October 2020 Studio Newsletter

Pumpkin spice and everything nice…

Happy October everyone! I hope you are enjoying the warm-ish weather we have been having, taking time to take a walk in those crunchy leaves! Online lessons have been going very well. Tech-wise, things have been very smooth and I’m very much enjoying my new office set up. All the extra work that has gone into planning has definitely been worth it as so many of my students have expressed enjoyment of lessons with many activities, games and songs. MY GOAL is to grow a love for music in each of my students but ALSO to empower them with problem solving skills and a sense of diligence and perseverance so that they have the confidence to do anything in life! Thank you for trusting me to spend this time with you/your child(ren) every week!

This coming month in the studio:

• **Pumpkin Practice Challenge

• Fun Fall Music Theory worksheets in class

• GAMES!

• Aural Skill Practice

• Fall/Halloween pieces!

• Autumn Song Celebration!
  

September Review

• Intro lessons/review fun!

• Games: Wunderkeys, pumpkin and leaves keyboard race

• Fun Fall Music Theory

• Review Scales/Triads

• Composing with Penny Petticrew

• Blues scales

• Improv training
  

“PUMPKIN PRACTICE CHALLENGE!”: Colour in 2 squares for every day of practice this month! Set a goal for yourself to pass. Prizes will be awarded to students who have shown diligence to practice this month!

Practicing: It’s time to set the stage for amazing practice habits now!! Parents, for some of you this aspect of life at home may be going swimmingly!….for others of you, this may be a struggle….

BELOW is part 1 of a resource for parents with some tips and tricks that may help you discover the BEST time for practicing, the RIGHT AMOUNT of time for practicing and the most EFFICIENT way for your child(ren) to practice. And also, how YOU can be involved!

WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW

ABOUT PIANO PRACTICE

1. Your children will need help – Up until about age 11, children need hands-on help with home practice. And even though you yourself may not read music or play the piano, your assistance is still very much needed! Parental help can take the form of reading lesson notes, organizing practice time wisely, providing encouragement through difficult sections or situations, and seeking out answers for “I’m stuck on this” problems. By simply sitting with your child(ren) for the first 5 minutes of a practice session and using the Piano Parent Cheat Sheet (see other attachment), even “not-so-musical” piano parents can have a huge impact on their children’s musical success. Asking a young child to be in charge of something as important as piano practice is often asking too much. Your help at home will make a substantial difference in your children’s progress.

2. Your children need you to establish a routine – Piano practice that happens every single day is by far the most effective practice structure. 30 minutes 3x a week is just 90 minutes. 20 minutes 7 days a week is 140 minutes. The total difference is 43 hours of missed practice per year if your children are only at the piano three times a week!

Short, focused and regular visits to the piano help your children retain and understand what they are learning while making the most of generally short attention spans. If practice is enjoyable, rather than arduous, your children will naturally (and unknowingly!) increase the time they spend on the bench... eventually reaching that 30 minute mark.

Setting a regular time of day when piano practice happens “no matter what” will ensure a daily practice routine is easy for your children to maintain.

https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2016/01/19/what-your-piano-parents-need-to-know-about-practice/

Joke of the Month: Q: What part of the turkey is musical? A: The drumstick!