Beyond Business Awards Finalists Announced

Beyond Business Awards Finalists Announced

What a lovely surprise I had this morning when I 'opened' the online newspaper, Down News. The finalists for the Beyond Business Awards have been announced and as you can see I am LEADING the way. I am beyond delighted! There was a great caliber of entries and my fellow finalists are some of Down's best businesses.

The Award Ceremony will take place on Friday 25 May in the Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle. The next step is to find some suitable attire for the Gala Event. Fancy frocks don't exactly fill my wardrobe of course!

Look forward to sharing the experience with you all via social media and of course will do a very special blog after the event!

Thanks everyone!

A very happy Deirdre :)

Happy Birthday Signing Sandy and Daisy Doggy!



It is so hard to believe but Sign2Music will be 5 years old tomorrow. This time 5 years ago Sign2Music was just a dream. I had completed my interview and test with Sign2Me and was awaiting to hear if I received certification as a presenter. Some of you may not know this but Sign2Music originally started out as Signing Kids. And Signing Sandy has had quite a few image makeovers in the past few years. Not only has he dyed his hair and changed his clothes, he has also had quite a bit of 'work' done and is a lot more handsome than he was in 2007!

What a whirlwind the past 5 years have been. We have had such fantastic feedback from our service users and colleagues and are always striving to improve the services we provide and reach as many people as possible to spread the joys of signing.

We have had a lot of ups and downs along the way of course! Reaching the finals in the What's On 4 Little Ones Awards in 2011 and being nominated in 3 categories in 2012 is definitely one of our great achievements.Voting for the 2012 Awards closes TODAY! Your vote would be a fabulous birthday gift for Signing Sandy and Daisy Doggy. It only takes a minute to vote in the following categories:
   1. Best local activity for under 5s.
   2. Most Outstanding Activity Leader for Under 5s ( N Ireland & Scotland) (Deirdre McLaughlin)
   3. Best Children's Party Entertainment

I've even sung again for your vote!

We are very grateful to those of you who helped and supported us over the past 5 years! The wonderful children, parents and carers we work with have been our inspiration! Thank you all so so much.
  
Deirdre :)

Daisy Doggy Supersigner Competition 2012

It is hard to believe but Sign2Music will be 5 years old on 7 May 2012!
To celebrate our birthday for the past number of years we have been running an annual competition, the Daisy Doggy Super Signer Competition! The winner receives their very own Daisy Doggy.

To enter share a picture or video of your child signing. The Sign2Music teachers review all the entries and decide the winner!

This is our reigning champion Shawna: http://youtu.be/rjscYbS38rc

If you have shared a video or picture recently and would like this to be considered please contact deirdre@sign2music .co.uk

We would love to use the entries in our promotional videos / website so please indicate if you prefer your entry not to be used for this purpose.

Good luck!

Sign2Music is coming to the Carribean!

Some very exciting news to report! Back in 2005 my husband and I spent a blissful week in Jamaica on honeymoon. We met some lovely people including a Jamaican girl called Jovi Franklin. Jovi and I had so much in common including a love of sign language (she is a qualified ASL interpreter) and have remained firm friends ever since. I have always wanted to go back to Jamaica, but this time to spend time with the Franklin family and see the 'real Jamaica', not the tourist parts where I spent most of my time during my honeymoon.

 
When Jovi had her little boy Clinton in 2009 I supported her in starting to sign with him. Signing with Clinton has been an amazing experience for Jovi and her husband Lenford. Their friends have been so impressed with Clinton's ability to communicate that they have asked Jovi to show them how to sign with their little ones. Jovi follows Sign2Music on Facebook and contacted me after she saw a post about our new teacher in South Belfast. She told me a light went on for her as she is currently looking for a part time job she can work around Clinton when he starts preschool soon.

Jovi and I are both so excited about Sign2Music coming to the carribean! Jovi is going to be our first international Sign2Music teacher!!!

I am booking my flights to Montego Bay next week for August 2012 so I can train Jovi. Can't wait! Signing Sandy and Daisy Doggy have their sunglasses at the ready!

Deirdre :)

Our new CD Songs for Movers, Coming Soon!

Our Sign2Music Vol.1 CD was released a number of years ago after parents asked me for a CD to use at home with songs from our classes. I had written a lot of songs for various topics for Sign2Music classes and was surprised at how everyone loved songs like Daisy Doggy and Little One it's Time for Bed. I was lucky to be friends with an amazing musician who wrote backing tracks for all the songs I needed. She even wrote the backing tracks for 'Little Daisy Doggy' after I sang it into her answering machine!

I just can't believe how popular the CD has become and the fab reviews I received from Vivien Sabel (Baby Communication Expert and Author)  and Elizabeth James (Founder of Jellybeans Music and Music Bags). We have even had agreement to sell it in a NI retail outlet soon!

It is a great accompaniment to our classes, particularly for those attending wrigglers classes as we sing every single one of the 26 songs during the term.

I will never forget the day I recorded it....Traipsing up to the recording studio armed with tissues, as I had a stinking cold. Then being escorted to the recording suite, feeling like I was a 'proper musician'. I felt a bit stupid though when I got the big headphones on and stood in front of the mike with the techno guy outside mixing and doing his stuff, particularly when I started belting out 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'. I bet I was the talk of that studio for a long time. I will never forget the techno guy's face when I started singing 'Little baby isn't happy, 'cos he has a dirty nappy'!.... He looked like he expected someone to jump out and say 'ha! ha! Gotcha....at any stage!

We do also have another programme, Movers Classes, for older toddlers. For this programme I wrote many new songs, including themed songs like 'I Like Playing with My Toys', 'What's the Weather Like Today' and a few new parachute songs, because of course Daisy Doggy not only loves to hear the music, she loves to play with the parachute too!

For a couple of years now I have been promising to produce a second CD and this Thurs I am taking the first step to keeping that promise! I am going to be on a tight schedule with 3 hrs to record 26 tracks, with.....a cold again!!! I have been told that I sounded like one of the Smurfs on the first CD, so I think it is fitting that I have a cold again to keep with the Smurfy theme, lol!

I am very excited about this CD as I know the content is good, even if I do say so myself!

• It will include themed songs from the classes for topics like Animals, Opposites, Transport, Playtime, Manners and Behaviour.
• There will also be some well known favourites including Little Peter Rabbit, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, Row your Boat and 5 Little Ducks.
• This CD will include a big favourite from our classes 'My Hands Can Clap Like This', recorded with permission from Dawn Errington (Signing Tots).
• A new song will also debut on the CD that even the Sign2Music teachers haven't heard yet - Clap Your Hands, Just Like Signing Sandy. This is an adaptation of one of the songs recorded by Rowena (Rhythm Express) who does our backing tracks!

Roll on Thursday.........

Nominated for Top 25 Moms with Inspiring Families - 2012 list on Circle of Moms!

I am quite new to the world of blogging and have been a bit naughty recently, not posting as often as I should!

Therefore I was surprised but delighted to receive an e-mail today saying:
"Hi Deirdre, Your blog Baby Signing with Sign2Music has been nominated to the Top 25 Moms with Inspiring Families - 2012 list on Circle of Moms!"

Time to up my game, blogwise, I think! Time to start updating this blog and newsletter more regulalry!

In the meantime I you want to give the Sign2Music blog your vote do so by clicking this link.

Vote for this Blog in Top25 Moms with Inspiring Families.

You can vote for this blog once a day until March 7, 2012.

Thanks all. See you again soon!

Deirdre :)

Do you have what it takes to join the Sign2Music crew?

Interest in baby signing is steadily increasing throughout Northern Ireland. As Northern Ireland's own baby signing company, Sign2Music is at the forefront of this interest!

The word is spreading too about the quality of our classes, parties, workshops and sessions in nurseries, schools and preschools. We have had a lot of press coverage (local Newspapers as well as the Irish News and Sunday Life) recently and featured on the SevenThirty Show in 2011. We also got through to the FINAL in a the National What's On 4 Little Ones Junior Awards 2011, making us one of the top 4 local activities for under 5s in the UK, a fanatastic achievement for a small NI company!

As you can see it is very exciting times for Sign2Music and a good time to consider joining us!

I would love to work alongside enthusiastic and committed people to ensure Sign2Music is available in as many areas as possible. I can confidently say that our existing teachers are second to none. Here we are at our 2011 conference:

I would love to increase the number of teachers so we can reach more people, but strongly believe in quality above quantity. This is why we have a selection process to become a Sign2Music teacher to ensure not only that you are right for Sign2 Music, but that Sign2Music is right for you!

Ask yourself these questions:

·         Do you want to make a difference in the lives of children and have lots of fun doing so?

·         Do you want to earn an income while working around your family?

·         Do you enjoy spending time with children?

·         Have you seen our classes and thought you would really enjoy being that teacher?

·         Do you want to start your own business but would like to be handed the ideas, customer base and know how, so you can get started right away?

If you answered YES then Sign2Music is the business for you. You CAN have it all! 

Registering your interest in becoming a Sign 2 Music teacher is the first step to the best and most fun job in the entire world! Our licensed teacher programme requires a relatively low investment, much lower than most similar opportunities. You receive all the materials and resources needed to start immediately and the flexibility to add your own personal touch, by adjusting the content to suit your personality and skills. Training is tailored to your individual requirements. You also receive mentoring and support once training is completed. As an evolving business we are constantly adding to the services we offer. What we do is underpinned by strong values and a desire to bring this wonderful communication, bonding and development tool to as many people as possible!

If you feel you have what it takes please contact me via email (deirdre@sign2music.co.uk) or phone 07874742704 for your free information pack.

Look forward to meeting you soon.

Deirdre McLaughlin

Owner

Sign2Music

deirdre@sign2music.co.uk

07874742704