Blurring the lines between storytelling and music, rhythm and reading, and instruments and imagination,  Ellen brings her guitar plus bags of instruments, books, and props to schools and libraries for the enjoyment of her toddler and preschool-aged audience. Whether your focus is on reading readiness, music education, music therapy, preschool curriculum enhancement, or just plain fun, Ellen has a program to meet your needs.

 

Ellen encourages the use of imagination, where  instruments do more than make musical sounds. Drums and mallets become pans and spoons to make birthday cake; sand blocks become train cars, the gas and brake pedals of an automobile, an airplane, or a snow plow ; rhythm sticks become oars, ski poles, walrus tusks, letters of the alphabet, or violins.  Pom-poms become brooms, paintbrushes, silly hair, jellyfish and hula skirts.  With bags fulls of fun, Ellen aims to not merely entertain children, but to provide parents, educators and librarians wth ideas on how to make storytime a more magical time by adding simple instruments.

 

Instruments used include drums, triangles, sand blocks, castanets, jingle bells, cymbals, finger cymbals, tambourines, rhythm sticks, maracas, tapping blocks and others,  plus puppets, balls, pom-poms, color boards, teddy bears, rabbit ears, and a variety of rhythmic books, including Rain Makes Applesauce, Where Does the Brown Bear Go, Mary Wore a Red Dress, Abiyoyo, Baby Blue Cat Said No and more.  

 

Library sessions are 45 minutes in length and usually include 6-8 different activities.  Programs at precshools are usually done one classroom at a time, and are shortened to 30 minutes. Some sample themes are transportation, colors, holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving etc.) rain, the magic of three, silly songs, and  the relationship of size to sound.  Programs are geared to 2-3 year olds, and 3-6 year olds. To assure that everyone gets an instrument, it is recommended that the group size not exceed 23 children at a time.

 

 

 

 

 

MAKING  MUSIC HAS RECEIVED DOZENS OF MASSACHUSETTS CULTURAL

COUNCIL GRANTS! LET ME WRITE ONE FOR YOUR LIBRARY! ALSO IDEAL FOR

MOTHER GOOSE ON THE LOOSE GRANTS.