I love offering piano camps for my students each summer....
If this is your first time planning Piano Camp you might be overwhelmed at this very moment. So why not take a few minutes and answer the following questions? WHY are you offering a piano camp? You and only you can answer this question. Is it a financial move? Do you feel like it is some
In celebration of the new Olympic pieces that we’ve just released, I wanted to revive this post by the creative blogger, Leila Viss of 88 Piano Keys! In 2012, Leila Viss gave me permission to post her article on the […]
Consider offering summer music classes for your piano students! Here are 17 ideas to spark inspiration for your piano studio.
Here are several summer music camp activities you can do with group classes or camps over the summer. They can be use with a group of different ages.
Tel Tel loves her life as a piano player, a piano teacher, and a mom. Amid piano blogging, piano teaching, and piano playing, she loves a chance to fit in a good exercise class, volunteer at her kids’ school and at her church, and go on long dates with her husband. Full bio at About […]
Consider offering summer music classes for your piano students! Here are 17 ideas to spark inspiration for your piano studio.
Interested in hosting a piano party or summer camp? Here’s a game that’s sure to be a hit! This post is a shout-out for a fun game we found on TeachPianoToday.com. I love this game beca…
Here are several summer music camp activities you can do with group classes or camps over the summer. They can be use with a group of different ages.
I love offering piano camps for my students each summer....
This is a fantastic way to teach rhythm notation, but it might make you hungry.
After reading the post about piano lapbooks on Laura Lowe's blog , I decided to create my own preschool piano version to send home with my piano preschoolers. I let them decorate the covers with various musical symbols. Inside are pockets for Music alphabet/finger # and symbol flashcards from www.laytonmusic.com (Faber primer flashcards). I also included a laminated mini rhythm pizza (see www.susanparadis.com) and colorful piano for them to play Susan's Snowflake and Shamrock Keys games on. The back cover had a laminated Grand Staff which they can use for "M&M's stepping on the staff" game.
Are you looking to host a piano summer camp but need help with ideas and planning? Check out our list of online planning resources here.
Last month, I organized a beginning piano camp for kids...
A few weeks ago I shared with you about the camps I had planned for the summer, so I thought I’d give an update on how the camps have been going. In June I had one camp each week, and a different one every week! It sure kept me busy, but I had a lot […]
This week I start the first of three camps I will be doing this summer. This week it's MUSIC OLYMPICS! This is the third year I have run this camp and it's still just as popular. I've added some new games and activities so it will be fresh for some of my repeat campers. I'll be sure to post about some of the things we do and shortly I will have those camp plans also available for purchase. In the meantime, here's a look at some of the signs I made for the week. Here's the sign that is set up at the registration table when campers first check in on Monday. It measures 30" x 40" so it's nice and big and makes a statement when they arrive. I cut the letters and music notes out with my die-cutting machine and cut the rings out by tracing around a dish or two. I also laminated it which helps it to look brand new even after three years! If you've followed my blog, you know that I also like to use signs to designate the area of learning as we go throughout the week. The following signs are 15" x 20" and also laminated. I use packing tape to attach them to metal garden posts around the play area outside. This sign is used in the area where we work on note identification. All kinds of games and activities happen to teach and reinforce notes on the grand staff. Depending upon the level of the students I have in camp, we may focus on just the treble clef or both the treble and the bass. This sign obviously designates the area where we work on rhythm. We do loads of creative activities to work on recognizing note values, working on steady beat and working to build measures with the correct time signature. This sign is placed in the area where we work on music terminology. We work on about 20 different terms and by the end of the week, they know them well. It's great when they're having so much fun they don't know they're learning! I also like to teach intervals - both melodic and harmonic. This area is loads of fun and the campers really love all the activities we do. Lastly, at every camp, I always have this rest sign set up under a canopy. This is a place we just get out of the sun and sit on our beach towels. We also have our snack in this area. Currently my living room is piled high with stuff that's ready to put out first thing in the morning. It will be a busy week, but a really fun one and I'm looking forward to it. If you're putting on a camp this summer, I'd love to hear about it!
