March 2016

Solo Time Music Games March 2016 Putting the "Flash" in Flashcards!

In this Issue - Exams Dear Friends and Teachers, I have students taking RCM piano exams in April.  I thought it would be a good idea to take the early exam instead of June exams then they could relax and enjoy their last couple months of lessons.  I was thinking they might focus and work a little harder knowing the exam was sooner than usual.  There is that saying "best laid plans of mice and men often go awry," I'm wondering about my decision now.  My desire is for them to do well but the problem is they think they are doing well. Everything is memorize except ....... (add your own - dynamics, phrasing, slurs etc. I'm anxious for them to do their best but inside I'm saying "Please just memorize those melodic scales!" But then on the flip side, I know I would be thinking the same thing if they were taking June exams. I'm sure many of you know what I mean. As a result I had to come up with some incentives to get them revved up: 1)  Group Lessons - Scale competition with playbacks and clap backs. 2)  Cut up a photocopies of their songs into measures and have them glue them together.  Some could do this and others could not. 3)  Mix up the cut up photocopies. This was mean but it showed me who had their song memorized and could sort them out. 4) Mix up each others Sonatina's and they have to sort them out and put them together.  Actually this went well.  5)  A lesson with another teacher. 6)  Mock exam with another teacher. 7) Serve pizza - meat and vegetarian to meet everyone's nutrition component.    8) Find another teacher in another city as the students is going there for two weeks and where he is staying does not have a piano.   I actually did this.  The teacher was wonderful and offered her piano every morning for practice and would give 2-3 lessons to get the child ready.   Aren't piano teachers wonderful people? 8) I tried. Due to the falling and rising and falling Canadian dollar ordering Solo Time Music Games is a great deal for American's but not so great for me dealing with Constant Contact as a result I will be changing email providers as of April 2016.  Be sure to check out the St. Patrick's Day activity for the week of March 17th and Easter activities for the week of March 28th; both PDF files have levels for all ages included in the file.  This spring break I'm off to Banff, Alberta to ski with Jakob and Declan but before that I'm sending over 100 games to Korea.  So grateful teachers around the world see the value of Solo Time Music Games for their students.  It's going to be a busy week putting everything together. Have a great spring break. 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.

February 2016

February 2016

Give It a Rest.

Good Morning, I'm hearing about massive snowfalls out east so I guess I won't comment on the rain out west.  I do hope you are doing well and that there won't be too much trouble to schedule make up classes due to the snowfall.   Cancellations are a fact of teaching piano and sometimes parents don't value our time the same as they do hockey and dance.  A great tongue and cheek and advice article on why you shouldn't cancel lessons is from Wendy Stevens at Compose Create. Plenty of Give it a Rest teaching aids have been going out this month.  It's a great way to teach rest placement.   The teaching aid comes in two sizes 8 1/2 by 11 for $12.00 and 11 by 17 for $20.00. Read below how to get a free game. I've been teaching the song "Bingo" to my level one and pre-school students and it is a favorite.  Here is a GREAT visual aid and It's free to help little ones who can't read yet.  Did you know that you get points towards your next purchase at the Teacher Notebook Store if you comment when you purchase or download a free item?  It helps me also by giving the store a higher standing.  So if you do print off "Bingo" please comment.  It only takes a moment. Mariya is only three and in music class she sits on the bench with a frown.  I inquired about this and found out she is on the autism spectrum.  So I tried to make an effort to make eye contact and encourage her to join in.  Four months later I feel this little nudge and snuggle right in on my side under the ukulele as I played,  I looked down and it's Mariya. What fun it was to have her join the circle on her own accord.  She did go back to the bench after awhile but how wonderful it felt to have her join in and know that she is taking in all the musical activities in the class even when not participating. St. Patrick's Day is not that far away.  Here is a great little teaching aid for students to learn the value of notes. Apple has a great new app out called  Music Memos, sorry if I'm repeating myself as I did post information about it on Facebook.   It's nothing fancy but it is free. Students record their piece onto their iPhone or iPad and the app will add drums and guitar to their piece.  It's simple, easy and great fun for them to hear their song with background music and every piece ends with a smashing of cymbals.  Have a musical day- snowy or rainy! Musicallyours, Lois

Solo Time Music Games Free choice of any "Flashcard" game when you order "7" Flashcard games before February 29th, 2016. (Does not include pdf files or items from Teachers Notebook Store)

January 2016

Solo Time Music Games January 2016 Putting the "Flash" in Flashcards!

Composing and what I've been using Happy January! Trust you had a wonderful Christmas Season.  It was our year to have Christmas without the kids so we took off to California and went camping in Wallmart parking lots and then finally on the beach in Santa Cruz.   No point shopping as the dollar is so low but gas was cheap so we went and enjoyed the beaches.  Then January came and it was Christmas again with all the family at a ski hill in Vernon.  Great snow, skiing, visiting, games, food and grand kids, food and grand kids and more food.   It was a great time. Composing season is here.  I posted last month a new composition idea about using "One Note"  it's upgraded and now includes rhythms $2.29.  Also check out Caterpillar Composition and Composing Snowman.      Marketing of my studio is always on my mind.  This fall I started music in a couple of Montessori schools and it has been great boost and exposure for my studio and lots of fun using my ukulele. What games have I been using this month with my Music For Young Children classes? Give it a Rest and Weak and Strong Beats for Sunbeam and Moonbeam  3's.  Definitely Bee - For and Bee - After for Sunbeam 1's and review for Moonbeam 1's and Sunbeam 2's.  Monster Patterns for Sunbeam 1 and Sunshine 2.   Don't Put Your Apples for Sunbeam 3 for enharmonic review.  Noah's Ark has been great for helping young ones learn the value of notes (I even used the easy cards with my Sunshine 1 class.) Valentines Day is in a couple of weeks and posted below is a list of what is available in the  Solo Time Music Games Teachers Notebook store. Most of the Valentine Day printables have been updated and I think you will be happy with the result.  Have a wonderful day! Heartily Yours, 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.   Valentine Activities   Valentine Match up - Note and keyboard  Valentine Circle of 5th's - Keys to My Heart  Valentine Beginner Match Up - Music for Young Children specific Valentine Beats - includes Triplets  Valentine Music  - Rhythms using 16th notes  Valentine Tic Tac Toe  and X's and O's - Beginner - Two levels included New and updated versions of all the games played in the form of tic tac toe and ending with a black out where everyone wins! Key's to my Heart - students match keys to the heart signatures.  Great review for theory students learning key signatures up to four sharps and four flats.

December 2015

Merry Christmas and Season's greetings to you and yours!

December has come so quickly! 

It took longer than usual to get into a routine this year.
 I don't really know why, it just did. 

But when routine came I set a day aside for a composing class.  

Early this fall there was a song going around that contained only "C"'s.  It was very creative and I put it in the back of my mind to do something similar for composing with my students.  So last week I had a composing class and we all wrote songs that contained only one letter name but could use as many of the same note name in any position on the staff.  
What a fun class that was!  And so successful.  The children got right into it and enjoyed being creative with the "surprise cards"
after their composition was supposedly finished. 
I've posted the file at the teachers notebook store for you to take a look at
and perhaps use with your students. 

When I was younger I thought by the time I reached the age I am right now life be would a lot simpler.   But not so.  But I am grateful for what life has brought us through and the journey ahead with family.  May you have a wonderful Christmas and many blessings with family and friends.

Musicallyours,

Lois
Solo Time Music Games