Today we’ve been adding more items to the Music Bus online shop. It’s been a real family affair. At one point this afternoon Mike and our two teenage daughters were sitting laptops perched tapping away whilst my youngest daughter and I were running back and forth with tea and freshly baked lemon drizzle cake. Fortunately nobody got their keyboards too sticky

It means we’ve been able to broaden our range of instruments to include a much bigger range of sturdy child friendly shakers, rattles, bells, maracas and castanets as well as two new CDS from award winning children’s world music company, Putumayo.

Folk Playground features a fantastic selection of traditional and contemporary songs in a folk style.

Years ago, before the advances of modern technology gave us MP3 players and video phones, people used to get together with family and friends to make music. Gathered around the fireplace or sitting on the front porch, people of all ages would pull out instruments and sing traditional songs that had been passed down from previous generations. Parents learned from grandparents and children learned from parents. In this manner, a circle was created and the music was preserved for future generations to know, learn and love.

Some of the musicians on Putumayo Folk Playground can trace their roots directly back to the folk family tree: Erib Bibb is the son of famous folk singer Leon Bibb. He is joined by Michael Jerome Browne on a folk//blues song “Just Look Up.” Joining them on this wonderful collection are Elizabeth Mitchell, Jon Gailmor, Victor Johnson, Dan Zanes, Laurie Berkner, Justin Roberts, Brady Rymer, Zoe Lewis and Michelle Shocked. It’s the very essence of folk music and a great family recording from Putumayo Kids.

Acoustic Dreamland is a soothing collection of songs for bedtime and relaxation.

Acoustic Dreamland was released by Putumayo just last month and is a worthy addition to the already successful and award winning Dreamland

collection. Celebrated singer-songwriters perform unplugged music to lull children to sleep and for adults to unwind to. The CD includes songs originally recorded by the Allman Brothers, James Taylor, Wilco and Mary Chapin Carpenter, among others. A read-aloud, mini storybook that parents can share with their children at bedtime accompanies the CD. Acoustic Dreamland is the fifth release in Putumayo Kids’ popular Dreamland Series.

We hope you’ll enjoy our new musical offerings. As ever please feel free to comment or drop us a line to let us know what you think and to offer any suggestions for how we can improve our offer to you.

Have fun making music with your children

This is our first blog post on the new website and I’d be pleased to hear your comments about the look of our new home. Over the course of the next few weeks we have lots of exciting new things happening at Music Bus.

The first of these is the launch of our new online store. Packed full of the instruments we use in class and many more. You’ll also find a terrific range of Putumayo World Music CDs for kids as well as our very own Music Bus CD featuring the voice of Julie Hall.

For those of you who aren’t aware Julie is an internationally renowned  singer songwriter and when she’s not in class it’s quite possibly because she’s off at a concert somewhere in the world. Just this year Julie has appeared all over all over the UK and much further afield in Jersey, Sweden and Poland. You can find out more about Julie and details of her music at her website www.snowdropmusic.com

In the meantime as I’m sitting here writing it’s half term and I’m conscious of the fact that  many of you will be missing your weekly dose of Music Bus. I know that many mums like to do their own music sessions at home with their children and we’ve included on the new site a list of 10 top tips for making music at home with your baby or toddler.

As the weeks go by I hope to add to these tips with more ideas of how to get your baby or toddler singing and making music and the words to some of the best loved songs we sing in class.

If you want to be kept up to date of new ideas and activities and special offers and discounts in our store, not to mention the opportunity to win £100 of instruments make sure to let us have your name and email details at the bottom of the tips list or on our contact page.

That’s it for now. I’m off to have some halloween fun with my own children.

All the best

Helen