Harmonizing Your Music Studio with a Flipped Learning Music Buffet

The Flipped Classroom -  A Musical Buffet YouTube presentation for Upper Valley Music Teachers Association

This post includes resources that I mentioned in my presentation at UVMTA about flipped learning in the music studio. 

Click the image above to view the slideshow presentation for UVMTA on flipped learning in the music classroom, which includes hyperlinks or browse some of the resources that were mentioned below.

"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn."

-Benjamin Franklin

Wunderkeys Pop 2 Lesson Plans

 Choose the link below for lesson plans and activities that correlate with pieces in Wunderkeys Intermediate Pop 2 Performance Book by Andrea and Trevor Dow.

The theory, improvisation, and music and movement activities can be done in private lessons, group lessons, piano lab, or assigned for at-home practice.

Piano Adventures 1 Lesson Plans and Activities

Choose the link below for lesson plans and activities that correlate with Piano Adventures 1. The theory, improvisation, and music and movement activities can be done in private lessons, group lessons, piano lab, or assigned for at-home practice.

8 Firefly

10 Little River and Legato

11 Sailing in the Sun and Slurs

12 Ferris Wheel and Damper Pedal

14 Mexican Jumping Beans and Staccato

15 Haunted Mouse and Staccato vs Legato

16 Classic Dance and 3/4 Time Waltz

17 Young Hunter and Treble A

18 Skipping in Space and Treble FACE

19 Half Time Show and Treble FACE

20 The Lonely Pine and Hand Shifts

21 Li'l Liza Jane and Mezzo Piano

22 C's Rock and C Landmarks

23 Mozart's 5 Names and Treble CDE

24 Paper Airplane and Treble CDEFG

25 The Juggler and Crossovers

26 Traffic Jam 2nds and Interval of a 2nd

27 This is Not Jingle Bells and Interval of a 3rd

28 Kites in the Sky and 2nd/3rd

30 A Mixed Up Song and Interval of a 4th

32 Flute of the Andes and 8va

33 Runaway Rabbit and 4ths

34 Rain Forest and Interval of a 5th

35 Lightly Row and 5ths

36 Forest Drums and Half/Whole Rests

38 No Moon Tonight! and Rest Review

39 Grumpy Old Troll and Interval Review

40 Merlin's Wand and Sharps

41 Russian Sailor Dance and Sharps

42 Super Secret Agent and Flats

43 Party Song Flats/Crossovers

44 Boogie on Broadway Sharps/Flats

45 Scarf Dance and Double Treble

46 2 Note March and Tonic/Dominant

47 Girl/Boy on a Bicycle and Tonic/Dominant

49 Song for a Scarecrow and I Chord

50 My Pony and I Chord

51 Row, Row, Row Your Boat and Variations

52 London Symphony and V7 Chord

53 Jazzy Joe and Syncopation

54 Shepherd's Song and Ritardando

56 Bongo Drummers and G Landmarks

58 Dinosaur Stomp and Accents

59 Dreydl Song and Upbeats

60 The Bubble and Music Term Review

Related Posts:

Free Piano Lesson Plans

Piano Adventures 2A Lesson Plans and Activities

Some of the products linked in my posts may be affiliate links, earning me a small commission on any products purchased via that link.

Motivate and Track Piano Student Progress with Free Printable Piano Challenge Sheets

With so many different elements to teach in music lessons, it can be challenging to fit it all in.  This year I've invited my piano students to complete a challenge each month that goes along with our monthly group lesson focus. 

Although these concepts are woven into lessons throughout the year, having a focus theme and deadline makes it more likely for them to boost their skills.  And it makes lesson planning simpler as the teacher! 

If they successfully complete at least 10 challenges a year from this Piano Challenge Chart they get a surprise reward at the last Spring Group Lesson.

Monthly Piano Challenge Focus Topics

Notenaming/Interval ID

• Pass off a new level for the One Minute Club Challenge by naming and playing notes quickly.
• Bronze: Bass F-Treble G
• Silver: Bass C- Treble C
• Gold: Bass G- Treble F
• Master: Grand Staff + Ledger Lines
• Susan Paradis Notes in the Fast Lane Sheets are gradually leveled and easier than flipping flashcards for this activity.

Seasonal Composing/Improvisation

• Complete a challenge from the Halloween Surprise Me Sheet.

