Winter Music Together Themes: Mixed-Age and Rhythm Kids

Alex Stanton • December 1, 2023

Mixed-Age Class Theme - Bells

In the upcoming song collection, families will play with their voices by mimicking the sounds of instruments in the “French Folk Song,” and Spanish-speaking animals in “De Colores.” (Did you know that in Spanish, roosters say “Quiri-quiri quiri” to wake people up?) Making funny animal sounds, lip-burring, and other tonal play helps children explore their vocal register, discover their singing voices and distinguish them from their speaking voices. And since children learn from contrasts and by expressing music with their full bodies, you’ll be hopping lightly like birds and sliding smoothly like an iceskater. You’ll have so much fun you won’t even notice that you’re learning staccato and legato!

For information, check out our Music Together page.

Rhythm Kids Class Theme - Elephant

The Elephant Rhythm features triple-meter drumming patterns inspired by the traditional social dance from Mali known as Suku. We’ll enjoy dramatic play in “Elephant Stampede,” and choreographed dancing and drumming in “Music Everywhere.” We’ll also learn a Gaelic children’s song called “Dilín ó Deamhas” and, of course, have a blast doing “The Elephant Dance”! All the songs in this collection have been chosen and arranged specifically to support each student’s music development.

For more information, check out our Rhythm Kids page.

About the Illustrators

Read more about Jaime Kim on her website: https://www.jaimekim.com
See more of Gerald Kelley's work on his website: https://www.geraldkelley.com

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Sunburst News - August 2025

August 1, 2025

August- Issue #96

5 Reasons to Start Playing in a Band

July 30, 2025

As summer break comes to a close, we’re gearing up for the next term of the Sunburst Band Program and would love to see some new faces this fall. Playing in a band is one of the best ways to progress as a musician, so we put together a list of five reasons why we encourage our students to seek out opportunities to play in groups—whether it's starting a band or jamming with a couple of friends. Progress Your rhythm, timing, and listening skills improve quickly when you start playing in a band or group setting. While private lessons and solo practice are essential pieces of the puzzle, playing with others introduces new variables—like tempo changes, dynamics, and coordination—that challenge you to stay in sync with your bandmates and adapt to each other. We’ve seen so many students level up after just a couple months in the Sunburst Band Program–the progress happens fast! Friends and Connections We love watching our students and their families become friends and our band program has been a natural starting point for many of those relationships. Some of our current bands have stayed together for years, and it's awesome to see them hang out outside of lessons and support each other at shows. Plus, one of the best ways to get gigs is through connections with other musicians! Motivation Playing in a band is super motivating because you're part of a group working toward an exciting shared goal. Whether you're learning a new song, building a set list, or getting ready for a show, the process becomes more exciting and rewarding when you're making music you love with people you enjoy being around. That shared energy turns practice into something much more fun and meaningful. Performing Performing can be nerve-wracking, but it gets easier the more you do it, and being on stage with your friends makes it less scary. We love seeing how our students' stage presence and confidence grow with each performance—it’s one of our favorite parts of being teachers! As we mentioned, shows are a great place to make connections with musicians who you’d like to collaborate with in the future. Simply put, playing more shows leads to playing more shows. Creative Outlet Music is a powerful tool for expression, and it’s important to have outlets for that at any age! Life is very fast paced for many of us, and it can be tough to pause and do the things you enjoy. Band practice can be a consistent anchor in your week—something you can rely on for connection, processing, and creating with your bandmates. As corny as it sounds, playing music is good for your spirit! If you’d like to know more about the Sunburst Band Program, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for more information. We also recommend talking with your private lessons instructor so that they’re aware and can help you prepare.