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'Twas the week before Christmas...

12/17/2017

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Picture
...And there's so much to do--
students are restless, and teachers are, too! 


I don't know about you, but with holiday performances done and school almost out for winter break, around here the focus is on reviewing music and practicing theory concepts with fun, holiday-themed games! If you are looking for a few fun, easy ideas for your lessons this week, consider these:


  • Prepare a list of pieces for students to share with their families over the holiday break. Each of my students has been compiling a repertoire list of holiday pieces they can play for friends and family this season, so we will spend time at our lessons this week adding to our list and reviewing our favorites. This is a perfect time of year to share the gift of music with others.
  • Record a holiday song to share. The past couple of years, I have been inviting students to record their favorite holiday piece at their last lesson of the year. I then email the recording to each student's parents so it can be shared with out-of-town family this holiday season. It has been a good, low-pressure performance goal for my students to work towards!
  • Use one of my free holiday-themed worksheets. I blogged about these worksheets HERE--they make great lesson activities for practicing ear training, transposing, sight-reading, or improv!
  • Do a Christmas song puzzle. A new activity I am planning to do this week is to take a couple of familiar Christmas songs (I like the free, public domain music at G Major Music Theory found HERE for this purpose) and cut up the measures so that students have to put them in the correct order and play them. This will be great practice for sight-reading and ear training!
  • Play Christmas-themed Note Rush on the iPad. If you aren't familiar with Note Rush, it is a wonderful app that helps students practice their note-reading skills. Notes are shown on the staff which students have to play correctly on the piano. The app has a cute Christmas theme this time of year, with the notes shaped like snowflakes, ornaments, and Christmas trees--it has been a big hit with my students!

Do you have any special holiday-themed activities planned for your students this week? Please share in the comments!

Wishing you and your students all the best in this magical, musical holiday season! 



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    Chrissy Ricker is a pianist, teacher, and composer from North Carolina. These are her thoughts on teaching, composing, and all things music.


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