Pinterest and Teaching Aids

Pinterest somedays is just a waste of valuable time BUT I do love it! 
So many great ideas and projects to do.
One teaching aid I saw and created was with a paint stick!
You know the kind to stir the paint in the paint can.
I made some circles with critters and the C scale fingering
put on some velcro and voila! A teaching aid!
These items were part of the Pin It to Win It contest that happened last month. Thanks to all who Repined and Liked and Tweeted!

Congrats to Amy for Repining, Liking and Tweeting!
She received 26 pages of teaching aids and printables for her studio.

Games of the Month

Check out these cool games! Bee-for, Bee-After and Bee in the Middle Burger Intervals - Major Minor and Perfect Burger Three's a Triad - Jump Up high Patterns and Note Review Out of Space and Lines - Beginning Intervals What's that Dot! What does that dot mean beside a note! More resources and Free products at  Solo Time Music Games Website

To Market To Market

PicMonkey is a FREE online photo editor.

It is a site where you can design and create collage pictures. 
I really like it as I can create a cover photo or a cover collage to add to
Solo Time Games Facebook page.
It really is quite easy and the other cool thing is that you can also add
 text to your collage and pictures.
Have fun! 

There is a chill in the air and Christmas songs have begun to be practiced. It's hard to believe that the holiday season is only weeks away. I was shopping this week and noticed that Christmas music is already playing in the sound systems at the mall. I'm not sure I'm ready for all the hustle and bustle yet.

A quick reminder:  If you didn't get it last month, the Santa Beard Christmas incentive is still available on my website. My students are quite excited each week to glue cotton puffs to their Santa's beard for every time they practice.  

I love visiting other teachers' studios; I get inspired by their creativity. This summer, I visited LaVonnie Steger's studio in Cloverdale B.C.  She had the 60 Second Club chart on the wall and plays it with a twist that I had never thought of. Read about it below.  

Pin it to Win it Contest

is open until the end of November.

 How do you enter?

It's simple. Just "Repin", "Retweet", "Repost", "Share" or "Like" anything to do with Solo Time Music Games and you could WIN 26 pages of easy to do, quick to print up, play or display MYC-themed activities.
 These digital .pdf format activity pages are geared for ages 3 to 8 and include note naming games,  matching rests and take up only minimal amounts of important class time.  These pages help your students enjoy creating the happy habit of learning music theory!

Keep safe as the roads begin to get slippery with snow and ice. And stay warm!

Lois Dicknoether
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.

   

60 Second Club

LaVonnie Steger's 60 Second Club inspired me to do this incentive again.   She does it every week and the whole class participates by naming flashcards. Whenever the class gets to the prize portion on the chart they get one little candy, like a Smartie or a jujube.  Nothing big or fancy is offered in prizes for this activity but it is a lot of fun.  When my students reach the top of the chart I plan to give them bigger prizes. But that's still a secret. I started this game in September and it's now November. It looks like it's going to take us a while to reach the top. Students look forward to the last few minutes in class where they name as many notes (in as loud a voice) as they can in only 60 seconds. This activity has turned out to be the surprise hit of the year! For flashcards I use the giant cards from Wendy at Compose Create. Then I found a great site that had giant Solfege hand signs and put in the ones that we are using in Solfege. Here is a picture of Lavonnie's and the link to print off the one I created.

Circle of 5th's

Circle of 5th's Only $1.99 for tons of learning with this hands on manipulative teaching aid.  FREE when you purchase the Circle of 5th's you will receive the complimentary addition of 7 sharps and 7 flats to complete the Circle of 5th's for your more advanced students. Giant Floor Circle of 5th's Here is a picture I took of my version.  I would like to have used different colours but I have tons of pink card stock to use up!

To Market To Market

You are an expert in your field.

People trust you and they trust their children to you

 because they value your expertise.  

There are also many others in our field of musical instruction.   

On your website, Facebook page, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts,

be sure to give acknowledgement to other people in your field

who can provide valuable knowledge to the families with which you work.  

 We all had to learn from someone else, so

share what others have to offer with your families.
It will reflect well on you and your business when others see
that you value other people in your field.

Incredibox

Incredibox- 
This is SO SO cool!   Try it with your studios they will love to see all the different parts that make up a composition.

