Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Festival Samples Elementary Level 1

Festival Samples for Elementary Level (Piano Adventures 1, Blue Hal Leonard 1,  NFMC PP)

Choose at least 6 pieces to listen to. Write the name of the piece, then click the link to hear it and answer the following questions on your Festival Samples Listening Assignment Sheet:
1. Write 2 or more words to describe the mood of this piece.
2. What is the tempo (speed) of this piece (Adagio, Andante, Allegro, Presto, etc.)?
3. What articulation do you hear in this piece (staccato, legato, accents, pedaling etc.)?
4. Choose your personal rating for this piece from the following: 
1- I have no interest in learning to play this.
2 - This piece is okay
3 - Nice, but not my favorite
4 - I would like to play this piece.
5. I would love to learn to play this.

MUSIC AVAILABLE IN MY LIBRARY

 Festival Music Samples Piano Lab Listening Free Printable

Pterodactyls, Really Neat by Nancy Faber  - (Faber Gold Star Performance Primer)
Zoom Zoom, Witch's Broom by Nancy Faber - (Faber Gold Star Performance Primer)
A Rainbow is a Smile by Nancy Faber - (Faber Gold Star Performance Primer)
Hello to the Drum by Nancy Faber - (Faber Gold Star Performance Primer)
Pony Express by Nancy Faber - (Faber Gold Star Performance Primer)
A Particularly Pleasing Piano Piece by Nancy Faber - (Faber Gold Star Performance Primer)
Squinchy-Pinchy Shoes by Nancy Faber - (Faber Gold Star Performance Primer)
Roller Skate Ride by Nancy Faber - (Faber Gold Star Performance Primer)
Chugging Choo-Choo by Nancy Faber - (Faber Gold Star Performance Primer)
Eternally Music by Nancy Faber - (Faber Gold Star Performance Primer)
The Run-Around Rag by Jason Sifford -(In Recital with Jazz, Blues and Rags Book 1)
Swingin' Cats by Christopher Goldston - (In Recital with Jazz, Blues and Rags Book 1)
Dancing Drums by Joyce L Grill - (Sheet Music)
Irish Celebration by Wendy Stevens - (Sheet Music)
Magic Pony - (Sheet Music)
The Leaf and the Bird by June C. Montgomery - (Sheet Music)
Taco Fiesta by Martha Mier - (Sheet Music)
Cookies by Carolyn Miller - (Sheet Music)
One Scary Night by Kim Williams - (Sheet Music)

No Audio Samples:
The Butterfly Garden by Timothy Brown - (Composers in Focus: The Butterfly Garden)
Waltzing Butterflies by Timothy Brown- (Composers in Focus: The Butterfly Garden)
Pretend by Timothy Brown- (Composers in Focus: The Butterfly Garden)
Flutter By by Timothy Brown- (Composers in Focus: The Butterfly Garden)
March of the Monarchs by Timothy Brown- (Composers in Focus: The Butterfly Garden)
Mariposa by Timothy Brown- (Composers in Focus: The Butterfly Garden)
Papillons by Timothy Brown- (Composers in Focus: The Butterfly Garden)
Rainbow Song by Timothy Brown (Sheet Music)
DogGoneIt! by Tom Gerou



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Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Festival Samples Level 3 Yellow

Festival Samples for Late Elementary (Piano Adventures 2A/ Hal Leonard 3/ NFMC P2)

Choose at least 6 pieces to listen to. Write the name of the piece, then click the link to hear it and answer the following questions on your Festival Samples Listening Assignment Sheet:
1. Write 2 or more words to describe the mood of this piece.
2. What is the tempo (speed) of this piece (Adagio, Andante, Allegro, Presto, etc.)?
3. What articulation do you hear in this piece (staccato, legato, accents, pedaling etc.)?
4. Choose your personal rating for this piece from the following: 
1- I have no interest in learning to play this.
2 - This piece is okay
3 - Nice, but not my favorite
4 - I would like to play this piece.
5. I would love to learn to play this.

MUSIC AVAILABLE IN MY LIBRARY

MODERN COMPOSERS
Taco Rock by Martha Mier (Best of Martha Mier Bk 2)
Frog on a Log by Martha Mier (Favorite Solos Bk 1)
Stomping Dance by Christopher Goldston (Fantastic Fingers Bk3)
The Acrobat by Carolyn Miller (Sheet Music)
Traffic Jam Blues by Elizabeth Greenleaf - (FJH Federation Favorites Book 2)
Mischievous Monkeys by Elizabeth Greenleaf - (FJH Federation Favorites Book 2)
Thundering Drums by Anita Brandon - (FJH Federation Favorites Book 2)

JAZZY
Awesome by Lee Evans (Color Me Jazz Bk1)
Un Poco Espanol by Lee Evans (Color Me Jazz Bk1)
Jazzy by Kevin Costley - (FJH Federation Favorites Book 2)

CLASSIC LITERATURE OR CLASSICAL STYLE
Ancient Dance by Michael Praetorious - (Faber Prep Piano Lit)
The Hero's March by Moritz Vogel - (Faber Prep Piano Lit)
Melody by Ferdinand Beyer - (Faber Prep Piano Lit)
Circle Dance by Ferdinand Beyer - (Faber Prep Piano Lit)


