My Heart Is Full!

After classes this week I had several emails and conversations with moms about how much their little one enjoyed classes, but this was too cute not to share.  My heart is full!

This little one's mom said: "He is so excited about Red Balloons.  He even made and extra copy of his puppets.  He added a monkey and a happy genie, too."

Another student told his mom, "That was the most fun class ever!"

Immediately after Green Turtles my son ran to practice, then came and said, "Okay.  I practiced.  Now how many days until my next class?"

Got the Practice Blues? A few Solutions

We all want our kids to do well in all they do, but sometimes we hit rough patches where we need to change things up so keep the momentum going.  I know I am the same way with even the hobbies I love the most.  A few parents have given me permission to share some things that are helping them keep practice fun and effective, so I'll share them today and a few others that have been a hit at our house.  For more ideas for every level and on multiple concepts, see the Making Musicians LPM blog, as well as searching this blog for posts labeled practice helps.

First Year --

• Keep practicing specific things to a few minutes 3-4 times a week so kids don't get bogged down... then leave the bells and CD in an easy to access place so that the kids will naturally experiment and make their own discoveries.
• Make your own autoharp or download an app so they can practice honing their chord playing and develop their ear for when chords should be played.  More info HERE.
• Let the kids be your teacher.  Have them point at the bells to play for a specific song.
• At the grocery store, let your child practice baby steps and skips using the floor tiles.  The very next tile is a baby step, hopping over one is a skip, and more than two tiles is a leap!

Second Year --

• There is a fabulous video on the LPM blog demo-ing a game for Yellow Arrow students to learn their note names with the alphabet pieces game.  CLICK HERE
• Trade places and have the kids point while you play the piano.
• Have kids try to balance a smartie or other small candy on their bubble hand as they practice playing the fingers you sing.  If it stays on they get to keep it.

Third Year --

• Look for unique times and ways to reinforce concepts.  One mom shared their bathtime solution (pictured above).  Writing on the wall is usually a no-no, but with a wet erase or dry erase marker, windows and bathroom surfaces can turn into a classroom with a captive audience.  GREAT IDEA!

Treble Lines Online Fun

For those that are super fast at their "Treble Lines" flashcards, here's another way to review and get even speedier.

http://www.musiclearningcommunity.com/Game%20pages/PageTurnerLetterNames/Treble%20spaces/PgTurnLettersTrebleSpaces-Practice.htm

Counting Down to 2014-2015 Classes!

After an amazing summer and LPM conference, I am totally excited to see everyone again and ready to start.  What an amazing group of teachers to associate with.  Can you find me?

Only 2 spots left in RED BALLOONS for the year... Contact me soon to reserve your spot before they're filled.

Check your inboxes for information on start date and parent orientations.

Online Games: Interval and Keyboard Notation

Popping in for a little summer fun :)  My little guy loves to be on the computer when it is roasting outside, and sometimes I'm inclined to let him, especially if I know he's getting something out of it.  I'm passing along a couple links to some review games that 2nd and 3rd year students might find to be fun!

Interval Notation (Green Turtles+)

White Note Key Name Review (Yellow Arrows+)

Key Signature Review (Purple Magic Grads)

2014 Year-End Recital Photos

Congratulations kids on an AWESOME recital.  I loved the enthusiasm and pure joy you radiated as you sang, played, and showed your stuff.  A few of the many awesome photos I got...
Looking forward to fall!

Upcoming Registration for 2014-2015 Classes

One of my first year classes this year.  So CUTE!

With another full semester completed, I am finalizing the class schedule for 2014-2015.  Pre-registration will begin the first full week of February.  (Click here to be added to my email list for pre-registration notification.)

Christmas Carol Chord Maps

Popping in with a few chord maps for enrichment activities.

First year students - practice singing and pointing on the beat.  (If you have an Apple product, you can download an autoharp app and practice your strumming.)
Second year students - use the chord map to practice your chord transitions.  Play each chord in C position.

