January 2015

January Greetings!

How did your 2015 musical year start?  Were you excited to be back or were you hoping for a few more days of relaxation?  Both emotions were with me as I started 2015.   I have particular days of the week that have me excited about teaching and one day in particular (I won't say which one) that is especially trying.  I do my best to bring the same energy to every day but sometimes I just have to put on my happy face and face what the students bring to me.  

But on the up side my 2014 Christmas recital was the greatest recital I've ever had. A new family came on board this year and they created an environment of cheering and clapping after every student played. Every child was a superstar, the atmosphere was electric and I loved it. 

My family Christmas was also delightful as all my children were able to be here in spite of the mountains roads being treacherous from Alberta. Jakob and Declan were here for a week so I was happy being grandma.  Our other news is that my other daughter and her husband are expecting a little one by  adoption with in the next few months.   Such exciting times!

I may be having wonderful time but I also had a virus since October! Good grief, I've taken everything under the sun to try and battle it except a good hot holiday to somewhere but that has to wait until March. 

But I do hope you have been well and before it's to late I wish to get out this Caterpillar Composing activity to use with your students during the composition season with Music For Young Children. It's free as I feel I'm sending it out a bit late so  I hope some of you can make use of it.

If you are a Music for Young Children teacher have you registered for the International Conference in Halifax this July?  I'm registered and looking forward to connecting with many of you there.  I haven't seen the east coast for many years so I'm looking forward to spending sometime after the conference touring. 

Also the Solo Time Games website is down for repairs so if you need anything check out the Solo Time Games Teachers Notebook site for awesome teaching resources and teaching aids. 

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.

Scales and Modes

Good Morning,
August has arrived and I'm starting to think about registration.   But, with the weather so warm, company arriving and the beach inviting it's hard to think about fall lessons.  To satisfy my guilty conscience I posted Kijiji and Craigslist ads and next on my list will be to deliver flyers to a couple of new townhouse complexes in my area. I need the exercise after enjoying the beach too much this summer.

Every summer I try to take a music course or seminar of some kind.  The last few years I was inspired by Forrest Kinney's "Pattern Play" books and took his courses.  But this year I went to Victoria, B.C.  

I went to Victoria for  a "Play Piano Chords Today"  course by Linda Gould.  She has a unique, creative and positive approach to reaching out to adults who would like to play piano or wish they hadn't quit when they were younger.   The baby boomers are reaching the age of retirement and are looking for something to keep old age at bay.  Playing the piano is one way to keep the brain working.  "Play Piano Chords Today" can be  taught in groups or in a private lesson.  I also had the wonderful experience to see her in action as she taught a piano boot camp for her adult students.  This course might be worth considering if you are looking to increase your adult client base.  Check out her website for a cute way to make a staff pen for your students. 

Do you know that there are over 20 FREE products on the Teachers Notebook site?

And that there is FREE shipping on orders over 10 flashcard games

at the Solo Time Music Games website?
 Check them out and be ready for lessons in the fall.

Lately I haven't posted any new teaching aids but  that doesn't' mean I'm not creating and designing.   I have a solfege series of songs and games coming out and new MYC critter note games but read about my latest teaching aide below designed for your intermediate students.

Have a great August with sunshine and new students knocking at your door.
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.

   

Something New - Modes

Modal scales are becoming more and more popular in music and
music exams and are required for students to demonstrate
their knowledge of them in their theory exams.

This project has been lurking in my computer for several years
and finally feel that its ready to share.
 

I've created a 17 page document with posters of each of the seven modes and a couple extra pages of tips and ideas for writing them. 

Also included are the Major, minor, melodic and a few other scales! 

You and your students will love having this wonderful teaching aid
to help get a real understanding of modes and scales!

You can print off the 8 1/2 by 11 posters as classroom decoration or
give each student their own copies with

4-6 per page for their personal use. 

This dynamic teaching aide is designed for your intermediate students and is available for the month of

 August for only $3.99. 

Good Morning,
Have you ever made house calls to a students home if they were unable to come to lessons? As a rule I don't make it a habit. 

Recently, one of my students was riding his bike, hit a pot hole and boom went flying off his bike and broke his femur.  A full leg cast, surgery with 3 pins and then another surgery to reset the bone as it had shifted, his mom phoned to say he wasn't going to be able to make it to lessons as he is unable to sit at the piano BUT not to worry he was still practicing.  Here's the picture she sent me of him practicing on an old keyboard. 
 
As a result I decided that I would make house calls for the next while to hear what he has been practicing and help him prepare his recital song hoping that he will be able to play at recital at the end of May.

One of the activities I did with him was  Rhythm Cup Explorations from Wendy Stevens. I printed up 4 sets of cards, laminated them and then had them bound so I could keep them in order and take with me when I went to his house.  I put some cool rhythms on the keyboard and it was fun getting his whole family involved in keeping rhythm to help relieve some of his boredom.

Rhythm Cup Explorations has been a big hit in my studio group classes and I'm looking forward to using it this week when my private students come to group day. 

