tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48531038581805558982024-03-13T07:22:46.393-05:00Music Teacher TalkSponsored by Whirligig, LLPAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449557389435276559noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-57174271160709185922014-01-27T12:43:00.000-06:002014-01-27T12:43:06.707-06:00Competitions and Performances<div class="MsoNormal">
At this time of year as I prepare my students for
performances and judging at music festivals, I find myself wondering about the
need for competitions. It adds stress to
what should be a relaxing enjoyment of music.
In addition to my own students, I accompany band and choir students so
it is a very busy time for me and the students.
I find that it takes a great deal of time away from their lesson materials
and gets us “off track” with theory and other concepts relating to music
instruction. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Our society is full of competition and I see the advantages
for some students. The truth is that I
give my students the option of competing or not. Most of them choose to participate in the
judging. It is very certainly an
opportunity for me to push them to achieve the most possible out of their
pieces and if it weren't for the "Specter of the judge”, I doubt whether they
would work as hard. It also is the only
time of the year that they perform for someone who really knows music, unlike
the warm and fuzzy audiences at concerts and recitals. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Truthfully, many of my students make larger strides during
this time as opposed to the rest of the year.
They are striving for an immediate goal and it appears to drive them to
work harder and care more. Without a
deadline, songs seem to take longer to learn and are often not learned as
musically. I tend to not hold them to
such high standards of performance for their regular lesson assignments. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I also find that having performances and competitions keep
the students working toward something instead of getting bored with lessons and
practice. The students gain confidence
as well as advancing skills after having a successful performance for
competitions. It likely prepares them
well for future challenges.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Having said all of that, I still am very ready for the
competitions to be finished. I write
this as I am sitting in my home office during yet another day of school being
canceled due to extreme cold. Our wind chill is around -30 degrees and it is
supposed to be colder tomorrow. Since my
studio is in a public school, my lessons are canceled automatically! Today I would have had 22 students and
another 15 tomorrow. Now I have another week before they will be
judged so the stress continues! I’m sure
they are all at home practicing……………………….and will be even more prepared next
week? There is no way that I could make
up that many lessons. It takes a toll on
my income but since I teach during the day at school, lessons are subject to
the school schedule.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our high school competition is in February and once that is
finished, we move on to planning recitals!
It never gets boring!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449557389435276559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-76250841952899152562012-09-24T08:00:00.000-05:002014-06-21T10:22:53.131-05:00A Memorable Lesson<br />
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<b>Amusing things that happen at lessons and recitals</b></div>
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Sometimes our students do or say things that are just too funny or memorable not to share! Often they will tell us things about their parents or families that I’m sure they wouldn’t want to be a topic of conversation -- if only they knew!</div>
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One of my students (a 6 year old girl) came to her piano lesson very distraught. I asked her what was wrong and if she needed my help with anything. She immediately began to cry very hard and told me that her mother left them! She said that now she had to live with her older brother. I replied that I was sure their mother didn’t really leave for very long but the little girl insisted that she was “gone forever and went very far away.” Generally she had wonderful lessons and was a very happy child. </div>
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Since my studio is in a school, after trying to reassure her, I walked her to the guidance counselor. After talking with both of them for awhile; I went to my next student. The counselor worked on getting her more settled down and then took her back to her classroom. After trying but failing to reach her parents, they set in motion an investigation of the situation. </div>
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A couple of days later, we found out that her mother went to another son’s graduation from basic training in the Army. It was in another state and she was staying for the weekend, hence the “far away and for a long time” comment from the little girl. We were so relieved when we found out the truth. This poor little one felt like she was deserted! If only we had known the whole story right away, we could have been much more helpful to her. She had me, the counselor, and her teacher feeling so bad for her and really coddling her for a couple of days! </div>
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This little girl is now an adult with children of her own, and we have a good laugh about it now. Some of what we hear from our little students is preciously exaggerated but also very real to them!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-64915186843955411372012-09-15T10:20:00.000-05:002014-06-21T10:23:45.458-05:00Stopping the Summer Slide<br />
<i>....from Sally's Studio</i><br />
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One Week Down!</h4>
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I am at the end of the first week of fall piano and guitar lessons. With the exception of one student who came to tell me that she isn't going to continue with lessons (5 minutes after it should have started), all is going well. After the challenge of the scheduling process, things went quite smoothly. Due to changes in their school schedules, I have had to adjust lessons several times but it has now stayed constant for almost two days! Hallelujah!</div>
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Ready for Action</h4>
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Many of my students took summer lessons and after taking a few weeks off at the end of the summer, are ready to jump right in again. It is so rewarding to see my more advanced students eager to get started on their challenging pieces for competitions. </div>
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Summer Slide</h4>
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Other students though, obviously haven't touched the piano since school let out last spring. I even had one 6th grader who, even though she has been playing "pops" during the summer, couldn't remember many basics! She was crushed at how much she had forgotten. It will take some intensive reviewing to bring these students back up to speed. I will use games (our Whirligig games of course!) among other things to make the review process more fun, but it still takes precious time. </div>
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Mandatory Camp?</h4>
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I am considering a mandatory end-of-summer camp for those who don't take summer lessons. The band director and I have been holding music camps for the last few years and they have been very successful. It would definitely make the first few lessons in the fall much more enjoyable for both me and my students. </div>
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So many people spend the summer running from one sporting event or practice to another. Several of them had tournaments every weekend as well! It always frustrates me that they can find the time to do that but not a few minutes to get their children to music lessons. I understand the value of being involved in team sports and physical activity -- I just wish it was not at the expense of their cultural arts training. </div>
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It would sure be nice if we could find a way for them to coexist! </div>
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<i>blog sponsored by Whirligig, LLP</i></div>
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<a href="http://www.whirligigllp.com/">www.whirligigllp.com</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-90631402920817407592012-08-19T15:00:00.000-05:002014-06-21T10:24:09.388-05:00Why Didn't I Think of That?......from Sharon<br />
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I know, I know, you are a music teacher, not a marketer! You love teaching. You love seeing the light in a student's eye as a difficult concept is finally understood. You love hearing the progress that your students are making as they practice and learn and grow. Marketing isn't something that comes so naturally. Unfortunately though, waiting for word-of-mouth references can make for a slow build-up to a studio.<br />
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Marketing is an important part of every business, and it can be difficult to get going in a good direction. Here are at least a few things that can be done to help get the ball rolling.<br />
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<h3>
Talk to the local schools (especially the music teachers)</h3>
As a parent (Sally is the music teacher in Whirligig, LLP), I find that I rely heavily on my children's music teachers (band directors) to help with finding private instruction. I hope that they will be able to give me some guidance as I don't even know where to begin to look. My children's band director puts together a list of suggested private instructors, and he appreciates any feedback he gets from parents as to the quality of the teacher. <br />
