a visual representation to help them understand this concept even further, just click here to grab your FREE download: www.clapforclassics.com/episode9

If your little one enjoyed this episode, you might like to check out one of our membership course videos that we’ve put up on our blog. Ms. Elizabeth teaches the concept of staccato and legato at this link: www.clapforclassics.com/blog/hensandchickens and here is a mini class where we focus on the concept of legato with a few different activities: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/legato

Interested in joining us in our All Access Membership so you can get access to even more great music education for your little one? Check out details and get signed up at www.clapforclassics.com/join

We would absolutely love to hear from our listeners! If you’d like to leave Forte a message or a joke (with a chance to be featured on the podcast) click on the link to record your message and send it over to Forte: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics

Big thank you to Classical.com for licensing the classical music for us to use on this podcast and in all of our courses!

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If you’d like to help your little ones develop an appreciation for classical music, make musical memories with your family, enjoy flexibility of an at-home program, and learn right alongside your kiddos, come join us in our All Access Membership.

Check out details and get signed up at www.clapforclassics.com/join

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