Organizing Piano Books in the Studio Library

Organizing piano music can be a challenge since the majority of the book spines are so small that the title/color of the book isn't obvious when they are stacked on a bookshelf. I use these handy circle dots to color code all of my music by levels that correspond with the colors of the Hal Leonard method books I began teaching with (Level 1 Blue, Level 2 Purple, etc.). The colored dots "move up" the spine of the book as the level of difficulty of the music increases. For books with various levels of pieces I add multiple stickers. This has come in handy not only when I'm trying to locate a specific book, but also when I need a quick sightreading piece that is a level below a student's current playing abilities.
I also add a sticky name/address label on the back of all the music in my studio library to distinguish it from my students books and help them remember to return it to me.
I have loved the sticker color coded system with piano books so much, I decided to organize our children's books with stickers too. I chose different colors for nonfiction books, Accelerated Reader Books, Board Books, Early Readers, etc.  It makes it a lot easier to find a particular book, and when my kids put them away they just have to look at the colored sticker on the spine to find where it goes on the shelf.

"Unforgettable" Sharp Key Signatures/Scale Aid

One of those "unforgettable" moments for me as a piano student was when my first teacher taught me this little trick for remembering the sharp key signatures. I can still visualize her writing out the goofy letters on my notepad as she sat in the chair beside me and it has stuck with me ever since.
The number of pencil strokes used to draw each of the letters (w/ a few clever adaptations like a rounded 1 stroke G and a pointy B) correlates with the number of sharps in each of the major key signatures).
This method would be especially effective with a kinesthetic learner if you have them write the letters along with you. I am primarily a visual learner... so just watching her draw this mnemonic device has stuck with me for life.

"Old MacDonald Had the Blues" Giveaway on Music Matters Blog

Don't miss out on the chance to win this fun collection of songs by Rebekah Maxner. Natalie at Music Matters blog is hosting a giveaway this week for the "Old MacDonald had the blues." My kids had fun dancing to and guessing the songs for the fun jazzed up renditions of these familiar tunes. The teaching aids and games on the "NoteKidds" website look like great additions for any studio. I

Blessings from Blogging

Being a part of the "blogging community" has been such an inspirational experience for me. I love gaining insight and tips from my fellow bloggers right in the comfort of my own home. A few months ago one of my favorite bloggers - Sheryl Welles at the Notable Music Studio awarded me (and several of my other favorite bloggers) with this award.


To accept this award, I must...
1-Link back to the person who gave me the award
2-Share 7 random things about my self
3-Pass the award along to other blogs I love
4-And make sure I tell the "awardees" about the award

So here goes...
7 Random Things About Me
1. I recieved my B.S. in Family Science at BYU but have since discovered that raising a family isn't much of a science... its more like an art. Raising children ... like piano teaching... can be so unpredictable and requires a lot of creativity, patience and adaptability. I am happy to be a Stay At Home Mom (SAHM) to my 5 sweet children and to be married to my best friend and supportive husband, Jared. Taking care of my 5 little ones and trying to squeeze in piano lessons for them as well as my other students keeps me hopping... perhaps that is why it has taken me this long to find the time to accept this award.

2. I love saving money and living providently. I love to live by the saying "Use it up, wear it out, make it to or do without. The other day I realized that my "pajama shirt" was from a piano festival I helped out with in college about 15 years ago... still no holes in it after hundreds of washings. It's next stop is my rag bucket. (I'll spare you any pics on this one)
3. I am currently a teacher for the Relief Society -one of the largest women's organization in the world. Fortunately for me, I only teach the small group of ladies in our congregation.
4. I love to play games - board games, card games, party games, piano games. My favorite date night involves inviting over a bunch of couples to our home to play group games like Do You Love Your Neighbor, The Animal Game, Fruit Basket, Bing Bong Bounce, Dippity Dippity Dop, In the Manner of the Adverb etc.

5. I'd rather spend my time at the library then at the mall. I go there almost every week and check out my limit of 15 for the family. I especially love to read historical fiction, biographies and books on spiritual topics.

Looks like my daughter inherited the reading bug too!

6. I braved the frigid weather of Minnesota for a year and a half to serve as a missionary for my church - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka Mormon). Although I still live in a cold climate... I'm happy not to be walking around outside in it everyday.

7. I'm married to my best friend... who happens to be a "marriage therapist." Going on dates with my husband Jared is the highlight of my week. He is so supportive, introspective, compassionate, devoted and hard-working. I truly feel like I have a "marriage made in heaven." I've really enjoyed having him as my newest "piano student" since he set a New Year's Resolution to start up piano again after quitting years ago as a child. So far... he's my best practicer this year!


Many of my favorite bloggers were already awarded by Sheryl or Natalie... but here are a few more to add to the list:
Music Blogs:
Dianna at Denley Music
Sing A New Song

Cooking/Craft: (For a beautifully decorated studio and delicious dinners after lessons- Check out her recipe index. It is my favorite part of her blog!)
Kara at creations by Kara (one of my amazingly talented sisters)

Ear Training Pro Giveaway at Notable Music Studio

Ear training seems to be one of the elements of piano study that is often overlooked or neglected during traditional lessons. Unfortunately it wasn't until my high school AP Music classes that I was really required to sharpen my "ear skills" but I wish I had been given an earlier start on this important skill. Don't miss out on the chance to win a great tool to help incorporate this aspect into your studio. Sheryl Welles at Notable Music Studio is offering a giveaway to 2 lucky winners of Ear Training Pro. It looks like a great program to incorporate during piano lab time to sharpen your student's listening skills.

Musical Inspirations at Christmas

One of my favorite parts of Christmas time is listening to the inspiring music that reminds me of the true reason for the season - the Savior. I love the power that music adds to each of these messages. Several of my friends and family shared them on their blogs and it was like getting a little "Christmas Present" from them so I thought I'd pass that "present" along.

Encouraging Improv.. with Jingle Bells Variations

Jerald Simon at Music Motivation.com is having a great cd/piano book giveaway every day until December 18th. I enjoyed checking out all of the recordings of his "giveaways" and was especially excited about the "Cool Songs for Cool Kids" (which I'll be posting a review of soon) and "Variations on Mary Had a Little Lamb."
After being inspired by Wendy Stevens post about Creativity at Christmas Time with a great video of her students in action, I decided to encourage my students to compose their own Jingle Bells variations this Christmas.
To help my students learn a little more about music styles and launch them off to a good start on their variations, I had them listen to these fun variations on the Music Motivation site while completing a little listening worksheet describing the elements of each style (dynamics, articulation, tempo, mode (major/minor), range (high or low), rhythm, texture/chord style (thick/thin, broken/blocked). I love the variety of styles Jerald Simon included in this book of variations.