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Invite a local music teacher out for coffee and a muffin and discuss your experience and expertise. Leave some business cards and flyers that will link to a facebook page, website or blog so that the students can find more information about you.<br />
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Accompany for competitions</h3>
(Back to the local school's teachers again.) In my children's band programs, solo/ensemble competition is encouraged. With the exception of percussion, most of the instrument pieces require a piano accompanist. If the band teacher knows you are available and willing to work with the band students on polishing their pieces, that becomes a great reference for you. It is another way to get your name out there, and to potentially increase the number of students coming from word of mouth referrals.<br />
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<h3>
Senior Center</h3>
Are you interested in some more mature students? Perhaps someone who has always wanted lessons, but for some reason was unable to have them as a child or young adult. Now the retirees have some free time, disposable income, and a willingness to practice. Pinning a flyer on the notice board, leaving business cards, and maybe even volunteering to perform or having a recital at the Senior Center would be ways to let this group know of your interest and availability.<br />
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<h3>
Social Media/Website/Internet Marketing</h3>
The internet has become a source of everything these days. Our young parents have grown up with computers and don't think twice about looking online to find anything. Setting up a Facebook and/or Google+ page might be one free way to get an online presence. You can have your own personal page and from that account you can set up a business page. <br />
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Blogs are another way to go. Free blogs can be set up through a Google or Word Press account. There are templates that can be used so that you can enter your own content and go. You could keep that as kind of a message-board or "Note from the Teacher" that is directed toward your parents. Parents of potential students can then see what your studio is up to and perhaps see links to some of your policies and practices.<br />
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You can set up your own website. This will of course require a fee, and maybe even some design savvy. It is important that the site look professional and appealing. An unprofessional website can discourage people from investigating your services. Perhaps a parent of one of your students would be willing to help you set up a website.<br />
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If your community has a web page that features businesses, you might see if you can be included. You can see about becoming a part of a piano teacher web resource page like this one <a href="http://www.pianoteachers.com/">http://www.pianoteachers.com/</a><br />
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<h3>
Don't Give Up!</h3>
None of these methods are a "magic bullet" that will guarantee students in your studio. No matter what you do, expect it to take time, persistence and patience. The key is to hang in there and not give up!<br />
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Hope these thoughts help! Good luck with the new year!<br />
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<i>Looking for tools to help reinforce theory concepts? Check our our theory games at <a href="http://whirligigllp.com/" target="_blank">Whirligig, LLP</a>!</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-67651699237779369792012-08-12T17:14:00.000-05:002014-06-21T10:24:27.662-05:00Supplies for a New Start<div>
.....musings from Sharon</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MJ5kRmrzXYU/UCgeCeE7oxI/AAAAAAAABXo/T895tXk-eTI/s1600/coneflower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MJ5kRmrzXYU/UCgeCeE7oxI/AAAAAAAABXo/T895tXk-eTI/s1600/coneflower.jpg" /></a></div>
The summer days are slipping away s-o-o-o-o quickly. In spite of the heat this year it has been a wonderful few months. The sun, green trees, singing birds, chirping crickets, and beautiful flowers, are rejuvenating! Walking outdoors into a vibrantly colored landscape is something worth savoring.<br />
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While the shortening days, changing leaves, and back-to-school sales bring some sadness, there is also an excitement for the new school year and a fresh start. My kids are getting new supplies, shoes, clothes, teachers, and activities. Teachers and students alike are looking forward to the new school year with anticipation. It's time for new possibilities, to do a little better than last year, and to move upward and onward with a clean slate. </div>
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Music Teacher Marketing</h2>
It only seems fair that those who are teaching are able to get some new, fun supplies too. With that in mind I have hunted and scoured the print-on-demand store, Zazzle, in search of a few marketing tools for piano teachers. <br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>NOTE - Zazzle always has something on sale. If you aren't in a hurry, frequently check the Zazzle website for the current deal. You might save yourself a lot of money and get your marketing off to a good start!</i></span><br />
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<b>There's a Piano Teacher on my Street? Really?</b></h3>
For starters, I've found some yard signs to advertise your studio. How many people know that you give lessons in your house? How many people drive by on a daily basis who just might want to bring their children to a more convenient location....if only they knew that there was a teacher closer to home or school?<br />
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<i><span style="color: #cc0000;">NOTE- These yard signs do not come with stands included. The stand is an additional $1.95. It is found at the bottom of the right-hand column of the product page where it says "Add Yard Sign Frame"</span></i><br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/classy_black_and_white_keyboard_yard_sign-256059989256415978?rf=238346126203080503"> <img alt="Classy Black and White Keyboard Yard Sign" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/classy_black_and_white_keyboard_yard_sign-rc21a61b79a8f4a21b92e944299018235_fomuw_325.jpg?rlvnet=1&bg=0xffffff" style="border: 0px;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/classy_black_and_white_keyboard_yard_sign-256059989256415978?rf=238346126203080503">Classy Black and White Keyboard Yard Sign</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/lovescolor?rf=238346126203080503">lovescolor</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/custom/yardsigns?rf=238346126203080503">Make yard signs</a> online at Zazzle </div>
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/green_and_white_keyboard_teacher_yard_sign-256923099950671779?rf=238346126203080503" style="line-height: 150%;"><img alt="Green and White Keyboard Teacher Yard Sign" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/green_and_white_keyboard_teacher_yard_sign-r44178ac91e314020be3527f3f2ab8c7e_fomuw_325.jpg?rlvnet=1&bg=0xffffff" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/green_and_white_keyboard_teacher_yard_sign-256923099950671779?rf=238346126203080503">Green and White Keyboard Teacher Yard Sign</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/lovescolor?rf=238346126203080503">lovescolor</a> <br />
View additional <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/yardsigns?rf=238346126203080503">yard signs</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/custom_piano_lessons_yard_sign_ad-256759149895000304?rf=238346126203080503"> <img alt="Custom Piano Lessons Yard Sign Ad" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/custom_piano_lessons_yard_sign_ad-r8b9073bd8a31492489f9aa3ed23c24bc_fomuw_325.jpg?rlvnet=1&bg=0xffffff" style="border: 0;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/custom_piano_lessons_yard_sign_ad-256759149895000304?rf=238346126203080503">Custom Piano Lessons Yard Sign Ad</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/customsigns?rf=238346126203080503">CustomSigns</a> <br />
Browse another <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/yardsigns?rf=238346126203080503">yard sign</a> at Zazzle <br />
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Business Cards</h3>
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Along with yard signs, of course you will be wanting some business cards! Not only good for dropping in restaurants for a chance to win a free meal (and who wouldn't want that?), they are perfect to leave on bulletin boards of local schools and community centers.</div>
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It is possible to coordinate the look so that you can have matching yard signs and business cards for a consistent look.</div>
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/classy_piano_teacher_business_card-240136084478291424?rf=238346126203080503"> <img alt="Classy Piano Teacher Business Card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/classy_piano_teacher_business_card-p240136084478291424en84w_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/classy_piano_teacher_business_card-240136084478291424?rf=238346126203080503">Classy Piano Teacher Business Card</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/lovescolor?rf=238346126203080503">lovescolor</a> <br />
