LICENSING

CONTACT

Hola

Ciao Ciao

Good Bye

Talk-nDrum

La Granja

toco los tambores

Fruta

Flores

Diez Amigos

Donde Estas Mama

Bebo Agua

Arco Iris

Adios

Fiesta

LANGUAGE & MUSIC PROGRAM

PROGRAM

CREATORS

PROGRAM

Talk-n-Drum Method

In the T-n-D method the sounds and rhythms of the target language come alive for young children through activities that combine instrument playing, singing, chanting, and creative & rhythmic movement. The focus is kept on fun activities as the pronunciation of the words and complete phrases happen with ease as the child hears, sees and feels the sounds of the language. Verbal experimentation is encouraged and all outcomes, including those that fall outside of the boundaries of correctness, are useful to the overall process. In this way the child is using his/her full learning potential at its most free flowing time of life. Learning through MusicT-n-D nurtures the natural musician in students. Music is a powerful art form and tool to stimulate intellectual, emotional, physical, cognitive and social development. T-n-D songs contain specific melodies and rhythmic patterns that exercise memory and logical thinking. The songs are combined with instrument playing and movement, creating activities that exercise physical coordination, fine-gross motor skills and eye-hand coordination. When students practice singing songs or chanting and instrument playing as a group, they gain a sense of community and accomplishment through team work. Learning concepts through music is fun and a great self esteem builder. Learning through Movement?The creative & rhythmic movement element of T-n-D allows students to experience learning through the physical body. For kinesthetic learners, movement is most important for concentration and intellectual stimulation. For all students, movement helps to develop motor skills, and physical coordination and balance. In addition, physical activity has been shown to relieve stress. American Sign Language Because sign language involves hands, body and facial expressions to communicate, children use the visual-spatial part of their brain. For this reason, sign language can be beneficial to teach verbal children as it exercises the same part of the brain that is linked to reading. Studies have shown that learning sign language can stimulate brain development because the process uses its both left and right hemisphere compared to learning a spoken language, which only uses the brain's left hemisphere. When sign language is incorporated into learning activities, children learn visually, verbally, and kinesthetically all at the same time, simultaneously engaging children of different learning styles creating greater memory retention.Learning sign language raises awareness of the Deaf culture.

PROGRAM

Happy Face
Cross Drum 2
Cross Drum
Maracas
cinco de mayo.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2555/3785953950_a014155f33_o.jpg
T&D4.JPG

CREATORS

Maurice Minichino(pianist/composer/educator) and Nanette Garcia (percussionist/composer /educator) spent many years traveling the globe with their two daughters experiencing different cultures with particular focus on the creative aspects of each. One of their goals was to understand how traditions such as music, dance and story telling are passed on to the next generation. When doing field work in Cuba they noted that from birth children experience rituals that include dance, drumming and chanting in their homes and in homes of relatives and neighbors. These creative traditions are an integral part of their daily lives and their initial learning process is totally experiential. When children are ready to begin formal training in the traditions, the teaching method used is deeply rooted in multiple intelligences (Dr. Howard Gardner) and interdisciplinary approaches. Everyone learns all aspects of the tradition and elders may combine the following categories of intelligence to teach:Verbal linguistic: Stories and anecdotes about ancestors and legends are shared to give meaning to all the creative activities and rituals. They tell these stories in a language that combines the language of their African ancestors called Yoruba and their national language, Spanish. Bodily-kinesthetic: An isolated movement or dance is demonstrated to teach a drum rhythm or the pronunciation of a word or complete phrase contained in a song. Visual-spatial: Fabrics are decorated with specific symbols made of beads and shells. These fabrics are draped on drums when they are played during rituals. In addition, costumes and objects are decorated for symbolism and visual affect. Musical: Story telling and specific vocal sounds teach the dynamics of a drum rhythm, dance or chant. Naturalistic: Elders believe that all their teachings has a connection to somebody or something that has lived before. A deep respect for nature and its energy is instilled through the traditions.Interpersonal: Once students acquire more skills and understand the interdependency of the different creative activities they gain a sense of community and team work. They share information and techniques, form smaller groups independent of their elders to practice their skills and experiment with new ways of doing things. Because of this experience and extensive study of the music of Cuba, it became increasingly clear to Nanette and Maurice that the importance of a preschool program is not rooted in the specific skill/s it teaches but in the way that it offers young children the opportunity to explore their own unique creative abilities.

ABOUT THE CREATORS

OUR TEAM

All Talk-n-Drum instructors are native speakers or have been speaking their second and third language for a significant amount of years.

Each is proficient in at least one musical instrument and has a background in basic music theory. All Talk-n-Drum instructors are nurturing and keep the emphasis on FUN!

Sabina

Melanie

Maurice

Nanette

Ede

PRESS

North County News

Local Westchester

Time Out Kids

Yorktown Patch

Westchester Family

TESTIMONIALS No Frame

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT TALK-N-DRUM

"For the past several years, the students at Pound Ridge Montessori School look forward to Ms. Nanette s weekly class. Talk-n-Drums method of teaching through music gives the students a very strong foundation in Spanish and sign language."-Teresa Whelan Talk-n-Drum is a wonderful program for our preschoolers. Nanette Garcia leads the group in an energetic and rhythmic program to learn Spanish in a fun and memorable way. Remembering the Spanish words is easy when the children learn the rhythms of pronunciation by moving their whole body. The activity is developmentally appropriate and therefore very affective for preschoolers who are learning another language."Rhonda Heumann Director of nursery school at the YWCA of White Plains NY "As a professional language teacher and children's librarian, I was delighted to have Nanette Garcia present Talk-n-Drum to children in my library. Her teaching methods are unique, highly effective and lots of fun! Children who took her class learned Spanish vocabulary effortlessly, and had a blast doing it!Deirdre FennessyDirector the Montessori Childrens Center at BurkeThank you Nanette!Our three westchester locations are home to over 150 prescholers everyday.Nanette's innovative Talk-n-Drum program is one of their favorite weeklyenrichment activities.Learning foreign language through Nanette's multisensory approach of singing,dancing,drumming and chanting is also a favorite among pur staff.Our teachers feel that this valuable program not only teaches them foreign language but also gives themthe tools for undrstading rhythms,patterns and folloing directions.All Aboard loves having Talk-n-Drum as par of our enrichment line up!Jennifer KaplerDirector, All Aboard Chlcare Education Center
CONTACT

TELEPHONE: 914-245-5655

FAX: 914-412-5766

_

CONTACT

We nurture children's innate ability to learn through creative thinking HOMELICENSINGCONTACT