December 2018 Newsletter

Happy December 2018 everyone!!

We were welcomed into December with beautiful white, fluffy snow - a lot to shovel but also plenty of snow angel opportunities! :P Also, tis’ the season to ROCK silly/crazy/“ugly” Christmas sweaters - if your child has a funky Christmas sweater they want to show me, please encourage him/her to wear it to a lesson this month! I’ll be wearing mine!

CALLING ALL DRUMMER CHILDREN to warm up those chilly hands before they start practicing (picture posted below). DECEMBER'S DRUMMING WARM UP is fun for ALL AGES! Encourage your child(ren) to find “drumsticks” of some sort at home (pencils, chopsticks etc - or they can just use their hands) and create a drum out of an overturned container or pot. Instructions are found at the top of the sheet (and will be gone over in class as well). Give it a try yourselves!! Your kids will LOVE watching you and will appreciate any efforts you give.

Our “Weird Warm Up” for November was to practice our musical alphabet forwards and BACKWARDS!! I saw an improvement in this ability in many of my students. Keep practicing this one! Use the stairs, sing it, say it, play it, hop it in the snow….whatever you gotta do! This skill will greatly aid in note fluency!!

Practice

I want to give a SHOUT OUT to all those students who brought back their Practice Punch Cards in November, complete with SEVEN, yes, I said SEVEN, practice sessions in that week!!! AMAZING!! I was so impressed with the turn out (and the RESULTS!!! AWESOME PLAYING GUYS!!) that I extended it one more week. Students who complete 7 practice sessions this week will also receive a trip to the treasure chest! (please have a parent sign off in your book that you have completed this challenge ****)

I realize this is a busy season that’s filled with many late nights for the kids. The beginning of December has concerts and parties and then the 2 week holiday is filled with travel plans and family visits. Parents, I realize this might be tough but I encourage you to help keep your kiddos on a regular practice schedule as much as possible. I have seen so much growth in all of my students and I’m so proud of them. Practicing regularly will help keep up these skills!

This Month in the Studio….

- Christmas themed theory practice

- Christmas song options

- Holiday sticker rewards

- Forwards/Backwards musical alphabet challenges (continued)

- A “Little Drummer Boy/Girl” Warm Up Challenge

- A “Christmas Holiday” Challenge - to be given at the last lesson before the break.

- more music games to reinforce key concepts (note value recognition, landmark note recognition…)

Schedule

There will be lessons offered this month for the first 3 weeks of December. Lessons will resume January 8/9th.I will draft a new schedule will be provided for the next term and send it out in the next few weeks for your review.

Sharing Opportunity

Since my littles are getting a bit older (and bedtimes are getting a bit easier :P), I’m looking for 2 more students for Wednesday evenings, from 7:00-8:00. If you know of anyone (even you!) that may be interested, even if it is on an alternating week basis, please pass on my contact info, website (https://elzingaja.wixsite.com/pianolessons), and/or let me know. Thank you so much!!!

I wish you and your family a JOY-FILLED holiday season, full of music, laughter and together-times! <3 <3 Thank you for continuing to partner with me at home to continue your child’s musical exploration and education. I am SO BLESSED to have the students I do this year!!! So hard-working and so much fun to teach. I really look forward to my time with them on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

- Andrea Elzinga