Browse more <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/piano+teacher+businesscards?rf=238346126203080503">Piano teacher Business Cards</a> <br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/piano_keys_music_business_card-240662657953996853?rf=238346126203080503"> <img alt="Piano Keys Music business card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/piano_keys_music_business_card-p240662657953996853en84w_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/piano_keys_music_business_card-240662657953996853?rf=238346126203080503">Piano Keys Music business card</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/blueplanet?rf=238346126203080503">BluePlanet</a> <br />
Browse <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/piano+businesscards?rf=238346126203080503">Piano Business Cards</a> <br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/piano_business_card-240496607306986428?rf=238346126203080503"> <img alt="Piano Business Card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/piano_business_card-p240496607306986428bh35f_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/piano_business_card-240496607306986428?rf=238346126203080503">Piano Business Card</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/queensbusinesscards?rf=238346126203080503">queensbusinesscards</a> <br />
View other <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/piano+businesscards?rf=238346126203080503">Piano Business Cards</a> </div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Looking for something specific?</h3>
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If you find a business card that you like, but can't find other matching pieces (yard sign, stickers, postage, etc), I have found that most of the designers at Zazzle are willing to go the extra mile and create a product at a customer's request. <br />
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That's one of the amazing and cool things about Zazzle -- you can have something that is customized to your needs! If you click any of the above products and then scroll down the page a bit, you will see the heading "Information from the Designer" along with the designer's Zazzle store name, store link, and contact information. Click on "Contact" and you can send an email to the designer whose style you like - and you can possibly get a design that is a little more customized to your needs. <br />
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No promises, not all designers are able or willing to do this. I do know though, as one of those designers, and as one who participates in the Zazzle forums, there are many, many designers who will be happy to work with you.<br />
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<i style="line-height: normal;">Looking for tools to help reinforce theory concepts? Check our our theory games at <a href="http://whirligigllp.com/" target="_blank">Whirligig, LLP</a>!</i></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-38581016952223558952012-08-05T14:28:00.001-05:002012-08-18T15:31:50.840-05:00Putting Together a Recital - Part 2.....from Emma's Studio<br />
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<span class="s1">Uncertainty does not sit well with me. Because I had never put together a recital at this location before (or anywhere else, for that matter), I spent a good portion of the recital day thinking along these lines: “…..I hope the parents like it….I hope my students come prepared….I hope they come in the first place…..I hope I don’t make a fool of myself…. I hope we have enough chairs… etc, etc, etc. However, when I showed up at the recital venue half an hour early, the music store employees had everything ready to go just as I had requested it. There were extra chairs out, a table to hold my refreshments, and a sink to fill up the water pitcher. The piano was set up and ready to go, and the students who showed up early had the opportunity to test it out beforehand. (See, all that worrying really paid off!)</span></div>
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<span class="s1">During the recital, we hit one snag, but I was able to use my improvisational skills to recover. Two of my students could not make the recital on time, and the other students finished playing before these two arrived. I filled the time by inviting any willing students to perform another piece. Surprise, surprise; it worked!</span></div>
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<span class="s1"> I am very proud of all of my students for showing up and participating, and some of them really surprised me with the attention to detail they put into their pieces. Only one of my students remembered the time we spent practicing how to finish the performance with a bow, but that leaves something to work on for next time. However, the best part for me was the appreciation shown by the parents after the recital. I am blessed to have such a supportive group of parents and students! </span><br />
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<span class="s1"><i>Looking for tools to help reinforce theory concepts? Check our our theory games at <a href="http://whirligigllp.com/" target="_blank">Whirligig, LLP</a>!</i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-52217512915043417332012-07-29T09:12:00.001-05:002012-08-18T15:32:05.661-05:00Putting Together a Recital: Part 1. . . . . . . . . from Emma's studio<br />
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<span class="s1">At the beginning of May, I had the opportunity to participate in my first piano recital as a piano teacher. One of my colleagues was generous enough to allow a few of my students to participate in her piano recital. After that experience, I decided to put together my own recital for the rest of my students. Little did I anticipate the challenges I would face…</span><br />
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<span class="s1"><b>Challenge number 1: Scheduling.</b> I suppose most teachers just pick a day and tell their students “This is the recital day. If you can make it, that’s great; if not, too bad, maybe next year.” However, I wanted to do my best to make sure that all of my students could participate (since I only had six), so I wound up changing the date twice, after several frantic emails and phone calls.</span><br />
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<span class="s1"><b>Challenge number 2: Location.</b> My studio is, as my mom so succinctly put it, “Mom’s living room.” Unfortunately, Mom’s living room is not set up to host four families of students without squishing people together. Fortunately, my local music store offers the use of its facility free to piano teachers for their recitals. Great! Right? Well, we all know what assuming does… I thought I would be free to pick whatever time I wanted. Instead, my choices were 6pm or 6:30pm, and as I was planning an early afternoon recital, these choices left my rather flustered. Oh well, I choose 6pm and made it work. </span><br />
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<span class="s1">The other challenge involved putting together a program for the recital. However, since my time in the education department at Wisconsin Lutheran College made me very adept at Microsoft Office Word and I had several previous programs of my own to use for reference, I skated through that challenge without much difficulty.</span><br />
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<span class="s1">Stay tuned for information on the recital itself….</span><br />
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<span class="s1"><i>Looking for tools to help reinforce theory concepts? Check our our theory games at <a href="http://whirligigllp.com/" target="_blank">Whirligig, LLP</a>!</i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-51602959454765039862012-04-16T15:50:00.001-05:002012-08-18T15:32:24.126-05:00A Little History . . .from Emma's Studio<br />
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Most people, once they graduate from college, do not find themselves willingly sitting down to write a research paper. However, two weeks ago I found myself spending many hours at the kitchen table writing a research paper on “Russian Music for Children.” The reason? My piano teacher (I still take piano lessons in addition to teach them) roped me into participating in his semi-annual thematic recital, this time focused on Russian music. After putting in the work to do my paper, I spent a pleasant evening with several of my fellow piano students listening to performances of Russian music and learning details about Russian music I had never heard before. <br />
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This thematic recital idea is a great one to use in piano studios for many reasons. For many students, it is a rather fun break from the traditional repertoire recital. A thematic recital also provides an opportunity for students to learn about a topic they might not otherwise explore, and share this information with their fellow students. I learned several things about Russian art music during my recital, including the fact that it did not really begin until the early 1800’s due to censorship by the church. I also learned that composers Rachmaninoff and Scriabin had the same musical training but came up with very different styles, and the Communist party’s emphasis on education caused many fine composers to write great music for children. I would recommend implementing this kind of recital in your piano studio because it gives students opportunities to learn from each other.<br />
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<i>Looking for tools to help reinforce theory concepts? Check our our theory games at <a href="http://whirligigllp.com/" target="_blank">Whirligig, LLP</a>!</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-7406699370692393482012-04-09T16:01:00.000-05:002012-04-09T16:01:43.970-05:00Patriotic Theme Recital<div class="p1">....from Sally's Studio <br />