Accompanist Skills 

• Prepare to accompany a hymn or Christmas song at the group lesson sing a long.

The "Teaching Basic Accompanist Skills" post and Accompanist Tips Free Printable include helpful tips for beginners.

Arpeggios 

• Can you play arpeggios in 12 keys?  

The Arpeggio Challenge Free Printable  includes fingering visuals for multiple levels.

Ear Training - Choose 1 challenge to complete

• Earn 90% or Higher on Listening Test
• Complete 30 levels on the bubble tones app
• Finish 10 Aural Games on TonicTutor.com free play mode.

The Expert Ears Challenge Free Printable includes links to activities students can try at home or during piano lab to prepare for their listening tests.

Theory

• Earn 90% or Higher on Theory Test

Use online practice links like Web Rewards, Teoria.com, Tonic Tutor.com, Heidispiano Quizlet to practice/prepare.

• Earn 90% or Higher on Theory Test: Theory Skills by Level

Terms and Signs

• Earn 90% or Higher on Terms and Signs Test

This Free Printable Terms and Signs Study Sheets includes terms and signs definitions and symbols for various levels.

Scales/Chords and  Chord Progressions

I love to use the scale level charts from Colourful Keys that help students track their progress of playing chord progressions and scales in various keys throughout the year.

This Keyboard Skills Challenge Free Printable includes a variety of options to boost students chord and scale skills including some fun creative improv examples. 

Rhythm

• Complete the next level of Rhythm Boss on the Rhythm Swing app or
• Count aloud and clap  a Music Progressions Rhythm Sheet correctly at your lesson.

Technique

Demonstrate the technique wizard skills on your level at piano lessons.

What other skills would you add to challenge your students?

Piano Adventures Lesson Book Level 1 Unit 9 Assignments and Supplementary Activities

 Piano Teaching Lesson Plans: V7 Chord

 Piano Adventures Lesson Book 1 introduces the V7 chord with a simplified 2 note version.  I have students analyze their music before playing and color I and  V7 "chord pieces" in different colors so they quickly become adept at spotting chord shapes and patterns in their music. (See Teaching Chords in Color).

Piano Adventures Lesson Book Level 1 Unit 8 Assignments and Supplementary Activities

 Piano Teaching Lesson Plans: The I Chord

I typically introduce chords and scales by rote earlier than they are introduced in method books using a hear-see-feel approach that appeals to all of the student's senses. As they associate them with color and spot patterns in their music consistently, they can sightread and learn new pieces more quickly. The lesson assignment instructions below are specifically for pieces in the Piano Adventures Lesson Book 1, but the supplementary activities could also be used with any method book when introducing  chords.  Scroll to the bottom to view lesson plan links for other concepts.

Piano Adventures Lesson Book Level 1 Unit 7 Assignments and Supplementary Activities

Piano Teaching Lesson Plans: Tonic and Dominant

The lesson assignment instructions below are specifically for pieces in the Piano Adventures Lesson Book 1, but the supplementary activities could also be used with any method book when introducing Tonic and Dominant.  Scroll to the bottom to view lesson plan links for other concepts.

UNIT 7: Tonic and Dominant

Lesson: Red LB 46 Two Note March

• Sing the words of the song and then sing and sign the solfa (So, So, So, So, So, Do, Do, etc. )

• *Define Tonic and Dominant at your next lesson without looking at your book.

• Game: VMT Sidestep Solfa

Focus Goal/New Concepts:Tonic and Dominant

on: Red LB47 Girl/Boy on a Bicycle

• *Can you play the melody notes louder than the harmony?

Additional Lesson Plans:

Unit 1: Legato and Staccato

Unit 2: Treble Spaces

Unit 3: Landmark C's

Unit 4: Intervals

Unit 5: Half and Whole Rests

Unit 6: Sharps and Flats

Unit 8: The I Chord

Unit 9: The V7 Chord

Unit 10: G Pentascale

Piano Adventures Lesson Book Level 1 Unit 6 Assignments and Supplementary Activities

Piano Teaching Lesson Plans: Sharps and Flats

This post includes specific lesson assignment instructions for pieces in the Piano Adventures Lesson Book 1 but many of the activities could also be used with other pieces for introducing sharps and flats.  I like to introduce the Rote Piece "I Love Coffee"  (The Half Step Song) in Piano Safari very early on to my students so they become comfortable with the feeling of playing half steps all over the keyboard long before reading sharps and flats in written notation.

