Source: badideatshirts.com via Dana on Pinterest
Pinterest Idea Of The Week: Quarter Rest
Tag: piano
A Piano Student’s Thoughts on Playing
One of the misconceptions about piano lessons is that they are only for girls. This amazes me since most of the very famous composers were men – hello Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, etc. Also, most of your top concert pianists and jazz pianists are what? Men. Don’t get me wrong – I know that women can hold their own at the piano. I’m a living breathing example of that! However, this myth that piano lessons are a girl thing to do is far from the truth and it has to be stopped. Listen to what one of my rising 6th grade male students has to say about piano lessons. When I heard this, it made me so proud to be a piano teacher.
Summer Piano Shorts: Scary Music For Movies and TV
Here’s a quick and fun piano exercise piano students can learn on their own! This activity shows how the diminished chord can be used to make scary background music for a movie or TV scene. Try it out! Print a copy of it here. Come back next Monday for another Summer Piano Short!
Father’s Day Music Memories
This is a picture of my Dad and me on my wedding day 17 years ago today! As I think about him on this Father’s Day a very happy memory of how he supported my music learning when I was a child comes to my mind. Although I did not live with him as a child, my Dad made sure that I had a piano at his house so I could practice when I came to visit. I was so happy when he bought that piano and I played it all the time when I was there. Today, it occurs to me just how special that was for him to buy a brand new piano just for me to use one weekend out of a month. When I consider that many of today’s parents hesitate to even buy their child a $100 keyboard when taking lessons – let alone a piano, I am deeply humbled. My Dad must have seen something musical in me even then. I am so thankful for this gift he gave me and I hope he feels good knowing that because he supported my music learning each and every one of the families that I work with is benefitting from it.
If you have parents in your studio or prospective parents who question whether or not to make the investment in a good quality piano because they are not sure if they will stick with it, share my story with them or a similar story of your own and hopefully they will want to be a hero just like my Dad is.
App of the Week: Beat Sneak Bandit
Thanks to one of the teachers in the Music Teacher’s Group on Facebook, I learned about this great music game! Wonderful for working on rhythm without even realizing it! Available on iTunes. I used it with my rising 6th graders in Music Camp this week (all boys) and they loved it!!!
Quaver’s Marvelous World
I am so excited about this music teaching resource! If you are looking for a fun, fresh, new way to introduce music theory concepts to kids this is it! Although it is designed for classroom use, I am finding it very useful in private piano lessons. My students love the entertaining and engaging videos. There is also a companion website where kids can explore the music concepts in-depth, and it is so much fun!!! I cannot say that enough because with kids, it’s all about fun.
If you order the DVDs, you will get awesome teaching guides, worksheets, and access to online helps as well. A word of warning, though – the DVDs are expensive. Each DVD contains 2 episodes for about $69. I was so impressed with the youtube previews and their website that I felt it was worth the investment – especially since I can use it with all my students – and I am not disappointed! You can get more information on their website at www.quavermusic.com
Have you tried Quaver’s Marvelous World in your studio? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it and how you use it.
First Piano Lesson Activity: Piano Keyboard Pattern Cards
Young children often get confused at the piano and can’t remember where the notes are because they get lost in the sea of white keys. Of course as piano teachers we always direct them to look for the black key patterns of 2 and 3, so while reading a post from Sheryl Welles at Notable Music Studio I got an idea for this simple keyboard patterning game. It is great to use at a first piano lesson.
What you need:
Foam Sheets in 2 different colors (purchase at a craft store or a dollar store)
Piano Keyboard Printable (enough for 3-4 octaves)
Glue
Timer
The cards will look like this:
To Play:
After introducing the student to the 2 and 3 black key groups on the piano, use this quick game to test their understanding. Have them line up the cards in a keyboard pattern. Time them and see how fast they can do it!
To extend the learning, have them make a set to take home. At home they can teach younger siblings or parents the keyboard pattern!
The Music Store Field Trip
A Music Store Field Trip can be very exciting for a child who is learning to play the piano. The Music Store Field Trip is a lot different from a visit to the Piano Store because at the Music Store Field Trip you will get to experience other instruments in addition to the piano. If you live nearby a large music store then this is the field trip for you! It’s FREE, FUN, and Entertaining.
First you and your child/student will enjoy being around so many pianos. It’s a whole new world where playing in public can be a much different experience than the that of a piano recital. Also, the music store employees often gladly give FREE performances! It’s so awesome to see kids’ faces light up when they watch a good piano player play.
Next you can play the synthesizers and turntables and feel like you’re a recording artist! Kids love the fun digital sounds they can make!
At the music store we went to, they had these cool hand chairs –
A wall full of guitars makes you just want to try playing one – or two – or ten!
Getting Dad involved makes this field trip even more fun and cool! If Dad is doing it, it must be cool, right?
Sometimes kids don’t realize that there are more piano books out there besides the ones they use for their lessons. This information often motivates them to learn more songs!
The best part of the Music Store Field Trip? A happy, motivated music student!
So, take your kids or music students on a Music Store Field Trip – you will be so glad you did and they will too!
Have you ever taken kids on a Music Store Field Trip? If so, what one thing made it so awesome?
You’re Gonna Laugh At This!
While reading a few posts on Piano Addict, I came across this joke…
The doorbell rang and the lady of the house discovered a workman, complete with tool chest, on the front porch.
“Madam,” he announced, “I’m the piano tuner.”
The lady exclaimed, “Why, I didn’t send for a piano tuner.”
The man replied, “I know you didn’t, but your neighbors did.”
Undercover Piano Practice
Summer is… A Great time to change up the piano practice routine for kids
School is out and so are daily routines, but you know that piano practice must continue! So what’s a parent to do? Before you decide that piano just isn’t going to work out for your child because they don’t want to practice. do a google search for the nearest piano store – not music store, but piano store – and drive your kids over there! No piano books, just you and the kids. We wouldn’t want to make the kids think we are about to practice piano, now would we?
Can’t get your child to touch the piano at home? This will have him touching 5 or 6 pianos GLADLY!
Once you get to the store, it will seem like you’re in a candy store – no kidding! There’s something about a room full of pianos that can get a kid excited in a way that practicing piano just can’t. Check out these pics of our latest trip to the piano store (We actually went to price a new piano, but of course they played the pianos while we were there) –
By the way, I had a hard time getting my son to leave the piano store! Gotta love it!
Coming Up…
You might have noticed my daughter in one of the pictures with a model of the inner workings of a piano key. I’ll be writing about The Music Store Field Trip in an upcoming post. To guarantee you don’t miss it, subscribe to the blog and you will be notified as soon as it is posted!
Kids & Keys 