I thought I would feature a resource that I love to use with students when they are learning or reviewing major and minor scales. Do you hold group activities? Make it a race and see which team or student can put a scale you shout it, first! It's perfect for...
Feature Friday: A Pirates Life!
September 19th be talk like a pirate day! Needs an activity t' help celebrate? Today's Feature Friday be A Pirates Life, a creative composition story activity. Creative Story Compositions combines tale makin' 'n shanties composition into one. Students 'ave several...
Feature Friday Proceeds Goes to the MTNA Benevolence Fund All Weekend
MTNA, of which I am a member of, has a benevolence fund where they take donations and provide financial assistance and support to music teachers affected in federally declared disaster areas to help re-establish their studios. You can read more about it here. For...
Getting to Know Our Students- Fun Ice Breaker Activities to Kick Off the School Year!
Back to school is just around the corner. For some much closer than others. Regardless when your fall semester begins, it will be here before we know it! I think it's important to get to know my students beyond the time I spend teaching them. I want to know what makes...
Feature Friday: MEGA Music Puzzle BUNDLE
*Heads up- next week I will be skipping Feature Friday while I am in Chicago for the NCKP conference. It will resume the following week. Do you remember doing puzzles growing up? I grew up doing puzzles with my mom and siblings. My mom loved doing puzzles and...
Feature Friday: Composer Time Capsules
One of my favorite group lesson activities was one I did over 10 years ago, composer time capsules. Time capsules are a fun way to not only learn about someone but they are a great way to remember interesting facts and stories. A couple years ago I started to make my...
Light Up The March From The Nutcracker
Last week was our first week of our Nutcracker Christmas camp. One of my favorite activities is using flashlights to help the kids learn about the musical form. Before we bring out the flashlights, I have them pick out the A, B and C sections. Before camp, I had...
Christmas Camp: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
I just love this time of year. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas.... I LOVE Christmas music. It just has a way of lifting the spirits and I do not mind it one bit when I hear it in stores, restaurants or radio a little bit "early". Matter of fact, I was having...
Halloween Performance, Games and Activity Ideas
Saturday was my yearly Halloween Piano Festival. It's my most favorite performance of the year! I love fall! It is my favorite time of year. The weather starts to cool down (still waiting on that one since it reached 94 yesterday- but at least we are out of the triple...
Motivating Practice Over the Summer
It's summer! The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, the pools are glistening and vacations are long overdue. So how do we keep students motivated to practice over the summer when what they really need is a break? Breaks allow us to re-energize, re-assess,...