Early Childhood Music - Spring 2011 Newsletter

Our Music4Me curriculum for children with special needs, has been used in our Huntsville school since February 2009, with incredible results. Most of the children who have begun classes with language delay have begun speaking. (Some of these children are 8 or 10 years old.)

Our Music4Me program will expand into our Muscle Shoals ECM school.

Music4Me curriculum is also going to used in the Riley Center, a Huntsville Autism Therapy center starting this month. We are very excited about this opportunity to partner together with the Riley Center.

If you know of families affected with diagnoses of Autusm Spectrum Disorder, please refer them to call our office regarding our M4M classes.

Spring Events Planned

Our Huntsville Spring Performance opportunities are being set for May 2011. Our student body will be split into three events based on the student's age and instrument.

1. Babies, Tots 'n Time and Music 'n Motion classes (children to age 5) will perform in the NEW ROOM of Trinity United Methodist Church on Airport Road, on Saturday May 7th. The schedule will be posted in the classroom and soon will be on our ECM website.

2. Kids 'n Keys students and piano students of Michael and Denie will perform on Sunday May 15th from 11:30- 6:00 p.m. at Ditto Landing Pavilion. For the Ditto Landing Event only, parents will have the opportunity to select your child's performance time in this formal event. Sign up sheets will be posted in the classrooms.

3. Michael's guitar students will have a casual summer performance opportunity in June or July. More info to come later in the spring for this one.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! You won't want to miss these events. (In case you haven't noticed, the performing abilities of our young students are amazing! )

Web Site Being Reworked!

Our Early Childhood Music website (www.earlychildhoodmusic.net) is being reworked after Denie's computer crashed in early December. Her web-editing software died with her computer and had become obsolete, so the wise decision was to hire a company to redesign and maintain the site. There is old info on the site, so call the office at 256-682-2131 for updated information regarding Partner Workshops, new class times, etc.

While we await our new site, we will attempt to keep you updated via emails and newsletters.

We apologize for any inconvenice to you!

Hampton Cove ECM School

Moves to New Location!

After being open for business in Hampton Cove for a little over one year, we are moving into a larger facility. Our new space is located behind Publix at 184E Old Hwy 431, Hampton Cove, AL 35763 in the Hampton Cove Town Center. We are moving into the space previously occupied by First Light Worship Center, in the same shopping center as Tortoras Italian Restaurant.

We will be moving March 12, 2011. Hampton Cove students will begin having classes in the new location on Monday March 14, 2011.

We are excited to be able to expand our facility and program in the Hampton Cove area.

Watch for Events Survey!

In an effort to meet the needs and desires of our students we will be putting out an Events Survey. Please take time to complete it during class time and leave it with your teacher!

Tell us what you think!... We listen!

Daily Making Music to the King...

from the Desk of Michael Riggs...

Psalm 61: 8 is an incredible verse.

It says "...So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows."

The Hebrew word for "sing" is the word "zamar". It means far more than the simple word "sing". It actually means to play a musical instrument and accompany it with singing. This comes from two sources, the Strong's Concordance of the Bible and the Gesenius's Lexicon at www.blueletterbible.org.

There is something about playing worship music that aligns us with God's throne and opens the heavens to make it easy for us to communicate and interact with God.

This enables us to walk in God's likeness and so fulfill our vows to Him.

I think there are two parts to this equation. First, the very act of worshipping God musically is the fulfillment of a vow to Him. We were created for His glory and pleasure (Rev. 4:11). There are many passages in the Bible that teach we are to make music to the Lord. Some actually indicate that we were created to be His song. (Exodus 15:2, Psalm 118:14 & Isaiah 12:2). As the Lord is song, so are we. We were made in His image and likeness. He rejoices over us with singing and we are to rejoice in Him with singing. The two sounds are intended to merge, to join and line up in sync (Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 32:7).

Second, making music to Him opens the heavens over us and connects us with His throne. It aligns us molecularly with the place where He is. It syncs us to the resonate frequency of His throne, where worship music is non stop.

Wow! The Hebrew rendering of Psalm 61:8 is most literally "I will daily praise Thy name that I may daily perform my vows." The Hebrew word for "daily" is used two times in the verse. It's like it reads, "...I will play and sing praise to Your name that I may daily perform my vows, daily."

May the heavens open over you, and your little ones, as you give Him your song, and may His presence surround and fill you as He encircles you with His.

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