Just a quick “Freebie Friday” post here. Not feeling so hot. This is day 2 of recovering from the stomach flu. On the bright side: I’ve graduated from pedialyte and jello to pedialyte and plain rice… hooray! Gotta love the...
Read moreLeila Viss – Circle of 5ths Warm-up
Dear readers… you have to check out this awesome post on 88 Piano Keys. Remember that video I shared with you last week? That idea came from a wonderfully talented and creative teacher, Leila Viss. Yesterday she posted a blog which explains...
Read moreWarm-Ups Should Be Fun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4Z5CmJi8wc Who says that warmups have to be boring? We are absolutely LOVING the iReal Pro app for our Circle of 5ths warmup. What a fun and creative way to jazz up pentascales! (Thank you, Leila Viss, for your...
Read moreValentine’s Day Piano Puzzle Poem
Hearts after lessons on Tuesday… 3 more days to go! Valentine’s Day is almost here! We’ve been decorating the studio with our “Favorite Song” hearts, and I’ve pulled out some of our Valentine’s Day games...
Read moreGuest Post: 20+ Piano Games Parents Can Play With Their Kids
20+ Piano Practice Games from TakeLessons.com As the parent of a budding musician, you know that it’s not always easy getting your child to sit down and practice week after week. Nonetheless, regular practice is essential to your child’s musical...
Read moreValentine's Day Resources
There’s a lot of buzz going around in piano teacher forums about Valentine’s Day activities. On Friday, I decorated the studio and tomorrow morning I’ll pull out all the activities that we’ll be using throughout the week...
Read moreDo You Want to Build a Snowman?
Identifying Guide Notes in the game corner. It’s finally winter here in western Pennsylvania, and that means it’s time to get out the snowmen flashcards from Wendy Steven’s ComposeCreate.com. These cards are great to use as an...
Read moreFree Minor Pentascale Worksheets
Yesterday I received a request for minor pentascale worksheets, and since I needed a little break from group lesson planning last night, I decided to whip these up! These new worksheets will work as companions to the major pentascale worksheets I...
Read moreSolfege Patterns for Young Vocalists
Do you use the Kodály Method at all in your studio? I’ll admit, sometimes the hand signs can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you haven’t practiced them in a while, but it’s a unique way to engage different parts of the...
Read morePiano Lessons are Good for You
There are tons of memes about the benefits of music out there on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Some of them have beautiful pictures of music floating through space, others contain inspirational quotes by famous composers, and many have short...
Read moreFour Chord Song Worksheet
My students love playing the “Four Chord Song.” It’s been a staple in our studio for a couple of years now. Over the past fifty years (and probably even earlier than that), countless songs have used a simple and very catchy four...
Read moreDesigning Summer Workshops: Basic Planning
While they take quite a bit of planning, camps and workshops can be a great way to shake up a summer lesson schedule. If you haven’t tried a workshop or camp in your studio yet, here are a few basic planning concepts to consider: What...
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