It's that season once again for registration and updating websites.  Thank you also to those who enjoyed the "Easter Bunny Footprint" teaching aid.  Please become a member of Solo Time Games on Teachers Notebook so you can see what new products are being posted and when they are free. They are only free for a short time before they become a paying digital product.

Have a wonderful April and may spring actually come to your area!   Enough snow and rain I say!
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.

Solo Time Activity

I have used as posters around the class room "Tempo and Music Terms" over the last few years but this year I was wondering how it could become more of a "hands on" teaching aid rather than a decoration.  

I decided to print them in a smaller version  with four to a page and then I made labels so the students could identify what each term was classified under. 

What a great exercise it turned out to be! As students had to think whether it was a tempo or a dynamic.   It also brought great discussion about the term "fermata" was it a tempo or articulation?  What does style mean?

The activity really proved to be one of the best teaching aids I have for helping students identify terms and their proper categories.  

Tempo and Music Terms

 Natural and Harmonic Minor visual Aid
You can also purchase it for $1.20

 

Easter Greetings!

Spring Greetings! Spring Break is over! Recital and festival season is quickly coming, I hope you were able rejuvenate during the break so you can face this busy season head on.   I took some time off and did a road trip to California and then flew out to Alberta to care for Jakob while his parents were away finalizing the details of the adoption of an adorable baby boy named Declan!   We are so thrilled to have a new addition to our family. Listed below are some Easter themed teaching aides some are free and some are inexpensive.  Please check them out.  Also the most fun I've had with music/rhythm stories lately is with Wendy Stevens of Compose Create and her new Rhythm Cup Explorations.  We've all heard versions of the Cup Song on Youtube and Wendy has done a wonderful job of creating easy to use rhythms with cups in four different levels.  Be sure to check them out.  Wishing you a wonderful Easter Season. 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. Easter Bunny Footprints Children choose a foot print and find the keys on the piano.  There are many different levels including notes and ledger lines. (14 pages of fun)   Other Great Easter Products. Three  levels included in one pdf file for $2.79! Easter Egg Match UP Notes in Bass Clef from Low B to middle C and Treble Clef  - middle C to High C. Easter Egg Match Up  - Word Review Piano         Forte     Fine Mezzo piano       Crescendo         Legato Decrescendo       Mezzo forte       fortissimo pianissimo            Repeat       ritardando Andante              allegro                   moderato Easter Egg Match Up - Word Review Mano Sinistra      Mano Destra       Fine Cantabile              Crescendo         Legato Decrescendo        dolce                grazioso Adagio                 accelerando        ritardando Andante              allegro                   moderato Sunshine Level with Music for Young Children Critters and Notes $1.99

Turkeys, Spiders and Practicing

Happy Thanksgiving!

I trust that your studio and classes are full and brimming with future musician's and rock stars.  I am enjoying my private students this year and looking forward to doing some group classes to cover for the upcoming holidays.  I've decided to cancel classes on all holiday Monday's and then have a group class on the Tuesday.  I'm preparing the students for this group class by letting them choose a song that they will perform for the other.   They also have been learning the E flat blues scale and will improvise with each other and if there is any time left, a bit of theory and some games. I've been thinking about this idea for a long time and have read many blogs from teachers who do just this.  I was a little worried that parents might balk at the idea of a group lesson but not one parent has said a word to the contrary.  So I'm looking forward to seeing what this little venture will do to create musical friendships among my private students. The British Columbia Music For Young Children conference was a couple of weekends ago.  It was a great time of sharing and being inspired by our speakers.  I love the fact that our speakers were are our own MYC teachers who have expertise in other areas and are willing to share their knowledge with us. Wendy Stevens of "Compose Create" website and blog has written the most adorable 'Happy Birthday" song that will be the hit at any recital.  Take this link to hear it and order it for a student for an upcoming recital. Please read about my experience at the Alberta conference with Paul Coates of the "Practice Monster" fame. Happy Thanksgiving and don't forget the "Turkey Feather" term review for a quick and fun Thanksgiving activity in your studio this week. 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.

Game of the Month

Here are a couple of new digital products this month and most are geared for the Music for Young Children program. A Critter Avenue Story is a cute little review of critters developed for the MYC program  11 pages for only $2.29. (This product sold out at all conferences.) Spider Fingers is a fun printable with fingering and fingering exercises to help students learn and review their finger numbers.   Free for only a short time!

To Market To Market - The Practice Monster

In August a parent phoned and asked me to take her child as a private student who had been a student of mine a few years previously.  "Mrs. Lois," she said "You are the only one who can get him to play, he's so talented." Two years prior I had released him to another teacher as I was really tired of him NOT practicing ... ever. 

Reluctantly, I agreed while kicking myself for giving in, once again.  This was the student who I once dismissed from a lesson ten minutes in from lack of practicing and attitude.

In August, I attended a conference and heard Paul Coates speak on  "Calming the Practice Monster." He shared how he turned his students into practicing monsters.  But the one idea and suggestion that I totally couldn't get my head around was that he has all of his students phone him and let him know when they had practiced every day.

My immediate thought was, "I just don't have time for that."