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In 2002, my students really wanted to do Patriotic music. </div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">We had a screen placed on one side in front of the stage and the students chose pictures that portrayed the music they were performing. We used Power Point and had one person running that program on a laptop during the performances. That afforded them the opportunity to choreograph their own pieces. They made marks in the music to tell where each picture should change. It was a lot of work but added a very unique touch to the recital.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Since the attacks of 9-11 were very fresh in our minds, many of them wanted to use pictures of the World Trade Center and Pentagon and show the devastation. I reminded them that there was more to patriotism and encouraged a variety of scenes of America. They found many wonderful scenes and moods. The pride they had in their country was very evident.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">We expanded the theme to “The Music of America” so it allowed them to choose many kinds of music from ragtime through modern. It was a great way to explore American music and still let them include many patriotic pieces.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-7569873131707241772012-04-09T15:46:00.000-05:002012-04-09T15:46:45.929-05:00When Books Fail Me . . .<div class="p1"><span class="s1">from Emma's Studio</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">All throughout my time as a piano student, my teachers have seemed to know exactly what books to use with me. I never questioned their judgment, because everything they did worked. I comfort myself with the thought that my students think the same of me; however, after six months of teaching, one of the method books I chose for my middle school students has sputtered and died in its effectiveness. I saw it in the faces of my students as they slowly pulled out the book at the beginning of each lesson and struggled through each song. Nothing kills motivation faster than lack of progress! </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">I’ve asked myself “how was I supposed to know when I started that this would not work? I don’t know the answer to that question, but I think the more important question is “what am I doing about it now?” I have started using bits and pieces of another series with these students, along with other supplementary materials. I’ve also motivated one student by bringing in a simplified version of a song by his favorite band. Even if he practices nothing else, he will faithfully practice that song. </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">In addition, I am more than willing to take advice from other teachers. If any of you piano teachers have thoughts on this subject, I would love to hear them! </span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-58936677991417369092012-02-26T21:23:00.000-06:002012-02-26T21:23:54.620-06:00Musical Shout it Out<div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. . . from Sally's Studio</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In 2010 I had posted a number of entries about our Summer Music Camp <i>(check out our the blog archive links in the right-hand column to find the series)</i>. Since then, I have had requests to share this particular game in more detail - <i>Musical Shout it Out. </i> Here it is -- I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! </span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You can check the <a href="http://whirligigllp.com/Music%20Camp%20Ideas.html" target="_blank">Music Camp Ideas page</a> on our website for even more summer camp ideas.</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Musical Shout It Out</b></span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Our music camp students were divided into three different teams. We chose a team to go first and gave them a category (topic). They had three minutes to try to guess all the items in our list relating to the topic. If they guessed the complete list, their team received one point. If at the end of the time allotted, they didn’t guess everything, the other teams had the chance to steal the point for that topic. They had to shout out their guesses. If someone correctly identified one of the remaining things on the list, their team received the point.</span></span></div><div class="p2"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s1"></span></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s1">Before you read these categories, just a note -- our summer camp had musicians of all types. Some were piano students; others were in choirs or instrumentalists. </span>Camp was designed for basic music theory rather than piano students so our categories do not relate to just one instrument. Some of the items in the lists could be improved upon. Please feel free to share additional possibilities.</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Things related to tempo</span></b></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s2"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>andante, m</span>oderato, allegro, vivace, largo, andantino, allegretto,<br />
metronome, adagio, presto</span></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Things related to Dynamics</span></b></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s2"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>pp, </span>p, mp, f, mf, ff, crescendo, diminuendo, decrescendo, subito</span></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Kinds of notes</span></b></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s2">quarter, h</span>alf, whole, dotted half, eighth, dotted quarter, triplet,<br />
sixteenth, thirty-second, sixty-fourth</span></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Instruments in a band</span></b></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s2"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>flute, c</span>larinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, french horn,<br />
tuba, baritone (euphonium), snare drum, bass drum</span></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">String Instruments</span></b></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s2">violin, v</span>iola, cello, double bass, bass guitar, electric guitar,<br />
acoustic guitar, piano, harp, harpsichord, banjo</span></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Things relating to articulation</span></b></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s2">staccato, m</span>arcato, tenuto, accent, slur, legato, portato,<br />
staccatissimo, tie</span></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Things related to rhythm</span></b></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s2">beat, n</span>otes, rests, triplet, syncopation, pulse, upbeat, tempo,<br />
meter, down beat</span></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Things you would find in a band room</span></b></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s2">music stands, c</span>hairs, music, instruments, flags, metronome,<br />
tuner, white board (chalk board), director, students, sound equipment</span></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Things you would find in your music</span></b></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s2">notes, d</span>ynamics, slurs, repeat signs, titles, key signature, measures,<br />
clef signs, tempo marking</span></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Things you would find in a percussion section</span></b></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s2">snare drum, b</span>ass drum, cymbals, marimba, xylophone, maracas, tambourine,<br />
triangle, drum sticks, mallets</span></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Types of Music</span></b></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s2">rock, c</span>ountry, pop, hip hop, jazz, ragtime, march, dance, classical, rap</span></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Things you would find in a jazz band</span></b></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s2">trumpet, s</span>axophone, drums, piano or electric keyboard, bass guitar,<br />
electric guitar, clarinet, music stands, drum set, trombone</span></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Things relating to a marching band</span></b></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s2">uniforms, m</span>usic lyres, marches, hats, flip folders, drum major or majorette,<br />
flag bearers, drums, director, half time show</span></div><div class="p2"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="s2"></span></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s2"><span class="Apple-tab-span"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s2"><span class="Apple-tab-span"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s2"><span class="Apple-tab-span"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="p2"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Check out the <a href="http://whirligigllp.com/Music%20Camp%20Ideas.html" target="_blank">Music Camp page</a> on our website for more ideas!</span><span class="s2"></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-39449890271882454892012-02-26T14:16:00.001-06:002012-02-26T14:58:00.757-06:00Sharon's Picks - March!<div><div>Don't know about you, but when I was a kid (and my own children confirm that it is still this way), on St. Patrick's Day it was always wise to wear something green to school to avoid getting pinched. It doesn't seem to matter how much or how little green it is, but there must be something green on your person to avoid getting a pinch. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Curious about the significance of this particular tradition, I checked it out. I found that wearing green, of course, is supposed to make one invisible to leprechauns -- if they can't see you, they can't pinch you! </div><div><br />
</div><div>Some Protestants choose to wear orange on the traditionally green day. It is in honor of William of Orange (a Protestant), who was the victor in a battle against King James II (a Roman Catholic) <a href="http://www.intheagora.com/archives/2008/03/wearing_orange_on_st_patricks_day_go_ahead_and_pinch_me/" target="_blank">Read more here</a>. </div></div><div><br />