I thought I would just share a few pictures of Piano Discovery Camp. That camp (and the last of 3) finished up last week. I had 8 campers this time and it was a wonderful group of 7 girls and 1 boy. Although I have a definite plan for each day, I always start out the day with a coloring or craft activity so that kids who come early have something to do until everyone arrives. On this particular day, they were coloring a picture of a little girl playing a piano (part of a nice set of pictures supplied by my piano technician). This particular camp is only 1 hour per day, but I try to pack in loads of activities because the attention span of 4-5 years old can be pretty short! Like so many of my camps, I always include activities for rhythm, terminology and in this case, fingering and the musical alphabet. One of the ways I reinforced note values was through a bit of a relay since active learning works so well! I found these fun buckets that stack within themselves and are perfectly numbered 1-4 so I picked up a couple of sets. I made some note value cards (quarter note, half note, dotted half note and whole note) and gave each of the campers a set. I stood near the buckets and called out a note name. They had to run down and put the right card in the right bucket. They loved the game so I switched it up a bit and had them play the "teacher" to see if I could do it also! And yes...I managed to pass! I always include physical activites since it keeps them attentive and I find they learn quicker when they're moving. This picture shows an activity we did on the first day. I simply made large (8 1/2" x 11") sheets each with a letter of the alphabet in different colors. We practiced saying the musical alphabet together and then I scattered the letters and had them put them together in order and then in reverse. They really loved this game and it sure was simple to put together! Of course, we also had lots of time at the piano and with 8 kids I had to be a bit creative! Thankfully I had help at this camp, so my friend, Becky kept them going on different activies while I took each child to the piano. Besides making sure they were grasping what we were working on, I also use that time to evaluate whether I think they are ready for regular lessons. If you don't already put on a pre-piano camp. I hope you consider putting in the time. They are so fun to do! And spending time with these adorable little ones is so worth it. They love the attention, love music and really learn quickly. And when they tell you they "LOOOOVE music camp"..., it makes it all worth it!
I've seen several posts on FB pages about what to do at the end of the year. If you've been here before you know I started a tradition a fe...
Musical Headbanz really tests your knowledge! Students get to interact with one another and work together to help each other figure out what is on their head. Yep, this is the game to really help students get it in (or at least on) their head! 🙂 Level: Beginner to Advanced Objective: To review any musical […]
Creative projects for piano students that will showcase their hidden skills, encourage learning of new concepts, and motivate them to create.
When Kathy Williamson started telling me about the summer piano camp that she organized with some other teachers, I...
In June, my studio hosted our first ever all online...
Can you use a break about now? How about your students? Well, it’s that time of year! Time to plan and schedule your summer camp, so everyone can get a much-needed break (plus have a lot of fun too).
Be inspired to hold a summer camp or workshop by reading Marie Lee's tips on how to get started and find resources. Click to read more.
It was a hot July day here in Kansas for our second day of piano camp: To Italy with Vivaldi and His Four Seasons. But that didn’t temper any of the energy of this enthusiastic little bunch! Here are just a handful of highlights we capture today: They all look so calm and attentive, don’t […]
It was a hot July day here in Kansas for our second day of piano camp: To Italy with Vivaldi and His Four Seasons. But that didn’t temper any of the energy of this enthusiastic little bunch! Here are just a handful of highlights we capture today: They all look so calm and attentive, don’t […]
Who doesn’t love music and what all it represents? And as you all already know it is said that having a musical education can help your brain to develop stronger in other educational areas as…
A fun new music composition game to get beginning piano students excited about creating (while reviewing music theory in the process)!
Julie Duda Music Studio offers games, teacher resources and marketing resources for piano teachers. Get of her favorite products below.
In June, my studio hosted our first ever all online...
Check out these 6 first piano lesson ideas for kids ages 3-9 and get access to your FREE piano key group printables!
In celebration of the new Olympic pieces that we’ve just released, I wanted to revive this post by the creative blogger, Leila Viss of 88 Piano Keys! In 2012, Leila Viss gave me permission to post her article on the […]
My 3rd graders have been excited and inquisitive as we have been learning to identify the notes on the music staff. To review in a m...
Here are EASY OUTDOOR music and movement activities that your kids in all grade levels will love! It's like a musical field day!
We just completed Day 2 of Music Olympics Camp so I thought I would just sneak in a few pictures and give you some game ideas. Maybe they will help you with a group class idea for your "kick-off" this fall. The premises of the camp is to drill them in note identification, rhythm, musical terms and recognizing simple melodic and harmonic intervals. We've been working on those areas using different games/events. On Friday we have the actual Olympic Games where their parents come and watch. I have two teams of 3 kids for a total of 6 kids this week - one girl and 5 boys so you can imagine the activity level! On the first day, each team made a team flag and came up with their own team "national anthem" (After all, we have to have a song to sing if they make it to the podium during the medal ceremony!). Then we were on to the games... The first one I named Rhythm Toss. I took a piece of plywood and cut it in half (ok, so my husband did the cutting...) and then put 5 holes about 8" round in each one. A bit of paint and some notes/rests and the boards were ready to go. My husband also rigged a way for them to stand up. I wanted to use these boards with bean bags and have the kids "build" measures depending upon which hole they were able to get their bean bag in. The goal was to be the first team to build at least 4 measures. The catch was that they couldn't have any beats/rests left over. If they did, they had to build another measure! They absolutely loved this game! They would get so excited when a team member would get just the note they needed. It also helped to reinforce the number of beats each note/rest has. Because the next event was to drill them in musical terms, I added a twist to this game by having them identify a term before they were allowed to throw a bean bag. This helped when we got to this game... Terminology Concentration! This is a jumbo memory game, but instead of finding two similar terms, they had to match up the term with it's own definition. There are 20 terms and 20 definitions so I put them together in rows 8x5. Each person had the chance to turn over two cards to try a get a match, but their team could help. (If anyone is interested in a pdf of all the cards and definitions, let me know and I'll post them on my website.) The last game I'll show you today uses the magnetic staff board I've posted about...Staff Word Challenge! I put together cards with words using the musical alphabet and each team had to race down and place a note on the staff before running to tag the next team member who would add the second note or "letter" to eventually build the entire word. We did this on the first day and I actually found that the kids had a bit of confusion building the word from left to right. Several times the kids would just put the note on the staff above another note rather than to the right of it. I decided to turn the problem into a discussion about harmonic versus melodic. It solved the problem and also helped set us up for our Interval event which was next!
