I have a new game to share today: Piano Finger Twister!
This game was inspired by a "Finger Twister" Happy Meals toy I found at a thrift store recently. I saw it…
I've been wanting a floor staff for a long time. Now I finally have one!
Here's the materials I used:
oblong vinyl tablecloth (mine is 52'' x 90'') or a shower curtain.…
Today, I have a fun little printable and tutorial to share just in time for Valentine's Day.
The ladies in my Bible Study decided to hold a Craft Night last Friday,…
As piano teachers, we wear many hats. School teachers often teach only one age group, or a few age groups. Piano teachers are usually expected to be able to teach…
I've mentioned before that during grad school, I took an Early Childhood Music course. One of the things we discussed was using the "sound before sight" philosophy - where the…
Last time, we shared our favorite pieces of technology! It's never too late to add your thoughts, so feel free to jump in the conversation if you haven't already!
This time,…
A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from a reader asking advice regarding planning a studio recital for the first time. For the sake of others who might be in…
Last week's Forum Q&A post was about saying "no" to potential students, and we received some great responses! Click here to check them out. Here's today's discussion topic:
Advances in technology…
Okay, so I've been thinking about this topic for a few weeks now, and today I'm spilling all! Sorry about the length. =)
Don't Make My Mistake!
When I first…
“Music is nothing separate from me. It is me… You’d have to remove the music surgically.”
– Ray Charles
Every Wednesday brings Words of Wisdom here at the Color in my Piano blog in the form of a musical quote or joke, intended to bring inspiration or humor to the middle of your week. Have suggestions? Send an email off to admin[at]colorinmypiano.com.
A reader asked if I could share a sample of a studio newsletter, so here’s a few screenshots! Click the thumbnails below to view each page larger:
For most newsletters, I also include a list of music events going on in the community. I think it’s great for students and their families to hear and be inspired by good performances! Here’s a post with other ideas for what to include in studio newsletters.
I created this newsletter using a template in Microsoft Word.
Happy Valentine’s Day! I have a free printable to share today…
This is a set of simple worksheets for having students learn to draw various music symbols. The worksheets can be used singly or in groups, depending on what concepts your students are currently learning. I would encourage students to use colorful crayons to draw the symbols.
Here are the symbols covered on each page:
If you have suggestions for more symbols to include in additional worksheets, let me know!
To download this set of worksheets, visit the Printables > Worksheets page and scroll down to the G’s for “Gallery of Music – Symbol Drawing Worksheets.”
P.S.: I received an email yesterday from the MTNA Collegiate Chapter at Butler University, asking if I’d send a link to the survey they created about online marketing for piano teachers. They are looking for responses to help them with a session they will be presenting at the MTNA National Conference in NYC next month. Please take a minute of your time to help them out! http://tinyurl.com/butlersurvey2012
P.S.S.: Today is the last day to sign up to attend the MTNA National Conference at the early registration discount! Visit mtna.org to learn more. Hope to see you in NYC!
Have you ever have a student play a piece with frequent hesitations throughout, even though you know they can play much better than that? This phenomenon can occur with all ages/levels of students. Why does this happen? What is going on when this happens? This article will examine possible causes of and solutions for a lack of fluency.
A lack of fluency could be caused by a number of things: (1) a lack of the proper technique required for the executing the piece, (2) a lack of familiarity of the notes of the piece, (3) a tempo that is too fast for the student’s ability at that moment, or (4) a lack of mentally “chunking” the information on the page properly. The analogy I use to refer to Number 4 is that the students feels like they are wearing horse blinders, or are mentally experiencing tunnel vision.
When I shared about my method of lesson planning for groups classes a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned a Hello Song and Goodbye Song that I use with my young students. Someone asked which ones I use, so I thought I would let you hear them in this quick video:
HELLO SONG
Hello, it’s time,
For music class today.
Let’s have, some fun,
With ____, _____, and ______. (Fill in blanks with students’ names.)
GOODBYE SONG
Goodbye everybody, yes indeed,
Yes indeed, yes indeed.
Let’s make music again next week,
Yes indeed my friends.
Goodbye ____. (Fill in with student’s name. Repeat this line as needed, then sing the first 4 lines again.)
There are lots of different Hello and Goodbye Songs out there to choose from – just google it and you’ll see! These were just two that I liked that I found somewhere online.
“My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary.”
– Martin Luther
Every Wednesday brings Words of Wisdom here at the Color in my Piano blog in the form of a musical quote or joke, intended to bring inspiration or humor to the middle of your week. Have suggestions? Send an email off to admin[at]colorinmypiano.com.
I recently started to do some in-depth planning for the summer camps I plan to offer this summer! My studio policies provide students with two options for the summer months (June-August):
Because I have such a range of ages/levels in my studio, I decided to make my camps very flexible so that students of a wide range of musical backgrounds (even those with no music background) can attend camp. When my studio is larger, I will probably design camps for certain ages/levels. For this year, I think it’s best to be flexible. I’m encouraging my students to invite their friends to attend camp and I’ll put posters around town too. I’m hoping for a turnout of about 4-8 students attending each camp.
Below are the descriptions I came up with for each camp. What do you think — do they sound like fun?! :) Read More
Susan Johannessen shared this cute variation of the Piano Valentine idea I shared on Monday on the ColorInMyPiano facebook page…
Love this!!
If you have photos of the valentines you’d made, please send them to me at admin[AT]colorinmypiano.com. I would love see your creativity!
Joy is a pianist and teacher in Ohio with great passion for helping students experience the wonders of music making! Here at Color In My Piano, she enjoys sharing and exchanging ideas and resources for piano teaching.