</div><div>In honor of this most-green (and a little orange) day. I have searched and found a variety of music-themed St. Patrick's Day products on Zazzle. It might be fun to be able to play a game with your students and give them a special St. Patrick's Day card, sticker, or button in honor of the month, or you might want to wear a special shirt in honor of the day! <br />
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There are some selections below, and more to be found on our website. <a href="http://www.whirligigllp.com/Accessories_Page%20St%20Patricks%20Day.html" target="_blank">Check it out!</a><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/lilt_card-137188095914600748?rf=238346126203080503"><img alt="Lilt card card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/lilt_card-p137188095914600748at8l_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/lilt_card-137188095914600748?rf=238346126203080503">Lilt card</a> </div><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/green_grand_piano_stickers-217696959617917864?gl=lovescolor"><img alt="Green Grand Piano Stickers sticker" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/green_grand_piano_stickers-p217696959617917864y4_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/green_grand_piano_stickers-217696959617917864?gl=lovescolor">Green Grand Piano Stickers</a><br />
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<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/green_and_orange_irish_pianist_tshirt-235234072238123819?gl=lovescolor&rf=238346126203080503"><img alt="Green and Orange Irish Pianist shirt" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/green_and_orange_irish_pianist_tshirt-p235234072238123819z88mq_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/green_and_orange_irish_pianist_tshirt-235234072238123819?gl=lovescolor&rf=238346126203080503">Green and Orange Irish Pianist</a><br />
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<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/green_electric_guitar_with_keyboard_button-145065341032961792?rf=238346126203080503"><img alt="Green electric guitar with keyboard button" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/green_electric_guitar_with_keyboard_button-p145065341032961792aei_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/green_electric_guitar_with_keyboard_button-145065341032961792?rf=238346126203080503">Green electric guitar with keyboard</a><br />
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Happy St. Patrick's Day! <a href="http://www.whirligigllp.com/Accessories_Page%20St%20Patricks%20Day.html" style="line-height: normal; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">More designs on our website!</a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-63355129956367130022012-02-21T20:06:00.000-06:002012-02-21T20:06:27.923-06:00Classical Music......something you hear every day<div class="p1">...from Sally's Studio<br />
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</span></div><div class="p1">One particularly fun recital theme I have used was based on a book titled “Classical Music for People Who Hate Classical Music”. Many people don’t even know that they have heard, and have loved, the classics. </div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">The term “Classical Music” is often used by untrained musicians to describe the more serious music or that of old masters such as Beethoven and Mozart. In this book, “Classical music” is really a term that refers to music anywhere from the earliest music to that of the contemporary composers. It helped to make the students more aware of what they are hearing in their daily lives. </div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">I live in a rural community that amazingly enough has many cultural opportunities. Within a 35 mile radius, we have opportunity to attend and experience multiple cultural events and performances. Even with that chance though, I find that much of the public is musically uneducated. They may enjoy music but it is more the kind of music that we hear on the radio……….pops and country. They are very surprised to hear that many songs used in cartoons, commercials, and the like, are really portions of famous classics. When we did this recital, people were saying things like -- "That is the pizza commercial song," or "That one is from Bugs Bunny cartoons"………etc. We can spark an interest in exploring the classics by doing a recital that uses famous themes. </div><div class="p2"><br />
</div><div class="p1"><i>Theme and Variations</i> by Haydn was included in one of my recitals. A beginner student played the theme followed by more advanced students doing the variations. We had two pianos on stage. When one student was performing the following student was getting ready on the other piano. We kept the variations going without interruption. It was a big hit! I have also had younger students playing an arrangement of one of the classics followed by a more advanced student doing the original version. It gave the opportunity to show how music can be arranged at different levels. </div><div class="p2"><br />
</div><div class="p1">I had the students each introduce their own pieces by telling about the composer and something that they really liked about the composition. Some of the students were reluctant to speak in front of an audience but after doing so, they found that it wasn’t as hard as expected when they prepared in advance. It was good to have the older students do research on their songs to find out about the selection as well as more about the composer. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-48569146329166002712012-02-05T09:01:00.001-06:002012-02-05T09:04:25.945-06:00Contemporary Composer Recital Theme.....from Sally's Studio<br />
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Often we concentrate on the “old masters” when it comes to performance-worthy songs. I have recently begun to have recitals that instead highlight the music of current composers. <br />
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The first such recital featured the music of Kevin Olson. He has written a wealth of music for pianists ranging from beginners through late intermediate and beyond. My students love his pieces and were eager to learn more about him. We discussed the things he did with his compositions to make them unique. It gave me a chance to explain more about form and harmonic structure along with the aspects that made his music different from that of other composers. For example, his <i>Sonatina in Colors</i> afforded the opportunity to make the sonata form a concept that they could easily understand but relate it to contemporary music. <br />
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My students were so surprised to find out that he lived in Illinois, right next to their home of Wisconsin (he has since moved to Utah)! Our students have always performed music by composers from Europe or other “far away places” but to think that a real composer was that close and actually alive now, was very exciting to them. In addition, I talked with Kevin and he had offered to come and speak to them. We tried to arrange a time for that but since my schedule was so busy, we weren’t able to connect at that time. He wrote a letter to my students that we read at the recitals. <br />
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When our recital is featuring the music of one or two composers, I have contacted them. They are always willing to send a message to the students which I include in the recital program. This makes it very special and makes the composer more “real” to them.<br />
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Like many of you, we are in the process of choosing the theme for this year. We are considering Robert Vandall music. In addition, Bob has offered that I could send the music to him and he would autograph the students’ books and sheet music and send them back to me. What a great memento for them!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-43414260527303371052012-01-30T20:36:00.004-06:002012-01-30T20:40:49.968-06:00Recital Management . . . for over 80 students!<b>.....from Sally's Studio</b><br />
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I hold 4 different recitals each year to keep them each to a manageable length. The first (for the advanced students) is on a Friday evening. Much to my distress, I have found that many people don’t appreciate the more serious pieces and what it takes to get them learned. Often I have heard that the songs were too long and boring. I have learned that if I identified the evening recital as being one with serious music and that it would potentially be a longer event, I had an audience that was appreciative of the higher level music. The other three recitals are on Saturday. The Saturday recitals are shorter and a little less formal; although all students are still expected to dress up and follow common performance practices. The students and parents are always honored to “graduate” to the Friday night recital.<br />
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<b>Theme and decorating and program, oh my!</b><br />
Every year we try to find a recital theme. My students enjoy decorating the recital venue and designing the programs. Some years I have held a program cover design contest. Anyone who wanted to submit a design had to do so a month before the recital. Sometimes I chose the winner and sometimes have had a panel of judges do the choosing - to avoid any feelings of favoritism among my students. They enjoyed competing for the honor of seeing their artwork on the cover. Since the programs are often in black and white, I have at times let the students color them while they waited for their lessons. It gave them some ownership of the programs.<br />
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Even though we generally have a theme, not all students play pieces that are connected to it. The advanced recital rarely is associated with the current theme, but the other students love to choose music that matches the theme-of-the-year. At times they even dress to match the theme or the feel of their song. <br />
