Tuesday, January 17, 2012

My Red Vest
January Greetings!

I was sitting in Starbucks recently, preparing for a final exam, when a young family sat down at a table next to me. I like to study at Starbucks sometimes because, unlike at home, I don't get distracted with all the things that need doing around the house and studio. The father looked over at me, sauntered by my table sort of looking at me, it was weird and bent over to take a closer look as it turned out, at the MYC logo on my red vest.

He said, "Do you teach MYC? We just
moved here and we are looking for a MYC teacher." It turns out their friend is a MYC teacher in their previous town and now they were looking for one here. Our conversation led to them giving me their names, address and asked me to contact them about lessons for their children in the fall. It was wonderful two new students!

How awesome is that! I didn't even have to strike up a conversation.  The MYC logo on my red vest did the marketing and branding for me. Things like this don't happen all the time but this time it wouldn't have happened at all had it not been for my MYC vest. 

When it snows in the Lower Mainland few people want to drive if they don't have to. This winter season I'm offering parents the opportunity to join our class virtually.   So instead of going out in the co
ld and braving the treacherous roads, I am having parents and students join me via Google Plus.  Google Plus is a great way to connect with families. (More on how it works, below.)

Have a great day, keep warm to those of you in the deep cold and bring out your umbrella's those in the rainy Midwest!

Keeping warm in my red vest, 
         Mrs. Lois  

My Red Vest
MYC Certified Teacher
Solo Time Music Games
    info@solotimemusicgames.com     
Game of the Month


Postage is always free with an order of six or more games within Canada and continental USA.
To Market To Market -  Skype and Google Plus
It doesn't always snow here in B.C.'s Lower Mainland during the winter season but when it does, few people want to drive since most people don't have snow tires on their vehicles. My experience has been that some parents won't come to lessons when it snows. My home is situated on a big hill and if the street hasn't been sanded it can be quite slippery. A few intrepid parents will brave the snow and the hill and come to lessons anyway but many choose to just stay home. 

With this in mind, this winter I'm offering the option for my students and parents to join the class via Skype if there is only one student or via Google Plus if there are two or more attending.
 
The way I see it is, they have set that hour aside to come to class anyway so it's a wonderful option to be able to sit by the computer and watch the class rather than miss it. If they have a laptop computer that can be moved near the piano, they can  join in and play along!

I know this is not a new idea for some of you but I thought it was worth sharing once again for those who may not be utilizing the available technology.  Contact me if you would like an invite to Google Plus.
Resources - Composer Tricks
Composer Tricks 
  I spent some time fixing up my Composer Tricks teaching aids and now they are available on line for you teaching pleasure and use. 
I start composing by teaching Composer Tricks. 
It's fun, quick and the students love hearing their two measure Motive and Composer Trick
 just after they write it.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

It's a New Year and  some changes are good.

One of our family traditions is to reflect on the previous year, share one good thing about that year and what we dream or hope  for  as the new year begins.  It was always interesting to hear what the kids had to say about the previous  year and their thoughts and resolutions for the next.  Sometimes it would be serious, thoughtful and sometimes I wondered what planet they live on.

And speaking of thinking of the New Year have you thought about new students for the fall?  It's never to early to start thinking about the the fall.   Marketing begins every time you step out of your door and every time you teach.  Parents share how great you are and how much their children have learned and love you as their teacher.   Don't be afraid to hand out a few flyers to your parents to share with their friends.  It's never to early to plant a musical thought in potential families. 

Resolutions are hard to keep!  This is an insightful  article from Elissa Milne, an Australian music teacher I follow on Twitter. Check out her Nine New Years Resolutions for every music teacher. 

This year  I plan on making some changes to the schedule.  One is to not be so busy and we all know that's easier said than done, graduate from college and savor important milestones with my grandson, Jakob. Thanks to those who respond with encouraging words, I appreciate them.

I wish you all the best the best in 2012 with blessings, laughter and music to fill your days.

Musicallyours,
Lois Dicknoether
Check out this month's resources.
Happy Holidays from Solo Time Music Games  

Dear Friends, Teachers and Followers,

This is a busy time of the year.  Year-end parties and recitals add pressure and stress but are always worth the effort. Performing is a great skill to learn when young and attending parties and eating good food together makes for great memories.

It seems like, when building up to the Christmas season, practicing gets put on the back burner.  During this time I like to offer a  practice incentive contest where children keep track of their practicing minutes and I put a penny into a World Vision fund for every minute of their practice.  The incentive program usually last for five weeks. The winning class gets to choose an item from the World Vision catalogue that corresponds to how many minutes they have practiced. The chosen gift then goes to a needy child or family.

This year I offered the incentive on a smaller scale and decided to let each class choose which gift they would like to give. When shown the choices the children immediately chose what THEY would like.  It was very individual but as their conversation continued,  they collectively decided to choose something they thought the recipient could use and would be the most valuable to the family. Interestingly, most classes thought a gift of fruit trees was the most important gift to give.

I was impressed that my students, when given a little time, began to think of the needs of other people rather than their own.  Their compassion for others was very touching in this Christmas season.

I wish you every happiness this Christmas and thank-you for being our customer. We look forward to continuing our relationship in the coming year.

All the best to you and your family,

Lois Dicknoether
Solo Time Music Games
(If you didn't print the Christmas resources yet, they will still be up for a while)