It's too easy for parents to sit passively by at your piano recital. The Recital Compliment Exchange is an inspiring piano recital idea for any recital!
Do you have a favorite rhythm game or activity to use in your music lessons? Rhythm is something that always needs review, so you can never have too many
Floor Piano: I made this floor piano as a project for work. We were inspired, of course, by the movie BIG - you know the scene - where Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia play on a giant floor piano at FAO Schwarz. It gave me a great deal of trouble, and took a very, v…
I've used Practice Incentives with my students for many years. Guess what? They work! I've had great success with using them to the point that I started developing my own based on listening to my students ideas and interests. So here's a look at why I think they're valuable... * It's FUN for your students! * It's MOTIVATING if you have the right one! * It creates PARENTS who pay on time! * It's a great MARKETING TOOL! * It keeps you FOCUSED as a teacher! * It yields SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS! * It helps with RETENTION! Let's elaborate a bit more... FUN - If you want your students to be excited to come to lessons to the point that when they arrive, they immediately run into your studio, choose a practice incentive! Why not make happy students before they even start to play for you! MOTIVATING - If you want your students (and I mean the majority of them!) to come to lessons well-prepared, choose a practice incentive! If you have the right one, it will excite them to practice! HAPPY PARENTS - If you want your parents to be almost as happy as your students to the point that they are happy to pay you, choose a practice incentive! Since I've started using them, I have almost NO trouble collecting monthly tuition - even with rate increases! MARKETING TOOL - If you want to market your studio without putting out a ton of money, choose a practice incentive! Let your parents AND your students do the work for you! When they're excited and happy, they'll be sure to tell others! FOCUSED TEACHING - If you want to stay focused on your plan for the year, choose a practice incentive! Once you've figured out what you want your students to learn during the year, a practice incentive can help you implement that! SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS - If you want your students to succeed through great practicing, choose a practice incentive! It works, folks! RETENTION - If you want to retain your students year after year, choose a practice incentive! My students can't wait to see what the incentive is for the new year! Why would they go anywhere else? So....how do you choose one? What should it include? Here's a few points that I think are important: 1. A practice incentive should APPEAL TO A LARGE AGE RANGE & SKILL LEVEL. Practice incentives can sometimes appeal only to elementary age students, but if you choose the right one, it can appeal to even your high school students! 2. A practice incentive should be FLEXIBLE, both in length and implementation. You need to have the ability to make it work for you! 3. A practice incentive should be COLORFUL & EYE-CATCHING! When your students walk in your studio, they should immediately feel the excitement your trying to portray! 4. A practice incentive should INCLUDE EVERYTHING YOU NEED. Why spend the money on a practice incentive if you have to add more costs and time to add more items to make it work. SO....What's keeping you from taking the plunge? * COST to purchase or to print? Pass those costs on to your students! Include them in your enrollment fee, book fee, etc. Believe me, once parents see what you're doing, they're happy to pay it! * TIME to put together and implement? If using a practice incentive adds retention,helps you market your studio and the cost is covered, isn't it worth it? If you can implement it weekly in the first couple of minutes of a lesson, aren't happy, excited, motivated and successful students worth it? * TOO MUCH WORK for you during lessons? If you choose the right one and prepare it ahead of time, the work is done for you! AND...it keeps you focused! SO....TAKE THE PLUNGE! Here at Birds of a Feather, we're excited to offer several practice incentives that we have "tested" with our own students! We know they work! They are all teacher and kid-approved! And we're continuing to add more! Just click on the Teaching Resources & Camps tab above to see the incentives we have to offer. THE BEST PART...for the entire month of June, all of our practice incentives and Incentive/Camp bundles are on SALE! Choose one that you're excited about and watch the magic happen in your studio!!
Want to create a summer to remember? Try running a musical theater summer camp at home!
Interested in hosting a piano party or summer camp? Here’s a game that’s sure to be a hit! This post is a shout-out for a fun game we found on TeachPianoToday.com. I love this game beca…
