While trying to think of a way to help my students learn key signatures better, I thought of my elementary school days when our entire class daily chanted our phonics charts and multiplication table charts. Those sounds and facts were drilled into me and I will never forget them! It occurred to me that perhaps […]
Teaching
Group Class Music Listening Games are a Blast!
Last night we had a group class in the studio. Our focus for the evening was on “listening,” to correspond with the previous five-week session of our incentive program this year. In between performances we played listening-related games – Team Rhythmic Dictation, Team Melodic Dictation and Interval BINGO in pairs. GAME #1: Team Rhythmic Dictation […]
Things You Love to Hear…
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 […]
