BURBANK, CA (Walt Disney Records) - Even in the earliest years of life, music plays an important role in a child's development. Children respond to rhythm and simple music from the day they are born.
Music brings families together, stimulates thinking and expressive skills and enhances creativity and a sense of well-being. Now, with "Disney's
Little Einsteins Musical Missions" (available at retail starting March 28), parents can encourage their child to take the step from listening to music to interacting with music.
"Little Einsteins Musical Missions" CD introduces an all-new, interactive audio experience inspired by the hit Playhouse Disney TV series "Little Einsteins." Children can listen and play along while they blast off on four adventures hosted by their favorite Little Einsteins characters (Leo, June, Annie and Quincy) that are set to classical pieces such as Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik," Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee," Bizet's "Carmen Suite No 1" and Brahms' "Hungarian Dance No 5."
The "Little Einsteins Musical Missions" digipack includes an activity booklet depicting the settings for each adventure (from Seattle's Space Needle to the Egyptian Sphinx) along with reusable picture clings of the characters to provide a hands-on experience while children listen to the CD. Following directions from the Little Einsteins characters and CD narrator, children can clap along, pat their knees, move and play with the picture clings and call out musical terms - all to complete a musical mission central to a Little Einsteins adventure. Each mission gives children a chance to interact with music and learn music fundamentals, which can help in early childhood development.
Researchers are finding solid evidence that a young child's ability to perceive and distinguish phonetic sounds is enhanced by engaging in singing and rhythmic movement. Studies show that the "steady beat" skill helps children learn and develop on multiple levels including learning to read, enhancing creativity and fostering a sense of well-being. They've also found that active music-making during the school years can strengthen abstract reasoning skills, paving the way to better results in school.
Created by The Baby Einstein Company and Walt Disney Records, "Little Einsteins Musical Missions" was developed in conjunction with American Music Conference (AMC) and music teacher and arts integration specialist Anne Fennell. With over two decades experience as a music educator, Fennell served as a consultant during the creation of the CD, in addition to creating the curriculum guide for "Our Big Huge Adventure," the first DVD title in Disney's Little Einsteins franchise.
"'Little Einsteins Musical Missions' gives children and parents a wonderful opportunity to interact, listen and play with music while introducing the benefits of making music to everyone. Music is vital to a child's development - stimulating higher level thinking skills and creativity while promoting individual expression," Fennell affirms.
"Disney's Little Einsteins Musical Missions" track listing is as follows:
Track 1 - "The Little Einsteins Theme Song"
Track 2 - "Mission & Blast Off"
MUSICAL MISSION: The Birthday Balloons
MUSIC: "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" by Mozart
Track 3 - "Space Needle"
Track 4 - "Antarctica"
MUSICAL MISSION: Rocket Safari
MUSIC: "Flight of the Bumblebee" by Rimsky-Korsakov
Track 5 - "Elephant"
Track 6 - "Giraffe/Rhino"
Track 7 - "Rescue Rocket"
MUSICAL MISSION: Pirate's Treasure
MUSIC: "Carmen Suite No 1" by Bizet
Track 8 - "Big Wave"
Track 9 - "Islands"
Track 10 - "Get the Treasure"
MUSICAL MISSION: The Golden Pyramid
MUSIC: "Hungarian Dance No 5" by Brahms
Track 11 - "Crocodile"
Track 12 - "The Great Sphinx & The Golden Pyramid Song"
Track 13 - "The Golden Pyramid - The Open Up Song"
Track 14 - "The Curtain Call"
"Disney's Little Einsteins Musical Missions" soundtrack rockets into stores starting March 28, 2006, for a suggested retail price of $12.98 wherever music is sold. All Walt Disney Records audio products also can be ordered by visiting DisneyRecords.com.
