Ten students gathered at the studio last Thursday night for our second group class of the semester. With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, it seemed like the perfect theme for this event. We began by discussing how Thanksgiving (defined as “giving thanks”) and music are linked. I read Psalm 137 as a perfect example of how the […]
Teaching
A Different Approach to Sight-Reading
One of my objectives this summer in my piano camp for elementary students was to build better reading skills. In addition to other activities, I decided to try this different approach to note identification and intervallic playing. I emphasized using Cs as landmark notes and then playing intervals from those landmarks. (This is not geared […]
Group Class Ice Breaker Game
Here’s a fun “get-to-know-you” game I’ve used at numerous group classes. I just change the statements in the boxes based on the makeup of the group. In each box is a statement with a line below it. When the signal is given, the students must find others who can sign their name in a box, […]
Let Your Students Watch World-Class Pianists
How often do your students get to observe concert pianists? Here is the perfect way for them to do so right in your studio! Check out the Flash recordings of the 2004 International Piano E-Competition participants. There are 119 files from which you can choose, with works from Bach to Beethoven to Debussy to Ravel. […]
Instrument Riddles
Here are some cleverly written instrument riddles I came across on this website. (The website has a bunch of useable ideas related to instruments of the orchestra, but you have to sift through a pretty random layout to find specific ideas.) #1 We come as a pair, you could say that we’re twins. We’re shiny […]
Classics for Kids
If you haven’t already done so, you have to go check out the Classics for Kids website. What an amazing resource this is! Each week, they feature a short (approximately 6 minutes) radio program about a composer or some other music subject. I have to admit, I was hesitant to even click on the program […]
