Tag: music with kids

Host Your Own Piano Recital: 5 Fun & Easy Ideas

If I were still your in-person piano teacher, we’d be knee-deep in Spring Recital chaos right about now (folding chairs, punch bowls, that one kid who always forgets to bow). Since I’m your virtual piano teacher instead, I can’t set up the folding chairs for you — but I can help you throw a recital of your own, right in your living room, without any of the stress.

Because here’s the thing: performing matters. It gives your student something to work toward, and it gives the people who love them a reason to stop and really listen. You don’t need a stage or a program printed on card stock. You just need a few willing ears (grandparents, siblings, that neighbor kid who’s also learning piano) and a little bit of intention. 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.

Continue reading “Piano Practice Prompt Cards (or…the PICK 3 Piano Practice Game!)”

Spring Music Activities Round-Up

Spring has sprung, and what better way to embrace the season’s joy than through music? Whether you’re a music enthusiast or just looking for creative ways to engage your family, here is a collection of some of my most popular spring music activities. Continue reading “Spring Music Activities Round-Up”

Wizard of Oz Music Camp

 

There’s a reason we still watch The Wizard of Oz decades later. That story, that music — it just holds up. And honestly, I’ve been wanting an excuse to build something around it for a while, so here we are.

I’m inviting your kids to join me for a FREE 3-day online camp built entirely around Wizard of Oz music. Think yellow brick road, but with quarter notes. Continue reading “Wizard of Oz Music Camp”

Musical Nutcracker Activities

I’ll be honest — I go a little overboard for the Nutcracker every December. It’s one of those pieces of music that just sounds like the holidays to me, and over the years I’ve built up a whole collection of Nutcracker activities I love sharing with families. So consider this your list, straight from my “favorites” folder to yours. Here are the five I come back to every single year. Continue reading “Musical Nutcracker Activities”

Musical Advent Calendar

Musical Advent Calendar: A Free Printable to Make Your Countdown to Christmas Extra Musical

December has a way of sneaking up on me every single year (you’d think after 22 years of teaching piano through the holidays I’d have this down by now, but nope). One minute it’s Thanksgiving leftovers, and the next my kids are asking when we’re putting up the tree. If your house feels the same way, I’ve got something that might help — a free Musical Advent Calendar to count down the days to Christmas together, one song at a time.

I made this because I wanted something for our family that wasn’t another chocolate-a-day countdown (though, no judgment, we do that too) — something that would slow us down just enough to actually listen to music together during a season that tends to rush right past us. Continue reading “Musical Advent Calendar”

Piano Student Brag Tags

In my personal experience, when I feel successful at something, I’m more likely to stick with it. The same has proven true for my children as well. I’ve noticed that as their mother, I have a lot of power in how I shape my kids’ experiences; giving them feedback that is positive and encouraging always seems to help them persevere. This is true for piano learning as well, and let’s be honest, learning to play an instrument is not for the faint of heart. A student has to persevere through many iterations of getting the notes wrong before they can finally get them right. That takes some serious stamina, even for the most self-confident among us.   Continue reading “Piano Student Brag Tags”

Name the Notes: Bass Clef Edition

In my years of teaching piano, one thing I consistently encounter is a student who is more confident reading notes in the treble clef (right hand) than the bass clef (left hand). And since many of us are right-hand dominant, it makes sense that playing with the right hand would feel easier and therefore more comfortable. Many students end up with weaker bass clef familiarity and improving this is the goal of the November Music Challenge Monthly.  Continue reading “Name the Notes: Bass Clef Edition”

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”

Host A Spring Piano Recital

Have you ever performed at a recital, whether in school or for some private lessons you were taking? I have spent countless hours at recitals, both as a student, and as a piano teacher. Some kids are really nervous when it comes to performing. Others shine in the spotlight. I remember feeling my fingers tremble a few times as I picked out which notes to play while my friends, family, and teacher silently watched. I made mistakes. I played beautiful pieces from memory. And I’ve been the silent onlooker, watching kids perform at every level. Continue reading “Host A Spring Piano Recital”