Piano Adventures Lesson Book Level 1 Unit 5 Assignments and Supplementary Activities

Piano Teaching Lesson Assignments: Introducing Half and Whole Rests

Piano Adventures Lesson Book Level 1 Unit 4 Assignments and Supplementary Activities

Piano Teaching Lesson Plans: Introducing Intervals

Using online piano lesson assignments including virtual links allows my students easy access to learning videos and song samples all in one place.  By sharing a google doc with the parents and students, students can access the document from week to week as I add their newest assignment to the top of the page. This post includes specific instructions for pieces in the Piano Adventures Lesson Book 1 but many of the activities could also be used with other pieces for introducing intervals.  Scroll to the bottom to view lesson plan links for other concepts.

Piano Adventures Lesson Book Level 1 Unit 3 Assignments and Supplementary Activities

Piano Lesson Plans: Teaching Landmark C's on the Grand Staff

Streamlining my piano lesson assignment plans to online documents including virtual links allows my students easy access to learning videos and song samples all in one place. This post includes specific instructions for pieces in the Piano Adventures Lesson Book 1 but many of the activities could also be used with any method book to introduce the 3 C's on the Grand Staff.  I like to use the names Leila Viss suggests for the different Cs on the grand staff. 

Piano Adventures Lesson Book Level 1 Unit 2 Assignments and Supplementary Activities

"I Am Thankful" Piano Composing Project Steps

Composing at the piano can seem like a daunting task for beginners, but with small and simple guided steps, it can be a success for even young beginners. For November piano lessons, students in my studio are creating an "I am Thankful" Composition using the step by step approach below.

The Easy Way to Merge Creativity with a Piano Method Book

One of my favorite ways to introduce composition and improvisation in piano lessons is to pair it with the concepts that are already being introduced in the student's method books.

Piano Adventures Lesson Book Level 1 Unit 1 Assignments and Supplementary Activities

Lesson Plans for Teaching Staccato and Legato Articulation

Now that I am teaching piano online, I've been streamlining my lesson plans by sending customized lesson assignment instructions via google docs to my students.  I like how this new format allows me to embed links with videos and supplementary activities for flipped learning at home that were previously done during lab time.

Online Piano Learning Activities Organized by Concept and Level

The online piano activity list includes a variety of links to online games, listening activities, theory/technique videos,

Theory Choice Challenge

Theory Challenge Options

This month  my piano studio focus is music theory. Students can select from the following challenges to earn a prize at their lesson for each challenge they complete. Winners of the Tonic Tutor Aim High (highest overall game scores) and Overachiever (most extra achievements earned after finishing lesson) contests will be announced at next month's group lesson

• Complete a written theory test and pass with at least 90% during piano lab.
• Complete a written terms and signs test with at least 90% during piano lab.
• Choose at least 3 music terms or signs and draw a poster to help teach others what it means in a memorable way. Click Here to See Sample Posters
• Watch a Thinking Theory Playlist on YouTube and draw and label at least 10 of the music signs/terms that you learned about as you watched.

Simple Halloween Improvisation Game for Beginning Piano Students

Piano Teaching Halloween Improvisation

This simple Halloween Improvisation Game for Beginning Piano Students is just one of the sweet fun ways I like to start out piano lessons during fall lessons.

Halloween Composing Piano Group Lesson Plans with Free Printable

Although getting children to practice piano consistently can definitely be a trick, most of my students consider creating their own compositions to be a treat and they are more motivated to play their own creations.

Piano Lessons: Would you rather exam or excite?

I prefer to assess student's progress regularly through games rather than to have formal tests for my music students. Although a "test" is a useful means of gauging the progress, and I use a pre and post theory test for them to earn their spot on the theory leader board, more often I prefer to use games to assess the various skills of my students in a more playful relaxing environment and achieve the same goal of discovering what they know and celebrating their accomplishments in a fun way.  Games take off some of the pressure, and in a gaming environment students are more likely to"consider failure as a tutor, not as a tragedy, and to not fear failure but to learn from it" (Lynn G, Robins, Until Seventy Times Seven).