November 2012

November Greetings,

I trust you have survived Halloween Week in your studios. I don't teach on Wednesdays so conflict was avoided with the fun of the night and Thursday's class was a "sugar" high day.  I  had planned Halloween activities for these classes  aiming to work with the sugar and go with the flow by amping up the activity.  It was all good.

Getting into November and leading up to Christmas,  I find students need a little bit of incentive to practice. To help you, I've redesigned my Santa Beard, 25 Practice Days incentive to keep your students' motivation high. This resource is "Free" for use with your private and group lessons.

Many have asked when I'm coming out with new games. Well, there are plenty!  I have switched to a digital model for reproducing my games. The benefit to you is two-fold:  You can download and print games and resources whenever you like; and the cost is significantly lower than purchasing and shipping the hard-copy version. At a cost of only .99 to $2.99  you can now print all the copies you want for your students' needs within your own studio. No more waiting for snail-mail!

Out here near the west coast, we've all been thinking of the many of you who are in the east and on the east coast during Hurricane Sandy.

Please take care and be safe during this season of storms. I hope for your sakes and your students' that the wild weather doesn't force the cancellation of too many lessons. And if you have too, try using Google Plus as a way to do a virtual lesson. 

Take Care and All the best,

Lois Dicknoether
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.

    (repin any Solo Time Games post on pinterest to receive a FREE printable) 

Game of the Month

The games I've used most this month have been for review for students in higher level classes.  I pop them out before class and use them during solo's.  Critters go to Camp - Note and Critter review Primary Players - Primary Chord review  Pyramid Triads (this is an all time favorite) - Triad inversion recognition.  With this purchase you receive a "Free" digital print out to laminate for students to help them understand how triads are made.   I've laminated these for my studio and each student gets their own to take home and use in practice.  It has really helped them understand how triads are formed. Football Frenzy for Ledger Line review Very Important Numbers -  Bubble Gum - Recognizing Roman Numerals  .99 cents Giant Circle of 5th's - this is becoming one of my all time staples in teaching the Circle of 5th's. The students love being able to see the circle of 5th's on the floor as they create their own in their books.  This also comes with key signatures and relative minors up to 4 sharps and 4 flats. $1.99 Order 6 "Flashcard" games and receive "Free"  Shipping and Handling.

To Market To Market

Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Blogger,
GooglePlus, Tumbler, etc. etc.
These and more names are part of the social media facets of our virtual world.   But they will do us no good if we are not using them
on a regular basis by strategically posting.

I've noticed that many teachers have started new Facebook sites and
they all look wonderful.  Now, with your new site the "call to action" now is two-fold.  One is to be diligent in posting and the second
is to get people to like your site.
It takes a little bit of time to post and keep the page active but people need to be reminded of who you are. 
Is there that important "link" to your web page?

Also at the same time, why not open a Pinterest account
and pin about your product and service?

 Pinterest is the new way to market. 

Facebook is a time line, what you post is going to pass but with Pinterest, your postings are on boards and are always there for people to view and browse through.

Create value for future clients by posting pictures, comments, links and
by dropping little hints about who you are and why you do what you do.  Endorse other teachers and music websites.

You might be avoiding social media because you have enough students for this year. But what about next year?

It is important to keep yourself out there. For example, I received two calls this week as a result of my social media efforts. I ended up referring one student to another teacher and took the other one on as a private student. Social media does work when you make it work for you.

 My suggestion is to choose a couple of sites on which to market yourself
and keep those current and up to date.

