One of the questions that arose during the presentation about music games (see the handout here) that I gave last week for the Summit County OMTA chapter and at the 2014 MusicEdConnect.com conference was…
How do you organize your games?
You may remember some months back when I blogged about finding this little filing cabinet at a second-hand store. Here is how I decided to use all those wonderful drawers:
Those drawers contain materials for games that can be played during private lessons with students. It sits next to me where I teach at the piano. The six drawers are currently categorized:
- Office Supplies — colored pens, Post-It notes, notepads, etc.
- Props/Improv [pictured below] — Japanese puzzle erasers, various props for teaching hand shape, Rory’s Story Cubes (thanks goes to a reader who recently sent me the “Action” set from my Amazon wishlist!), and the Flashcards for Composition/Improvisation.
- Rhythm — rhythm cards, Rhythm Train Game, Rhythmic Value Cards, etc.
- Note I.D. — musical alphabet word cards, spinners, note-naming flashcards, etc.
- Intervals/Keys — Ice Cream Interval game, keys, key signature flashcards, etc.
- Dry Erase Markers — At group classes, we use dry erase markers and mini erasers frequently for our listening sheets.
You’ll notice that these categories align with the concepts listed in the handout. Games are most effective when we are choosing them in terms of the concepts they teach our students.
Here is the Props/Improv drawer:
In the little black drawstring bag, I have a set of Scrabble tiles containing only the letters of the musical alphabet. I bought my Scrabble game used at Goodwill. I use the tiles as another way for students to randomly choose a letter of the musical alphabet (we sometimes use a spinner instead). They work great for The Amazing Keyboard Race, for example. Students can also sort the tiles onto the piano keys.
In the drawers across the room, I store my floor staff and the games that work only for group classes.
Please feel free to share in the comments about your organizational system!
P.S.: The live sessions may be over, but it’s not too late to register for the 2014 MusicEdConnect.com conference and have the opportunity to watch the session videos on your own time. Visit their website for more info.
Have you heard about the new podcast for piano teachers created by the folks at 
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I was recently contacted by Carlos Fontiveros, creator of the brand new Moosic Studio app, which is designed to help manage the business side of running a teaching studio. You can best read about it in his own words:
