Brand New Baby Music Cafes at Crawley and Horsham

We’re pleased to announce that Music Bus has opened its doors to our brand new “BABY MUSIC CAFÉ”, specially aimed at babies from Newborn up to 6 months old.  Music Bus “Baby Music Café” sessions have been designed to be a relaxed informal environment, giving you a chance to introduce your baby to the delights of music and play whilst enjoying a cup of tea or coffee with other new mums so it’s a great way to meet new friends too.  These are pay-as-you-go sessions with no need to pre-book!

Music Bus Baby Music Cafes run every Monday afternoon at the Wesley Hall, London Road, Horsham from 1:30 to 2:45, Wednesday morning at the Maidenbower Pavilion from 10.00 to 11.30 and Friday afternoon at Southwater Leisure Centre from 1.30 to 2.45 during term-time only.

For further information about the Horsham and Southwater Music Bus Baby Music Cafe or to book a FREE TRIAL for your child at our regular Horsham and Southwater Music Bus classes please telephone Hannah on 01403 240842 or send an email to hannah@musicbus.com

For further information about the Crawley, Maidenbower Music Bus Baby Music Cafe or to book a FREE TRIAL for your child at our regular Crawley Music Bus classes please telephone Tessa on 01293 881016 or send an email to tessa@musicbus.com

Come and join the fun!

Music Bus Horsham Baby Music Cafe - Monday afternoons at the Wesley Hall, London Road, Horsham from 1:30 to 2:45

Wesley Hall
Horsham Methodist Church
London Road
Horsham
RH12 1AN

Music Bus Crawley Baby Music Cafe - Wednesday mornings at the Maidenbower Pavilion from 10.00 to 11.30

Maidenbower Pavilion
Maidenbower Park
Maidenbower Road
Crawley
RH10 7QF

Music Bus Southwater Baby Music Cafe – Friday afternoons at Southwater Leisure Centre from 1.30 to 2.45

Southwater Leisure Centre
Pevensey Road
Southwater
West Sussex
RH13 9XZ

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

New for 2011

Friday Morning Classes in Bolnore Village!

We are honoured to have been invited to run our Mother and Baby and Mother and Toddler Music Classes at the new Bolnore Village Primary School

We’ve been trying to open Music Bus classes in Bolnore Village almost since the very first houses were built and are proud to announce our first classes have now started on Friday mornings during term time.

Come and see for yourself what Music Bus has to offer for you and your child. As a limited special offer until Summer 2011 we are giving a FREE MUSIC BUS CD to the first fifty Bolnore Village families who attend a trial session. Come and join the fun.

Bolnore Village Primary School
Updown Hill
Bolnore Village,
West Sussex,
RH16 4GD

Parking is in the village square outside the shops and although the school’s address is Updown Hill it is actually easier to find on Weavers Mead (Google maps don’t yet show the school building!).

Map – Music Bus Bolnore Village

For further information about Bolnore Village Music Bus classes and to book a FREE TRIAL for your child please either telephone Tessa on 01293 881016 or send me an email at tessa@musicbus.com

Come and join the fun!

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

Classes are held in Horsham every Monday and Tuesday morning during term time at the Wesley Hall, London Road Methodist Church. There is ample public parking available nearby.

Music Bus Horsham
Wesley Hall
Horsham Methodist Church
London Road
Horsham
RH12 1AN

For further information about Horsham Music Bus classes and to book a FREE TRIAL for your child please either telephone Hannah on 01403 240842 or send me an email at hannah@musicbus.com

Music Bus Charity Fund Raising Week: 12th – 16th March 2012

~ All proceeds to Breast, Ovarian & Cervical Cancer Charities ~

Don’t forget to come to class this week dressed-up as your favourite character – e.g. princess, fairy, cat, policeman, fireman, spiderman, doctor ….. whatever you like! It’ll also be “Request a Song Week” where we’ll go round the class and you can request your favourite Music Bus songs for us all to sing!

RAFFLE: 1st Prize – MUSIC BUS PARTY!!

Delicious Home Baked Cakes to buy! ~ Craft Stall ~ Music Bus Recipe Book! Please don’t forget to bring some money with you for the raffle, cakes & other bits – with your help & generosity we can help raise “lots” for this very worthy cause …..THANK YOU!

Double Deckers Classes

This spring we  launched a brand new Double Deckers class aimed specifically at 3 – 5 year olds. The class runs on Monday afternoons from 1.30 to 2.15 when mums can take advantage of the opportunity to treat themselves to a relaxing cup of tea or coffee whilst their children enjoy the fun of their own dedicated 45 minute music class. Places are limited so book your FREE TRIAL TODAY!

Baby Music Cafe

From January 2012 Music Bus will be opening its doors to our brand new “BABY MUSIC CAFÉ”, specifically aimed at babies from Newborn up to 6 months old.  Our “Baby Music Café” sessions are designed to be very relaxed, giving you a chance to introduce your baby to the delights of music and play whilst also enjoying a cup of complementary Fairtrade / Organic tea and coffee – it will be a great way to meet new friends too.  This will be a pay-as-you-go session with no need to pre-book!

The Baby Music Cafe will run at the Southwater Leisure Centre from 1:30pm until 2:45pm every Friday during term-time starting on Friday 13^th January ’12.  So if you or anyone you know would be interested in joining us we’d love to see you! Please pass this information on to friends and neighbours and if you need any further information get in touch.

Come and join the fun!

Music Bus baby and toddler music classes in Haywards Heath on Monday and Friday mornings

Coming Soon – Tuesday Morning Classes, call now for details

Monday Morning Classes in Haywards Heath

Our ever popular Monday morning, Haywards Heath mother & baby and mother & toddler music classes are on the move from the Albemarle Centre to a new home at Saint Wilfrid’s Primary School in Eastern Road.

Parking is on Eastern Road where the good news is that there are no yellow lines or restrictions so plenty of time to park and enjoy your regular weekly music class.

Saint Wilfrids C E Primary School
Eastern Road
Haywards Heath
West Sussex
RH16 3NL

Map – Music Bus Haywards Heath Saint Wilfrid’s C E Primary School

Friday Morning Classes in Bolnore Village

Music Bus mother & baby and mother & toddler music classes at Bolnore Village Primary School on Friday mornings during term time.

Bolnore Village Primary School
Updown Hill
Bolnore Village,
West Sussex,
RH16 4GD

Parking is in the village square outside the shops and although the school’s address is Updown Hill it’s actually easier to find on Weavers Mead (Google maps don’t yet show the school building!).

Map – Music Bus Bolnore Village

For further information about Haywards Heath Music Bus classes and to book a FREE TRIAL for your child please telephone Tessa on 01293 881016 or send me an email at tessa@musicbus.com

Come and join the fun!