Monday, January 23, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
My Red Vest
January Greetings!
I was sitting in Starbucks recently, preparing for a final exam, when a young family sat down at a table next to me. I like to study at Starbucks sometimes because, unlike at home, I don't get distracted with all the things that need doing around the house and studio. The father looked over at me, sauntered by my table sort of looking at me, it was weird and bent over to take a closer look as it turned out, at the MYC logo on my red vest. He said, "Do you teach MYC? We just moved here and we are looking for a MYC teacher." It turns out their friend is a MYC teacher in their previous town and now they were looking for one here. Our conversation led to them giving me their names, address and asked me to contact them about lessons for their children in the fall. It was wonderful two new students! How awesome is that! I didn't even have to strike up a conversation. The MYC logo on my red vest did the marketing and branding for me. Things like this don't happen all the time but this time it wouldn't have happened at all had it not been for my MYC vest. When it snows in the Lower Mainland few people want to drive if they don't have to. This winter season I'm offering parents the opportunity to join our class virtually. So instead of going out in the cold and braving the treacherous roads, I am having parents and students join me via Google Plus. Google Plus is a great way to connect with families. (More on how it works, below.) Have a great day, keep warm to those of you in the deep cold and bring out your umbrella's those in the rainy Midwest!
Keeping warm in my red vest,
Mrs. Lois
 |
| Game of the Month |
| To Market To Market - Skype and Google Plus |
| It
doesn't always snow here in B.C.'s Lower Mainland during the winter
season but when it does, few people want to drive since most people
don't have snow tires on their vehicles. My experience has been that
some parents won't come to lessons when it snows. My home is situated on
a big hill and if the street hasn't been sanded it can be quite
slippery. A few intrepid parents will brave the snow and the hill and
come to lessons anyway but many choose to just stay home. With this in mind, this winter I'm offering the option for my students and parents to join the class via Skype if there is only one student or via Google Plus if there are two or more attending. The way I see it is, they have set that hour aside to come to class anyway so it's a wonderful option to be able to sit by the computer and watch the class rather than miss it. If they have a laptop computer that can be moved near the piano, they can join in and play along! I know this is not a new idea for some of you but I thought it was worth sharing once again for those who may not be utilizing the available technology. Contact me if you would like an invite to Google Plus. |
| Resources - Composer Tricks |
| Composer Tricks
I spent some time fixing up my Composer Tricks
teaching aids and now they are available on line for you teaching
pleasure and use.
I start composing by teaching Composer Tricks. It's fun, quick and the students love hearing their two measure Motive and Composer Trick just after they write it. |
Thursday, January 5, 2012
It's a New Year and some changes are good.
One of our family traditions is to reflect on the previous year, share one good thing about that year and what we dream or hope for as the new year begins. It was always interesting to hear what the kids had to say about the previous year and their thoughts and resolutions for the next. Sometimes it would be serious, thoughtful and sometimes I wondered what planet they live on.
And speaking of thinking of the New Year have you thought about new students for the fall? It's never to early to start thinking about the the fall. Marketing begins every time you step out of your door and every time you teach. Parents share how great you are and how much their children have learned and love you as their teacher. Don't be afraid to hand out a few flyers to your parents to share with their friends. It's never to early to plant a musical thought in potential families.
Resolutions are hard to keep! This is an insightful article from Elissa Milne, an Australian music teacher I follow on Twitter. Check out her Nine New Years Resolutions for every music teacher.
This year I plan on making some changes to the schedule. One is to not be so busy and we all know that's easier said than done, graduate from college and savor important milestones with my grandson, Jakob. Thanks to those who respond with encouraging words, I appreciate them.
I wish you all the best the best in 2012 with blessings, laughter and music to fill your days.
Musicallyours,
Lois Dicknoether
Check out this month's resources.
One of our family traditions is to reflect on the previous year, share one good thing about that year and what we dream or hope for as the new year begins. It was always interesting to hear what the kids had to say about the previous year and their thoughts and resolutions for the next. Sometimes it would be serious, thoughtful and sometimes I wondered what planet they live on.
And speaking of thinking of the New Year have you thought about new students for the fall? It's never to early to start thinking about the the fall. Marketing begins every time you step out of your door and every time you teach. Parents share how great you are and how much their children have learned and love you as their teacher. Don't be afraid to hand out a few flyers to your parents to share with their friends. It's never to early to plant a musical thought in potential families.
