How often do you have a parent accompany a new student and announce that they’ve never played an instrument? If your studio is anything like mine, this happens all the time. How often do you request a parent get involved in their child’s practice – only to be met with shrugs and looks of helplessness. …
Author: McKenzie
Book of the Month: January 2021
2021 came in rather unenthusiastically, but I hope you took the time to sit and think through some goals (maybe more based on the season we are in and less specific, but still goals). As I contemplated where I hope to grow this year, one goal I set for myself is to read 50 books. …
Happy New Year 2021
Happy New Year! I have to admit, I didn’t quite know whether to cry, celebrate, or just go to sleep last night as the clock struck 12 and the ball dropped. But as I lay in bed this morning, it dawned on me. All of us will experience years that are hard. All of us …
Giveaway Winner!
Congratulations to Janice, our FableNotes giveaway winner! Janice- keep an eye on your email for the information needed to send your prize 🙂 Thank you to all who participated! Our 12 Days of Note Reading Christmas included tons of freebies to get you started in the new year. If you missed them, feel free to …
Day 12
We have made it to Day 12! I sincerely thank those of you who have embarked on this journey with me …. I hope the 12 Days of Note Reading Christmas has inspired you to teach in a more holistic manner in the coming year! In the past 12 days, we have talked through the …
Day 11: Play Backs
At first, Day 11 may have you thinking that I have forgotten we are doing a note reading series. And the answer is no, I haven’t. But as I mentioned in Day 9, if a student is able to hear the notes they are about to play, it will make playing and correcting mistakes much …
Day 10: Games
If you’ve been following along for our whole series, you by now have 10 different techniques to ensure that your students are amazing notes readers! Have you heard the old Roman proverb, “Repetition is the mother of learning”? They were not wrong. But as I’ve said in the past, repetition does not have to be …
Day 9: Say and Play
We have arrived at Day 9 (can you believe how quickly December is flying by?), and today I am simply sharing an idea. Some of you may feel validated because you already implement this idea into your curriculum. Others may find this so simple they can’t believe they’ve never thought to do it. Keep reading …
Day 8: Timed Tests
Have you ever sat down and thought through exactly what it takes to read music? There is so much more than simply naming a string of notes. A piano studio must be able to -recognize if the note is in treble or bass clef, and understand which hand plays which clef -identify whether they are …
Day 7: Music Literacy
***GIVEAWAY DAY*** I am so incredibly excited about today's post! My sister-in-law started a new job teaching second grade at a classical style (private) school this year. A couple of months in I asked her how things were going. She had glowing reviews of the curriculum, her staff, and her students. But the one thing …
