1
I finally got around to ordering this adorable stuffed chipmunk to use when I teach my kiddos the famous “Charlie Chipmunk” in their very first lesson. I can’t wait to use him.
2
The authors of Piano Safari and the famous “Charlie Chipmunk”, will be giving a webinar sponsored by MTNA called “The Role of Rote Teaching in the Development of Reading, Artistry, and Technique” TODAY (Friday, April 22) at 1:00 EST!
3
On the Science Channel website, they have clips from the TV series “Machines: How They Work” including a three-minute clip called How Do Grand Piano’s Work?
4
I can never get enough of in-action teaching videos. Check out Joy’s demonstration of her Ice Cream Intervals Game.
5
A useful tip for teaching rhythm in a short 0:20-second video.
6
Leila’s musings on How to Prepare Performers for Adjudicator Comments and Decisions is a perfect accompaniment to read alongside my recent post on how to prepare and set yourself up to be a good adjudicator.
7
My students absolutely love my “Fingercise Cup.” We tend to call it a “Finger Drum” although it just dawned on me that technically we don’t “drum” on it…but it does kind of looks like a drum. Hmmm…Anyway, the creators of the Fingercise Cup recently did a post for creative D.I.Y. Button Gloves to work on hand shape with students. I use several tactile teaching tools like this for teaching technique and my kids always love them.
8
Mindfulness, a popular topic of our time, is a great tool for musicians, as Doug writes at Portland Piano Lab. I’ve played around with some mindfulness apps and such as the popular Headspace, but I wasn’t willing to pay a monthly fee after my 10-day trial. I have a couple freebies, “Calm,” and “Breathe” right now. I don’t do it on a daily basis, but do enjoy the peace and calming effect a 10 minute session creates. Of course, prayer to me is also mindfulness.
Catch-ya later!
~Amy
