Would you like to have another fun musical assignment you can use both in your lessons and to assign for at-home practice, especially for your littles? Expressive movement videos might be a perfect addition to your teaching mix.
Expressive movement takes from philosophies like Dalcroze and gets students moving to music in a way that reflects the patterns, form, and expressive quality of the music.
I first shared about these videos in a full blog post in 2022, which includes a compilation of 15 videos I found on YouTube.
Today, I’m expanding on that post to bring you a free downloadable resource to help you assign these videos to students during the week.
This file will be most useful for those who are using a digital practice app that will allow you to bulk-load assignments using CSV files. Don’t worry, though; even if you don’t use an online app, you could still use this spreadsheet to copy and paste text to create your own assignments.
After ten years of mailing postcards, I’ll admit I needed a break last year. (While it’s wonderful to do little “extras” for our students, it’s OK to need a break.) A year off was just the breather I needed, and I’m excited to do it again this year.
Part of my excitement is that one of my favorite digital tools, Canva, now offers printing services. I wanted to try designing my birthday postcards this year using the new studio logo I had redesigned last year.
In this video post, I will show you how to design and order postcards in Canva. At $18 for 25 cards, I thought their prices were very reasonable!
A lot of people like to contact me through Facebook. I really hate messaging through Facebook and much prefer email however, it’s 2021 and that’s just how a lot of people work now.
95% of the time, the message sent to me via my studio Inbox is the same.
I’m interested in piano lessons for my 6 years old. Can you tell me more about your lessons and prices?
Yada, yada, yada. You get it.
One by one I would type out a reply. Sometimes I would get smart and cut and paste from previous messages and then customize a little from there.
Today, I was suddenly DONE.
I knew it had to be easy to create ageneric automated message that would direct people to my website where I really wanted them to be. It took a little research (I mean, nothing is terribly intuitive with Facebook, am I right?) but it was no big deal once I found my way.
Today I want to share a quick 2-minute video to show you how you can also do this as well as give you a copy of my message you can use as a starter to craft your own.
For years, I’ve been collecting videos from all over the internet to use as part of my student’s music lab time. This has resulted in four major sets of videos that are available for FREE here on Piano Pantry:
Access all of these via the menu under “Resources” in the menu.
These videos can be utilized during group classes, as either part of an off-bench music lab time, or as an assignment using an online tool like Vivid Practice or Practice Space.
All videos in the series have some kind of accompanying guide (available in the shop) – whether it be a simple tracking sheet for keeping track of which videos the student has watched or a full listening guide with reflection questions. I also hope to eventually make CSV files available for those looking to utilize them as part of an online assignment tool.
>>January 2024 Update: A CSV File for the Expressive Movement Video series is now available. Find it here.
Both the Christmas and Halloween video sets are a little more in-depth listening guides that include fun facts and information about the piece, as well as reflection questions.
The Music Theory Videos series is a compilation of the best videos I’ve found online that teach music theory concepts.
While most of these videos teach individual music theory concepts, I was looking to use them to reinforce what students have already learned in lessons.
Here’s a sneak-peak at some of the videos included:
Comprised of 48 videos, they have been divided into four sets based on a rough/general order in which concepts are introduced in most piano methods. The order may not line up exactly, but you can assign videos based on what the student has already been taught in their lesson time.
From my own experience, I find it doesn’t work well to assign just one video at a time. If you’re using this resource as part of an off-bench / music lab time, switching to a new activity after watching just one video is not ideal (especially since the student generally does it independently). It’s much easier to wait until there are several videos the student is ready to watch and assign several at once.
Curious for more details on how I run my music labs? Check out the Music Labs Made Easy eBook in the shop.
Please know that the list of videos is in no way exhaustive. That is, a video may not be available for every music theory concept.
Since I was utilizing this as part of an in-studio music lab time and students weren’t watching videos weekly, I needed a way to track which videos they had watched. Thus, the corresponding tracking sheet!
The tracking sheet includes directions to the student, a place for teachers to “assign” which videos to watch, the video name, who it is from, its length (so they know if they have enough time during their lab to complete it), and space for the student to check-off once they watched it.
Add this to your cart now, or find it in the shop.
Fun Music Videos
The fun music video series is a compilation of a lot of…you guessed it… fun (and inspiring, I might add!) music videos. 🙂
When I started including off-bench music lab time as part of my students’ weekly lesson experience, I found that while there are a lot of apps and programs out there, sometimes you run out of things for them to do!
There were two main reasons I found this happening on occasion:
(1) Students can accomplish quite a bit in a 30-minute lab time.
(2) With younger students especially, you can give only so many lab assignments when they are beginners. Not only are they limited in the musical concepts they can play games for, but any assignment with too much reading and writing is just too difficult for kindergarten, first, and even second graders to do independently.
P.S. For a bit more talk on how to handle music lab time with younger students, visit this post.
My students enjoyed these videos, but similar to the music theory videos, I needed a way to track which ones they had watched. I wasn’t necessarily assigning them week after week until they finished the entire series; I was only assigning it every once in a while and using it as a “filler.”
Thus, the corresponding tracking sheet!
The goal was to keep it simple.
Yes, I was using it as a “filler” lab assignment, but I also didn’t want it to just feel like “busy work.” Not only that, but it had to be something I could assign to students of all ages – especially younger students. As I stated earlier, any assignment with too much reading and writing is just too tricky for kindergarten, first, and even second graders to do independently.
Thus, the tracking sheet includes directions to the student, the “set” name, the video name, the length of the video (so they know if they have enough time during their lab to complete it), and areas to rate the video and openly reflect/comment.