In Library but no Sound Samples:
Jam Session by Lee Evans (Color Me Jazz Bk1)
Melody Bober Solos in Style 
Northwest Passage - (Melody Bober Solos in Style)
Whoop-de-do! (Sheet Music)
Punch and Judy by Eric Baumgartner (Sheet Music)
Prima Sonatina by Kevin Olson

Not in Library Yet:
Twister by Wendy Stevens
Mystery at Blackwater Creek by Martha Mier
Unicorn Ride by K. Polhamus
Medieval Pageant by Mary Hauber



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Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Free Online Piano Teaching Training Links

I'm a multi tasking music teacher and these are just a few of the resources that I love to tap into to get through my morning workout walking the neighborhood or folding laundry on my exercise bike while I jot down notes from time to time, or prop up my phone to wash one more sink full of dishes that didn't get done the night before. Since covid prevents me from weight lifting at the gym and attending music teacher workshops at least I can exercise my mind and body at the same time as pursuing my piano passion!

Music Teacher Videos

2020 MTNA Virtual Conference







Music Teaching Podcasts



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Saturday, May 2, 2020

Piano Teaching Tips for Beginners - Book of Mormon Stories

Book of Mormon Stories and Beyond with Beginning Piano Students

Playing Familiar Music is Fun

The upbeat rhythmic drumbeat of the bass in this song makes it a requested favorite for young children who often follow along with hand motions representing the words as they sing this song. This is typically a song that my students who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints are eager to learn because they've grown up singing it often.
Early intermediate students can handle the traditional version of this song, but I also make this accessible to my younger students who are more likely to appreciate it by using these simpler versions. Following are a few ideas on how to introduce the simplified version highlighting various concepts in the song with success.
Traditional Music for Book of Mormon Stories

I Spy Intervals

For a student who is still new to the concept of skips on the staff, I like to hand over the pencil and have students spy all of the skips in this song and connect them with colored lines to make them extra salient.

Major vs Minor

Often too many beginning songs center around middle C and can encourage the faulty notion in beginning students that finger numbers correlate to specific keys on the piano (C is 1, D is 2, E is 3 etc.)  This song in the key of d minor shifts students away from the erroneous "C-centric" thinking and can also make a great introduction to recognizing the difference between  the major and minor pentascale patterns and most students love the steady drum beat sounds in the bass.

Buddy Bass Duet

For buddy lessons with beginners, having one student play the split hand melody in the treble clef and another student (or teacher) play the bass "drumming" part an octave lower than notated encourages better listening skills and allows them to enjoy the rich harmony of the song even if they aren't physically coordinated enough to play both parts together yet. 

Borrow with Rhythmic Improvisation

The rhythmic simplicity of this song provides a perfect palette for further exploration.  In addition to learning the song, students could use the structure as a springboard to improvise their own melody that mimics the rhythm of the song as they change up the order of the notes of the d minor scale.  For a little more challenge, students could use the Bass Harmony pattern as their backdrop instead and then just add a d minor pentascale melody with the right hand. 
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Thursday, April 30, 2020

Tonic Tutor Melody Game Tips

The studio contest for TonicTutor.com for May is Melody.  Here are some quick game instructions with a few hints.

Aural-Melody

Stick People- Choose the picture that matches the shape of the melody you heard. Hint: Steps look like a staircase.
Mystery Note-Click the 2 notes at the top and listen for the note in the pattern that is the same pitch as the single note played.
Mushrooms-As you listen to the melody choose the last note your hear.  Hint: Follow along with by pointing to the first note played and moving your finger in the direction you hear the notes played.
Robot- Challenge! Listen to the melody and play the key that you hear last. The first note is colored on the keyboard.  Hint: Hover your finger or mouse over the first note as you hear the melody and then move in the direction you hear it move (left lower, right higher).

Aural-Melodic Dictation

Eggs - Listen to the melody and choose the egg that is not in the write place on the staff. Hint: It helps to follow along with your cursor or finger as the notes are being played.
Magnets - Move the notes up or down with the magnets above or below the staff to match the melody you hear. Hint: Check to make sure notes on the staff that repeat later sound the same before clicking "Done." Remember to check the direction (up and down) and distance (how far up or down) of the notes that change.

Related Posts:
Tonic Tutor Rhythm Game Tips
Tonic Tutor Review and Discount Code
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Unforgettable Tempo Term Songs

Singing is a fabulous mnemonic device.  After discovering these helpful Tempo Term Posters from the Colourful Keys blog that I display on my music bulletin board I added these new lyrics to familiar folk songs to make the tempo terms stick even more.

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A Pecking Fun Rote Piece for Teaching Staccato

You've probably heard this famous piece before... but not quite in this way!
1. Watch Beethoven's Wig My Little Chicken as you tap your hand to the beat on a closed piano fallboard with a hen pecking motion.


2. Watch as teacher demonstrates on the keyboard  What are the first 2 repeating intervals played?
(As I demonstrate this song I sing memory cues to help students remember the patterns)
Start play- ing sec-onds then
Step to the thirds then you
Leap peck peck peck, to the C's
Back to the
2nds then
3rds then
Leap  peck peck peck to the C's
Chorus:
Step down down down then
Leap up then Leap up then Leap up, etc.

Free Sheet Music for Chopsticks

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