Good Morning,
Have you ever made house calls to a students home if they were unable to come to lessons? As a rule I don't make it a habit. 

Recently, one of my students was riding his bike, hit a pot hole and boom went flying off his bike and broke his femur.  A full leg cast, surgery with 3 pins and then another surgery to reset the bone as it had shifted, his mom phoned to say he wasn't going to be able to make it to lessons as he is unable to sit at the piano BUT not to worry he was still practicing.  Here's the picture she sent me of him practicing on an old keyboard. 
 
As a result I decided that I would make house calls for the next while to hear what he has been practicing and help him prepare his recital song hoping that he will be able to play at recital at the end of May.

One of the activities I did with him was  Rhythm Cup Explorations from Wendy Stevens. I printed up 4 sets of cards, laminated them and then had them bound so I could keep them in order and take with me when I went to his house.  I put some cool rhythms on the keyboard and it was fun getting his whole family involved in keeping rhythm to help relieve some of his boredom.

Rhythm Cup Explorations has been a big hit in my studio group classes and I'm looking forward to using it this week when my private students come to group day. 

It's that season once again for registration and updating websites.  Thank you also to those who enjoyed the "Easter Bunny Footprint" teaching aid.  Please become a member of Solo Time Games on Teachers Notebook so you can see what new products are being posted and when they are free. They are only free for a short time before they become a paying digital product.

Have a wonderful April and may spring actually come to your area!   Enough snow and rain I say!
Musicallyours,

Lois Dicknoether
Solo Time Music Games
info@solotimemusicgames.com 

Solo Time Music Games

are designed to instill a life long passion 

and understanding of music and its concepts 

through a fun hands on experience.

Solo Time Activity

I have used as posters around the class room "Tempo and Music Terms" over the last few years but this year I was wondering how it could become more of a "hands on" teaching aid rather than a decoration.  

I decided to print them in a smaller version  with four to a page and then I made labels so the students could identify what each term was classified under. 

What a great exercise it turned out to be! As students had to think whether it was a tempo or a dynamic.   It also brought great discussion about the term "fermata" was it a tempo or articulation?  What does style mean?

The activity really proved to be one of the best teaching aids I have for helping students identify terms and their proper categories.  

Tempo and Music Terms

 Natural and Harmonic Minor visual Aid
You can also purchase it for $1.20

 

Easter Greetings!

Spring Greetings! Spring Break is over! Recital and festival season is quickly coming, I hope you were able rejuvenate during the break so you can face this busy season head on.   I took some time off and did a road trip to California and then flew out to Alberta to care for Jakob while his parents were away finalizing the details of the adoption of an adorable baby boy named Declan!   We are so thrilled to have a new addition to our family. Listed below are some Easter themed teaching aides some are free and some are inexpensive.  Please check them out.  Also the most fun I've had with music/rhythm stories lately is with Wendy Stevens of Compose Create and her new Rhythm Cup Explorations.  We've all heard versions of the Cup Song on Youtube and Wendy has done a wonderful job of creating easy to use rhythms with cups in four different levels.  Be sure to check them out.  Wishing you a wonderful Easter Season. Musicallyours, Lois Solo Time Music Games info@solotimemusicgames.com  Solo Time Music Games are designed to instill a life long passion  and understanding of music and its concepts  through a fun hands on experience. Easter Bunny Footprints Children choose a foot print and find the keys on the piano.  There are many different levels including notes and ledger lines. (14 pages of fun)   Other Great Easter Products. Three  levels included in one pdf file for $2.79! Easter Egg Match UP Notes in Bass Clef from Low B to middle C and Treble Clef  - middle C to High C. Easter Egg Match Up  - Word Review Piano         Forte     Fine Mezzo piano       Crescendo         Legato Decrescendo       Mezzo forte       fortissimo pianissimo            Repeat       ritardando Andante              allegro                   moderato Easter Egg Match Up - Word Review Mano Sinistra      Mano Destra       Fine Cantabile              Crescendo         Legato Decrescendo        dolce                grazioso Adagio                 accelerando        ritardando Andante              allegro                   moderato Sunshine Level with Music for Young Children Critters and Notes $1.99