Technology

App Review: Treble Cat & Bass Cat

imagesTreble512-300x300 (1)Treble Cat & Bass Cat ($2.99 each for the iPhone versions and $3.99 each for the HD iPad versions)

These two apps are excellent for students to practice identifying notes on the staff.  It is a great pair of apps to recommend to parents/students to use at home.   I love how simple the concept of the game is — even young piano students will be able to independently use this app.

In each level, the player is given sixty seconds to find all of a given note(s) as a variety of different notes scroll across the screen.  If the player misses more than 3 notes, they must re-try that level.

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The graphics and the background music in these apps are fantastic! Continue reading “App Review: Treble Cat & Bass Cat”

Giveaways

Giveaway Winners: SightReadMinor app for iPad

I have two exciting bits of news to share today!

First, I’m proud to announce that the Music of the World camp curriculum is now available for purchase in the Shop!  The cost is $40 — which is a steal, I should add.  😉  The camp is perfect for current private students, but is also a great offering for students with no or little music background.

As always, purchase of the digital files includes the Terms of Use to print from the files forever, as long as you are using the materials with your own students.  Please read more about the camp curriculum on the Shop description linked to above.

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mzl.kzclobbb.480x480-75Second, I’d like to announce the two randomly-chosen winners of the SightReadMinor app giveaway:

  1. Penny Lazarus
  2. Anita B.

Congrats, ladies!  Please check your email inbox for an email from me with your Promo Code.

I really enjoyed reading all of your comments on the giveaway post about your preparations for the new school year.  Thanks for sharing!  🙂

Happy weekend, folks!

Music Camps

2013 Music of the World Camp Details

Good news!  The Music of the World Camp curriculum is ALMOST ready to be listed in the Shop.  🙂  I’ll keep you updated.  Update: The Music of the World camp curriculum is now available for purchase in the Shop!  View the description page here.

As I alluded in my previous post, I used lapbooking as the method of study for the countries we visited each day.

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I took my students’ photos on the first day of camp for their passports.  I also made sure to “stamp” their passports before and after each flight.

passport collage Continue reading “2013 Music of the World Camp Details”

Studio Business

Studio Business — Printables Updated for 2013-14

I have just finished updating two of the studio business forms from the Printables page.

The first one is the Record of Lesson Attendance & Payment pdf — I have updated the dates for use for the 2013-2014 school year.  I received a number of requests from teachers to make this form available again this year, and I am happy to do so!

Here is how the form works: Write your students’ names in the first column.  Each week, write the lesson date (in a month / date format) in the column for that week.  This is how you can track attendance.  The small circles in each cell are where you can write checkmarks indicating tuition payments.  Whether you charge by-the-week or by-the-month, you can place a checkmark by each paid lesson date.

Continue reading “Studio Business — Printables Updated for 2013-14”

Reading Notation, Reviews, Technology

Aug 2013 Giveaway: SightReadMinor app for iPad

mzl.kzclobbb.480x480-75Remember my review for the SightReadPlus app for iPad?  Well, here is an update:

I’ve been using it here-and-there with students during lessons with great success.  I love being about to choose the key and make the student have to really think about the various key signatures.  As I mentioned in the previous review, I appreciate that the app keeps the student accountable to the beat so the student does not feel it is an option to stop playing if they make a mistake.

I’ve also recommended SightReadPlus to a few of my adult students, who love that fact that the app shows them how well they did — both with the pitches and the rhythm.  It’s like having your teacher at home with you when you practice!  I have really been impressed with the usefulness of SightReadPlus.

Good news — The developers behind SightReadPlus have just released a sequel: the SightReadMinor app.  SightReadMinor works much the same way as SightReadPlus, but it contains 2880 short exercises in all minor keys for $4.99 (SightReadPlus contains 4800 short exercises in all major keys for $7.99).

More good news — The developers have also offered two promo codes of SightReadMinor for a giveaway!  In order to enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post about how your Fall studio planning is going.  🙂  A winner will be randomly chosen after Midnight EST on Thursday, August 15 and announced the next day.

Music Camps

2013 Music of the World Camp – Sneak Peek

This week, I’ve been running my third and final summer music camp!   Below is a peek at some the activities we did during camp.

You may not be surprised to learn that I chose lapbooking as the method of learning during our world music camp.  Lapbooking works so well for studying composers and it works very well for studying countries, too.  🙂

DSC_20130807_095911 Continue reading “2013 Music of the World Camp – Sneak Peek”

Announcements, Studio Business

TeachPianoToday.com Podcast

logo (1)Have you heard about the new podcast for piano teachers created by the folks at TeachPianoToday.com? I have enjoyed listening to the first few episodes since they launched their podcast last month (click here to listen to Episode 1 and Episode 2).

So, I was honored when Andrea asked if I would be willing to be a guest for Episode 3, which has been released today!  Click the link to listen to our conversation about the challenges of relocating and starting a piano studio again from scratch.

While you are there, be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss TeachPianoToday’s future podcasts and blog posts!

Reviews

Review: Keys To Imagination’s “Misterioso Manor” Motivational Game

Sebastian Sharp and the Case of the Missing Manuscript is a motivational game created by Michelle Sisler from KeysToImagination.com.  This game is designed to help motivate students to practice throughout an entire school year.

Here is a summary of the storyline for the game:

Aunt Bernice has invited her nephew Sebastian and niece Elise to visit.  When Sebastian began playing a piano piece in the Misterioso Music Room, a ghostly man suddenly appeared on the piano bench next to him, asking for help.  The man said, “I don’t know how you know this song — I JUST wrote it!  My manuscript is missing and I must find that song!  I think someone in this house stole my music.  I must find it!”  The student’s job is to help solve Sebastian Sharp and The Case of the Missing Manuscript.  Each day the student practices the required amount set by the teacher, s/he will earn a step in the Misterioso Manor. As students visit each room of the Misterioso Manor, they will earn 15 clue cards which will lead them to discover WHEN the ghostly composer lived, WHO the musician was, WHAT piece Sebastian was playing, WHO stole the manuscript and WHY, and WHERE s/he hid it.

Below is a preview of the vinyl boardgame, which measures 2′ x 3′ and can be hung on the wall using thumbtacks.  The kit contains 24 game pieces for your students (you can order more if needed).  The game pieces have a sticky bottom so they can stick and re-stick to the vinyl board.  Students can move their game pieces forwards or backwards on the board, but not diagonally.  When students land on or pass a space with a question mark, they earn one of the eight suspect cards.  When students move to a red space with footprints, they earn one of the clue cards.

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Continue reading “Review: Keys To Imagination’s “Misterioso Manor” Motivational Game”

Music Theory, Worksheets

Music Key Worksheets & More

Some months ago, I found some fun faux keys at a craft store for $1 each (pictured below).  I bought 12 of them.  

(Can you guess where this is going?)  🙂

Continue reading to find out what I did with them! Plus, download a free 15-page resource of worksheets and more for major + minor key signatures and scales.

Read on.

Continue reading “Music Key Worksheets & More”