Note a Quote

Daily notes!

 Sight reading notes is always a great way to freshen up on our notes with beginner and intermediate students. Here are a few games that make the memorizing that much easier! 

http://www.musictheory.net/exercises/note

http://www.readmusicfree.com/grandstaffdefender.html

Learning letters

For young students one of the most challenging things to learn is to say your alphabet backwards! I'm so excited to try this activity with my preschoolers this afternoon!

When they make a tower of A-G, if they turn it around, they will have the reverse and be able to read the letters from G-A.

Preschool Group Classes

Yesterday was the first preschool class of the year and what a treat it was! The kids were great and so eager to learn.  Here is a little glimpse of the activities! My own kidlets posed for me for the demonstration.

Aiming to create staff recognition, students observed the spaces and lines.
The students then took turns placing a pompom a space or line as directed.

When prompted with a flashcard, students placed a button on it's match.

Note a Quote

Sight Reading Help!

 Music Tutor Free App:

If there is anything I love more than music, its free stuff! (Ask my family... they think I'm crazy!)

Need help with your sight reading? This app is for you!
Parents, if your kids need practice on their notes, this free app is just what your kids need! It even has settings for each musical clef and a note range, and has timer options making it totally beginner-friendly!

Music Tutor Free

The App has several challenge levels
and encourages quick thinking and accuracy.

Happy sight reading!!

Note a Quote

Making Learning Fun!

As a teacher, I am always looking for new and exciting ways to teach musical concepts. I am so thankful for the support and ideas of a group of fellow teachers from "Piano Teacher FunMakers!" that I have recently come into contact with! They have some great games and ideas that make learning (and teaching!) so fun! I thought I would share a few recent ones I've found here!

Musical Jenga! How fun is that!?

Learning notes! I've also seen this done with smarties!

Learning the fingers! These will be so great to send home and for beginners practice!

I can't wait to try these out with my students!

Epics Online

Saw this today and couldn't get over how cool it was!
Click HERE

Note a Quote

A Study on Practicing Techniques!

I came across this study today and found it really interesting! How to practice effectively! Something we always try to pass on as the teacher, but comes down to the parent and student's dedication and effort in the daily practice. Enjoy the read!

8 Things Top Practicers Do Differently

Student Incentives

It's always good to have a little motivation for students to practice and try hard! In the past I have tended to use stickers as my only incentives, and it worked well.

I recently came into contact with a group of teachers and came across this idea, which I instantly fell in love with. It's similar to my previous method, but adds an extra prize element every month or two!

Student's who have mastered a piece, receive a sticker for the accomplishment. ...Even my adult students usually love to take one! ;) This also applies to each theory homework page completed.

I also love to reward hard work, so at the end of each lesson, if I can tell they have practiced well, the receive a sticker for their hard work!

I keep a small flip-book by the lesson area with a card for each student with their name on it. When a student has filled a card (30 stickers), they get to open the "treasure box" and pick a prize!!! I can't wait to try it out!

Feel free to leave a comment, I'd love to hear any other suggestions!

Practice Guidelines

This is an excerpt from my Studio Contract that outlines practice guidelines for students of different levels.

PRACTICING GUIDELINES

Practice is the key to success! It is essential for students to practice 5 days a week for them to learn and excel to their best ability. If that kind of practice cannot be maintained, the student will not advance as quickly. Practice may be split up into smaller segments (e.g. practice one song and then take a break) if that is better for the individual as concentration during practice is important. **Note to parents: Don’t expect to hear one selection in its entirety. The key to a good performance is to practice the tough spots until they become easy spots. Only then should the piece be played all the way through.
 
Practice guideline:
Beginners in the first six months require 5 to 10 minutes a day practicing with a parent or older sibling.
Beginners in the second half of their first year need about 15 minutes a day, sometimes with help.
Students with 30 minute lessons, 20-30 minutes, 5 times a week.
Students with 45 minute lessons (Gr 3&4),  40-45 minutes, 5 times a week.
Students with 60 minute lessons (Gr 5,6,7,8) 300 minutes weekly

Note a Quote

Welcome!

Welcome to my site!
Please join me on my journey as a music teacher! I hope to use this site to share the experiences and ideas that I practice to keep musical learning fresh and exciting.
The plan for my site is to continuously build upon it to improve my teaching and to make resources available for parents. Any comments and ideas are welcome!