January 2020 Studio Newsletter

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday and had many opportunities to make some memories with family and friends. I was able to spend some time with both my family and my husband’s family. We were all spoiled with food, fun times and gifts!

A new year means a fresh start! Time to start developing those positive practicing habits that perhaps have been neglected over the past while. Set a time every day for practice….it doesn’t have to be the same time each day, just a predictable time.

Remember the 3 practice S’s: SEPARATELY, SLOWLY and IN SECTIONS.

(http://www.roland.co.uk/blog/how-to-get-the-most-from-your-piano-practice-time/)

SEPARATELY: “It’s impossible to concentrate properly when both hands are playing something unfamiliar! Start with hands separately (and make sure each had gets equal attention.)

SLOWLY: Slow the tempo down (use a metronome), to ensure each note is sounded with the right dynamics and timing. That will also give your muscle memory a chance to learn the fingering. Only when it’s completely secure should you gradually increase the speed.

In SECTIONS: You or your teacher can split the piece into sections. Don’t always start at the beginning - make sure you’re just as familiar with the middle and end of your piece.

For some practice fun over the holidays, each student was sent home with a “Christmas Colouring Challenge”. There are 6 easy objectives to complete and prizes will be awarded to students that bring back completed sheets at the first lesson in January (7th/8th).

Each student will also complete a “Mid Year Review/Goal Setting” at our first lesson back. We will refer to this in class throughout the rest of the year to help keep us on track, making changes and additions as necessary! It’s fun to celebrate the goals that we have achieved!!

NEW SCHEDULE: I am looking forward to this new term and am really looking forward to seeing my students again! I’ve sent out a schedule that will go from January until the end of May. I typically end my lessons before June as I have found families are very busy in June (camping/outdoor sports etc) and consistent attendance is difficult. Student attention also wains considerably. If you would like to chat with me about possible assignments to continue working on for the summer, just let me know!

This month in the studio:

-“Christmas Colouring Challenge” prizes to be awarded!

-Goal Setting

-Review from Dec.

-Interval Training

-“Half Pipe” Improv

-Games!! “Just Chillin’”, “Treble Trouble”, “Dynamic Dash”

-Winter themed theory practice

More to come in 2019!…

-Practice Kits!

-“PianoBookOfTheMonth” access for all students!“

-Composing with Trash” activity

-Learning to play with Lead Sheets

-Scales and Triad practice

-**Recording Session**

-**Piano Party/Recital/Cafe**

APP Highlight: “THE MOST ADDICTING SHEEP GAME”

This game is a free app and is a GREAT way to practice keeping the beat! The premise is simple…don’t let the sheep fall into the abyss. You can play for 1 min or many! Keep this one in mind for your allotted “screen time” time during the week this month! (I think this may only be available for Apple users though…)

My studio is growing by leaps and bounds! Thank you to all of you for your continued support and references!

- Andrea Elzinga