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Here you can find all the information for the classes each week!
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♫ Listen to your class music without a screen! ♫
Tuesday, February 4, 2025 | Uncategorized
 If you are looking for a way to make it easier to play your class music, keep reading! I recently discovered this screen-free way to give your child control of their music listening experience. It's called a Yoto player. I opted for the Yoto Mini and I feel like it is more than adequate for the job. I made a couple web pages that go into more detail about how you can use it for Let's Play Music and Sound Beginnings. There's even a way to get a 10% discount on your first purchase! Read all about it here!
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Yellow Arrows #14
Thursday, April 17, 2025 | Yellow Arrows Lessons
Lesson #14
Parents come next week... It will be our last Yellow Arrows class! Lesson #15 (next week) is STATION DAY! We will have different stations set up to play games and show off what the kids know. You will get to see just how much your child has learned this semester! It is a parent day and you won't want to miss it! There will be a photo opportunity if you'd like your child to wear their LPM T-Shirt to class.
Celebrate Connection
A few ideas to bring playfulness to practice time!
- Sing and act out Robin Hood with your child, even better, as a family!
- Find intervals on the keyboard with mini marshmallows, toy cars, Legos, etc.
- Have your parent sing while you play, the trade places. Now both sing together!
Don't forget our end-of-year SHOWCASE is coming up! Invite your family, extended family, neighbors or friends. Let's celebrate your child's accomplishments! Kids will wear their LPM t-shirts!
Our 1st and 2nd Year Showcase will be Friday, April 25th @ 5:30pm at the church at 2750 North 800 East. Please put it on your calendar! Sound Beginnings kids will be singing 2 songs at the start of the showcase. If you'd like to see the 3rd Year and Bridge Recital, it will begin @ 6:15pm.
Remember, this is a SHOWCASE... WE ARE NOT A PERFORMING GROUP! We're not expecting perfection. This is to show your friends and family what we've been learning this year and to give your child a chance to play for an audience.
I have texted you the songs your student will be playing at the showcase. These are all songs and activities we've done before, but some of them have been awhile since we've gone over them. Please help your child have an AWESOME experience by being prepared! Memorizing their parts will help them be more confident. (Not required, but highly encouraged!) Everyone should have two songs to play. If you need to make a change, please let me know ASAP! If you don't understand what your child is supposed to actually do, please just ask! If the kids don't have an actual "part" for a song, they will be doing the actions or patting their laps the beat. I do not want to use a backtrack, so everyone will need to sing all the songs!
Although I don't know what order I'll do these in, here are the songs we'll be showcasing: Turtle Shells, Caterpillar Song, Hickory Dickory Dock, I Am Robin Hood, Tinga Layo, and How to Skip.
After 1st & 2nd year are done playing their songs, we'll sing "Don't Put Your Trash" with the audience and hand out certificates and sing our goodbye song. I'm going to keep it under 45 minutes. Then we'll start the 3rd Year Recital, which you are welcome and encouraged to watch.
Chord Transitions
Mom and dad, did you know I can play all the Primary Chords with BOTH HANDS with my eyes shut? The goal is to have their eyes on the music while they playing as much as possible, with only quick glances at their fingers. With their favorite song, invite them to memorize it and "see" the chords in their minds while they play with their eyes closed.
Mastering Playing Hands Together
This is likened to patting your head and tummy at the same time! Play hands separate until each hand is mastered, then put hands together one measure at a time. Slow and steady wins the race!
Enjoy reading about the lasting positive musical effect of a Let’s Play Music graduate years later!
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 :)
Pink Piggies #14
Wednesday, April 16, 2025 | Pink Piggies Lessons
Lesson #14
Next week is instrument day! We would love to have several people share an instrument or vocal talent! Of course, performing is optional, but we would enjoy hearing from you, your child, or another family member or friend. They can play an instrument (one of our semester instruments would be amazing!) or sing a solo (a song from this semester would be fabulous!). We welcome any and all performers! If your child wants to bring a homemade instrument, that's fine too! Each family will have a turn to share something. Please let me know what you will be sharing (and please let me know if you have any questions).
Our Sound Beginnings/Let's Play Music 1st and 2nd Year Showcase will be Friday, April 25th @ 5:30pm at the church at 2750 North 800 East. Please put it on your calendar! Sound Beginnings kids will be singing 2 songs at the start of the showcase. Sound Beginnings students will wear Sound Beginnings t-shirts. If you don't already have one, you'll get one if you are going to be at the showcase! If you'd like to see the 3rd Year and Bridge Recital, it will begin @ 6:15pm.
Do you have a favorite instrument we listened to this semester? It’s likely that you and your student prefer one instrument to another. Exposure to various instruments allows your child develop a ‘taste’ for a particular sound that may turn into a desire to study a specific instrument. By listening to a solo instrument your child is learning about it’s timbre and tones. Timbre (pronounced "tam-ber") is the unique and distinctive sound that belongs to a specific instrument and distinguishes it from any other instrument. Tone refers to the quality and frequency of a sound as compared to itself; the difference in frequencies of low sounds (“bass”) and high sounds (“treble”).
