Tag: learning piano at home

Host Your Own Piano Recital: 5 Fun & Easy Ideas

Hello, piano enthusiasts! If I were your in-person piano teacher, we’d be getting ready for our annual Spring Recital this month. Since I’m your virtual piano teacher, I want to help you bring the recital magic to your home. Here are five easy and fun ideas to host your own recital, ensuring your student’s hard work gets the spotlight it deserves.

Why Host a PIANO Recital?

Regular performances are a fantastic motivator for students. They provide a goal to work toward and a chance for friends and family to celebrate their progress. Gather some fellow music students or siblings and invite a small audience. These ideas require minimal preparation and are sure to create a memorable experience. Continue reading “Host Your Own Piano Recital: 5 Fun & Easy Ideas”

Piano Practice Prompt Cards (or…the PICK 3 Piano Practice Game!)

It’s not something exclusive to piano: we all want to be good at something as quickly as possible. Getting in our so-called 10,000 hours is often mundane, and maybe even a bit painful. And let’s be honest, some personalities can tolerate the mundane a bit more than others. For those of us who need extra novelty to keep going with piano practice, I’ve got your back.

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Wizard of Oz Music Camp

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!

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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!

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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.”

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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.

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March Member of the Month

I am excited to introduce to you March’s Member of the Month, Amy Hochstetler.
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.

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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.

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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”