Just enough time today for a quick post before students start to arrive for the evening… I mentioned last week that I had raided my studio closet to come up with enough games and activities to review a year’s worth of theory in group classes. In doing so, I pulled out some of my favorite “old” games that hadn’t been off the shelf in a … Continue reading
Oops… between taking a week off for spring break, then returning to busily prepare for a couple of upcoming events, I’ve been a neglectful blogger as of late! One of those upcoming events is a festival that requires students to complete a written theory exam in addition to their performance. I LOVE to have students participate in this event in the spring, because it really … Continue reading
As I’ve been prepping students for theory exams this spring, one of my goals as a teacher has been to find a “hands-on” way to work on each concept. This week many of my students were working on identifying and building major and minor scales, so I created a set of manipulative cards to help us: First, I asked students to lay out the scale … Continue reading
In planning for group lessons this month, I found myself looking for a fun way to introduce/drill interval qualities in my intermediate level groups. The interval tower game was such a hit last month with my elementary students last month, I decided to adapt it and use it again. I used the same deck of interval cards (they can be downloaded here), but for … Continue reading
I’ve added a couple of new music symbol worksheets to my website. They’re a colorful way to make sure your students really understand everything on a page of music (or practice for upcoming theory exams, as is the case in my studio!). I’ve made two levels so far. Level 1 drills these symbols: treble clef, bass clef, time signature, repeat sign, bar lines, forte, piano, … Continue reading
After spending the last several weeks in final preparation for our local Multi-Piano concert (I was privileged to serve as chairperson this year), I’m finally back at work on some new lesson materials. I’ve been wanting some fresh worksheets to drill triads, so created a couple that each have a “game” component. This Major Triad Search sheet requires students to spell 17 major triads … Continue reading
This new game was a BIG hit with my elementary students at group lessons last week. We’re working on instant recognition of intervals (without having to count lines and spaces), which takes a LOT of drill. With this game, though, the kids wanted to keep playing the whole lesson! Here’s how we played: I divided the students into partners and gave each pair … Continue reading
We’ve been on a heavy theory kick in my studio this month. I have several students who will be participating in theory testing as part of a festival in April, so ALL of my students have been getting the benefit of a little extra lesson planning on my part. As a part of that, I’ve been working on a couple of new games. Here’s the … Continue reading
I took advantage of a super cold weekend to spend a little time hunkered down working on group lesson plans for the next couple of months. Here’s the first of several new worksheets/games I’m planning to use at the end of the month (I must have had snow on the brain!): This sheet drills the construction of major triads. Given a root, students must supply … Continue reading
It’s the last week of the semester! The downtown holiday program has been performed! Wonderful Christmas music has been shared in group lessons! The last recordings for each student’s Christmas CD have been made, colorful covers added, and CDs placed under the Christmas tree ready for pick-up! We have just one lesson left before a two-week break, just enough time to accomplish….. hmmm, what are … Continue reading