Not once, but twice this week I heard things that brought a smile to my face… 1. Sunday morning after the church service I was talking to a lady about starting her 5-year old daughter in piano lessons next fall. She asked if it was okay for her to start on a keyboard. I told […]
Music Flashcards Galore!
Check out these digital flashcards! You can find note names, key signatures, intervals, triads, piano note names, reading piano notes, guitar note names and reading guitar notes – all at the click of a mouse! You can even set specific parameters in most of the categories so that it is appropriate for the level of […]
Listing Musical Terms
This is kind of a “duh!” idea, but when I attended our local music teachers association Mid-Winter Retreat two weekends ago, the guest speaker was sharing about how she introduces new pieces to her students. She said, “Of course I always start out by having them make a list of all the terms in their […]
Avoiding the Plateau Effect as a Teacher
Another e-mail newsletter I subscribe to is “Get Ready to Lead!” by Dr. Jeff Myers of Passing the Baton, an international organization founded for the purpose of “equip[ping] adults to personally mentor and coach the next generation of culture-shaping leaders.” The newsletter is both inspiring and practical, offering specific tips that teachers can apply in […]
Memorizing the Order of Sharps and Flats with Scale Blocks
In September of last year I made several sets of scale blocks. I’ve been using them periodically during lessons, but I decided to make more of a concerted effort to use them as a teaching and reinforcement tool with my students. Joey just finished learning all of his major scales, thanks to the aid and […]
Profitable Showers
Economist Gary North wrote the following in his e-mail newsletter this week. I always appreciate the bits of advice he shares at the beginning of each newsletter and have found it both practical and helpful on many occasions. You can sign up for his Tip of the Week E-mail Newsletter on the home page of […]