Resolutions are hard to keep! This is an insightful article from Elissa Milne, an Australian music teacher I follow on Twitter. Check out her Nine New Years Resolutions for every music teacher.
This year I plan on making some changes to the schedule. One is to not be so busy and we all know that's easier said than done, graduate from college and savor important milestones with my grandson, Jakob. Thanks to those who respond with encouraging words, I appreciate them.
I wish you all the best the best in 2012 with blessings, laughter and music to fill your days.
Musicallyours,
Lois Dicknoether
Check out this month's resources.
Happy Holidays from Solo Time Music Games
Dear Friends, Teachers and Followers,
This is a busy time of the year. Year-end parties and recitals add pressure and stress but are always worth the effort. Performing is a great skill to learn when young and attending parties and eating good food together makes for great memories.
It seems like, when building up to the Christmas season, practicing gets put on the back burner. During this time I like to offer a practice incentive contest where children keep track of their practicing minutes and I put a penny into a World Vision fund for every minute of their practice. The incentive program usually last for five weeks. The winning class gets to choose an item from the World Vision catalogue that corresponds to how many minutes they have practiced. The chosen gift then goes to a needy child or family.
This year I offered the incentive on a smaller scale and decided to let each class choose which gift they would like to give. When shown the choices the children immediately chose what THEY would like. It was very individual but as their conversation continued, they collectively decided to choose something they thought the recipient could use and would be the most valuable to the family. Interestingly, most classes thought a gift of fruit trees was the most important gift to give.
I was impressed that my students, when given a little time, began to think of the needs of other people rather than their own. Their compassion for others was very touching in this Christmas season.
I wish you every happiness this Christmas and thank-you for being our customer. We look forward to continuing our relationship in the coming year.
Lois Dicknoether
Solo Time Music Games
(If you didn't print the Christmas resources yet, they will still be up for a while)
Dear Friends, Teachers and Followers,
This is a busy time of the year. Year-end parties and recitals add pressure and stress but are always worth the effort. Performing is a great skill to learn when young and attending parties and eating good food together makes for great memories.
It seems like, when building up to the Christmas season, practicing gets put on the back burner. During this time I like to offer a practice incentive contest where children keep track of their practicing minutes and I put a penny into a World Vision fund for every minute of their practice. The incentive program usually last for five weeks. The winning class gets to choose an item from the World Vision catalogue that corresponds to how many minutes they have practiced. The chosen gift then goes to a needy child or family.
This year I offered the incentive on a smaller scale and decided to let each class choose which gift they would like to give. When shown the choices the children immediately chose what THEY would like. It was very individual but as their conversation continued, they collectively decided to choose something they thought the recipient could use and would be the most valuable to the family. Interestingly, most classes thought a gift of fruit trees was the most important gift to give.
I was impressed that my students, when given a little time, began to think of the needs of other people rather than their own. Their compassion for others was very touching in this Christmas season.
I wish you every happiness this Christmas and thank-you for being our customer. We look forward to continuing our relationship in the coming year.
All the best to you and your family,
Lois Dicknoether
Solo Time Music Games
(If you didn't print the Christmas resources yet, they will still be up for a while)
Thursday, November 17, 2011
November's Unexpected Surprises
Good morning! I wish you all the best as we enter this season of winter and Christmas.
Do you invite guests to come into your class to watch? I hold a "bring a friend day" once a year and occasionally an auntie might come to watch a lesson. Grandmas and grandpas are also always welcome to visit, especially if they are from out of town.
This past week, Sydney, age 5, brought both her grandma and grandpa along to sit in on her lesson. I brought out stools for them to sit on and watch our class. I had heard that the grandmother could play piano quite well but didn't think much about it. While she was visiting, I asked if she would like to play after we had finished with her granddaughter's lesson and she readily agreed. I hoped she was able to play reasonably well and would play something with which the children could identify.
When I asked her what she intended to play, she replied, "Chopin's Winter Wind Etude."
Really? I thought, but I actually meant, oh, my goodness! Either this is going to be really good or it's going to be really long and my five little five year-olds will be squirming around.
To my surprise and delight, we were taken on a wonderful winter trip through Chopin's beautiful piece with its whirls and twirls musically depicting a stormy winter day. The entire performance was amazing and no one wiggled or peeped during the whole time.
After we applauded in appreciation and admiration, I asked Sydney's grandma about herself (though forgot to ask her name). She replied that said she regularly tours around the world performing and playing with symphonies. What a great honour it was to have her in our class!
This incident reminded me that you never know who will come and bless you and your students when you open the door to visitors.
