Music Lessons: It’s Begining to Look A Lot Like Christmas

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas in Niagara. Frosted window panes, dancing snowflakes, beautiful music, flashing decorative lights, colourful decorations, and children smiling with anticipation of the arrival of Santa.  There are many Santa Claus parades in the Niagara and surrounding areas.  They are as follows:

• Toronto November 16
• Pen Centre St. Catharines November 2
• Niagara Falls November, 29
• St. Catharines, Nov. 30
• Grimsby December 6 starting at 5.30
• Niagara On The Lake, December 13

• Thorold December13 at 5.30

And don’t forget the Golden Hammers.  This time the boys will be performing in the food court at the Pen Centre in St.Catharines.  The date is December 5th  at 7.00 P.M.

Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Pere Noel and Kris Kringle are a few of the names given over the years to this jolly man.  The popular image of Santa Claus was created by German -American cartoonist Thomas Nast (l840-1902) who drew a new image annually.  By l880, Santa evolved into the form we now recognize.

Christmas sheet music and music books have arrived at Ryson’s Music Studio.  We now have a great selection of  Christmas music; some of which include Cds.
Many of our music students are now playing and singing Christmas songs for their music lessons.

Our Christmas concert will be Dec. 21, 2008 at Silver Spire with all proceeds going to the “Out of the Cold” fundraising.  Tickets are $l0.00 per family.  Come one, Come all!  Join our CHRISTMAS Festivities and meet Santa.  Take pictures of your children with Santa in a beautiful yuletide setting.

Please remember Santa’s favourite cookies are frosted sugar cookies with a drink of milk or egg nog.  Don’t forget carrots for the reindeer and please leave a note.  Sometimes, if Santa’s not busy, he will write back.
Christmas movies will also be shown and advertised as well.
Our movies include A Christmas Carol, The Nut Cracker, Polar Express, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, White Christmas, Frosty The Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and many more!

For those little drummer boys, we have a craft for you!  Here are instructions on how to make a drum:

Here’s what you’ll need:

• an empty oatmeal box with a cover
• yarn
• pen
• two pencils
• 2 spools
• construction paper
• crayons

Before you start, to make your musical drum, you can decorate oatmeal box  with construction paper, crayons to make a colourful effect.

Place the cover on the box, and use a pen to make a hole in the center of the cover and the center of the  bottom.  Through these holes pull the yarn long enough to hang around the child’s neck and down to the waist.  For the drum sticks, place the spools at the end of the pencil and secure with glue if necessary.  Drum away!!  If you want cymbals, two matching pot covers, yarn and ribbon.  Tie the ribbon or yarn around the handles of the pot covers.  Strike together to play.

Happy Holidays, and have a Musical Christmas.  Remember our concert for “Out of the Cold” December 21, 2008 at 1pm, at the Silver Spire and visit Santa.