Month: October 2010

Printables, Studio Business

Just Added: Monthly Studio Expenses Record

Joy Morin

Just added to the Printables > Studio Business page:

Monthly Studio Expenses Record

Description:

This printable is designed to help track studio expenses.  Each month, a new copy of this form should be printed.  Throughout the month as expenses occur, the teacher can keep record of these expenses in the blanks provided.  Types of expenses include: piano maintenance, professional organization member fees, utility bills (for studio space), office supplies, and more.  At the end of the month, the totals can be summed at the bottom of the page.

Resources

Current Giveaways in the Blogosphere

Joy Morin

If you haven’t already seen these giveaways happening around the blogsphere, take a look below!

  • Natalie Wickham MusicMattersBlog.com is giving away six Suzuki violin cds (ends Thursday, October 14).  Click here to learn more.
  • Jenifer Cook at TheChurchPianist.com is giving away a copy of her book of intermediate level hymn arrangements, called “Showers of Blessings” (ends Friday, October 15).  Click here to learn more.

Best of luck and have a great weekend!

Announcements, Studio Business, Teaching Piano

A Peek into My Lesson Binder

Joy Morin

Today, I thought I’d share some pictures of my “lesson binder” that I use for keeping my teaching records/materials organized.  My current system is designed to be uber portable because I currently teach all my lessons on campus in a practice room.  When it’s time to teach, I grab my lesson binder from my office before greeting my student!

(click each picture to enlarge) Continue reading “A Peek into My Lesson Binder” →

Words of Wisdom

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

Joy Morin

“Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons. You will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body.”

— Oliver Wendell Holmes

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.

Music Theory, Printables, Worksheets

Just Added: Musical Terms Worksheet #2

Joy Morin

Just added to the Printables > Worksheets page:

Musical Terms Worksheet #2

This worksheet is intended for elementary level students who have learned basic note values and musical terms. The first section of the worksheet, which is Fill In The Blank, reviews the 10 terms which were introduced in Musical Terms Worksheet #1. The second section, Matching, introduces seven new terms: crescendo, decrescendo, ritardando, barline, double barline, repeat sign, and time signature.

Complete list of covered in this worksheet:

  • treble clef, bass clef
  • quarter note, half note, dotted half note, whole note
  • piano, mezzo piano, mezzo forte, forte
  • crescendo, decrescendo
  • barline, double barline, repeat sign
  • ritardando

Stay tuned – more muscial terms worksheets are to come in the upcoming weeks!

improving as a teacher

Go For the Sound

Joy Morin

Lately, I’ve been thinking about ways to keep students focused on the sound they are creating when they play and preventing them from becoming overly sight-oriented.  Being a good musician is so much more than accurately executing what is written in the score, after all.  Students should be learning to use their ears and listen to what sounds they are making too!

Here are somes thoughts I had for keeping focus on the sound during the piano lesson:
Continue reading “Go For the Sound” →