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Here you can find all the information for the classes each week!
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Purple Magic #6
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 | Purple Magic Lessons
Lesson #6
Thank you for sending the videos of our Showtime song, "Bounce and Roll"! It really helped to not have to listen to every student during class time. If you didn't send a video of "Bounce and Roll" this time, you can still send it. Also, there's another Showtime coming up for lesson 8.
Please be sure your child is using the correct fingers for the C minor cadence. They don't need to play fast, but the correct fingers are a necessity. Switching between the chords will become much faster the more they practice.
Please be sure your child is listening to and learning the lyrics to "Magic Keys" and "Our Bugs are So Fun". Remember, we use music to teach music and the lyrics are wonderful teachers in these songs!
Celebrate Connection
- See how many times your child can switch between the minor red and minor blue chords in 30 seconds... then see if you can beat that number!
- Try switching back and forth from major red to minor red with your eyes closed. Then do it with major blue and minor blue with your eyes closed.
Ode to Joy
We practiced hearing downbeats last year, now we’re listening for the upbeats as well. The downbeat is the first beat of the measure, and the upbeat just precedes that stronger downbeat. This song helps us feel that with our bodies --- and helps us to get to know a little bit about Ludwig van Beethoven along the way!
Halloween Night
This 'spooky' song is a great repertoire piece to give us a little more practice on our C minor cadence. Hands will play together in our new 3/4 time signature, and we will even have an opportunity to try a bit of improvisation as the semester continues.
Even the Muppets like to have a little fun with the upbeat in Ode to Joy.
Here is a link to all the skills videos as well as the link to be able to purchase a class video to make up for a missed class. (tap or scan)
Have a musical day!
-Ms. Bethany :)
Red Balloons #6
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 | Red Balloons Lessons
Lesson #6
I sure had a fun week with the kids! They are so much fun to teach! Most of them have been doing homework and "play" practicing. I can tell the kids are listening to their music, as they are singing along with me. Thank you for making listening time a joyful priority because the magic is beginning to happen!
I can tell the students are starting to feel somewhat comfortable. This is a great thing when they start to open up and internalize their experience. Keep in mind, when you come to class, they will sometimes behave differently. Just remember to be actively engaged in what I’m doing and don’t force their participation, just encourage. (You can always bribe them before you come to class though!)
Keep up the good work and consistency parents! You’ll be happy with the consequences. Remember parents come on all odd lessons, "So I'll see you next week!" (Re, Sol, Do)
(You sang that in your head, didn't you?) ☺
Goin’ on a Lion Hunt
We're learning how to keep a steady beat when we sing this song. We use the varying tempo in this song to demonstrate fast and slow. What fun! Seems simple, but it's a powerful way to teach them to internalize rhythm.
Melodic Patterns
The songs Let’s Play Music, Hickety Pickety, and May There Always Be Me, expose the kids to melodic patterns that have a strong cadence pull to "DO". These patterns help the child to sing in tune and trains the ear to hear how songs should end.
Boom, Boom
We introduced this fun song today. This song helps us recognize a melodic pattern, (SO, DO) and help us keep a consistent steady beat. Very soon we’ll be using it to practice the autoharp and read our chord music!
NEW Melodic pattern
The SOL SOL DO pattern was introduced today! Your student will start to notice this pattern with their ears and then their eyes everywhere... even to the cheerios floating in their cereal. They are little sponges.
May There Always Be Me
Today we reinforced the term ‘lullaby’. This is the type of song that can put babies to sleep. It should feel soft, steady, calm and peaceful.
Click HERE to read more about boosting your child's brain using music.
Here is a link to all the skills videos as well as the link to be able to purchase a class video to make up for a missed class. (tap or scan)
Have a musical day!
-Ms. Bethany :)
Green Turtle Shells #5
Thursday, September 26, 2024 | Green Turtle Shells Lessons
Lesson #5
Thank you for coming to class this week and having fun with your child. They love having you there to cheer them on!
Just a reminder, if you are paying monthly, tuition ($75) is due this week. You can scan the QR code on the right with your banking app or use my phone number to pay via Zelle. You can still pay me with Venmo, I just have to pay transaction fees that way.
The kiddos are quickly learning the keyboard basics and moving right along quite nicely. You may be yearning to hear your little one playing beautiful pieces, but remember, this is not just a piano course. We are learning harmony, ear training, singing, and classical music. In time, it will all come together in a more complete and satisfying way than just playing a piece. Enjoy this journey with your child!
