Spring Flower Greetings

Spring Flower Greetings!

March went out like a lamb and April came in depending on where you lived either wet or snowy.  To make the best of the weather I chose to go to the mountains for a bit of skiing and was grateful for fresh powder and spring skiing conditions. I know many of you are tired of the snow and the last snowfall just tipped your patience on the snow bank metre but  to perk up your spring check out these resources for some spring time review with your students.

Do you ever wonder when your students will accomplish that perfect hand position?   I've shared a few ideas in the teaching tip section on how I accomplished (or tried to accomplish)  this basic  technique over the last few weeks.  

Also, Amiee Rau from The Music Box Studio in Ontario, blogged a wonderful article to parents called "Loosening the Apron Strings."     An upside and encouraging letter on how to make music lessons and practicing a positive experience.

Jakob is coming for a few days at the end of April.  I'm so excited. Grandmother "hood" has been an unexpected pleasure and joy.   I recommend it! 

Have a wonderful Easter! 

Musicallyours,

Mrs. Lois

MYC Certified Teacher

Solo Time Music Games

info@solotimemusicgames.com

  

  

Teaching Tip  - Balls of Fun!

Trying to get my students to understand correct hand postion when playing the piano has been somewhat of a frustrating journey.  What to do?  All the little tricks that I've done (like taping rubber snakes to the underside of the piano to remind them to keep their thumbs out of the snake pit) have just fallen on deaf ears.   Recently, I ran across this video on YouTube and thought I would try once again to have parents and students understand this important technique.   I sent the video to all my parents to watch and share their children.  It shows a young student who plays with almost perfect phrases, slurs, staccatos and finally ends the song with hands placed nicely in his lap.  I realized that hand position can be taught to young children and it can be done well!    First of all, perhaps I hadn't demonstrated it well enough, I had certainly talked about it but had I really shown them with a visual and hands on lesson. My first step was to send  the video out for everyone to view. At the next lesson, I spent time with each student working with the two balls bought from Dollarama. The balls I had always used for hand, finger and arm exercises but now I used them to help each child form a great hand position.  Students gently grasped the balls and then still retaining the hand position,  let go and placed their hands at the piano in the same position.   Students often lost their hand position by the time they put their hands at the piano which was a matter of a few seconds.  But we just went back to working with the balls.  For the technique lesson that week I only required one simple exercise using perfect hand position and for most students it was a hands separate exercise. The results have been wonderful!  Not every student has complied with my  instructions in regards to hand position but most have.  But what was accomplished  was that everyone understood the procedure and the reasons  for practicing good hand position.    Hand Position Right Hand Position

Game of the Month

What's that Dot!   This Basket Ball themed game helps older students understand the value of the dot. Games other teachers have used this month and sent wonderful comments back to me! Monster Patterns  Young musicians determine the patterns and place the card with the correct monster Give it a Rest! Determine the correct rests in each measure Measure Up!  in 6/8 time Students collect note values in 6/8 time to build two measures The winner is the one who can clap and count his measure correctly.

To Market To Market - Value Added

What do you say to potential parents?  

What do you say to draw parents into a conversation about the wonderful music program you teach or that you are an awesome teacher?

My opening line is: "I bring the happy habit of music to children and families." 

That almost never fails to bring a parent or grandparent

into conversation about music.

 

If they don't want to hear more music and the program that I teach that's okay.

 But  what's important is have your one line introduction 

ready to say at anytime anywhere.

What if they don't want to hear more?

  

Then ask about them or their children, show interest in what ever topic comes up next.

Show you care even if they are NOT going to be potential clients. 

It doesn't have to be a long conversation  but...

Give them a bit of your time so they know you value them in the smallest of ways.

This small effort to show you care and value what's important in their world will be

remembered for a long time to come.

This one conversation, this one moment of interest that you gave and took the time to  place some value on  them has a long term effect that could quite possibly

have them remember you and recommend you to other people they come in contact with.

