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New Release: "Perfect Patterns!"

1/25/2018

Pattern-based pieces are a powerful tool for your teaching arsenal. Students of all types can reap the benefits of pattern-based learning. Easy to read, easy to memorize--pattern-based pieces allow students to create a "big" sound at the piano and to focus on performing with artistry.

I am excited to share my newest release from the Composers Community at Piano Pronto--"Perfect Patterns!" This book features 12 pieces for the late elementary to early intermediate student in a variety of styles. Take a listen to a few of my favorites from this new collection:

Click HERE to listen to the entire collection and to view sample pages of every piece in the book!

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Happy Birthday, Mozart!

1/21/2018

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Did you know that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756?

In honor of Mozart's birthday this week, our monthly group class will be all about Mozart! I will also be sprinkling a few Mozart-related activities into my students' regular lessons over the next two weeks.

So, today I am sharing a few free resources from around the web (and one by yours truly) that you can use with your students, too!

Sheet Music

A brief bio, listening links, and two free pieces are available at G Major Music Theory, HERE.
Several free pieces are also available HERE at Making Music Fun--just do a page search for Mozart.
And of course, many of Mozart's works are available for free on IMSLP HERE. Just be prepared to take your time exploring!

Activity Pages

Classics for Kids has a great activity page for your younger students about Mozart HERE that includes a listening activity featuring the Rondo all Turca, a word search, and a coloring activity.
Your older students might enjoy the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra's Mozart page, HERE, which features a video of the fourth movement of the "Jupiter" symphony with the themes represented by colors and shapes to demonstrate thematic repetition.

Composition Activity
In honor of Mozart's birthday, I have created a new guided composition activity that helps students create their own minuet using dice! This is similar to a party game that Mozart himself, a big fan of games and puzzles, is said to have created. Click HERE for this free composition activity.

What do you think? Will you be celebrating Mozart's birthday with your students over the next two weeks? Please share your ideas in the comments below!

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A Free, Easy Ear Training Activity

1/13/2018

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Is one of your New Year's resolutions to work on ear training with your students?

Getting started with ear training doesn't have to be difficult. Today I would like to share a fun, simple activity that you can do with your students as early as the very first lesson. This activity will help students learn how to listen for steps and skips as well as ascending and descending patterns on the piano.

To use this activity, print out the instruction sheet and flashcards (found HERE). Start by showing students just the first two cards—same or up/different. Play one of the two patterns on the piano (I like to start by using the notes C, D, and E) and have them listen and identify which pattern they hear. Then, add the third card and ask students to identify whether the pattern they hear is "same, up, or down."

Once a student is comfortable with "same, up, or down" patterns, gradually add more cards and begin creating longer patterns by playing several cards in a row and asking students to put the cards in the correct order. The last two cards (using an “X” between the notes) introduce the concept of listening for skips. Practice singing and playing these cards separately before adding them to the mix.

Once your students are comfortable with this activity, they are ready to do the ear training challenge worksheets using steps and skips found HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Download the "Same, Up, or Down" ear training activity HERE.

What do you think? Will you be doing ear training activities with your students this year?

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New Release: "Perfect Patterns!"

Happy Birthday, Mozart!

A Free, Easy Ear Training Activity

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