The Wizard of Oz holds a special place in the hearts of many, with its timeless story and unforgettable music. For decades, it has captivated audiences of all ages, transporting them to the magical land of Oz. I’m thrilled to invite you and your young adventurers to join us on a whimsical journey down the yellow brick road with my FREE 3-day online camp inspired by the Wizard of Oz!
Tag: learning piano at home
October Members of the Month
Greetings Busy Kids Do Piano Families!
Allow me to introduce you to our October Member of the Month, William. Don’t miss William’s great advice for other Busy Kids Do Piano students below. He has been a part of BKDP for over 1 year and attends school at home. William works through the BKDP online materials several times a week. This kind of commitment is the way to learn an instrument! Way to go, William!
Free Printable Piano Flash Cards
Learning to play the piano is an exciting and rewarding journey, but it comes with its own set of challenges, especially for young beginners. One of the fundamental skills that budding pianists need to develop is a solid understanding of keyboard geography. Knowing where each note is located on the piano is essential for playing melodies and reading sheet music. I’m thrilled to offer a free printable set of piano flash cards that are designed to help young piano students grasp the layout of the keyboard. In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of keyboard geography, how these flash cards can be a valuable tool, and how to get your hands on this free resource. Continue reading “Free Printable Piano Flash Cards”
August Members of the Month
Allow me to introduce you to our August Members of the Month, the Brander family. They have been a part of Busy Kids Do Piano for over 1 year, and have two boys in the program, Dominic (11) and Allen (8).
The boys attend school at home and access the BKDP online materials several times a week. We love the enthusiasm and commitment, boys!
Melissa, mom to the boys, took 8 years of piano lessons as a young person and has spent some time in music programs through church. She says the boys initially started taking piano lessons from their “Oma” (grandmother) but were unable to continue after she moved onto a boat!
Melissa shares, “Playing piano is important to me so that [the kids] have a solid understanding of music. Additionally, I think that learning to play an instrument brings a lot of brain benefits for people of all ages! We really like the practice challenges to help keep them motivated.”
July Members of the Month
Allow me to introduce you to our July Members of the Month, Saanvi and her family from Australia. They have been a part of Busy Kids Do Piano for just under a year with their daughter, Saanvi, who is 8 years old. Saanvi attends a local elementary school and digs into the BKDP online materials several times a week. Way to be committed, Saanvi!
The family immigrated from India to Australia, and they all enjoy music, even though neither mom nor dad had any formal training. Likewise, Saanvi had no musical background, but her mom, Ruchi, says her primary reason for keeping her in the BKDP program is to encourage her self-confidence through learning to play and read music.
March Member of the Month
I am excited to introduce to you March’s Member of the Month, Amy Hochstetler.
Amy has been a member of Busy Kids Do Piano for over 2 years, and her son Henry, 10 years old, is her star piano student. Little brother Jack, 6, gets to listen to all of Henry’s practice sessions. The boys attend school at home, which has helped enable the family to do lots of traveling. This year alone, they’ve visited 9 states!
One of Amy’s favorite things about the Busy Kids Do Piano program is that it’s flexible, able to meet their piano learning needs when they are back home in Maryland.
February Members of the Month: The Redmond Family
Allow me to introduce you to our February Member of the Month, Alejandra Carranza Redmond.
Alejandra is a newer member, only having been a part of Busy Kids Do Piano for a handful of months, and has two daughters in the program. Monica is 9 years old, and Rebecca is 6. Her other daughter Clara, 2, is the lucky audience for her two older sisters’ performances. The girls attend school at home, which has made it simple to incorporate Busy Kids Do Piano into their learning. They access the BKDP online resources daily, which is surely a way to see more rapid progress. Great job, Redmonds!
BKDP came into their lives after the shutdowns had caused Monica to have to stop taking in-person piano lessons. Here are a few of their answers to our interview questions.
Continue reading “February Members of the Month: The Redmond Family”
Be a Kid Composer
Simply stated, I’m obsessed with fall. Around this time every year, I pull out my favorite coat and boots, and start wanting pumpkin-flavored treats and warm cider. For our download this month, I wanted to give your student an opportunity to relish the delights of fall as well. As we near November, the days are shorter, the rain clouds linger, and the leaves turn golden. It’s a very special, beautiful time of year and it tends to bring a certain vibe, a feeling quite different from the excitement of summer. Continue reading “Be a Kid Composer”
Back-to-School Bingo
The classic game BINGO is a classic for a reason. From kids’ birthday parties to Tuesday nights at the senior center, the game appeals to all ages, in all seasons. I simply had to incorporate it into our Music Challenge Monthly series — a Back-To-School version for September — where I try to offer fun ways to teach supplemental piano theory to your students. Continue reading “Back-to-School Bingo”
Composer Cash Incentive
There’s always something nostalgic and appealing about play-money, isn’t there? I grew up playing Monopoly and LIFE, and I remember loving a nice stack of pastel-colored cash. It felt so empowering to earn and spend my money, making grown-up types of deals with high dollar values. I bet you could tell me the color of the $500 bill in Monopoly, right? That’s how impactful these kinds of games are to us as kids!
This month, I wanted to create that feeling for my students. The download contains printable Composer Cash, featuring a different composer on the various bills, as well as a reward chart. But the rest of the challenge is up to you, and provides a great opportunity for you to connect with your student in a meaningful way to discuss not only their piano goals, but also what kinds of incentives mean the most to them. Continue reading “Composer Cash Incentive”