While I would love for it to include more background information and reflection questions (maybe someday I’ll create a more in-depth version for older students similar to the Halloween and Christmas video series), my main goal with this was an easy lab that students of any age could use and enjoy.
Be aware that students have been known to continually go back and watch some of their favorite videos several times when they’re supposed to be watching new videos. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! 😉
Add this resource to your cart now, or find it in the shop.
Music Labs Made Easy eBook
Curious for more details on how I run my music labs? Get this 15-page eBook that is chock full of all kinds of “pro tips.”
We’ll talk about scheduling, set-up, and organizing labs. Laid out in an easy-to-read format, this book will answer all your questions regarding music lab time!
Students are not displayed from oldest to youngest, but by how long they’ve been studying with me – moving from left to right and top to bottom.
Every photo includes the student’s picture, their first name, and the month and year they started taking piano lessons at Studio 88.
The white spaces are inspiring quotes. I could have filled them all up individually if I had included my adults, but I assumed they would want anonymity. (After one of them asked why they weren’t on the photo board, I realized next time I should just ask if I could include them rather than assume!)
Today I want to show you how you can create a photo board like this using an online design studio called Canva.
First, I want to briefly share what got me started on having a student photo board.
Who’s the Team?
One of the hottest series here on Piano Pantry is called the Varsity Musician’s Playbook. Written by a good friend of mine, the series focuses on how we can develop thriving studios and students who are deeply committed using principles from team sports.
When I started teaching piano full time, my biggest challenge was finding a method for lesson planning and tracking student progress and materials.
Eventually, as I started using Evernote more, the latter problem of tracking student progress and materials was quickly resolved. (See Evernote Part 1: Studio Management).
Lesson planning, however, took a lot of trial and error – as I think it does for many of us and is something that continues to evolve and change.
One thing I’ve learned about myself is I’m a very visual person. I don’t do well simply making a note or two here or there for items I need to remember for students’ next lesson. I need to see the big picture.
Finally, in 2014 I was inspired by an article in the September/October 2014 issue of Clavier Companion written by Arlene Steffen, Stephen Hughes, and Craig Sale called “Lesson Plans: A teaching essential?”
Thanks to their detailed article, my king-sized spreadsheet was born.
Because a spreadsheet like this will be completely customized to your teaching style (and studio calendar), it doesn’t do me any good to give you a copy of mine. So, in this post, not only do I walk you through the details of what I include, but I’ve also created a video showing you how to create your version, including tips and tricks for using Excel like a pro!
I’m back for my third and final installment on how to implement Evernote into your daily life as an independent music teacher.
While I say this is the “final” video in the series, I’m sure there will be much more on Evernote to come here on Piano Pantry as it’s a program for which I’m quite passionate. Can you tell?
This 3-part video series together is less than 40 minutes. If you’re like me, you listen to single podcasts that are longer than that! Most of us likely spend 30-40 minutes each evening watching a show or video to chill out. I wouldn’t be surprised if most of us also spend that much time daily reading blogs or posts on Facebook piano teacher groups.
I can promise that if you give those 30-40 minutes just one day to watch the series, it could potentially change how you handle and organize your studio forever. A strong statement, I know, but I believe it with my whole heart, and well, if you know me, you know that for the most part, I say what I feel!
The following is a breakdown of what you will see in part 3.
1:10
A brief explanation of the available desktop client, web client, and app.
1:55
How I use Evernote compared to Notepad, Dropbox, iCloud, and Google Drive.
2:55
Features and demonstration of the three account levels and key features I use the most including forwarding emails directly into Evernote, the powerful PDF, and office search functionality, and presentation mode.
7:55
Integrated Apps: Skitch, Scannable, Web Clipper, and Penultimate including short iPhone and iPad demonstrations.
12:05
Three reasons and a demonstration of why I believe using tags to organize Evernote is better than using individual Notebooks.
14:40
Layout options, creating shortcuts, and sequential ordering of notes using symbols, numbers, and letters.
There are three times each year that the seasons give me a chance to feel refreshed and invigorated.
The last week of May, after the school year lesson schedule comes to an end, I’m preparing for a lighter summer schedule.
The middle of August, gearing up for Fall lessons to resume (this is the time I feel most refreshed and in order).
NOW. The turn of the year when I have a chance to reflect and re-consider goals, organization, and life in general.
Many of us, during at least one of these three points in the year, realize it’s time to refresh and reorganize our studios.
January is one of my slower months of the year. It’s cold; there are no holidays, conferences, festivals, or recitals.
It’s the perfect time to rethink how you work, including organizing your studio physically and digitally.
Evernoteis the perfect program to help independent music teachers in this area. Today, I will walk you through the perfect little tool that will be your best friend on the internet and your mobile device for capturing and organizing life – the Evernote Web-Clipper.
When I first started teaching piano as an independent music teacher, I learned quickly there was more to the profession than being a pianist and pedagogue. I was managing a business and, in a way, people. Tasks like tracking student information, lesson plans, overall student progress, music to be ordered, recital participation, and repertoire lists became a big part of the job.
Before Evernote…
I would find myself unable to recall the materials I needed to purchase when I happened by the music store unplanned.
Oodles of information and ideas that I intently recorded during sessions at local, state, or national conferences found themselves in paper stacks without a second glance.
I read valuable and detailed advice regarding iPad to MIDI capabilities in a Facebook thread, but it was later fuzzy in my mind when I needed it most. When I tried to find it, the conversation was lost in a sea of never-ending social media posts.
If you’re like me, you long for anything that streamlines the business side of your work. While today’s digital world offers many tools and applications to help us manage and organize the tasks we juggle on a daily basis, one stands out:Evernote.