September 2012 - Major Minor Houses

Good Morning, Back into the swing of teaching and I realized just how much I love teaching both Music for Young Children and private lessons.   It's such a rewarding experience and the young students who were so wiggly and busy last year have grown up a little over the summer and are more attentive and were so excited to be back at music and learning that it just made me so excited to be back myself. Preparing lessons might be a lot of work but also so very rewarding. I trust you are also enjoying being back in routine and enjoying your teaching year. Canadian Thanksgiving is quickly approaching! Early it seems this year, October 8th and once again I have posted Turkey Term Feathers to print up and use as a term review.  Feathers are free but haven't yet come up printable game board. Soon, I hope!  Here's an example of mine. I'm also excited to announce my newest teaching aid and printable  "Three Steps Down - Major and Minor Houses."  It's all about Key Signatures and how they are related, read about it below. Take care and have a very rewarding musical year of teaching. Musicallyours, Lois Dicknoether 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.      (repin any Solo Time Games post on pinterest to receive a FREE printable)  Dollar Store Find Found these cute wooden sticks at the dollar store. I plan on using them when we talk about the one, four and five chords this season in class.   Do you have a great dollar store find?  Send it to me so I can share it with others. Teachers Notebook Brand new this month Three Steps Down! A new visual teaching aid that is geared for all levels of teaching. Two houses - one major and one minor with interchangeable key signatures in the roof tops to show how they are similar and how they are different. My students loved this teaching aid and were able to understand the major and minor concepts more clearly with the rooftop key signatures. You can order this digitally  from the Teachers Notebook Store for 1.99 or have it printed up and sent when you when ordered directly from me for $5.99 (includes postage). To Market To Market Marketing is all about putting yourself out there, being a bit vulnerable and letting people see who you are.   Do you often get notes from parents and students telling you how wonderful you are and  how grateful they are to be part of your music studio? An idea from Emma Skeete, a wonderful teacher from the east coast of Canada, was to post one of the letters she received from a parent on her website.  The letter say's it all!   The handwritten letter from a parent is the best form of testimony and Emma doesn't need to say anything else.  The letter says it all. Not only is it a great testimony but its an affordable marketing tool.

Bar Code Adverstising and Pattern Play

Solo Time Music Games August 2012 Putting the "Flash" in Flashcards!

In this Issue Wow! Is summer ever going by quickly! I can hardly believe it's the middle of August already. This is the time of year when we begin thinking about new and returning students, lesson plans, new teaching aids to order and more. With regard to new students I recommend every teacher read how B.C. teacher, Claudia Muir, put QR or Bar code advertising on her flyers. (See below.) Once again, I traveled to Seattle to participate in Forrest Kinney's new Chord Play seminar. He's such an encouraging and talented teacher. If he is ever in your area, I recommend that you take advantage of his free seminars. Did you know that anyone can improvise? As you'll read below, even my sister, who has severe rheumatoid arthritis, has learned how. I have had an eventful summer this year. It included trips to Thailand and to northern B.C. and now, as a wonderful end to my summer, I look forward to visiting with my almost-two-year-old grandson, Jakob!  A small cloud in an otherwise sunny summer - although I did not attend the Music for Young Children conference this year, I did send games. Thanks to  the many of you who bought Solo Time Games products. I trust you and your students will enjoy them. Unfortunately, when the unsold games were returned there was a substantial number of  games that was not accounted for. Perhaps attendees picked them up intending to pay for them later in the conference but forgot. If you've taken home games that you accidentally forgot to pay for, please be so kind as to pop a cheque in the mail for their payment.  My address is below. Have a wonderful final few weeks of summer. I wish you all the best in your efforts to attract new students to your studio and every success in the coming musical year.   Musicallyours, Lois Dicknoether 31040 Deertrail Dr. Abbotsford B.C v2t 5j5  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.   Free this month...      Anyone can Improv! My sister, Laura, has had severe rheumatoid arthritis since she was a little girl. She was encouraged to play piano by her doctor and by my parents but after a while it became too much of a struggle as her fingers had been severely damaged by the disease. It didn't help that her teacher told her she didn't have any talent! As I am always looking for someone to play duets with me, I dragged a reluctant Laura to the music studio to play some Pattern Play improv as my partner. She wasn't a happy camper as I sat her down and suggested she improvise. (I can be a little bossy when I want something done. She didn't stand a chance of refusing!) We started playing in Pattern Play Book One but she told me that her left hand just wasn't strong enough to press the keys and with her right hand, she could only use a few fingers. I replied that to improvise you don't need all your fingers, just some of them. That's when I remembered that she types with a pencil in her left hand. I gave her a pencil to use with her left hand asked her to play whatever she could with any of the usable fingers on her right hand. For over an hour we played duets from the Pattern Play books. At the end she commented, "I didn't think I could play the piano anymore and here I've just played for an hour."   In spite of her disability she makes wonderful bead bracelets as a hobby.  I had a wonderful season this past year introducing improv and the various scales and modes to my students through the Pattern Play books. Learning the modes can be a drudgery for  students but when they can play them in a song, the scale is not only reinforced but enjoyed. Teachers Notebook Recently I have begun to post my teaching aids  on the Teachers' Notebook Store. At this site, these simple and easy-to-use games and printables are available for you to print up for minimal cost. This way you can have the aids instantly and have them ready for fall lessons. New this month are Soccer Patterns and Soccer Bridges.  Order 6 or more Solo Time Music Games and Receive FREE postage! To Market To Market B.C. teacher, Claudia Muir, was thinking there had to be a better way to put out flyers with her phone number on it rather than the old tear off tag on the bottom of the sheet  which often gets lost before a parent can call her about her music services. Through this link she created her own Bar Code or QR Code  to put on her flyer so parents can simply take a picture of it with the downloadable app on their smart phones and, voila! It takes the viewer right to her website where they have  a digital copy of her information on their phone.     Now that's smart marketing.