Have you ever thought it would be fun to join a virtual choir?
Check out this one http://www.liquidchurch.com/virtual-choir/
Keep warm and keep singing merrily along.
Musically yours,
Mrs. Lois
MYC Certified Teacher
Solo Time Music Games
info@solotimemusicgames.com
Good morning! I wish you all the best as we enter this season of winter and Christmas.
Do you invite guests to come into your class to watch? I hold a "bring a friend day" once a year and occasionally an auntie might come to watch a lesson. Grandmas and grandpas are also always welcome to visit, especially if they are from out of town.
This past week, Sydney, age 5, brought both her grandma and grandpa along to sit in on her lesson. I brought out stools for them to sit on and watch our class. I had heard that the grandmother could play piano quite well but didn't think much about it. While she was visiting, I asked if she would like to play after we had finished with her granddaughter's lesson and she readily agreed. I hoped she was able to play reasonably well and would play something with which the children could identify.
When I asked her what she intended to play, she replied, "Chopin's Winter Wind Etude."
Really? I thought, but I actually meant, oh, my goodness! Either this is going to be really good or it's going to be really long and my five little five year-olds will be squirming around.
To my surprise and delight, we were taken on a wonderful winter trip through Chopin's beautiful piece with its whirls and twirls musically depicting a stormy winter day. The entire performance was amazing and no one wiggled or peeped during the whole time.
After we applauded in appreciation and admiration, I asked Sydney's grandma about herself (though forgot to ask her name). She replied that said she regularly tours around the world performing and playing with symphonies. What a great honour it was to have her in our class!
This incident reminded me that you never know who will come and bless you and your students when you open the door to visitors.
Have you ever thought it would be fun to join a virtual choir?
Check out this one http://www.liquidchurch.com/virtual-choir/
Keep warm and keep singing merrily along.
Musically yours,
Mrs. Lois
MYC Certified Teacher
Solo Time Music Games
info@solotimemusicgames.com
| Game of the Month |
Bee in the Middle
Use this fun game to help your students understand the
Musical Alphabet!
There are seven pockets on this game in which the students place the flashcards in.
Quick and easy to set up to play with up to 6 students. This game takes only 3-5 minutes to complete.
If you are a new teacher contact Lois for special pricing on an order of 10 games which includes FREE shipping. |
| To Market To Market - Metronome Apps |
I am having such fun with apps on the iPad and iPhone. I loaded several metronome apps to try but the greatest one I've tried put the fun in counting. It features a dog barking or a duck quacking on the first beat. The students had lots of fun in class and several reported going home and having their parents download the metronome, too and then actually use it! Now, you if own the Midi Roland, it also has a metronome and if you can find it, it also has the dog and duck sounds for the first beats. My problem has been how to find them for quick use. Using the iPhone or iPad is a lot quicker. |
| Resources |
A new multi - level teaching aid to help your level 2 and level 3 students write their intervals.
Starting off with Intervals of 2nd and 3rd's
Moving on to Perfect intervals , then major and minor 6th and 7th's.
Easy to print off and place in a clear envelope or laminate
Hand out the white board markers and students can practice and erase
until they understand the concepts.
Friday, November 11, 2011
October 2011This
fall season has been a busy one for me. I have been preparing for
lessons and traveling; getting orders ready to ship out and attending a
wonderful MYC conference. On top of all that, I decided to go back to
school and finish my degree.If it seems like a lot, it is, but I have
found that when I arrange all my tasks in order of priority I do a
pretty good job of getting everything accomplished.
My husband very generously gave me an iPad for my birthday (which helps!) and I have been using it in my classes and with my private students. (See below for ideas from teachers who have created apps for it.)
Now that fall schedules are in full swing, I trust that your routine has fallen into place and life is as normal and calm for you as it can be!
In other news, my little grandson, Jakob, has been in our family for one year now and has brought us all much joy and pleasure. I am delighted to report that I plan to spending Christmas with him in Alberta this year. Oh, and with his parents, too.
Musicallyours,
My husband very generously gave me an iPad for my birthday (which helps!) and I have been using it in my classes and with my private students. (See below for ideas from teachers who have created apps for it.)
Now that fall schedules are in full swing, I trust that your routine has fallen into place and life is as normal and calm for you as it can be!