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<b>Ensemble - yes!</b><br />
Each student plays a solo and then performs with an ensemble. Since my studio is in a public school I have access to them throughout the day, making ensemble work readily available. I understand the limitations of teachers who work out of their homes, but I highly recommend trying to find a way to get ensembles to work. It is worth the effort since much of piano playing is a solitary event. My students really enjoy working on duets, trios, and quartets. When we put our advanced or intermediate students together on pieces like Perpetual Commotion by Kevin Olson, they have tons of fun!<br />
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<b>Stay Tuned!</b><br />
More is coming on my recitals and themes. I would love to have input from any of you who would also like to share your recital successes!<br />
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written by Sally RitchieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-19555663043381036222011-12-19T19:42:00.000-06:002011-12-19T19:42:28.658-06:00Looking BackWith a few months of teaching experience under my belt, I think it’s time to do a little reflecting on my experiences so far. Not only have I been teaching piano lessons, I am also in charge of the musical education of a group of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students with wide ranging musical backgrounds. Teaching them has forced me to think about not only what I teach my students, but also HOW I teach them. As I learned from my undergraduate education classes, the instructional methods matter just as much as the lesson content. In my individual piano lessons, I can rely on method books to provide a reliable order for presenting material to beginning students. (I find myself appreciating more and more the piano teachers who design these method books.) However, even here, I end up making adjustments, and I am just working with one student at a time. When teaching in the classroom I also have a curriculum to work with, but it does not allow for differences in content knowledge and ability. So, what have I learned so far? Here are a few words of wisdom from the ever-growing knowledge base of Emma Veers, piano teacher:<br />
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Less is more, both in the classroom and in the piano studio. It is better to address one main point from a variety of angles than to try to address several points in one lesson. I still struggle with this when trying to work on a piece of music with a piano student, I want to fix all of the problems I see at once, but I often end up overwhelming the student. Not a good thing!<br />
Too slow is better than too fast. While neither is great, it is better for a student to be confident and bored than totally lost. It is good to give students plenty of opportunity to practice a new concept, especially the idea of reading music. This works for individuals and group classes. <br />
When working with a group class, introduce concepts in engaging ways. This way the students who already know the concepts will still enjoy the class, and they might even learn something new.<br />
I am the teacher, and as such, I need to have confidence in my knowledge and my teaching abilities. If a student comes up to me and says, “I saw a boy playing piano on TV and he didn’t hold his hands the way you want me too,” this should NOT cause me to doubt my own methods. (True story, by the way.)<br />
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Slowly but surely, I am learning from my mistakes and gaining confidence in my abilities as a teacher. Just today I had a student come to her lesson full of enthusiasm because my practice technique of breaking the piece into small, two-measure pieces actually worked! It’s times like these that make me realize just how much I enjoy teaching . Stay tuned for more thoughts from this enthusiastic teacher over the next several months!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-73361345480742308322011-10-16T22:12:00.000-05:002011-10-16T22:12:34.916-05:00Not What, WHO“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” As all college graduates should know, networking is the key to success in today’s job market. This is especially true for piano teachers trying to build a studio, because parents usually want someone they can trust teaching their children. Although I don’t have many students yet, here are a few ways I have begun making contacts in the Denver area.<br />
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In college, I became a student member of Music Teacher’s National Association (MTNA). When I graduated and moved to Denver, I transferred my membership from a collegiate membership to an active membership in the Denver area. Little did I realize how beneficial this would be! A few weeks later, the president of the local MTNA chapter called me and welcomed me to the group. I attended the first meeting of the year, where I met several fellow music teachers. Many of them have offered to pass along my name as their own personal piano studios fill up. <br />
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In addition to networking with fellow music teachers, it makes sense to go where the students are….school! I have left my name and contact information with several of the local school music teachers. <br />
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Finally, my biggest connections have come through my church. Never underestimate the power of volunteering when making connections. At the beginning of the school year, I began volunteering my services as the music teacher to the 4th-8th grade students at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran School. Two weeks later….ta-da! I was asked to take on five new piano students from the school. <br />
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The key to successful networking is to never give up; always be on the lookout for new contacts, especially in the world of music teaching. If you have any more networking suggestions for me; please let me know!<br />
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Guest Blogger, Emma VeersUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-31329732865317478752011-08-13T17:39:00.000-05:002011-08-13T17:39:50.000-05:00Musings of a Beginner<i>Our guest blogger is Emma Veers. She graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee, WI, in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in Educational Studies and minors in piano pedagogy and mathematics. Following graduation, she moved to Golden, CO, with plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Piano Pedagogy. In the meantime, Emma has taken on the challenge of setting up a piano studio from scratch in an area where she has few connections. Readers in the greater Denver area, feel free to help her out!</i><br />
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Although I’ve taken piano lessons continuously for the past fifteen years, I never realized the amount of work my teachers put into my lessons until I attempted to take on the noble teaching profession myself. Even my piano pedagogy classes in college did not fully prepare me for setting up my own studio and taking on paying students. Here are a few examples where experience proved to be the best guide.<br />
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In my first piano pedagogy class, my professor required that we put together a potential “studio policy.” However, writing down rules that I thought I might want to include in my future policy differed greatly from actually putting a policy into practice. Before putting a policy into practice, the teacher needs to have a means of enforcing this policy. (Teaching reminds me of parenting in this respect; don’t make promises or threats if you have no means of following through!) For example, when it comes to paying for lessons, I state in my policy that payment is due at the beginning of the month for the entire month. However, if a parent says “oh, I’m sorry, I forgot to bring my checkbook this week, can I pay you next week?” I have to trust that this parent will pay me eventually unless I have a solution in place, such as a late payment fee.<br />
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Then there is the task of selecting method books to use. Unfortunately, this decision is complicated by the fact that many, many method books exist, each with slight differences that tend to trip up the unsuspecting rookie teacher. I learned this the hard way when I tried Hal Leonard’s new series “American Popular Piano” last year with a beginning eighth grade student. As I glanced through the series, I thought its hands on approach and use of popular sounding music would be perfect for motivating my student. Unfortunately, this series would have been easier to use as a supplementary series than a standalone series, and this made my lesson planning difficult. Oops! <br />
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Speaking of lesson planning, do experienced teachers actually write “lesson plans” for each of their students before each lesson? When I took piano lessons, it always seemed that my teachers would just open up to the next page in my lesson book and teach from that. However, now I need to write notes to myself before I teach each lesson, or I find myself blanking on what to say next.<br />
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These are just a few of the “surprises” I have encountered so far in my first year of teaching. Stay tuned for more as the year unfolds :)<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-64528129070874082122010-10-10T15:16:00.001-05:002014-06-21T10:26:19.943-05:00Charter School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
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I have the opportunity to set up the music lab for a new charter school and am really excited about doing the research that will be required. Since I am on the governance board for the new charter school, I'll have some control over what is included. I would love input from anyone who has experience with this situation.<br />
