Snowflakes and Sunshine Greetings to you all!

I trust and hope that you had a wonderful December with recitals, party's and family times. As this busy season comes to an end, a new year comes with a fresh start to music lessons. Read below on how I make clapbacks fun in the new year and also how Twitter can help you with your marketing. Last year I posted a Composer Snowman to help my students walk through the process of their composition from start to finish. I've reposted it again this year for you to use. Feel free to make changes to suit your classes. iPhone in class? It's usually the parents I have to remind to turn their cell phones off. But as we were getting ready for Christmas recital I was trying to figure out how to encourage students to practice a little more without becoming the nagging piano teacher. So, I brought my iPhone into class and videoed the students performing their songs and then played it back for them. There was no need for me to remind them to practice that tricky measure or work on dynamics. I had said it all before, but with the video they could see and hear it for themselves. It was a great teaching tool and I plan to use it again in the future. My next goal is to get a class set of iPads. Can you imagine ensembles on them! That's what dreams are made of and our income is spent on! Have a wonderful and musical 2011! Christmas with Jakob Musicallyours, Mrs. Lois MYC Certified Teacher Solo Time Music Games info@solotimemusicgames.com Teaching Tip - Drumming Clapbacks Clapbacks can sometimes be left out of a busy class but they are essential for ear training, short term memory and introducing new rhythms in a new song. In the new year I bring out my drum and have everyone (including parents) stand around it. Everyone finds their hand position and using alternating hands, they copy the rhythm that I play on the drum. It's busy with so many hands drumming on the same drum but so much FUN! Check out the video. Game of the month - Monster Patterns Monster Patterns A great game to reinforce patterns! Also a great tool for helping your young musicians to use with their composing. Check it out! www.solotimemusicgames.com To Market To Market - Why Twitter? Twitter is being purported as the new marketing and social craze but how do you use it to market to your advantage? Truthfully, it hasn't brought me any new clients but what it has done, is brought my face and my business into the fore front in my community. It's about relationship. It's building connections within your community with groups and with people who I probably would not have any connection with in my community. So being on Twitter is expanding my exposure. How do you do it? Sign up on twitter first and then: 1) "Follow" people who live in your community. Do a search of ALL the people and business's who are in your area and follow them. Real estate agents are great to follow as they are always in touch with people new to the community or moving into a specific area. When someone follows you, thank them. 2) Also, go outside your community and "follow" people who are also in the same business as you and build relationship with them. It never hurts to know what others are doing and saying. 3) Relationship is built when you post comments. What is a comment? It's sharing your comings and goings but don't get annoying by posting tons of useless stuff. 4) Share musical tidbits and tips. This lets your community know who you are what what you do. Post a comment or "retweet" someones twitter comment a couple of times a day to let your community know you exist. Expand your exposure by meeting your twitter friends face to face by going to a Tweet-Up or Meet-Up in your community. 5) NEVER re-post someones brilliant comment as your own. Give credit where credit its due both on twitter and facebook. Twitter is NOT an overnight success. It's takes effort and diligence. Self control is also needed so that you are not spending valuable time reading through all the comments. People you follow will probably not be your future clients but they are the ones who will refer their friends and collegues to you when they think and talk about music with in their community.