Director's Update - Term 1 2023

So many exciting updates to share in this post including:

details of our new and very exciting indoor Richmond venue;
park class update;
all the glamour and fun of our interactive Christmas with BLMF concert in Dec;
Mel's new music specialist position at Kateeny ELC;
new content on BLMF On Demand; and
Add your voice to the federal gov Early Years Strategy - tell them we want daily sequential music learning and why

Our New Video is made to highlight how music learning transfers across to other learning, skills and character traits. Please share our video to anyone interested in early childhood development.

Bookings are now open for our group music sessions

Go to our BOOK In page to book in as many classes as you want upfront.

Select pay at class to pay at the session on the day

Park + Music + Wellbeing

We've got park sessions still running on most mornings

Just book in anytime up to an hour before the session and pay at the park.

and really exciting news.... Friday Classes are Indoors every week

Our New Indoor Venue - Guardian Richmond on Hoddle Street

We can finally announce we have a new indoor Richmond venue for 2023.

Friday classes have moved indoors every week and we couldn't be happier with the new space.

Plenty of parking at Guardian - try the back entrance on Regent Street. Arrive early - there's plenty of waiting space in the lovely foyer area.

A huge thanks to Guardian for opening this space to us - a local community business!

In the Early Childhood and Care sector, settings are charged with working towards becoming exceeding across seven Quality Area's.

Element 6.2.3 Community engagement

The service builds relationships and engages with its community.

Making relationships and engaging with its community is an important part of Quality Area 6 and it recognises that community partnerships that are based on active communication, consultation and collaboration are also essential and fundamental to achieving quality outcomes for children.

We are thrilled to see a large organisation such as Guardian Richmond is walking this talk as they have opened their doors and welcomed Baby Love Music Fun into their community giving us a gorgeous indoor space to use on Friday's and sharing our class program with their community.

Our first classes ran on Friday and the space is really top class. You'll enjoy easy parking, a great waiting area and change facilities at this venue.

Thanks so much Guardian Richmond - we look forward to growing our new relationship with you this year.

Christmas with Baby Love Music Fun was a Thrill

It was just 2 weeks before Christmas when a long time client pleaded, "Are you doing the Christmas concert this year?"

Could we? It had been 2 years since a BLMF concert at the Richmond Theatrette - would there be enough audience?

So glad we did. It was thrilling to be up on stage with the children once again, seeing their absolute delight and enjoyment of our great Chrissy tunes and props.

A big highlight for me was sharing the stage with Riley Lowe, 9 year old BLMF Alumni and pianist who played around 20 minutes of delightful piano tunes and wowing everyone with his own incredible composition which came third in 2022 Australian Song Writing competition.

Thank you for your efforts and for joining us Riley - we loved having you! You can listen to his song on Spotify here, it' worth a listen if you're interested in finding out what a 9 year old is capable of musically.

Another huge highlight was sharing the stage with my two teenage daughters. They both excelled up on stage with me with little rehearsal and I was so proud that they wanted to share the stage with me again. When I began BLMF 16 years ago I never imagined it would result in such a special moment for us all and I'm proud that I have two such confident and capable children.

Why does Baby Love Music Fun produce interactive music concerts for children?

Did you know that performance opportunities like these promote areas executive function and social brain development. This is from things like the shared intentionality of "putting on a show", joint attention on the song we are performing and cooperation with others and of how to be up on stage.

Enjoy this video from our Christmas with Baby Love Music Fun concert showing children from preschool music classes up on stage playing Jingle Bells on their chime bars for the audience. Congratulations to them all for a wonderful performance. The children played from memory (working memory) and by listening to the solfege (auditory processing) They are preschoolers and they are capable.

New Music Specialist ECT position - Kateeny ELC

In 2023 Mel continues to advocate and educate within the ECEC sector by taking a new part-time position at Kateeny ELC. Here she is working across the centre baby to preschooler rooms to bring daily sequential and systematic music learning to these children. The music sessions are also integrated and support the larger curriculum ideas at the centre.

The early years are a window of opportunity to positively influence children’s development, their sense of identity, health and wellbeing, learning, safety, and happiness. A strong start in the early years will increase the likelihood of success that can carry children in good stead throughout life.

The Early Years Strategy will be the roadmap that sets out a shared understanding of what children and families in Australia need in the early years.

We need a strong push for the inclusion of daily sequential music learning in the Early Years and you can add your voice to the strategy here:

https://engage.dss.gov.au/