In other news, my little grandson, Jakob, has been in our family for one year now and has brought us all much joy and pleasure. I am delighted to report that I plan to spending Christmas with him in Alberta this year. Oh, and with his parents, too.
 |
Musicallyours,
Mrs. Lois
MYC Certified Teacher
info@solotimemusicgames.com
| Game of the month - Pyramid Triads |
|
Intervals are an important part of music and are used in
sight reading, composing and playing.
Check out the new teaching aids available for you to print for your students. |
| To Market To Market - iPad |
| The iPad is a great resource and the more I use it the more comfortable I become with it. I am finding that I use it most with private students working through the Christopher-Norton American Popular Piano Series. Many of my students have not listened to a lot of jazz, blues, swing or Latin music and consequently have no concept of the musical style. So out comes the iPad and off to YouTube we go. After a quick search we find music in the style we are studying and the student has the opportunity to quickly get a feel for that musical genre. In my MYC classes last month I allowed students to play major and minor thirds on the iPad app called Virtuoso. Not only is it fun for today's techno-savvy students, but they can hear and see the change from a major 3rd to a minor 3rd. Of course, they can also play it on the piano but when you can play it on the iPad, why not use the technology? I have uploaded and used Wendy Chan's and Anne Crosby's creations to put more fun into teaching musical concepts on the iPad. Take a look at their websites for more ideas you may be able to use with your own students. |
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Happy Autumn and Registration Blues
Happy Autumn!
September is here again and suddenly all my classes are full. For some reason this new music season began slowly and I had begun to wonder if the world had suddenly lost interest in music. Okay, not really, but until a few weeks ago, even after all my advertising, only three new students had enrolled. This is highly unusual for my programs.
In a moment of weakness, I decided to open up to accepting some private students, something I haven't done in many years. I had been busy with Solo Time Games and I decided to go back to school this fall and finish my degree. Consequently, I was hoping for only a couple of new classes to fill in last year's time slots so I could make it all work.
When the week of September 13 rolled around I had my schedule set and thought everything was good to go when suddenly, I was inundated with phone calls. All of my classes filled up! Oh my, it has been crazy. I'm still getting phone calls from last-minute students anxious to get in a class! I don't know what the hold up was but it is great to know that people are still excited about being part of MYC.
I'm off to the B.C. MYC conference in Princeton soon. This year the event is being held at a resort in the mountains. In addition to seminars and great speakers, the conference includes activities like zip-lining, hiking, canoeing, and swimming. I can't wait!
Don't forget to check out the Resources page at www.solotimegames.com for teaching aids that are brand new this September.
I hope that your fall classes have filled and that you have a great start to a happy and successful musical year.
Musicallyours,
Solo Time Music Games
info@solotimemusicgames.com
September is here again and suddenly all my classes are full. For some reason this new music season began slowly and I had begun to wonder if the world had suddenly lost interest in music. Okay, not really, but until a few weeks ago, even after all my advertising, only three new students had enrolled. This is highly unusual for my programs.
In a moment of weakness, I decided to open up to accepting some private students, something I haven't done in many years. I had been busy with Solo Time Games and I decided to go back to school this fall and finish my degree. Consequently, I was hoping for only a couple of new classes to fill in last year's time slots so I could make it all work.
When the week of September 13 rolled around I had my schedule set and thought everything was good to go when suddenly, I was inundated with phone calls. All of my classes filled up! Oh my, it has been crazy. I'm still getting phone calls from last-minute students anxious to get in a class! I don't know what the hold up was but it is great to know that people are still excited about being part of MYC.
I'm off to the B.C. MYC conference in Princeton soon. This year the event is being held at a resort in the mountains. In addition to seminars and great speakers, the conference includes activities like zip-lining, hiking, canoeing, and swimming. I can't wait!
Don't forget to check out the Resources page at www.solotimegames.com for teaching aids that are brand new this September.
I hope that your fall classes have filled and that you have a great start to a happy and successful musical year.
Musicallyours,
Mrs. Lois Dicknoether (dicknader)
MYC Certified TeacherSolo Time Music Games
info@solotimemusicgames.com
| Game of the Month |
| COMPOSER TIME PUZZLES Check out this great, new teaching aid!
on you own printer for your students. |
| To Market To Market - Google Plus |
| Google+ is the next phase in social media. Your friends are now grouped in circles. On Monday nights I enjoy a feature called "Hangout", where I meet with ten friends for a book study. We're currently reading a book called, Linchpin, by Seth Godin. I find Google+ superior to Skype for this type of discussion. It doesn't cost anything and up to ten people can be part of your chat room conversation. Want to join? Send me an e-mail and I will sent you an invite! info@solotimegames.com |
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