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I have several contacts but one can never have too many suggestions. It will be a wonderful opportunity to give a great experience to students who don't do well in the traditional classroom environment.<br />
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Sally RitchieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-68414234995438154502010-10-10T15:07:00.001-05:002014-06-21T10:26:40.436-05:00ScoringPoints were given for each activity in our camp. We had thought of using music money but my problem with that is that I did not want them equating their progress with money. <br />
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We decided to use pony beads. We gave them out throughout the camp........we actually didn't have any method for that other than the fact that everyone would get beads for each activity. The winning team would get the most but each team got beads for trying. The students really got into choosing their beads and stringing them on the necklaces that they wore during camp. At the end, we gave ribbons to the top three bead-earners, but each camper got some small prizes.<br />
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Just a note here: next year I would have them leave their bead necklaces at the camp instead of taking them home to bring back the next day. As I should have expected, two of the kids forgot their beads for the last day. We did eventually get them back to use for next year.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XQIMEw1QFSo/TLIcvuCBQrI/AAAAAAAAAC8/ytOOB7oqFOo/s1600/girl-guitarist-reduced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>And that brings me to a summary of camp. Both Bradd and I were extremely pleased with the camp. The students really were excited about it and we have had several requests to do it again next year. Our administration was very supportive and would like it to be a regular part of the summer program offered at school. We have ideas for other camps and since now we will have their help to get the information to our students, we should have an even better turn out for next year. It was probably best that we had this year with a smaller group (we had 24 campers) so we could see how it worked. We will be doing a camp wrap up together to file our materials and thoughts as to what worked best and what didn't work as well as we would have liked. We did many things that I haven't mentioned in the blog but anyone who would like to know more can contact us.<br />
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Sally Ritchie </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-34157903687919651032010-09-05T20:09:00.001-05:002014-06-21T10:26:53.740-05:00Note NamesOur introduction to note names began with the grand staff and an expanded explanation as to why some of the campers use only one clef for their instruments. Note naming exercises were done as a group before moving on to any of the note name games.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>Stinky Sock Revisited</b></span><br />
Revising the Stinky Sock game involved changing the slips of paper to include words made by using the letters A through G. The camper that was left holding the sock when the music stopped had to choose a paper and spell that word on the staff using notes <i>(more details on this game in the previous post)</i>. <br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>Note Name Relay Race</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.whirligigllp.com/NoteWordy%20Description.html">NoteWordy Level 3</a> (Whirligig, LLP game) card decks were perfect for playing a note name relay race. Each team for this game consisted of two campers.<br />
<ul><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XQIMEw1QFSo/TIQ6g72iMzI/AAAAAAAAACQ/OeK5Fkrxgqo/s1600/notewordy-cards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XQIMEw1QFSo/TIQ6g72iMzI/AAAAAAAAACQ/OeK5Fkrxgqo/s200/notewordy-cards.jpg" height="89" width="200" /></a>
<li>The first player on the team looked at the first word on a prepared "word list."</li>
<li>He or she then chose the "note" cards from the <a href="http://www.whirligigllp.com/NoteWordy%20Description.html">NoteWordy Level 3</a> card deck which would spell the first word. </li>
<li>With "note" cards in hand, he or she ran to the other side of the room.</li>
<li>Once there, the "note" cards were used to spell the "word list" word for the teammate. </li>
<li>The second player had to write down the word that the cards spelled. </li>
<li>Play continued with the second player choosing a word from a prepared "word list." </li>
<li>When "time" was called the team that had the most correct words won! </li>
</ul>
We let the players choose the clef that they would be using for band lessons..........unless they were piano players in which case, they used the entire grand staff. It was very gratifying to see how much they improved with note identification in just three days!<br />
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Campers could take home note naming worksheets for extra points. I had made some note name sheets on which each measure spelled a word. To keep some campers from just guessing at the words rather than actually figuring out all note names, some of the words were spelled backwards.<br />
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Sally RitchieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-48246885121432838102010-08-29T11:13:00.001-05:002014-06-21T10:27:23.552-05:00Music Terms and SymbolsTrying to find different ways of presenting and reinforcing music terms and symbols in an exciting way, proved to be a little more difficult. Our beginner group had very little knowledge of this concept and was a bit overwhelmed with trying to learn them in a short time. For the students with previous music lessons it was easier since we could just expand on what they already knew.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000;">Stinky Sock</span></span></b><br />
We began by introducing the basics and then played a game called <i>Stinky Sock</i> (I had seen it mentioned on a Yahoo piano teacher chat group forum). <br />
<ul><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XQIMEw1QFSo/THmuf6aSkSI/AAAAAAAAACI/0DLAWekwsBI/s1600/stinky-sock-erased-reduced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XQIMEw1QFSo/THmuf6aSkSI/AAAAAAAAACI/0DLAWekwsBI/s320/stinky-sock-erased-reduced.jpg" /></a>
<li>Different music terms, symbols, and questions were written on small pieces of paper which were then placed in the very dirty sock. </li>
<li>Music played while the students passed (mostly actually threw) the sock around the circle. </li>
<li>When the music stopped, whoever had the sock had to take a piece of paper out of the sock and do whatever was on the paper (the paper might say to give an example for the term "forte" and the player would need to talk loudly). </li>
<li>Fun instructions were included in with the music terms, symbols, and questions -- hop three times before you can throw the sock or turn around twice before giving the sock to the next person. </li>
<li>Anyone who answered incorrectly was out and moved on to a different game designed to work more on music terms. </li>
</ul>
Our afternoon group which consisted of 6th and 7th graders had the same game but with a different set of terms. All of the campers had a great time with <i>Stinky Sock</i>. It was a favorite and we found that we could use it for other concepts as well.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">Memory Game</b></span><br />
The card deck from The Whirligig, LLP game <a href="http://whirligigllp.com/Legato%20Lake%20description%20page.html">Legato Lake Level 2</a> was used to play a memory game.<br />
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We separated the cards into categories. Approximately half of the terms from the deck were used each time we played so that the games didn't take too long. For our beginning students we started with the more basic terms. The more experienced group used the half of the deck with more advanced terms. They were still all playing the same game at the same time so it wasn't obvious to them that there were different levels.<br />
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I had worried that it would be much too tame in comparison to the other more active games but the students really enjoyed it. I think it was good to have a combination of very active and then more calm activities.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Music Category Game</span></b></span><br />
Bradd and I made a Music Outburst type game. It is a game where teams are given a category and have to "yell" words that relate to the category.<br />
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Some examples of our categories were<br />
<ul>
<li>name things related to rhythm </li>
<li>things relating to tempo </li>
<li>things you would find in a band room </li>
</ul>
We had ten terms relating to each category and the students received one point for each that their team got right. Rules allowed the other teams to capture points by guessing an answer that the currently answering team couldn't get right. It made for a very animated game and was a good way to reinforce music terms. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Worksheets</span></b></span><br />
We made many worksheets for the campers to do if they were out of a game early or just to take home and bring back finished for extra points. I'll explain our scoring method in a later blog entry.<br />
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Sally RitchieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-56923846936213912902010-08-21T19:50:00.003-05:002014-06-21T10:27:38.163-05:00Rhythm!After the first day of camp we were able to do more activities rather than so much instruction.<br />
