In keeping with this year’s World of Wonder practice incentive theme, I planned our annual piano studio kickoff (a.k.a. September Surprise!) with a world theme. Even the parents had a great time putting their world knowledge to use as we played rounds of a game where they had to alternately identify a landmark (or its […]
Group Class Ideas
Review and Giveaway of Here Come the High Notes by Marin Marka
The first in a delightful series of children’s books from FableNotes, Here Come the High Notes is an imaginative story that introduces the treble clef and its notes from Middle C through Treble G (12 notes). Author Marin Marka is an occupational therapist and music teacher who has a passion for reaching children of all […]
Group Piano Class Jam Session
One of my objectives with every group class (held monthly) is for students to not only perform for each other, but also to play music together. We accomplish this in various ways, but for our January group piano class, I thought it would be interesting to try having a jam session. This isn’t something we […]
Group Class – Keeping it Simple
One of the greatest benefits of offering regular group classes in my piano studio is the camaraderie that develops between students. They love coming, playing games, performing music, and hanging out together. Sometimes the simplest activities prove to be the most fun! Such was the case at October’s group class. We began with a fun […]
September Surprise – Always a Favorite!
This past week marked our annual September Surprise! – the kickoff to our studio year, named so because the students all surprise me by playing any piece of their choice. It’s always fun to hear what they’ve continued playing through the summer or what new pieces they’ve learned on their own. Here are a few […]
Free Downloadable Resources for Piano Teachers and Students
I’ve been updating the extensive list of Mastery Challenge Resources that are included in the Mastering the Mystery of Music (thanks to Tammy for bringing some of the broken links to my attention!) and rediscovered the Resources section of the Piano Technicians Guild website. There is both a Piano Teacher Resource section and a Piano […]
