“Music expresses that which cannot be said, and on which it is impossible to be silent.”
‘William Shakespeare’ by Victor Hugo.
Welcome to Shimmy and Shake with Miss Sarah! My goal is to create the type of music class that I want my daughter to enjoy – a place where she can learn to express herself, find her heart song, and practice some fantastic developmental skills along the way. At Shimmy and Shake, we are inviting you along with us on this journey!
A little bit about me: I have a specialist degree in Child Development and Educational Psychology, and a Bachelor of Education with qualifications to teach tots to pre-teens. I spent the last five years of my career absorbed in the world of preschool and kindergarten, where I truly found my calling. I’m a classically trained pianist, and self-taught guitarist, with experience providing piano and guitar accompaniment for my students’ performances and experience coaching the prestigious Kodaly choir. I completed an intensive Art and Music Internship with the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery and Symphony, with a 40hour component specifically targeting Art and Music Education. I also dabbled in fronting my own band for two years, and continue to compose regularly.
If my teaching background is the peanut butter, and my love of music is the jelly, then Shimmy and Shake is truly the perfect sandwich! 
So why do I believe that music so important for children? Where do I start! Singing, dancing, playing instruments, and listening to music in a social setting does so many wonderful things to help children develop and grow:
- Teaches self-regulation, such as how to calm down when listening to a lullaby;
- Boosts self-esteem and confidence;
- Encourages sharing and turn-taking, particularly in call-and-answer songs;
- Helps children develop important gross motor skills, such as balance, body awareness, and cross-body movements;
- Encourages cultural awareness when experiencing songs and instruments from other cultures;
- Helps develop cognitive skills such as counting, rhyme, memory, symbolic play, patterns, literacy skills, phonemic awareness, and cause and effect (to name only a few!);
- Introduces children to the world of music, where they can express, feel, find their rhythm, learn about pitch, tone, beat, instruments, be silly, and have fun!
Shimmy and Shake is designed to encourage all of these skills through careful song choice, the use of instruments, and a safe environment for children and their parents to experiment, explore, and enjoy themselves!
Please visit the Shimmy and Shake Facebook page HERE for information on classes, location, and cost. I will keep the Facebook page updated weekly with class information, articles, videos and resources. Olivia and I can’t wait to Shimmy and Shake with all of you!
