The last part of this term has been busy and highly productive! Concerts, exams and plenty of independent reading for those following the ice cream challenge. Results are yet to be published for the exams, but I have enjoyed some lovely performances in lessons and at concerts which no doubt will mean exam success! Looking ahead to the new term, I am keen to continue encouraging pupils to perform and share their music. I have been looking at the Woking Music Festival, held between 13th-28th November, which holds an excellent variety of classes of all levels and styles, including Classical, Jazz, Pop and even a Christmas and Humour Class! Finally, enjoy your summer break and if you would like a challenge, you can download a summer themed activity sheet here: summer_bingo_2016.pdf I look forward to seeing you in the Autumn Term - lessons begin September 9th
0 Comments
As we are almost at the end of term, a few favourite activities are making an appearance! Note Reading - Capture a Key! You need: 2 types of counters or small toys (I use Go-Gos and Stkeez) Note flashcards or a flashcard app To play: Each player takes a turn in reading a note and places a one of their counters/toys on the correct key. The aim is to capture a key by placing 3 counters on it. If you get the same flashcard, you can capture and remove your opponents counter from the key. The winner is the player to capture the most keys, or have the most counters on the keyboard. You can make the basic game easier by using key names only, rather than notes. You can alter the rules to take into account how many counters you capture..... my pupils usually have ideas how to "improve" the game! Note values - Jenga Tower You need: A Jenga set - or 2 is you want a longer game! Rhythm flashcards - these could be simple notes/rests or "bars" of rhythm that gets added up. The smallest value is 1. To play: Each player takes a card and the corresponding number of Jenga bricks - i.e. a minim = 2 bricks Each card is a new level of bricks, so you must always start a new level when a card is picked - you cannot add anything to lower levels. However, you can build more than one level with a card, which is easier if you have to add 4 bricks on top of 1! The aim is to build a complete tower with all the bricks and as high as possible. This can be done by working together or you can play against each other. The loser is the person who makes the tower fall! General Knowledge - Simple Simon For this you just need to pick a suitable piece of music depending on the level of the pupil and find a few fun items to use. Print a "Simple Simon Says..." list of things to find in the music and let your pupil have a go! This is very easily done and can be adapted to any level.
I'm very proud to announce that all of the pupils who entered the European Piano Teachers 2017 Composers' Competition won a place in their class or received a commendation. Congratulations goes to:
Connie - 1st place in 10 years and under Katie - 2nd place in 10 years and under Rebecca - 1st place in 12 years and under Benji - 3rd place in 15 years and under Lucy - Highly Commended in 17 years and under All of these winning entries are in this playlist:
We should also be celebrating exam success very soon with several pupils preparing for their exams very soon. We've been recording pieces for performance practice and creating some fun videos..... more to come!
Before we get stuck into seasonal music, here's some imaginative music to enjoy from last term! Several pupils enjoyed creating their own descriptive music after being inspired by the books of June Armstrong. You can watch recordings by Ben, Jeffrey, Jessica, Katie and Rebecca on this page, Imaginative Music.
By the way, June has watched the recordings and enjoyed them very much! Pupils will be continuing to improve their reading skills with the popular capture the Go-Go or Stikeez game..... or as George calls it, Torture the Stikeez! It involves identifying treble or bass notes and capturing your opponents game pieces. The Stikeez tend to get stuck in a variety of places!
One more thing, we're travelling back to Halloween with a version of my duet Shivers Down Your Spine, featuring a mash-up of performances by Chloe, Ben, Jessica and George. All of them learnt a version of the duet, chose their own dynamics and spooky ending. Here's the result, with a truly terrifying end!
|
AuthorAlison is a classical pianist, teacher, and composer running a thriving piano studio in Surrey, South East of England. Archives
July 2020
Categories |