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Workshops
Note: Workshop days and times have been adjusted in order to move to an all-online conference. All workshops are virtual via Zoom.
| 2020 NEA National Heritage Fellow, CMN Magic Penny recipient, National Culture Through the Arts, and Spirit of Folk Award recipient, Suni Paz, will lead us in a session of bilingual singing. For more than half of a century, her work as an American songwriter and performer of Latin American folk music has resonated as a cultural force, engaging people of all backgrounds and ages on stage, radio and television all over the world. Suni Paz was one of the first artists to bring the nueva canción tradition—the “new song” music of the 1960s and 1970s—to North American audiences. |
| Founder and CEO of Queer Kid Creative and producer of Queer Kid Stuff, Lindz Amer will provide a general 1010 overview of gender and sexuality, providing strategies through which songwriters and music educators can bring a queer-friendly message to their audiences through music. Lindz will demonstrate how they have done this in their own work as a queer children’s performer, writer and musician. Lindsay ‘Lindz’ Amer creates LGBTQ+ and social justice media for kids and families. When Lindz isn’t trying to build a queer kid empire, you can probably find them cooking, singing, working on a puzzle, painting, or snuggling with their pouch and partner on a New England beach. |
| Early childhood music groups are a unique challenge that can require the facilitator to play referee, acrobat, performer, songwriter, and cheerleader all in one. What if you could reduce the stress of early childhood music groups by utilizing music therapy-inspired techniques and resources? Join Stephanie Leavell, board certified music therapist, Berklee College of Music graduate and founder of MusicForKiddos.com, as she shares early childhood music resources and tried-and-true techniques that can help kids stay engaged, excited, and ready to learn. Stephanie Leavell is the creator of Music for Kiddos, a resource and education website dedicated to high-quality children’s music. She’s an educator, board-certified music therapist, award-winning songwriter, community-builder and above all, is passionate about using music to help kids succeed. |
| Music is a powerful tool to learn languages. The melody and repetition help with person to person connections, and person to world connections. Those connections make it easier to learn a new language. Peruvian Flor Bromely is a recording artist, bilingual singer/songwriter, actress, storyteller and puppeteer. Flor will offer attendees the tools to feel confident to use Music to teach Spanish, to provide a basic curricula of songs to be used for teaching Spanish, to apply rhyming and play in the classroom for a bilingual education. Musically, Flor Bromely has one thing on her mind: to share the Latino-American experience through her songs and storytelling with a new generation. |
| Ann Torralba, aka Little Miss Ann, nationally touring, awardwinning Family Musician artist, will describe how music benefits young children ages 0 to 6 yrs. She will discuss the physical, socialemotional and educational benefits of music in this interactive, multisensory Masterclass. Ann Torralba is also a former Chicago Public School teacher, an instructor at the Old Town School of Folk Music, a mom, an activist and a first generation Filipina American. |
| You're self-employed, but you may not think you have "a business mind” or no actual business plan -- or not one up to date. Join Matt Fernald, owner of Golden Acorn Music, to set you up for success in making a Business Plan focusing defining your "product," selecting your "audience" and getting the word out. It's easier than it may sound to get started, and you'll leave this workshop with at least one draft of a plan to bring home and develop further. If you want sporadic work to be more consistent, fluctuating reviews to be higher, or initial "sales" calls to be more comfortable and predictable, then a plan is for you! As founder and head teacher of Golden Acorn Music, Matt Fernald has taught music to thousands of young children, as well as families and classroom educators and presented over 40 workshops. |
| One of the most important aspects of Earth Mama’s work is the reseeding that happens during her work with others: ideas are planted in the rich, fertile soil of our souls, music warms us like sunlight and spring and humor is sprinkled on like a good, organic “tea” as she involves us all in her work to “help heal the planet, one song at a time.” Bring your favorite song about the environment and learn many more. This song swap led by “Earth Mama” Joyce Rouse is sure to inspire! Earth Mama programs use earth wisdom, music and laughter to spread the message that the earth is a “Mama” for all of us. These programs are enjoyed by audiences of all ages and interests, twining together spirituality, education and entertainment, in celebration with the earth. |
| Learn the joys of the loop pedal with Julie Be, from the Philadelphia-based duo, Ants on a Log. Don't let the technology intimidate you, it's easy to learn and can be applied in basic and advanced ways. Participants will learn the basics of using a loop pedal as well as ideas for using looping in songwriting, performing, and audience participation. No need to own a pedal to attend-- many of the functions can be translated to Garage Band or similar programs. Julie Be (they/them) is a queer, non-binary, white musician and activist. They are one half of Ants on a Log, the Philadelphia-based duo playing socially conscious music for children and other childlike people. Julie is a certified Music Therapist specializing in the connection between gender and the voice. |
