Students are working xtra hard around here preparing for Piano Guild performances 2024. We have 7 students who have prepared programs from district level (4 memorized pieces, state level (7 memorized pieces), National level (10 memorized pieces), and International level (15 memorized pieces). These kids have worked on some of these pieces all school year and are ready to rock this out! Way to go!! Even the "Little Maestro" has enjoyed hearing them practice in their lessons!
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Dr. TLee-Kazz is working with 5th graders on the development of blues music. Her 5th graders are currently creating their own blues song thru lyrics writing and using computer software known as BandLab. It has been great fun watching them work with their partners and have great fun in the creating process.
A great way to celebrate after awesome Federation festival performances is by having a fun group lesson. Our club is called the A-LISZT Junior Music Club, and all students are members. We had a St. Patty's day theme groups lesson with fun glasses, yummy treats, and lots of fun games and performances. It was a great time, and awesome to get the students together! We had 6 ids participate in the NAtional Federation of Music Clubs (GO A-LISZTERS!) music festival, and all 6 brought back superior ratings. We received a total of 6 gold cup trophies!! # for piano performance superiors, and 3 for music theory superiors!! Way to go, A-LISZTers! You rock! One way to remember your order of sharps and flats...write it on your arm...!!!!
Great way to wrap up an amazing year of piano work for these scholars! Pizza, performances, music games, and music money! Summer Music lessons have begun! We are not teaching music lessons, we are teaching perseverance, goal setting, and the importance of follow-thru, and celebrating a “job well-done!” Beautiful piano recital at a beautiful venue, playing a Steinway grand piano overlooking a lake… is this a dream?? That’s a good day for everyone! I’m proud of these students who worked hard to make today so special.
I am Performing in the Spring recital, and I am freaking out!Music recital season is here so you may be wondering, “How do I get my pieces ready for the recital?” FACTS: Everyone gets nervous about performing. The key to conquering recital nerves is solid “recital performance preparation”! One great idea to prepare students for piano recitals throughout the year is by doing practice performances. As a result, come recital day, my students enjoy their experience more because they know what to expect. What are Practice performances? Just like pieces and scales, performing is a practice-able skill. Piano recital prep is is not the same as regular practice. I’m regular practice, if you make a mistake, you should stop to correct it. When performing in a recital, you need to keep going no matter what happens. A “practice performance” is just what it sounds like: a chance to practice going through the motions of the upcoming performance. How to do a Practice Recital Performance
Doing this a few times a week can help to build your confidence. It will also show you where potential weaknesses may be so you can focus on strengthening those areas in your pieces before the recital day! STAY CALM & PRACTICE ON, SCHOLARS! Music Lessons for your child are about a lot more than just learning to play a musical instrument!…
Some food for thought… @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ "One of my friends asked "Why do you pay so much money for your kid to play the piano”? Well I have a confession to make; I don't pay for my kid to play the piano. Personally, I couldn't care less about what instrument they play. So, what am I paying for? - I pay for those moments when my kid becomes so tired they want to quit but don't. - I pay for those days when my kid comes home from school and is "too tired" to do to their lesson but they go anyway. - I pay for my kid to learn to be disciplined, focused and dedicated. - I pay for my kid to learn to take care of her body and instrument. - I pay for my kid to learn to work with others and to be a good teammate, gracious in failure, and humble in success. - I pay for my kid to learn to deal with disappointment when she doesn’t get that recognition she’d hoped for, but still she goes back week after week giving it her best shot. - I pay for my kid to learn to make and accomplish goals. - I pay for my kid to respect, not only themselves, but their teachers and fellow young musicians. - I pay for my kid to learn that it takes hours and hours, years and years of hard work and practice to play beautifully and that success does not happen overnight. - I pay for my kid to be proud of small achievements, and to work towards long term goals. - I pay for the opportunity my kid has and will have to make life-long friendships, create lifelong memories, to be as proud of her achievements as I am. - I pay so that my kid can be creating something beautiful instead of sitting in front of a screen... ...I could go on but, to be short, I don't pay for piano playing; I pay for the opportunities that learning to play provides my kid with to develop attributes that will serve her well throughout her life and give her the opportunity to bless the lives of others. From what I have seen so far I think it is a great investment!" I can’t believe the summer is almost here!Some exciting events happening in the music studio. I had 7 students participate in the Piano Guild Auditions last weekend and all students received Superior Plus ratings in their playing!
We had 2 State level auditions (5 memorized pieces scales and chords/cadences), 1 National level audition (7 memorized piano pieces with scales, cadences, and arpeggios), and 4 International level auditions (11 memorized piano pieces, scales, cadences, arpeggios, and ear training! I am one super proud music teacher! Sunday afternoon, May 22 at 3pm, the music studio will be holding its Spring Music Recital at Kennesaw State University in one of the concert halls. You are invited to join us to celebrate these young musicians and all their hard work this academic school year! |
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April 2024
AuthorElementary Music Specialist in Cobb County Public Schools, Part-Time Professor of Music Education at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, piano teacher to all ages, & mama to three... Categories |