Is anyone else experiencing Spring Fever yet? I’m itching to be outside working in my garden…
(Truth be told I couldn’t wait any longer, so I planted several dozen seeds that I’m hoping I can nurture in their temporary egg carton dwellings until the danger of the last frost passes and I can transplant them. We’ll see!)
…and eagerly anticipating the lackadaisical days of summer when I have less commitments in my schedule and opportunities to change up studio activities a bit. One of my favorite summer activities is Piano Camp! Since our Piano Expeditions preschool camp last year was such a hit (To France with Saint-Saëns and His Carnival), I was inspired to write a similar curriculum for this year: To Russia with Mussorgsky and His Exhibition, based, of course, on the suite by Modest Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition.
This year, however, I’ve challenged myself to develop the piano camp curriculum utilizing only materials and resources that I already have in my studio [or at least that don’t cost anything in order to save some money!]. To accomplish that, I took a snapshot of my studio closet to remind me of the various games and supplies that I have and then I’m using that as a springboard to determine what games and activities to include each day. It’s been a fun challenge so far!
I’ve also been making considerable use of our library’s interlibrary loan program to request all kinds of music-related books for children to explore the options available and decide which ones are best suited for this year’s piano camp. So far, I really like this one: Welcome to the Symphony by Carolyn Sloan. Three little mice travel to the symphony and learn various musical terms in the context of watching and listening to parts of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. Very cute and educational! I haven’t found a lot of music-themed stories written for kids yet that I love, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know!
Also, stay tuned for more announcements regarding piano camps soon. We have something new and and exciting in the works!
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