But then I took back this student who never practiced and so on our first lesson I informed him that he was to call me every time he practiced.  There had to some accountability on his part.   He wasn't impressed but he phoned me on his first day of practice.  He sheepishly said that he had  practiced and I told him how "awesome" he was, which is another "Calming the Practice Monster" tip.

After a week of this student calling me it wasn't the student who changed but me.  We kind of developed a new kind of relationship. 

I wasn't always there to answer the studio line but I did listen to the messages the student left. After four weeks this student started telling me about the problems he was having with a particular part of the music that day and I was able to give suggestions right then on the phone or I would phone him back with a suggestion.

As a result, I started giving other students who didn't have a great track record of practicing, the privileged of calling me.  In every conversation I told them they were "awesome" and thanked them for calling me.  It didn't take longer than 30 seconds. The change in these students practicing is quite amazing.  And for me, I realized how I love hearing from them and encouraging them through out the week and developing more than just a once a week lesson relationship. 

Last night one little 8 year old phoned me and said he practiced and after I said how "amazing" he was and thank you for calling me and have a good night,  he said, "Good Night to you too, Mrs. Lois, see you Monday." 

That's what I'm excited about, the students practiced and they are excited about coming to lesson practiced and not feeling bad about not practicing.

September Website Updates

September Greetings, I must have dreamed that I had updated my webpage for fall 2013.  I was pretty sure that I had posted my schedule and prices. That is until a new family came to register and the mother mentioned she liked my webpage but it was out of date. Sure enough, I went to my webpage and it wasn't updated, it was a dream. I immediately fixed up my schedule and posted some recent class pictures (Of course with parents permission.) At a recent Music for Young Children conference, Judy Cosgrove the coordinator for Alberta, stated that most parents don't read the content of your webpage until after they have checked the schedule. Parents want to know right away if the lessons they are looking for are going to conflict with the other activities their children are involved in. Content and cost comes later.  I don't know what your thoughts are but I've noticed a trend as parents are trying to schedule hockey, dance (etc. etc. etc.) and piano  into their child's lives, piano often takes 2nd or 3rd place.  All these activities have their place in a child's development  but I've noticed a shift as piano lessons aren't being considered a priority. Lessons are only considered if the time fits in with other activities.  Perhaps I've been at fault over the years at being too accommodating and shifting my schedule to suit a families schedule, but with all the information out there about how valuable music is in a child's development, I just wonder why it often takes second place. I would be interested in hearing your comments on this topic. Here's a great article on "Why Music Education Rocks!" Darlene Irwin created a great poster designed for her parents to help them understand how to  help their child be successful in music lessons. Read about it below. Thanks to the Alberta teachers for their support in August.  Love hearing how you are using the games in ways I just didn't think of. Looking forward to seeing the BC and Sask teachers at upcoming meetings. May you all have a wonderful year, with classes full and music abounding. 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.

Game of the Month

I've been asked if there are new games available. The answer is yes and no.  The "Flashcard Games" are still the same but there are more digital printable teaching aids for quick and ready access to assist you better.  The digital items are found on the Teachers Notebook website. New to teaching this year? Tempo Terms are 19 small posters to decorate your studio with or use as a teaching aid. Tempo Circles can be used to make your own colourful wall decorations.  This pdf comes with all kinds of words to create an exciting visual presence in your studio.

To Market To Market

Darlene Irwin, a music teacher from Ontario, Canada has a wonderful website called "The Student Music Organizer."  Darlene's website is chock full of tips, tricks and great teaching aids.  This past month she created the best little poster I've seen for her parents that I just had to post.  It's called "How can I help my child be successful in piano lessons."  This poster encourages parents with tips on how to help their child have a great music year.  She's given me permission to post it on the teachers notebook site and for you to download for FREE.  Be sure to "like" her on facebook as a thank you
 for printing it off for your parents. 

Good Evening,
I can hardly believe August is half way through and I'm so not in teaching mode. It's been a great summer so far the weather is hot late into the evening which makes it hard to get in the studio to clean it up and organize.  I'd rather be sitting on the deck visiting with friends.

My first priority for summer memories was visiting Jakob (my grandson) and then I was off to the California Music Teachers conference with MYC, then a Pattern Play seminar in Portland, Oregon with Forrest Kinney and now back to Alberta to see Jakob and attend a conference with the Alberta Music for Young Children teachers August 27th.

British Columbia is not known for it's hot summers and I'm not complaining   but I did get inspired to create this cute rhythm chant in 5/8 time about rain to take your students on a musical adventure mixed compound time.  The printable is a chant called Raindrops and Puddles and included is an extra page for your students to compose their own chant in 5/8 time.

Have a wonderful end to  your summer before you start getting back into the swing of organizing and teaching.  All the best with plenty of rest and summertime memories.

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.

   

Updated! Very Important Numbers Gumball machine teaching aid. Students match gumball numbers with Roman Numerals Black and white and now in  colour.

To Market To Market - Star Wars

I ran across this wonderful little Youtube channel that has easy rhythm ensembles to cool tunes that your students might identify with.  Here's the link to an easy rhythm ensemble for Star Wars.  Any young musician will be inspired to keep a steady rhythm with this  version of the Star Wars theme.