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Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The Music Edition

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Kathryn deBros December 12, 2014

Learning doesn’t have to be limited to the classroom. Supplement your child’s knowledge with these activities to help her muse over music.

In this course, participants learn core principles, concepts, and methods of continuous improvement and explore the history of continuous improvement efforts. In a series of lectures, Master Black Belt in Six Sigma Shane Wentz, Ph.D., enables learners to enhance, optimize, and stabilize business processes and to augment quality control through varied methodologies. Participants gain the skills and knowledge to reimagine internal processes, engage in advanced problem-solving, and empower employees. The course covers high-level foundational principles of Lean, Six Sigma, and DMAIC processes before diving deep into Lean Six Sigma methods. Learners will analyze the tools of process mapping, Kaizen (a continuous improvement method/tool deemed a prerequisite for Lean transformation success), Lean (a continuous improvement philosophy that emphasizes streamlined workflows and reducing waste), and the process improvement methodology driving DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.

Entrepreneurs fostering new ventures outside of well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystems like Silicon Valley face significant challenges. These markets are unlike Silicon Valley, and they will likely remain so. That doesn't mean they can't nurture and sustain new businesses. In transitioning markets that lack abundant private sector financing, creative approaches from government officials, donors, and business leaders can fill the void to support entrepreneurial activity. Northeast Ohio (where Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University are located) has become a laboratory for such innovative solutions. During our time together in this course, we will explore some of these creative approaches to promoting regional entrepreneurship. Northeast Ohio has seen a massive infusion of government and donor resources for over ten years. In that time, Northeast Ohio has promoted regional development (including job creation and follow-on funding) through alternative methods of financing startups. It has not been easy. The region has made progress, but it remains to be seen whether it has struck upon an enduring formula. A dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem takes many years, even decades, to develop. Government policymakers and donors typically seek quicker returns on their support programs, which makes long-term support for entrepreneurship challenging. This course includes case studies and first-person testimonials from entrepreneurs who have launched products and services ranging from medical devices to LED lights to whiskey. You will learn how these entrepreneurs discovered and procured resources from various programs and intermediary organizations. You will hear from business people still in the process of developing their companies as well as those whose ventures have flourished. Our focus will extend beyond Cleveland to selected markets around the world, including Greece, Vietnam, Tunisia, Argentina, Rwanda and China. You will learn about international incentives and other supports available to developing startups and small businesses across the globe. This course examines how different communities around the world approach implementing strategies and methods to support businesses. I will ask you to reflect on how to apply the principles we learn to growing entrepreneurship where you live. The social interactive features of the online platform will enable students from around the world to share ideas and learn from one another. Most MOOCs rebroadcast professors’ lectures; this course is different. Don’t expect to see me standing in front of the camera, talking and lecturing every module. Instead, the lectures will be relatively short in length. They have more of the feel of an engaging documentary than a static classroom setting. ## __What type of person takes the *Beyond Silicon Valley* course?__ - Active and aspiring businesspeople in communities looking to initiate new startup ecosystems or bolster existing ones - Current and prospective entrepreneurs who want to learn about funding sources, risk management, and the lifecycle of startups - Professionals who work in government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic institutions, and various private funds that fund startups - Anyone curious about how to create and grow startup ecosystems outside the major tech hubs - The principles Beyond Silicon Valley teaches have been drawn from and applied to startups worldwide, from small villages to megalopolises. You'll study success stories spanning the globe from Vietnam to Kosovo to Botswana. ## __What will you learn in *Beyond Silicon Valley*?__ - How and where startups can find funding to get their businesses off the ground - What role government can play in encouraging startups and a healthy startup ecosystem - How anchor institutions such as universities and healthcare systems participate in startup ecosystems - How nongovernmental organizations support startups - How to raise funds from venture capitalists, angel investors, and accelerators - How to navigate challenging periods in the startup lifecycle - The importance of mentoring in successful startups

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The kids who are successful in school are those who remain curious even after the last bell rings, who notice the world around them, and who make connections among subjects and ideas. There are millions of ways to keep minds of all ages active and engaged outside the classroom.

The following article is part of a Noodle series about how to integrate learning into everyday life in order to instill a love of knowledge in your kids.

The Music Edition

I once had a teacher who claimed that music incorporates every single school subject all together. Math, history, foreign languages, literacy — I don’t know about every subject, but music sure does cover a lot.

Music is one of those classes that doesn’t require hours of reading and note-taking (though it does involve note-making). While it certainly takes practice (as the old adage goes), music also speaks to the heart. Try some of these activities to get your child’s everyday activities in sync with musical learning.

# Sing!

Sing in the kitchen, in the car, in the bathtub, anywhere. Your kids won’t remember whether you can hit the high note or if you can dance like Beyoncé while doing it. They’ll remember that you sang, and that it was a happy time.

# Make your own beat.

Not a singer? Try rhyming or tapping rhythms. Chanting is something anyone can do, and it can be fun to do so with an accompanying beat. Tap a pattern of sounds, and invite your child to imitate it from memory. Then have her create a beat that you repeat back. You can do this by snapping your fingers, clapping your hands, stomping your feet — doing anything that gets you and your child moving to a beat.

# Use instruments.

Keep instruments available — or, better yet, make instruments yourselves. Kids will learn about the mechanics of sound and get to build something that to pleases their ears. Even older kids will love to tinker with instruments they have made.

If you’re not very musical, try something inexpensive and easy to learn, like a ukulele. Let your kids see you play around with it and try new things. Watch instructional videos together, and take turns trying to strum along to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

# Share your favorite tunes.

It is a fallacy that the only music kids like is music that was made especially for them. Kids can be fascinated by what their parents love. Sure, the repetitive cartoony stuff is good sometimes, but they should have a broad range of musical exposure. Some of the fondest memories that kids form are related to what they shared with their parents — including their mom’s favorite song!

# Travel through music.

Listen to music from around the world. French hip-hop, African drumming, Japanese techno, British symphonies — older kids may especially enjoy learning more about the world beyond their school and friends, and imagining other cultures jamming out. Your children may or may not always like it, but trying new things is a wonderful habit for them to cultivate.

# Try storytelling through song.

Set a story to music. Compositions like “Peter and the Wolf" pair certain sounds and melodies with specific characters, making it easier to tell a story — which you can read while you listen to the music. You could also listen to any song or symphony, and draw along with it. Make up a story as you hear the different portions of the music: scary monsters for the dark parts, deer prancing through fields for the light and bouncy parts, and a swooning romance for the dramatic mushy-sounding parts! Point out the music that scores a movie and how it enhances the story.

# Play a musical game.

You can learn the cup game, which has become very popular for its catchy rhythm and sweet accompanying song. It was even featured in the 2012 movie “Pitch Perfect." Of course, you can’t go wrong with the classics either: Ring around the Rosy and Musical Chairs are still just as much fun for kids today as they always were!

Want more ideas on how to cultivate a love of learning in your child? Check out other parts of this series:

Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The Civics Edition

Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The Geography Edition

Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The History Edition

Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The Language Arts Edition

Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The Math Edition

Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The Nutrition Edition

Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life: The Science Edition

Sneak Learning into Everyday Life: The Visual Art Edition