I have noticed that the red stickers on the back of the books are still on many of your children's books, which means they aren't on your keyboards at home! Please be sure you use the stickers (which are just electrical tape and should be easy to clean off when the time comes to remove them!) to help your child feel confident with the red chord. We'll be adding another chord soon and they should be confident in playing the red chord before then. Please let me know if you have any questions about placement.
Celebrate Connection
A few ideas to bring playfulness to practice time!
- Play one song an octave lower
- Play a song at T - U - R - T - L - E speed
- Play for your favorite pet or toy
DO is Home
In Blue Bugs, when we sang “DO is Home,” we were singing middle C to develop relative pitch. The students will be playing the piano this year in the key of C, so we want them to know the name of this note. We also experience and want to instill in them that DO can change and isn’t always middle C.
Kit Kat Keyboard:
Playing all the C's and then all the F's as fast as we can builds our spatial awareness of the keyboard (octave spacing). As the students form visual conclusions about the keyboard layout, they will become comfortable distinguishing all the white keys and developing a feel for the keyboard spacing. By playing all the C's or all the F's as fast as they can, they gain a feel for how far apart each letter key is from the next key of the same letter (an octave). Mix it up later in the week by racing the song up the keyboard, or racing down the keyboard. Suggest they look at their fingers, then look away or even close their eyes!
Old Paint
As your child plays this song, you can help them get a feel for which fingers need to go down by pressing the back of the keys while their fingers are in bubble hand shape. If the child is struggling with this or any song, the best way to assist is to press the correct key down at the top of the key near the soundboard. This way, we won’t interfere with the brain trying to send a neural message to the hand.
Sol Fa Mi Re Do
“Who sits on your SOL-FA? MI and RE eating cookie DO!” A catchy phrase to remember the new melodic pattern we are learning. Our big goal is to HEAR and Recognize and also to SEE and Recognize and PLAY the melodic patterns. We will begin playing Sol Fa Mi Re Do next week!
Sally Go Round
This is a fun game to play at home! Emphasize all landing together on BOOM! We are discovering kinesthetic energy, the energy of movement in time. Children have to learn to predict when they need to jump in order to land exactly on the BOOM, just as they need to be able to predict when to lift their hand to play the chord exactly on the beat. This game takes this skill to a full body involvement level.
How to Play Intervals w/Right Hand
We are training the ear to hear layers of sound with the aquatic canon, Solfege Seafriends. By studying each individual part, we will be able to hear them distinctly even when they are played together. This is a great skill that even most adults don't have! (Page 73 in the reference section of your homework booklet shows which sea animal goes with which musical part.)
Check out this fun example of a canon.
Here is a link to all the skills videos as well as the link to be able to purchase a class video to make up for a missed class. (tap or scan)
Please text to let me know your child's favorite Green Turtle Shells song so far! That way I know you've read this newsletter!
Have a musical day!
-Ms. Bethany :)
Bridge #18A
Wednesday, September 25, 2024 | Bridge Lessons
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Here is what we did in class this week:
This week we will do the red highlighted assignments at home!
Don't forget to please help your child pass off their songs and scales to earn pins! You just need to send me a video of them playing. The scales can be played with or without the back track, but they need to be perfect at least one time with both hands. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Have a musical day!
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Brown Teddy Bears #5
Wednesday, September 25, 2024 | Brown Teddy Bears Lessons
Lesson #5
Have you found your child replicating a class activity or song at home? Wonderful! Reinforce his/her learning by participating in the activity together (sing along, play the game, etc.) These songs and games your child is learning in class will open up additional teaching and bonding opportunities at home.
Next week we'll sing these in class:
- The Four Seasons
- Here is the Beehive
- Snowman
- Echo Edie
- Major Scale
- Little Boy Blue
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
- Rocky Mountain
- Mulberry Bush
- Grizzly Bear
- Flight of the Bumblebee
- Lavender's Blue
The younger the child, the smaller the vocal range is for singing. Echo Edie helps students hear, experience, and explore high sounds in their “head voice” as opposed to their natural, speaking “chest voice” . Through vocal play, Echo Edie will help to extend your child's vocal range, learn to sing in tune, match pitch, feel the beat, and repeat rhythms.
By echoing Edie with high voices, your children are discovering their head voice (or upper vocal range), which is so important for learning to sing in tune!
Life skills, such as doing chores around the house, or taking care of our bodies, are an important part of preschool education. Singing about these routines makes them more fun.
Optional home fun activity: Cut out the Little Boy Blue cards on page 27 in your workbook
(Remember, these activities are optional but can be a great bonding experience to do with your child during the week.)
Here's a video of our new class story Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? read aloud!
Have a musical day!
-Ms. Bethany :)