An Unexpected Visit

Good Morning, Last week I had an unexpected stop over in Calgary, Alberta.  Traveling home to Abbotsford, after visiting Jakob (the most adorable grandson I know) spring thunder storms shut down the Calgary airport for several hours stranding 70,000 people.  With the "Global World Oil" Conference happening, there were no hotel rooms for airlines to put up passengers and rental cars were quickly snapped up. I was one of the few who was able to make arrangements for a place to stay overnight but I still needed a ride to the airport in the morning. I commented on the craziness of the airport on Facebook and Beth Nicholson, an  MYC teacher in Calgary read it and graciously offered a ride to the airport the next day.   In the morning we met for coffee, chatted music, teaching, children and students.  It was such a blessing, not only for the ride but for the opportunity to to glean from her, her talents,  ideas and tips.  Then we then dug out our iPads and shared our favorite apps! Beth's two favorites were Piano Notes (staff and key identification) and Right Note (Ear Training). I once lived in a community where I was the only teacher and I realize how valuable my colleagues are because they help me become a better teacher when they share their knowledge along with my passion for bringing music into the lives of children.  It's so important to stay connected and  unexpected encounters are a bonus.  Thanks Beth. Lately, I've been asked what games are there available for certain levels with in the Music for Young Children program.  This month I've listed the games and aids for the Moonbeam 3 level and students preparing for the Advanced Rudiments exam.  Over the summer, I will list what's available for all the other levels within the MYC program. Cheers and sunny summer days to you all! Musicallyours, Lois Dicknoether  MYC Certified Teacher  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.

To Market To Market

As teachers we often struggle with charging enough for our expertise, our time and our talent.  Here is an article from Wendy at "Compose Create," where she puts it in black and white how  and why we need to charge what we do. I couldn't write a better article on how to set up your fee structure  for your studio and the reasons behind it than her recent blog post on "No more Charging for Lessons by the Week!"

Moonbeam 3 Games, Printables and Teaching Aids

Music For Young Children - Moonbeam 3 Flashcard Games Don't Put your Apples - Introduction to Enharmonic Notes Out of Space and Lines : Introduction to Intervals Burger Intervals - Which burgers are major, minor and perfect Shoot Out -Hockey theme - Whole tones/steps and Semi- tones/steps Shoot for the Stars - Chromatic, Diatonic, and Enharmonic Pyramid Triads- Root, First and Second inversion triads What's that Dot? - What is the value of the dot! Weak and Strong Beats - Choose one rest to complete the measure- quarter,                             8th,  half and whole rests. Strike Out - Choose one rest to complete the measure - adding the 16th rest Give it a Rest! Level 1 - uses quarter, 8th, whole and half rests.                             Level 2  - Introduces the 16th rest                            Level 3 - Triplets and increased difficulty                            (over 30 measures in each package)                                 You Print - Printables  $2.99 or less  Give it a Rest - Time signatures with examples of note values used in different measures. Use with Give it Rest.  Go Ahead! Make Me! - 10 pages of printable  major, minor and perfect                                              intervals. Print, Laminate and use erasable markers. Large Circle of 5th's - Giant circle of 5th's - Use as a game and teaching aid. Small Circle of 5th's -  Print off individual circle of 5th's for each student. Coming! Three Steps Down!  Major/ Minor  Key Signatures- Teaching aid

