March 2021 Studio Newsletter
- aelzinga
- Mar 6, 2021
- 3 min read
The melt is coming!!
Greetings Studio Family!
I hope you all were able to get out an enjoy the great thaw in these past few weeks. The icy, Siberian grip of winter might be over - fingers crossed! Around the Elzinga house, we have continued to get creative with our indoor time; making crafts, painting, creating lego masterpieces, practicing some yoga and having “tickle wars”! Avery taught herself to whistle (which is wonderful….and super annoying…HAHA!) We were also very glad for the opportunity to head outside again and splash in some puddles!
February was a great month in studio!
I challenged my students to learn a new finger exercise each week. Silly moves like “nice kitty, naughty kitty”, and “crazy giraffes” combined with more challenging ones such as the “jelly fish” made for quite the “work out” by the end of the month!
Three of my students completed a book - a big CONGRATULATIONS to Liam, Finn and Avery!
A beginner student started a composing book and is loving it!
Students experimenting with chording and patterns within the circle of fifths
my preschool students were challenged with some fun bonus counting/ten frame activities
...and I could go on! So so much to celebrate!! Many wonderful and musical renditions of song assignments and lots of giggles during our music games. Honestly, I felt the majority of my students really “got their practice on” this month! Regular, short practice sessions are the best!
Musical March Mayhem:
4-week Practice Challenge!
Composing (all levels)
Chording and improvising
St. Patrick’s Day themed games, theory activities.
St. Patrick’s Day Composing!
Landmark notes
February Review:
Animal Finger Stretches
“Bench Rat” workouts
Valentine’s day themed games, theory activities, songs
circle of fifths review
Coming up in studio…
Interval flashcards / aural skills training
outdoor recital?
Practice Kit Game
…“And Now You Know…” 👇🤯
WHY IS GOOD PIANO POSTURE IMPORTANT? (Pt.1)
There is something so beautiful about piano students who sit at the piano with proper posture. It helps to project an air of confidence and grace and contributes to good performances. However, piano posture isn’t only about how your students look at the piano… it’s also about how they feel at the piano.
Just as athletes spend significant amounts of time perfecting their positioning, pianists should do the same to get the most out of their instrument…
1. Good Piano Posture Eliminates Tension For one to play efficiently, you need to be tension-free. Tension creeps in when your piano students aren’t appropriately seated at the piano, or when their hand position isn’t natural. Good posture at the piano eliminates the most common causes of tension in students.
2. Good Piano Posture Prevents Fatigue Pieces: It is never nice to be uncomfortable on the bench or to experience fatigue in your arms, hands, and fingers. This makes practice less enjoyable and, therefore, less likely to happen frequently. Fatigue can lead to injury, which we all want to avoid (especially with children’s developing hands).
3. Good Piano Posture Benefits Playing Abilities You must have good postures habits to play with more accuracy, expression, fluidity, and more speed. As repertoire becomes more and more difficult, you will be able to rise to the challenge if your posture is correct.
When it comes to student progress, piano posture contributes to their advancement as much as other skills do. Taken from: https://www.teachpianotoday.com/piano-posture-and-hand-position/
Next month…. “Proper Posture Tips and Tricks” (or ask me at lesson) 🤔😉
We are still doing online lessons and I want to say again how grateful I am for everyone’s willingness to use technology so we can all meet and learn together!
Please feel free to contact me anytime with questions or comments :) In addition, I'd love it if you would share my contact info with anyone you know that is interested in taking lessons. Thanks again for all of your support!!
- 😍 Andrea Elzinga 🎹
Andrea Elzinga Piano Studio
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