Thank you, parents, for attending today! Please note, there may be a typo in the "Play Piano" section of the practice this week. It says to play p. 4 of Turtle Shells, but it should say p. 5. This week, place the red Stickers on the bass C, E, and G for the Left Hand (LH) and remove the Right Hand (RH) stickers IF your child is ready. Think of the stickers as training wheels — we wouldn't use them forever but they're a great help when getting started! Celebrate Connection Focus on making practice time as fun and loving as possible — give your child warm, friendly eye contact, smile with your voice, be a little silly, show you are relaxed and happy to sit with your child, and look for the good in your child's effort. Notice the joy in your child's eyes. Verbalize the good you see and hug your child often. This is the beginning of the practice relationship that will be essential to your child's success in Let's Play Music. The more you invest your energy into positive interaction, the more solid and successful this habit will become. Homework pp. 4–5: Students trace the clefs and fill in the chord notes. Left Hand Finger Power through Bubble Hands & Turtle Shells This semester we will focus on strengthening our left hand finger muscles! Use Bubble Hands to strengthen and reinforce finger numbers. Thumb is 1, Pointer is 2, Middle is 3, Ring-man is 4, and Pinky is 5. LH pinky is on C, the bottom red dot. Playing Turtle Shells with the music album will ALSO help strengthen those fingers. Look closely at the music on the page and it will help you know what finger numbers to play. Do You Want To Build a Red Snowman? The Left Hand Red Chord looks like the right hand Red Chord: stacked up nice and neat with a 3rd on the bottom and a 3rd on the top in a snowman shape. Use LH finger numbers 5-3-1 (finger 5 on bass C, the bottom red dot). Invite your little musician to play Old Paint with the left hand this week! Caterpillar Song The proper hand position for this technique song is Middle C Position where both thumbs SHARE Middle C like a BUTTERFLY! Since both red chords are shaped like a snowman, how do we know which hand to play it with? By looking at which CLEF is on the staff. Introducing Treble and Bass Clef! The TREBLE CLEF has a lot of curls, like "Girls Curly Hair, (say it in a high pitched voice because those are the high notes that we play with our right hand). The BASS CLEF looks like "Father's Strong Arm and some fathers like to play bass-ball!" (say it in a deep voice because those are the low notes that we play with our left hand). You can download the Pirate Ships coloring book below. Enjoy coloring together while listening to the music!
Thank you for a FANTASTIC second year! I cannot wait for the next one! Look for a Welcome email in August! And if you have any friends interested, send them to the website for more information. Share the music love! Don't let summer strip away all of your child's skills and knowledge. Enroll now in Let's Play it Again! Fun, playful activities review skills and concepts taught in Year 2. http://www.infusingmusicstudios.com/letsplayitagain.html Celebrate Connection Parental attention is a powerful driving force of motivation. Choose to make your attention toward your child's developing musicianship overwhelmingly positive. Notice and cheer when they sing. Let them know you love to hear their voice. Allow your child to overhear you telling a friend or family member something positive about their hard work this year, or the happiness you see in them when they are playing, singing, or making music. ALL your positive reinforcements will pay dividends for years to come. Homework pp. 36–43: Complete any of the "Station Day / Optional Break Activities" pages not completed during Station Day. Let summer be a fun time to play ANY pieces your child enjoys! Chamniamo Gogo Turn out your toes and celebrate the conclusion of a REMARKABLE year of singing, playing, and learning how to play the piano! Hooray! With summer vacation on the horizon it’s great to have a Practice Plan to keep your little musician's skills sharpened to be ready for Purple Magic in the fall!
Parents come next week for Station Day! Please have your child ready to play their recital pieces for me during our Celebration Station meeting. We will meet briefly to celebrate your child’s progress and be sure they feel comfortable for the performance. Do you know that people tend to share about their worst experiences and their best experiences? If Let's Play Music falls into the "best experience" category for you, please share the Music Love with your friends! Get a $25 referral fee credit to next year's tuition if your friend signs up for Year 1 of Let's Play Music or Presto I, and a $10 referral fee credit for Sound Beginnings. Celebrate Connection A few ideas to bring playfulness to practice time!
Homework pp. 32–35: Students cut out and glue on pieces for the “March of the Gnomes” puppet show. Chord Transitions
Can your child play all the Primary Chords with BOTH HANDS with their eyes shut? The goal is to have their eyes on the music while they playing as much as possible, with only quick glances at their fingers. With their favorite song, invite them to memorize it and "see" the chords in their minds while they play with their eyes closed. Mastering Playing Hands Together This is likened to patting your head and tummy at the same time! Play hands separate until each hand is mastered, then put hands together one measure at a time. Slow and steady wins the race! |
Clara McDonaldAs a music educator of 25 years, my passion is infusing others with music! Archives
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