It's only a few minutes of your time. 

Value the relationship (short term and long term)

 for what future possiblities there might be.

Penguin Recital and Bring a Friend Classes

March Greetings,

I was looking for a little pick me up for my classes when I received a wonderful idea from Terri Myers. It was a Penguin theme! So, the week before spring break I held a Penguin Recital and Bring a Friend classes for my students.

I was a little anxious as to how it might turn out but I shouldn't have wasted any time of worrying, as the classes were a great success. Surprisingly, there were a few parents who wanted to tag along with their child who had been invited as a friend to see what MYC was all about. It was a great opportunity to showcase an MYC class. I prepared an outline of the day under teaching tips for you to glean any ideas that might encourage you to have one of these classes.

St. Patricks Day has come and gone and it's considered to be a lucky day, if you're Irish, but in marketing you and your studio, luck is part of it but it's the preparation and effort that make the lucky benefits happen. For some ideas on how to keep the lucky streak happening read "To Market, To Market."

Have you "liked" Solo Time Music Games yet on Facebook? Please do so, only a few "likes" away from 200, my goal is to reach 200 by the end of the month.

Have an awesome week and may the weather improve for those of you living out east. Thinking of you.

Jakob and Nana

Musicallyours,

Mrs. Lois

MYC Certified Teacher

Solo Time Music Games

info@solotimemusicgames.com

Teaching Tip - Penguin Recital and Bring a Friend Class

Bring a Friend and Penguin Recital Who would have thought this could have been so much fun? I was pleasantly surprised and wondered why I didn't have bring a friend classes sooner. I had my reasons for not doing one (which were unfounded) but I stepped out of my comfort zone and it turned into a great success. Here is the class outline of all the things we did: Clothes- Black and white for students was the suggested clothing attire. I tried to impress upon them that they were "performing" for their friends and we needed to look professional. Materials - black and white balloons and steamers, white plastic table cloth (iceberg) to sit on for eating. Food - goldfish crackers, ice cream sandwiches, marshmallows (cut in half) and drizzled with chocolate syrup. Xylophones or tone bells - enough for the class to share both black and white keys. You could just use the piano if you don't have enough, I just find that it helps them understand the concept first if we use the xylophones. Arrival - As every one arrived, students taught their friends patterns on the piano by playing the game Monster Patterns. This was important as everyone was going to play piano later in class using the music from the Pattern Play books. It gave friends a chance to play a piano if they had never done so before. Opening Song - Hand jive including all students, parents and friends. - Homework and Stickers were done at this time. Can we play for you? We performed as a group some technique and a couple of songs for our friends. Depending on the class it took between 7- 10 minutes. Game One -Penguin Note Naming Game - I used this as a time to teach the friends about the musical alphabet. The game is played when students name the notes on flashcards and friends grabbed the penguin cards with the correct musical alphabet letter. Watch this game on YouTube. You can play this game too by printing the giant flashcards from Compose Create and the penguin flash cards are at www.solotimegames.com. Game Two - Hot Penguin- Play this game just like hot potato only we used a stuffed penguin. Watch video. I played the piano and had a parent watch who was to be eliminated. Penguin Recital - Each student introduced themselves and their friend, their piece and then performed. Students did not memorize their piece. Black and White Music - I used the Pattern Play Book One for everyone to have fun improvising and making music. First we improvised on the black keys and the second songs on white keys. We listened to the music, danced to it, to get the feel for it and then played xylophones and then the piano. Friends had no trouble playing the piano as they had already played at the beginning of class when learning patterns. My only suggestion would be to have students play with only one hand not two when you get to the piano. It just sounds better. Watch a video and Read my blog from Improv Summer Camps. Penguin Food- goldfish crackers, ice cream bars and marshmallows cut in half and drizzled with chocolate syrup. Penguin Recital and Bring a Friend class ended with So Long Song - all friends received a gift and info about music lessons. So Long Farewell (view video) Thanks to Terri Myers for the inspiration to take on this adventure in music.

