November 2018 Newsletter

Hi Everyone,

I trust that you all are enjoying the mild temperatures this November! We haven’t gotten our Christmas lights up but hopefully the weather holds so we can do it this weekend. Christmas is coming!!

This week students will be receiving a “Practice Punch Card” at their lesson. Most students are achieving approximately 4-5 practice sessions/week which I am happy with. Just for fun, this week I am encouraging my students to try to practice EVERY DAY for a week! If you have to skip a day and do two practices in one day that’s fine too. This is NOT REQUIRED but is just intended to help with that regular practice routine that may or may not be happening in your home. Every student that practices 7 times this week gets to choose a prize from my treasure chest. Parents, please punch a hole or check off each time that your child(ren) practice and put your signature on the card before next lesson. Thanks for your partnership!

All students this week will also be encouraged to try my “WEIRD WARM UP” every time they practice! Have you ever tried to say the alphabet backwards? It’s tricky!! This week I’d like my students to practice saying/singing the musical alphabet forwards and BACKWARDS! (sing to the tune of the first two bars of “twinkle twinkle”). Being able to say the musical alphabet in reverse is a very handy skill and will aid in note reading fluency. Students can try this while sitting at the piano and playing the keys, or for a little different scenery, they could try saying/singing as they go up the stairs and down the stairs! You could also provide them with blocks or flashcards from A-G, then ask them to arrange them in order; forwards first, then reverse! Time them if they love competition! Reverse alphabet reading will definitely pay off with future songs :)

Thank you again for partnering with me! Please ask if you have any questions about how your can support your child as they practice at home.

Have fun!

- Andrea Elzinga

Andrea Elzinga’s Piano Studio