Optional home fun activity: Do the Instrument Day activity on page 18
(Remember, these activities are optional but can be a great bonding experience to do with your child during the week.)
Check out this fun video of the Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks!
Have a musical day!
-Ms. Bethany :)
Orange Roots #14
Wednesday, April 16, 2025 | Orange Roots Lessons
Lesson #14
Our 3rd Year and Bridge Recital is on Friday, April 25th and will begin @ 6:15pm at the church at 2750 North 800 East. Please put it on your calendar! If you'd like to see the 1st and 2nd Year Showcase, it will begin @ 5:30pm. Sound Beginnings kids will be singing 2 songs at the start of the showcase.
For our recital, I'd like all the students to wear "Sunday Best" dress.
So a dress or skirt for girls and a nice shirt and slacks for the boys. We're going to make this a nice event. Everyone else can dress however they want. :)
Next week is STATION DAY! Have your kids wear their LPM T-shirt to class that day so we can take pictures! I will be adding your child's picture to my "composer's wall" and using it in their composition book that they will each get!
This week each student got to introduce their song and practiced bowing at the end. Some of them had their introduction memorized, but some did not. This should be memorized so they can be confident at the recital. Be sure your student is practicing introducing their song each time they practice (which should be minimally once every day). Don't forget to have your student practice on 3 different pianos and fill out the practice log on page 55. (Follow the instructions on page 54!) I will have a special prize for everyone that has it completed by next class! You can schedule a time to use MY piano for one of those if you would like...just let me know!
Every year, Let's Play Music corporate has a composition contest. All 3rd Year students are invited to submit their composition. There are awards for Best Melody, Best Use of Chords, Best Use of ABA Form, Most Original, Best Story, and Best Overall. If you'd like me to submit your student, let me know by next class. I can only submit one student from my studio each year, so if you're interested, let me know as soon as possible. If I have more than one interested, I'll have an impartial judge look at the compositions and select the piece they think will do the best. To enter, you'll just need to upload a YouTube video of the student performing their piece, introducing themselves and the name of their piece and explaining the 'story' that their song will tell. I can help you with any of the technical things that will be needed to submit your child's masterpiece! This is a great opportunity to be recognized for their hard work!
Do you remember the lesson of the bamboo??It is no coincidence that our 6th and final semester is called Orange Roots. This is not the end of your child's musical journey, we’ve built the roots for them to continue to grow every day in every way as a musician! By now, your child has attended at least seventy-five classes: 3,675 minutes of classroom instruction. You've found babysitters for siblings so you could be in class on parent week. You've arranged schedules and meal-times and errands so your child could get to all seventy-five classes on time. You set up a daily practice plan and played with your child and assisted in hundreds of hours of practice. You helped with homework. And now something wonderful is finally happening: your child is learning some serious music theory, performing some fantastic songs, and even composing and transcribing their own music. Finally, your bamboo has sprouted!
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 :)
Blue Bugs #14
Wednesday, April 16, 2025 | Blue Bugs Lessons
Lesson #14
Parents come next week... It will be our last Blue Bugs class! We'll review some of our favorite activities and let the kids go over their parts for the showcase so they can feel comfortable with their parts in a group setting. Please help your child be prepared! There will be a photo opportunity if you'd like your child to wear their LPM T-Shirt to class.
Our 1st and 2nd Year Showcase will be Friday, April 25th @ 5:30pm at the church at 2750 North 800 East. Please put it on your calendar! Sound Beginnings kids will be singing 2 songs at the start of the showcase. If you'd like to see the 3rd Year and Bridge Recital, it will begin @ 6:15pm.
Remember, this is a SHOWCASE... WE ARE NOT A PERFORMING GROUP! We're not expecting perfection. This is to show your friends and family what we've been learning this year and to give your child a chance to play for an audience.
I sent a note home indicating which songs your child will be part of in the showcase. I will not use a backtrack for the showcase, so your child will need to sing along with all the songs!
Following the 2nd year songs, we'll have a quick graduation ceremony and sing our goodbye song. Then we'll start the 3rd Year and Bridge Recital, which you are welcome to stay and watch.
Primary Chord Song
The new activity today was singing a broken primary chord on command. The children sang the correct chord a cappella for me when I held up a color. They did fantastic! (Try it at home!) This shows us that their aural brain is internalizing pitches and their ability to sing in tune is developing. These concepts may seem unimportant, but they are crucial to developing a complete musician. Laying this solid aural foundation now will help your student take dictation in 3rd year and write their own composition.
Let's Play steps and skips on our bells! If you open your Homework Booklet you'll find some bell music at the back. Encourage your child to play it. Even better, encourage them to start writing their own bell music and notate it if they'd like.
Singing in tune is one of the main objectives in Let's Play Music. A great way to reinforce this skill at home is to play a 3-4 note melody for your child and have them sing it back to you. As they get better and better, add more notes. You will be amazed at the quick progress your child will make. Their little brains are like sponges which allows them to be fast learners.
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 :)