Together We . . . Stand |
| Let’s use music to practice fluency with anti-racist and gender-affirming language. In order to be effective allies and advocates for social justice, it is important that we learn to name our own social location (ex. histories and positions) as we develop strategies for challenging oppressive language and behavior. Join Mara Sapon-Shevin and Julie Be and learn how to be able to explicitly name our identities (including race, gender, and the pronouns we use). Learn ways to normalize naming these identities with children and learn three examples of songs that can help teach these concepts to children. And practice using concrete examples of anti-oppressive language in a situation that requires intervention. Mara Sapon-Shevin (she/her) is a queer, white educator and activist. A professor of inclusive education at Syracuse University, she works extensively on social justice issues and challenging and interrupting oppression. Julie Be (they/them) is a queer, non-binary, white musician and activist. They are one half of Ants on a Log, the Philadelphia-based duo playing socially conscious music for children and other childlike people. Julie is a certified Music Therapist specializing in the connection between gender and the voice. |
| Learn about the ins and outs of doing a podcast, including ways to make it sound good without lots of high-tech equipment. Other topics will include planning, interviewing, fundraising and promotion. Rodney Whittenberg and David Heitler-Klevans have been doing the podcast Music for the New Revolution about music and social justice issues starting in 2017. David Heitler-Klevans performs, writes songs, records, and leads workshops with Jenny Heitler-Klevans as “Two of a Kind.” Two of a Kind has released 10 CDs and 1 DVD for kids, as well as 2 CDs for grown-ups. Rodney Whittenberg is an Emmy award-winning composer and an Emmy nominated filmmaker. He is the founder of Melodyvision, an audio music and video production company. |
| Join Roy Moye, III, dynamic speaker, aerospace engineer, and founder of STEMusic, in exploring the lack of diversity within the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Industry. He will introduce a method to help solve this problem that includes the power of music. Educators, Songwriters, and Musicians will leave with an awareness of an important problem impacting children but they will also feel empowered and equipped to be a part of the solution. Roy Moye is an enthusiastic advocate for STEM and has a passion for sharing the importance of this career field to the next generation. His love of airplanes launched his interest into the STEM. After completing his degree, he began working for Spirit Aerosystems as a Structural Design Engineer where he currently designs airplane parts for the Boeing 777 Sustaining Program. Roy is also an accomplished gospel singer and was recently featured as a top 20 finalist on the television singing competition show BET’s Sunday Best. |
| In this workshop, participants will learn how to prioritize and implement social Katie Norregaard (she/her) is a songwriter, filmmaker, and teaching artist based in |
Together We . . . Create |
| Teaching Artist's Hamlet Meneses and Alina Celeste will share ideas and projects to add visual art extensions to your early childhood music classes! Their holistic approach to language learning, social/emotional development and the arts makes for an inclusive, creative lesson plan. Attendees will:
Alina and Hamlet are both Parents’ Choice Silver Award Winners for their bilingual music and Jubilation Foundation Fellows of 2020. Hamlet has provided bilingual programs through arts and music in the Chicagoland area since 2001. Alina has taught early childhood music and arts classes and conducted workshops for educators on Early Literacy, STEAM Integration and Classroom Management internationally since 2008. |
| What’s more fun than Zipper songs! It’s amazing how many there are and how much joy they bring. Come and share your favorite zipper song in this fun song swap hosted by Jean Young. Jean Young has been a songwriter and teacher for 50 years, working with babies and parents, preschoolers, elementary students and college students. She’s been a grandma for 6 years and a mom for 36 years! |
| In this workshop, Susan Salidor demonstrates the joy of playing the Uke and sharing its potential for enriching music in the early childhood classroom. She will share:
Susan Salidor is an award-winning singer/songwriter and music specialist with eight albums of music for children and those who love them. She is a longtime CMN member and served on the CMN Board for several terms. Susan created her Beginning Ukulele curriculum during the pandemic to teach others the joy of playing the Uke and sharing its potential for enriching music in the early childhood classroom. She has found teaching ukulele to adults this past year has been particularly fulfilling, especially since on-site teaching and live performances all but disappeared. * You need a Ukulele for this workshop. |
Check out our Program Book! Our CMN annual conference is now over 30 years old!! Every year it gets bigger and better, creating many opportunities for performers, educators, songwriters, librarians, and families—all those who love music for children—to gather. Together, we connect and reconnect and fill our hearts with laughter and song by sharing songs, ideas, resources and information. Looking forward to seeing you in 2022, #cannotwait! |