March 2013

Welcome to March! February came and went and I didn't get a newsletter out! Busy, busy, as I'm sure you all are also. My classes finished up composing and the entries have been sent to Music for Young Children head office for evaluation and judging.  Read below on how I was inspired to use the compositions for a simple marketing idea. The next upcoming holiday is St. Patrick's Day.  Here is a little teaching aid I created.  It's super fun and helps students of all levels determine the number of gold coins (or counts) on each flashcard to place in the pot of gold.  I don't use the gold coins that are on the pdf but found some play money at the Dollar Store to use instead.  I'm not sure what I'm doing for Spring Break but am looking forward to getting away.   Somewhere sunny is in the books. Take care all of you out East of BC as you are being blasted by storms and here in the lower mainland we are getting drenched in rain. I'm so looking forward to spring without the showers! Musicallyours, Lois Solo Time Music Games info@solotimemusicgames.com  Solo Time Music Games are designed to instill a life long passion  and understanding of music and its concepts  through a fun hands on experience.

Games of the Month

Don't Put Your Apples - Beginning Enharmonic Note Review Shoot Out! - Whole Tones and Semi-Tones (whole and half steps) Shoot for the Stars - Enharmonic, Diatonic and Chromatic Something for the beginner Catching Critters   Note and term reveiw for students in the MYC program Something for the older theory student  What's that Dot!  Exactly that, students determine the value of the dot for the first version of this game and then determine the bottom number of the Time Signature for another variation of this basketball themed game. Remember order 6 flashcard games or more and postage is FREE!

To Market To Market - Composing Pictures

I've noticed a few teachers who have so brilliantly posted pictures of their students compositions on Facebook.  What a great marketing idea!

 

By posting their Facebook friends will see these wonderful pictures
 and be in super awe of what a great piano teacher you are.

I went with this great idea and made sure to have the titles visible as some of the titles are just so....great and inventive! 
Such as... Rocky's Last Breath! 

 But the marketing side of posting the pictures will only be
successful if they are "liked" "commented"
and or "shared"

within the Facebook community.

We are already surfing so why not help each other out  

with a simple click of the mouse on the "Like" button?

BUT...

 Facebook is an ever changing timeline. 
The picture will soon be at the bottom of the timeline and

gone forever within a few hours (so sad.)

 

(Unless... they are "liked," "shared" or "commented" on for their friends to see or
 the friends have access to the pictures and they have the time to
look through them at a later date... notice I said later.)

  There are other ways to make use of the pictures
through LinkedIn or Twitter or Google+
BUT then again, it's an ever changing timeline (not good.) 

But Pinterest is a whole different story.

 

Here you can create a specific music education board or
a board that advertises your studio (hint hint)
and when you "PIN" interesting things about music or your studio,
people will be looking at your
"board" with lovely pictures and musical ideas!  

Why is Pinterest different?

 Your boards are static and remain unchanged and visible
 for all the world to see... all. the. time!

And better yet, someone just might "REPIN" your picture
and then it almost goes "VIRAL"
as it is  "repinned" for all their followers to see
who might like it and then "repin" it!

It's the pin that keeps on giving!

How awesome is that!

Now marketing on the net isn't easy and it's time consuming but it is free!
If you don't have a Pinterest studio page, it's something to think about.

"Like," "Follow,"

"Share," "Comment," "Pin."