Helping Children Appreciate Classical Music

Classical music with its beautiful melodies and enchanting stories is a perfect match for young ears and eyes. Take for instance, Tchaickovski's Nutcracker, and Mendelsshon's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and . . .

Well, here is a perfect way to introduce young people to classical music: flash mobs! See what I mean by clicking on these two classics, Bethooven's Ode to Joy and Ravel's Bolero.

Yet, what better way for children to appreciate classical music than by watching and hearing children playing Pachelbel's Cannon in D in their own flash mob. (You might have to rotate your laptop to enjoy this particular video, but it is worth it.)

College Admissions Madness

"How to Survive the College Admissions Madness" by Op-Ed NYTimes columnist Frank Bruni is a must-read for all parents—and not just those that have daughters and sons applying to college this year. Bruni's sensitive and realistic advice is a perfect elixir for anxious parents as they wait for the results of their child's college application results. Bruni delves further into this topic in his new book, Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania. 

The best part in the article is a letter that a mother and father wrote to their son as he waited for his college admission decisions . . .

"Dear Matt,

On the night before you receive your first college response, we wanted to let you know that we could not be any prouder of you than we are today. Whether or not you get accepted does not determine how proud we are of everything you have accomplished and the wonderful person you have become. That will not change based on what admissions officers decide about your future. We will celebrate with joy wherever you get accepted — and the happier you are with those responses, the happier we will be. But your worth as a person, a student and our son is not diminished or influenced in the least by what these colleges have decided.

If it does not go your way, you’ll take a different route to get where you want. There is not a single college in this country that would not be lucky to have you, and you are capable of succeeding at any of them.

We love you as deep as the ocean, as high as the sky, all the way around the world and back again — and to wherever you are headed.

Mom and Dad"

We Know Jack Now

I first introduced my blog readers to Jack Andraka on December 12, 2014 upon the publication of my interview with him in Montessori Life. Today, I had the distinct honor of introducing Jack to over 3,000 educators at the American Montessori Society's Annual Conference.

If you were not there to hear Jack's wonderful story, get his book, Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator is Changing the World I know you will enjoy reading it just as I did.

Love Has No . . .

In case you missed this beautiful video on diversity and inclusion . . .