Balance for your life … Creativity for your studio.
It’s that time of year & many studios are working towards one goal. Making sure students have their recital song mastered. Or, songs depending on the size of the studio. Sometimes I wonder who is more stressed before the recital: the teacher or the student. And, I think that it all depends on how soon …
Continue reading “Get A Recital Song Mastered With 10 “Last Minute” Ideas”
Chances are your studio is already well into recital prep. Students are learning or mastering new repertoire, you are working out the last details on the program, & parents are checking their calendars to ensure they will get their budding performers to the venue on time.
How can you get your students excited about their recital repertoire? This is my top 6 tips to making recital prep a time of celebration!
Once you decide to move away from method books, it can be overwhelming deciding what to first teach on piano. No longer do you have a levelled book telling you the next step in the process. Depending on the age & interests of your student, you may need to adapt what or how you teach. …
Continue reading “4 Concepts You Need For Teaching Piano To Beginners”
There are many reasons teachers choose their studio repertoire. But, is it actually worth teaching classical music? Especially when today’s students might not be too interested in the “dead white guys” that have historically appeared in the classical canon.
Chances are your studio is multi-cultural (even if it may not seem like it on the surface). While families differ in the way they celebrate their culture, we can honour family culture through the music we offer our students.
Knowing how to use digital escape rooms when lessons are already busy can be a struggle. Use these simple tips to make the most of them!
These 6 music history group lesson ideas are sure to get your students moving, exploring & sharing the fun they had with you!
February can bring images of worksheets with pink & red hearts. But, it’s also a great time to plan an epic Romantic music group lesson! If I can have an excuse to tweak lessons a bit I am quite happy to change it up. The kids’ eyes light up & they quickly forget that they’re …
Continue reading “Bring Romantic (Music) Back For an Epic Valentine’s Group Lesson”
This is a time of year that many of us have made New Year’s Resolutions and are struggling to keep up with them.  I know this because I have been that person in the past more times than I care to admit.
This week, I’ll be letting you know how my students and I are settling into a routine again, but with a mind on how we can reach our goals in the next few months!
Years ago, I was a junior high teacher at a special needs school. It came with lots of joy when a student would have a breakthrough behaviourally, developmentally, or academically. But, it also came with its challenges.
While most students eagerly await winter break & the change in routine, for many special needs students this can be a time of stress. At the school, we always knew that December & June were going to be tough months for both students & teachers. For students, the upcoming change in routine tended to lead to anxiety, more frustration with routine tasks, & a big focus on what the new routine over the holidays would be. For teachers, it required a lot more patience & an eagle eye as we did our best to keep things from escalating. How do we help our piano students transition to the upcoming winter break?