Game of the Month

This month my beginner students have loved playing this St. Patricks Day activity Download it here. Games we are playing this week Give it a Rest! Video - Give it a Rest!

To Market To Market - Luck? Only if you are prepared!

Opportunity and Marketing We strike it lucky if we are consistent in letting potential families know who we are, what we do and where we are. Go where opportunity has a chance to find you! Make your presence known through playgroups, entrepreneur or business groups that involve women, at church, at the pool, arena, professional offices. Leave a card in a magazine and put up posters. Look for groups that involve families or area's where families are active. Walk through a play ground and hand brochures out. Let people see you and know who you are! Parents want you to share your great gifting of music with their children! Be prepared, Be ready and Be in your community!

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Relationships, Chocolate and SEM!

February can be a month of dark and dreary skies but it doesn't mean classes have to be. If you haven't already, download and use the Valentine Resource to play with your students. Use valentine treats as game pieces for fun! February is also about relationships, not only with your loved ones but with your student's families and contacts, business or casual, outside of music. Trust is paramount! I recently had an agreement with a business contact who didn't tell me about the hidden cost of a product. An assumption was made that I would want it and was promised a phone call and I never heard from the person. Lack of integrity and not fulfilling a promise lost this business associate income and a long term customer. Follow through and honouring your word, go a long ways in the success of your business. Do you ever wonder when you are going to find the time to do all you need to do for your website? Read about a company called Odesk that can help you find more time for the things you love to do and take on those projects you are just having trouble getting around too. Have a Happy February! Enjoy chocolate (it makes you smarter),nurture relationships, build trust and keep in touch with those in your life and community. They will remember you because you have touched their lives. Musicallyours, Mrs. Lois MYC Certified Teacher Solo Time Music Games info@solotimemusicgames.com Teaching Tip - Oh Boy! Have you ever used the "Easy!" button from Staples in your classes? I've used mine with great success. Students get to press the "Easy" button when: They can write their rhythm story without any help from me (or their parent) or they need encouragment to get books put away and up to the piano a little quicker. It's a great incentive! Recently a family went to Disneyland and brought back an "Oh, Boy!" button for me to use. Now Mickey is putting the fun in class. Game of the Month Three's a Triad Three's a Triad has many cards with several different levels. All cards help young musicians determine the notes of a triad in root position. Bonus this game comes with cards cut for you! To Market To Market - Odesk Do you have a hard time trying to get everything done on your new website? Are you stuck on what Google analytic's just might have to offer you? What about posting links to get your web site to appear first in your community? Or getting SEO and SEM done and what in the world does that all mean? Odesk is a site where you can hire someone who can help your accomplish your web marketing for you and do it for a reasonable price. It is a unique way to hire someone and know that you are getting value for your money and you actually know how long they have worked on your site. Check out Odesk to hire someone to do all the above for a price most music teachers can afford.

Solo Time Music Games February is a sweet month! Post a picture of your students playing any Solo Time Music Game on Facebook and I will send you a FREE Articulation resource to play with your students. info@solotimegames.com

My Deck a Refuge

The snow came, school was canceled, the rain came, schools opened and then it was slush and sleet for three days. Welcome to the west coast of BC! But, if one looks they can find little joys in everything and with the drenching rain came the sparrows and the odd squirrel who came to sit on the covered balcony to get out of the miserable weather. It was wonderful to watch sometimes up to 50 birds sitting the deck trying to keep dry.

I trust your compositions are coming along well. Here are a few words that I wrote last year about composing, encouraging you in your efforts to cover everything in the lesson.

"Lesson time is precious and we often feel pressured to get through everything but during this season we have to choose which element of the lesson will have to wait until composing is over. Never regret giving a child the tools to compose. They will always be grateful to have learned how to compose and we can always catch up on other essential activities in class when composing is over."