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The second day began with a short review of note values for our beginners and then added more emphasis on eighth notes. After some counting practice, we played a game called Telephone which was one of the <a href="http://www.tcwresources.com/">TCW games</a> (I can't find a link to that game or I would put that in). I had purchased a set of children's handbells and thought they would work well for this game. Each child was given a rhythm card and when the operator called his or her rhythm on his bell, the student with that rhythm would have to ring it back right away or get disconnected. It was fun! We had several players get disconnected, but when they heard that ring again, they could beg to be reconnected. We stressed that they really had to sound very sincere so it got pretty animated. The students had a great time with that.<br />
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Another rhythm activity combined a drum circle and the rhythm cards from the <a href="http://www.whirligigllp.com/Rhythm%20Riot%20Descriptions.html">Rhythm Riot</a> game (Whirligig game). We divided the campers into groups of three and gave them a rhythm to practice. We had a "beat keeper" on the bass drum and the rest each had different drums and rhythm instruments. The beat keeper kept going but we signaled when each group was added or taken out. Without exception, the students enjoyed the activity. It helped to get them more independent with rhythm.<br />
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During the week, the students played an echo game where each team (they were divided into three teams) was given a few <a href="http://www.whirligigllp.com/Rhythm%20Riot%20Descriptions.html">Rhythm Riot</a> cards and they had to perform the rhythms on the cards. The other teams had to echo that rhythm without seeing it. It was a great listening game. <br />
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We also did a bell circle...................giving each student a different rhythm and they had to keep the bells going by taking turns playing the rhythm on their cards. Any player who couldn't keep the circle going was out. After a short time, everyone would move to the bell on their right and get a different rhythm.<br />
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I wrote a "<i>Jammin' Rap</i>" and had some fun with rhythm in a different type of format. The more advanced group actually choreographed their parts for the rap and we did a performance for the fathers when they came to pick them up on the last day. It was really cute!<br />
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Of course the big hit for the camp was the trash can game. It was done similar to a drum circle but each student had a pair of drum sticks and they were playing their rhythms on trash cans. The cans were different sizes and even included some plastic garbage cans for a different sound. It was exciting for them (and extremely loud). They wanted to sound good though and so tried very hard. By the end of camp it was sounding great! We were amazed at how well they did!<br />
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More to come on activities for other concepts that were covered!<br />
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Sally RitchieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-26048831674765861382010-08-16T22:09:00.008-05:002014-06-21T10:27:53.640-05:00Music Camp GoalsBradd (our band director) and I began to plan by considering what skills we thought needed the most attention. Bradd was very definite about wanting to spend a large portion of time working on rhythm. We decided that we would have some rhythm exercises and games at the beginning of camp each day and end up with a rhythm performance type of activity at the end of each camp day. <br />
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Bradd had started a "high school trash can group" that performed often at athletic events in place of some of the pep band numbers. It was always a bit hit...........no pun intended. The kids were all eager to try it so we thought that this would be a great way to get them interested in polishing their rhythm skills. We were right about that being an exciting prospect for them.<br />
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Our goal was to teach music concepts long enough for the campers to "get it" but not go long enough for them to get restless with that part of camp. We then planned to use games and activities to drill those concepts. That turned out to be a successful way to address the camp.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Note Values</span></b></span><br />
After introductions and sharing our basic goals with the campers, I began with introducing note values and explaining how we count. Since some of the students were new to reading music we divided campers into two groups. We felt that everyone would benefit from that presentation even though it would be a review for some of them. Bradd then took the campers who were already in private lessons and worked on subdividing beats and eighth notes while I did easier counting exercises with the beginner group. Bradd used the <a href="http://www.whirligigllp.com/Rhythm%20Riot%20Descriptions.html">Rhythm Riot</a> game to drill while I used the <a href="http://www.whirligigllp.com/Rhythm%20Riot%20Descriptions.html">Rhythm Riot</a> game cards with some drums and other rhythm instruments to help the new students. <br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>The Staff and Note Reading</b></span><br />
After the rhythm section of camp, we went on to introduce the staff and note reading. We had decided to present the grand staff and to teach them to read notes on both treble and bass clefs. The goal was to give them a better understanding of why they don't all use the same staff. It worked really well, although later we did concentrate on the staff that they used for their chosen instrument. When we had them doing the note name sheets, all notes were presented on a grand staff. If anyone is interested in seeing how the sheets were set up, just let me know and I'll post them. We did some note name relay races and other games using note identification during camp.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Music Terms and Symbols</span></b></span><br />
We moved on to music terms and symbols with an introduction of basic terms and again did some games. I'll go into more detail about what games we did and how we used them in a future blog.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">Snacks</b></span><br />
We gave the students two breaks during the three hour camp and had told them ahead of time that they could bring a snack and something to drink for those breaks. We felt that it would work better that way rather than to increase the cost of camp to include snack items. This way the campers had things they liked and we kept the cost down.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>Rhythm </b></span><br />
As planned, we ended up with rhythm for the last 30+ minutes of camp. We weren't sure what rhythms we could pull off so were prepared with many different rhythm cards, enabling us to take them as far as possible. Since the drum circles and trash can groups would require them to be very independent with their rhythm combinations, we knew we would have to get them very secure before putting them together. The first day was a little tenuous but they soon adapted to counting aloud and were having a great time with it.<br />
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At the end of each day, we detailed plans for the following day of camp and discussed which things went well and which didn't work the way we had planned.<br />
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Sally RitchieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853103858180555898.post-65548760616592830562010-08-14T11:54:00.003-05:002014-06-21T10:28:12.875-05:00Ending with a Bang! Music Camp - Day 3Our summer music camp ended up with a "real bang"! We put together a trash can band and the students loved it without exception! We were even successful at getting the beginners to perform dotted rhythms independently and at having team competitions on the trash cans. <br />
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Both the band director and I consider the week a wonderful success! We were both tired out though and are ready to have some quiet time. We intended to teach note reading, music terms and symbols, and more complicated concepts, but our main focus was on rhythm. I have already had one of my beginning guitar students in guitar class after he attended camp, and I was amazed at the difference in him! I am eager to see how beginning band lessons next week turn out.<br />
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We are going to do an evaluation this week and discuss what worked and what had to be changed or modified. Next week I am hoping to go into more detail about what we did with the students. We asked what they liked best about this week and which things they didn't care for. The younger group was so excited and were eager to tell us that they liked everything! A couple of students in the older group said that they liked the worksheets the least, but at the same time they could see benefits from having done them. <br />
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I am sure that we will do this camp next year along with a couple of other camps. We had a few students ask if we could do one for older students. This one focused on 3rd-7th grade but could easily be changed to include high school students.<br />
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Two of my piano students want to help with the camp next year and the student that helped this year wants to be included again next summer. Jennifer, this year's helper, is off to college but the other two will be juniors in high school so will be a big help.<br />
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Sally RitchieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0