Printable and Resources

sources

Greetings, A couple of weeks ago, a colleague of mine was quite ill and unable to teach her lessons so her husband stepped into her role as teacher and taught her classes for her. I was so impressed! I asked my husband if he could ever step in for me if I needed him to. He informed that under no circumstances would there ever be any benefit to either him or the students if he were to step into my role. Whether he could cover for me in this way or not, I have to say that he has stood behind me through all my years of teaching MYC, from recitals to conversations about frustrating situations, so I guess that's good enough. Here's wishing all a Happy Father's Day and a big thank you to all those who have supported our passions for teaching music. I'm so glad that many of you printed the Before and After Bookmark Printable for your students. It is an honour to know that you value this teaching aid and plan on using it with your students. There are many other resources and Printables located on the website for only $1.99 or less. This  small cost goes toward hosting the website so the teaching products are readily available when you need inspiration or assistance. Recital time is over; now registration begins. I have a week-long visit with my grandson, Jakob, coming up, plus a trip to Thailand! If any of you have been there, I would love to hear any tips or must-see sights you might recommend. Once I am home again I'm involved in some "try- it" classes, some new marketing plans to implement and then it will be fall again! But first, let's enjoy the summer as we all know that it will end all too quickly and we'll be back into the swing of teaching before we know it. I wish you a wonderful June with year-end recitals and parties followed by a totally relaxing summer! Musicallyours, Lois Dicknoether  MYC Certified Teacher  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.

To Market To Market

As we go into the season of marketing our businesses, it's important to validate our potential parents' decisions regarding their placing their children into our music programs and lessons.
They are relying on us to remind them why they are
investing in us and our studios and in their children's educations.

Reassure parents that their decision is a wise one and its value and implications are lifelong. Colleen Francis states that
"Clients who are emotionally connected to you will stay longer than those who are just satisfied." 

Pinning for Pinterest

Welcome to (almost) Summer! (not here in BC) Are you on Pinterest yet? Pinterest is the newest form of social media but unlike the friendly chit chat of Facebook or the quick comments of Twitter or the business thoughts on LinkedIn, Pinterest is like a cork bulletin board, only online. It is for pinning (posting) or re-pinning pictures of things that you find interesting or wish you had of thought of yourself. In the same way that you would pin photos to your board on the wall, you can pin photos of your favourite things on your Pinterest pin board. Your pin board is constructed of pictures that you find online or on your own computer and post. Or you can re-post, or "re-pin", what others have put up on their their pin boards. You can create boards with any subjects that you like. Frankly, I love it. My favourite subject is the food category. I have gotten many ideas from other people's posts of the foods and recipes that they have made. There are ideas for the home, clothing and haircuts but, you may be asking, what has this to do with MYC and music? Read below to find out the advantages of using your Pinterest boards to tell people about you, your studio and your business. It has been a busy season. I graduated from college (finally!) and congrats to those of you who also completed degrees or some part of your furthering your education.  It's a lot to have on your plate while still teaching. All the best in your future endeavors. I know that you, too, are in preparation stages once again as Recital season is upon us.   Pieces are being mastered by young hands, timing, dynamics and ensembles are top of the mind. Gentle reminders to please count - out loud... We're a team, you know.   I know that some days it just seems like all our diligent instruction doesn't even get through to our students but it does. Recital time comes along and  everyone performs wonderfully, after all.   Have a wonderful May and enjoy the blooming of all things spring!   Musicallyours, Lois Dicknoether  MYC Certified Teacher  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.   Free this month...    http://www.teachersnotebook.com/product/mrsloisd/before-and-after-bookmarks

Pinterest

Pinterest is the newest form of social media but there is a distinct difference from Facebook and Twitter that I think is very important for MYC teachers to know and take advantage of.

Many teachers (including myself) have a facebook page advertising our studios and businesses but the downfall is that it is a timeline that is always changing.  We have to constantly update it for people to notice us.

With Pinterest you are working with a static timeline, or "board". Visitors will always see what we have repinned and posted. Your board doesn't change from day to day. It can also be linked to your facebook and twitter accounts so you have double the exposure. If you have a blog, all the better.

 I haven't done it yet but one of my projects for this summer is to pin and post pictures of the studio and games. I'm really excited about another location that will expose the world to MYC and the games.

Also remember to link every picture and use hashtags. 

Pinterest asks you to request an invitation to get started
and it can sometimes take up to a week to come through.
See http://pinterest.com/

Printables and Resources
Greetings,
A couple of weeks ago, a colleague of mine was quite ill and unable to teach her lessons so her husband stepped into her role as teacher and taught her classes for her. I was so impressed! I asked my husband if he could ever step in for me if I needed him to. He informed that under no circumstances would there ever be any benefit to either him or the students if he were to step into my role. Whether he could cover for me in this way or not, I have to say that he has stood behind me through all my years of teaching MYC, from recitals to conversations about frustrating situations, so I guess that's good enough.