I love bringing the joy of teaching music and it's concepts to young children in a fun and easy to understand way. Valentine's Day is coming, so I've posted a new and an "updated" Valentine teaching aid. Print, laminate and use Valentine candy for game chips! www.solotimegames.com/resources

Enjoy the rest of January and may this years compositions be filled with wonderful and interesting ideas and tunes!

My Mother's Jewelry and Wrinkles

I could never figure out why my mother had so much jewelry.

In a little girls eyes, my mother had tons of jewels and could never wear it all.
But, she was always buying new stuff. I could never understand it.
A person just needs a few basic earrings, pearls,
a couple of diamonds (fake or real), just the simple stuff or so I thought.

But as I aged, the more jewelry I seemed to acquire.
It baffled me as to why I had this unconscious need for more
earrings, bracelets and necklaces.
Was I becoming my mothers daughter?
Or was there some other sub-conscious reason as to why I was making these purchases?

One day I was trying to reason my way out of a new pair of earrings,
I looked in the mirror and I noticed a new wrinkle.
I immediately bought the earrings.
Sometime later, I was trying on bracelets and notice a new liver spot on my hand,
I paid $60.00 for the one I had on.
I was never a big fan of necklaces until I noticed the skin sagging on my neck and chest from too many years of sun tanning.

And then one day it hit me! I was buying jewelry to hide the fact that I was aging.
I was sub-consciously hoping all the pieces that were accumulating in my jewelry box was taking away the focus of my ever
increasing wrinkles,lines, spots and sagging skin!

Now I'm not saying that wrinkles were my mother's reasons for
purchasing jewelry (although she did have over 300 pairs of earrings
at last count) but there is a common theme between mother and daughter here.
When I look at her, I have the same lines on the upper lip, a spot in the same place on our hands and I really don't want
to mention any other lines and spots in honour of my mother as she would never want me to mention them
but could there be a world wide theme to the purchases of such jewelry? (Other than the fact that the men in our lives can't think of nothing else to buy for us.)

I guess each woman is entitled to her own reasons for acquiring jewelry. But as life shows no signs of making me any younger and if the acquisition of the odd pair of earrings is my way of dealing with this process,
I consciously say, with purpose and dignity, upward and
onward to Michael Hill, Ben Moss, Peoples, Fifth Avenue and fabulous independent jewelers everywhere,
Thanks.
(At last count I had around 40 pairs of earrings)

My Mother and Facebook

A Twitter posting today from Chris Brogan said to blog about your mother on Facebook. Really?
Oh okay.   My mother is Estella, her name means "star" and I've always loved her name.
She named me, Lois which means "battle maiden" and I've always hated her for it.
But that's a blog for another day.
My mother, well, she has Alzheimer's. I'm still grateful that she still knows me when I visit
and knows my voice when I phone her. She's weak, opinionated, fragile, falls and won't use a walker.
We should have suspected she had Alzheimer's a lot sooner when the mice invaded her condo
and no one else had mice. She had been buying food and forgetting she
had bought it and then the mice just made themselves at home with the hefty stash
in the cupboards and pantry.
I just thought she was getting old, we all get old you know.
Also when someone gets old, they don't want to clean any more, I don't want to clean any more!
So I thought the condition of her apartment was just that, getting old.
But when family isn't around a loved one for extended periods of time you
just don't see or recognize the gradual decline into the dungeons of senility.
Finally, my sister Laura, who is my mother's caregiver had her diagnosed and we
moved her into a series of homes for the elderly as she declined and was unable to
care for herself.
But my mother is on Facebook. She doesn't write on it or post anything funny.
Laura, created a Facebook page for her, so we her children, can know how she is doing.
                                                     So I guess this blog is about my sister, Laura,

who diligently and faithfully cares for my mother so that the rest of us don't have to worry about her.
Thanks Laura.

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.