Summer piano classes for returning students

Our summer piano classes were great! For returning beginner students, we did something a little different than the normal semester's work. We chose one Mayron Cole ensemble peice to spend the summer working on. By our last class, some had it memorized and were doing a great job playing together!

We also spent time working on improvization. We played a few jazzy peices where the students were given bounderies in which they could improv at the keyboard. We learned 3 five finger positions and used these in improvization as well.

Another thing we worked on was composition. We do not get to spend a lot of time working on this during the semester but the kids enjoy it and it is a creative way to help them review their notes on the staff and to motivate them to practice. I used the key of C composition template from my book for them each to compose a right hand melody. Then we learned the root position triads for the key of C cadence chords. We learned to read them as a chord chart to go a long with our right hand melodies. The students used the giant keyboard to skip on the keyboard and find the notes of the chords. Then they moved these notes to the smaller keyboard, worked on a worksheet to read chords on the staff and learned to play the chords using correct fingering.

For rhythm practice we did some ear training where the students had to tell me what rhythms I was playing. We also did rhythm math worksheets and rhythm alegebra. We used a template from my book to compose a new song that focused on rhythm. The template had different note values which were cut apart. The students were able to choose which note on the staff and which rhythm they wanted for their peice in 4/4 time as long as they have exactly 4 beats per measure. This was also a visual and tangible way for them to comprehend the note values. The quarter notes were half as small as the half notes. The half notes were half as small as the whole notes. The dotted half notes were 3/4s the size of a whole note. Even though to the kids, this seemed like an easy activity, this worked on proportional math skills and algebra.

Some of the classes reviewed the staff note names by reading the staff stories from my book. We also drew giant staves on the blackboard and labeled all the notes by drawing the pictures of the backyard keyboard characters from my book and labelling the letter names of the notes.

For the fall semester, each beginner and intermediate piano student will have a copy of my "Hands on Piano" series. I find that many students excell by having tangible activities to help them comprehend the abstract theory concepts. My rhythm templates were a hands on way to develop spacial reasoning skills that are essential to understanding rhythmic values. The five finger position templates with the stickers allowed students to learn new notes and review old ones by placing a large sticker on a large staff. It is much easier to see lines and spaces on the staff when the staff is large and when you are physically making the notes move on the staff.

Some of the beginner classes worked on rhythm by passing a ball back and forth to quarter and half notes. This is also a very tangible and visual way to learn to keep a steady beat. The beginner classes also used the giant piano to place alphabet cards on after listening to the "Backyard Keyboard" story. This is another great way to review this concept.

July Piano classes

Our piano classes this summer will resume July 22 and July 29. This week, my level 1b students will work with their keyboards in our keyboard lab to learn how to play the accompaniment chords along with the melody they composed last time. We will also continue working on our ensemble pieces as well. We will also continue our improvisation.

The beginner classes will continue learning new rhythms, review the notes on the keyboard and inprov on the piano using the new notes they have learned.

It is still not too late to join us for summer piano! Please register online!

Have music, will travel

Does your child love music but you just can't figure out how to schedule one more activity into your already rushed and crowded afternoons? Do you want your child to be involved with music but without cutting into family time in the evenings when you get off of work?

I have good news: We travel! We have two programs that can be offered in schools and learning centers. One is the award winning ABC Music and Me program created by Kindermusik International. ABC Music & Me supports the early childhood standards and requirements for “high quality programs” as defined by the National Institute for Early Education and aligns with pre-K national and state standards. ABC Music & Me has won the Teacher's Choice Award and was a finalist for the AEP Golden Lamp Award. We offer this class in schools as a breakout program for the 2 to 4 and 4 to 6 year old ages. We bring in everything we need and teach the class during the school day. This means no driving through traffic to one of our studio locations, no scheduling around soccer games, sibling illnesses and after school birthday parties. Many parents find this alternative to be very convenient as well as cost effective.

Our other program is preschool piano classes or lessons. We offer a unique, fun introduction class geared for preschoolers. We also offer piano lessons in the school setting as well. All the parent has to do is send the child's piano materials with him to school on the day of class. No driving, no waiting, no scheduling problems.

If you are interested in one of our classes being offered at your child's learning center or school, please visit our class survey to help us get in touch with your child's learning center and to help us learn what your interest is.

We also offer classes in Pelham at the Cherubs Clubhouse as well as private lessons for Bruno Montessori Academy students, and afternoon private lessons in our Inverness and 280 studios. We also have morning classes and lesson times available for homeschooled students. Call 437-3478 for more information!

Hands on Piano

My piano activity materials and storybooks are almost finished. This summer, I have been writing a series of books for parents or teachers to use in teaching music to children. Over the past ten years, I have had success in piano lessons using unique stories, hands on manipulates, and mathematical explanations. My "Hands on Piano" activity books will provide private lessons teachers, teachers of piano classes and parents with templates, worksheets and storybooks to inspire an interest in piano and reinforce theory concepts.

My students this summer have been previewing the new materials in their lessons and classes. One activity that has been a hit has been the composition templates. I created templates to teach children how to compose basic melodies and add simple harmony. Children love to compose and improvise at the piano. My beginners have composed simple songs using 3 notes at the piano that they have just learned. This gives them practice in finding and playing the new notes. My continuing students have been using one of my templates and composing music on the staff. This has also helped them to review their musical notation as well as giving them a creative outlet. So far, they have composed a four measure melody within certain boundaries. In a few weeks, they will use my newly created chord templates to add the harmony. When we are finished, we will make recordings of their songs to post on the website!! They are very excited and motivated about recording their own music.

So many times in theory we focus on naming notes on the staff. This is very important because when we sightread new music, we need to quickly recognize the notes on the staff. Children can also benefit from doing the opposite. Instead of naming the notes on the staff, composition projects and music manipulatives help the children to review their notes in a different, more creative way.

Summer piano classes

Our summer piano term is halfway over! We will have 2 more classes, July 22 and July 29. You may join us at any time. Check the https://imaginationsmusic.musicteachershelper.com for a complete schedule.

Our summer classes and lessons have been going great! I have seen at least 20 new students over then summer as well as many returning students. Our summer classes have been using my new piano activity method, "Hands on Piano." All students will be using this method along with their current method books in the fall. The piano activity method has provided us with crafts, hands on activities and stories to help the students learn and review concepts.

My returning piano students have been working with my piano activity method to compose their own music and to develop improvisation skills in piano classes. They are also working with their Mayron Cole Method to perfect an ensemble piece to play together in a mini-recital at the end of the summer.

There is still time to join our classes for the summer! There is limited space for the fall so be sure to call soon. 437-3478