Here's wishing all a Happy Father's Day and a big thank you to all those who have supported our passions for teaching music.

I'm so glad that many of you printed the Before and After Bookmark Printable for your students. It is an honour to know that you value this teaching aid and plan on using it with your students. There are many other resources and Printables located on the website for only $1.99 or less. This  small cost goes toward hosting the website so the teaching products are readily available when you need inspiration or assistance.

Recital time is over; now registration begins. I have a week-long visit with my grandson, Jakob, coming up, plus a trip to Thailand! If any of you have been there, I would love to hear any tips or must-see sights you might recommend. Once I am home again I'm involved in some "try- it" classes, some new marketing plans to implement and then it will be fall again!

But first, let's enjoy the summer as we all know that it will end all too quickly and we'll be back into the swing of teaching before we know it.

I wish you a wonderful June with year-end recitals and parties followed by a totally relaxing summer!

Musicallyours,

Lois Dicknoether
 MYC Certified Teacher
 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.

To Market To Market
As we go into the season of marketing our businesses, it's important to validate our potential parents' decisions regarding their placing their children into our music programs and lessons.
They are relying on us to remind them why they are
investing in us and our studios and in their children's educations.

Reassure parents that their decision is a wise one and its value and implications are lifelong. Colleen Francis states that
"Clients who are emotionally connected to you will stay longer than those who are just satisfied." 

Music For Young Children Conference 2012
We will be at the MYC conference 2012!
Wendy Chan has graciously offered to oversee our table but we are still looking for someone help out. 
Please contact me for details if you are interested! 
(It comes with free games!)
 Wendy Chan has also created some wonderful
games and teaching aides. Check them out at
www.myteachingaide.com

 Solo Time Music Games
Solo Time Games creates a learning environment of fun and employing these delightful teaching aids and games shows that you
care about your students' musical progress.

Welcome to (almost) Summer!

Are you on Pinterest yet? Pinterest is the newest form of social media but unlike the friendly chit chat of Facebook or the quick comments of Twitter or the business thoughts on LinkedIn, Pinterest is like a cork bulletin board, only online. It is for pinning (posting) or re-pinning pictures of things that you find interesting or wish you had of thought of yourself. In the same way that you would pin photos to your board on the wall, you can pin photos of your favourite things on your Pinterest pin board.

Your pin board is constructed of pictures that you find online or on your own computer and post. Or you can re-post, or "re-pin", what others have put up on their their pin boards. You can create boards with any subjects that you like.

Frankly, I love it. My favourite subject is the food category. I have gotten many ideas from other people's posts of the foods and recipes that they have made. There are ideas for the home, clothing and haircuts but, you may be asking, what has this to do with MYC and music? Read below to find out the advantages of using your Pinterest boards to tell people about you, your studio and your business.

It has been a busy season. I graduated from college (finally!) and congrats to those of you who also completed degrees or some part of your furthering your education.  It's a lot to have on your plate while still teaching. All the best in your future endeavors.

I know that you, too, are in preparation stages once again as Recital season is upon us.   Pieces are being mastered by young hands, timing, dynamics and ensembles are top of the mind. Gentle reminders to please count - out loud... We're a team, you know.   I know that some days it just seems like all our diligent instruction doesn't even get through to our students but it does. Recital time comes along and  everyone performs wonderfully, after all.  

Have a wonderful May and enjoy the blooming of all things spring!

  Musicallyours,

Lois Dicknoether
 MYC Certified Teacher
 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.

 

Free this month...

   http://www.teachersnotebook.com/product/mrsloisd/before-and-after-bookmarks

Pinterest

Pinterest is the newest form of social media but there is a distinct difference from Facebook and Twitter that I think is very important for MYC teachers to know and take advantage of.

Many teachers (including myself) have a facebook page advertising our studios and businesses but the downfall is that it is a timeline that is always changing.  We have to constantly update it for people to notice us.

With Pinterest you are working with a static timeline, or "board". Visitors will always see what we have repinned and posted. Your board doesn't change from day to day. It can also be linked to your facebook and twitter accounts so you have double the exposure. If you have a blog, all the better.

 I haven't done it yet but one of my projects for this summer is to pin and post pictures of the studio and games. I'm really excited about another location that will expose the world to MYC and the games.

Also remember to link every picture and use hashtags. 

Pinterest asks you to request an invitation to get started
and it can sometimes take up to a week to come through.
See http://pinterest.com/