Download Chord Map PDF here.

Top Ten Reasons to Know Your Primary Chords

Each year in Let's Play Music classes, students learn to hear and play what we call the "Primary Chords" and label them red, blue, and yellow.  These chords, also known as I IV and V or tonic, dominant, and sub-dominant chords, are a foundation for 90% of the music we listen to.  Here's a run-down from fellow LPM teacher Dave Meadows on the other Top Ten Reasons Primary Chords are Awesome!

10 - Memorizing is easier!
9 - Better feel for chord position.
8 -  Tension and Release: Hear the harmonies that aren't written.  Feel where the music is going...
7- Can do more with written music.
6 -  Easier to fake it! Cover up mistakes easier...
5- Recognizing key signatures.
4- Improvisation
3- Composition
2- Trust the experts.
1- IT'S FUN!

Let's Play Music isn't just any music class, it is a total musicianship program that uses the piano to give the students an amazing foundation!

Music is Good for the Brain: Another Possible Benefit

A great article from CNN about how early exposure to music benefits our brains.

Check it out:  http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/31/health/music-dementia-link/index.html

Recital Pictures!

I am so proud of these kids for a great job done at the recital.  These kids learned so much this year and we had a GREAT time each class.  

Thanks for all the parent support at the recital and throughout the year!

Scotland's Burning

Miss Emily

Sound Beginnings kids doing "Two Little Blackbirds"

We love our BUGS!!

LPM and Sound Beginnings kids doing their major scale hand-signs.  Amazing!

Sound Beginnings Sample Class

Come enjoy a free sample class of the fall curriculum for Sound Beginnings.  

Sound Beginnings, a similar class to Let's Play Music, is designed to give kids that are too young for Let's Play Music (2-4 years old)  a jump start on music and preschool concepts.  

Specific skills that will be covered this semester include:

feeling and keeping the beat
in-tune singing, pitch matching, head register
solfeg, major scale descending
tracking; reading preparation
singing & recognizing alphabet
phonemic awareness & phonics
developing relative pitch
low and high
enjoyment of classical music
developing recognition of theme and form
subdivision
dexterity
months
colors
manners
weather
name recognition

You're Invited

Please come to our 2013 Year-End Recital

Saturday, May 4th 2013

11:00 AM

Wasatch High School Little Theater

Featuring Students from Both Sound Beginnings and Let's Play Music

Sound Beginnings Instrument Day Inspiration

One of my favorite lessons each semester of Sound Beginnings is our last one where students get to bring and share about instruments (and instrumentalists) they love.  This relaxed and fun day is a blast!  Students are welcome to bring an instrument that is laying around the house, especially fun is when a loved one can play that instrument and show first-hand what is sounds like and how it works.  Last semester we had an uncle come along and play some Christmas songs on his trumpet since it was that season.  How proud those little boys were of what (and who) they got to share!

Sometimes a real instrument isn't accessible or the process of creating one and exploring the ways that sound is produced as it is created is more desirable.  The following are a few links to some inspiration for a home-made instrument.

• Rainstick (my cute sister-in-law made this one.)
• Paper Plate Banjo
• Drums, Egg Shakers, Bell Shakers, Cardboard Guitar, Etc
• Easter Egg Maracas
• Drums (and an experiment on how sound is made)
• DIY Instrument Kits  (good visual inspiration.  Love the jingle bell bracelet.)
• Wind instrument Craft

Benefits of Early Music Education

Since you are reading this, you are one who won't be surprised to know the benefits of music at an early age. But, did you know that those benefits stretch beyond the years of early childhood?  Click to read more...

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/early-music-lessons-have-longtime-benefits/

Sound Beginnings - Shapes Coloring Page Link

This semester in Sound Beginnings we are exploring shapes.  As I was browsing the web, I found some awesome shape coloring pages that you could use in addition to our weekly "assignment."  Great for cutting out and making faces just like we did in class.

Crayola Shapes Coloring Pages
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