I had a great Students Only Recital this past week. 

My aim in doing a recital just for students was twofold.

1. To make performing less stressful.  The students were slightly nervous when they got to my house.  They would be performing, after all!  But as they walked in, I handed them a number.  They then were allowed to sit wherever they wanted.  Both these factors eased fears, since students are used to sitting in a designated spot and holding a program at regular recitals.  I allowed each student to start with one piece.  When everyone had finished their pieces, I asked if anyone wanted to play another.  Two non-shy hands shot up right away.  Motivated by those successes, several shy hands raised into the air as well.  Mostly everyone ended up playing two pieces- one they had prepared for and one they had not.  These spontaneous performances helped my students feel comfortable around each other.  They were able to actually experience the FUN of performing!
2. To create a cameraderie amongst students.  I’ve said this before.  I think it’s important that students have friends in music.  There are many reasons- they can motivate each other to keep going, they can help each other aspire to be better, they can create music together.  So a large part of my recital was devoted to meeting each other and getting to know each other’s names.

After everyone performed, we sat in a circle on the floor.  We started tap/clapping a simple beat: Hit legs, clap, hit legs, clap… We then went around the room, and said each person’s name in rhythm.

Rebecca

Hit legs, clap

James

Hit legs, clap

and so on.

Everyone did a good job.  My youngest student, a 5 year old, had a little trouble keeping the beat.  However, I anticipated this, and sat next to him so I could help.

After we played that game, we played another silly name games that had the kids literally rolling on the floor in hysterics.  I’m sure you’ve heard this game.  Each person chooses an animal that starts with the first letter of her name.  I was Rebecca Rabbit.  Then, each person goes around the room taking a turn at trying to remember everyone’s name and animal.

Such a simple game, but the silly laughs everyone shared really brought my students together!

I have asked each student this week if they can name everyone who was at the recital.  Everybody (even the 5 year old) has been able to do it!

Have you ever done a Students Only Recital?

Are you doing anything fun with your lessons this summer?  I offered my students 4 choices. 

1. Duet lessons with another student
2. Composition lessons
3. Improvisation lessons
4. Pop/jazz/any type of music lessons

Duet lessons and jazz lessons were the most popular choices.  Nobody was interested in improvisation.  2 were interested in composition lessons, but duet lessons won out with those two. 

I’m excited to change the pace a little bit.  And also to find some new jazz and duet music!  Any suggestions?

Ok, since posting my fabulous (haha) idea for a group lesson I’ll never get to teach, I have modified the game for a private lesson. I’m still working on the right name for this game, and would love any suggestions!

The game is like “Mother May I” or “Red Light, Green Light.” You start the student at one end of the room and the object is to get to the other side using the cards you, the teacher, have in your two hands.

The cards have a picture of a quarter note, half note, dotted half note, whole note. (I haven’t tried eighth or sixteenth notes, but I’m sure they would work too.)

You set the metronome to any speed you like and let your student draw one of the note cards from your hand. From your other hand, the student draws a card that says 1, 2, 3, or 4; these cards represent how many steps the student gets to take.

The student then takes that many steps to the beat of the metronome and the note card that has been drawn. For example, if she draws a half note and a 4, she takes 4 half note steps. A half note step is one step for two beats of the metronome.

If the student misses the beat, she must start over. I explained the starting over to one student who hates to lose, but told her how fun it would be if she had to start over, and she totally bought it. She didn’t get mad once!

I played this with 3 students today, and every single one of them LOVED it.  Let me know if you try it!  I’d love to hear any modifications you may make.

Some of my students are having difficulties with rhythm.  As I was drifting to sleep the other night, I came up with the PERFECT group lesson activity to help teach rhythm.  Alas, I don’t teach group lessons, so I’m trying to figure out how to adapt this to a private lesson.  If you teach group lessons, however, maybe you could try this and tell me if it’s really as PERFECT as I think it is!

Play “Rhythm Chairs,” the same as “Musical Chairs,” but with a metronome.

First, start with quarter notes.  Set the metronome to any speed and allow the children to take one step around the chairs per beat.  When you stop the metronome, they scramble to not be the last one standing.  The person who is left standing gets to set the speed of the metronome for the next round.  Move on to half notes, allowing one step for 2 beats.  Do whole notes, dotted half notes, eigth notes etc.

In my PERFECT vision, this helps the lightbulb go on in the students mind since they not only feel the rhythm in their bodies, they are also watching other people feel the rhythm, and moving together as a group.

Who knows?  It may be the worst idea ever and I will never know because I will never get to try it.  If you try it, do share how it worked for your students!

A while ago, I posted about Space Day, where we played games relating to the space notes.  I forgot to post about Line Day, so here it is! 

I wore a striped shirt and taped construction paper notes to the lines, for no other reason than to keep with the “line” theme.  (Sorry, no picture.  It was humiliating enough to do this in my studio!)

Then, we talked about the line notes and how to remember them.  “Every Good Boy Does Fine” for right hand.  “Good Boys Deserve Fudge Always” for left hand.  Some of the students made up their own sentences to help remember. 

We played the Skittles Line Game and Jumping Lines.

For Jumping Lines, I put tape on my floor to create a staff, like so:

Oh I hate my carpet.

Then, I called out a line note and the student jumped to it.  They loved to jump backwards, so I made sure to include a lot of notes from top to bottom.

We also played Note Twister with the same tape.  I called out Right Hand, E.  Left Hand, F.  Right Foot, G and so forth.  My fabulous husband demonstrates here:

This was, by far, their favorite game.  The game ends when the student falls over.  So I tried really hard to call out notes that would twist them up and make them fall!

I then sent the students home with homework of line notes to identify. 

Download piano sheet music instantly!

My beginners have a hard time remembering their notes on the staff.  So this week I designated “Space Week” where we would focus on just space notes.  I decorated the room with glow in the dark stars and had the students wear alien antennas.  My wonderful husband made the antennas, so I must include a picture of him.  

My students (and my baby) thought it was fun when I answered the door wearing the antennas.

Then, we used my poster board staff to put the letters on each space.  I had them do this three times and timed

 them each time.  They had fun beating previous times.  Then, I gave them each a cut-out whole note to put on the staff as I called out notes.  The older kids breezed through this, so I had them place the whole note on the staff and then go play it on the piano. 

I made up some simple pages with space notes using staff paper from this website www.blanksheetmusic.net for them to take home and fill out for theory homework.  It was a great success and they all came back the next week knowing their space notes!