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Online Teaching This Week

Online Teaching This Week

This week was my first week of online lessons and I will say that I learned some new tricks that I hope will be helpful to anyone teaching. I'll make the points simple. Don't just "Be Prepared", as Boy Scout pledge or Scar's song. Be more than prepared for poor internet connections, to do a phone lesson when the student or parent may not have Skype or Messenger on FB (which are the platforms I use, since I don't have an iPhone), set yourself with a new option to teach lessons

The Chocolate Song

The Chocolate Song

Within the nine years of teaching piano lessons through our studio, I've always been blessed to find "easier" songs to help that succeed. Some of them may not be familiar songs, yet have a fun tune to play and listen too. One of the songs has been The Chocolate Song by Martha Mier. First off the cover has great artwork with a chocolate milk shake, cookie, cake, pie, ice cream all having a party with dancing. Really love the lively colored art. So amazing. The yummy song is in

Online Game Ideas

Online Game Ideas

With all of the uncertainties in life now, for those of us who teach lessons, this is a time to learn more about how to teach online. I've done some lessons using Skype and FB Messenger in the past 9 years. They have done well for what we need. Yet I've also heard more about Zoom lately. When I get a chance, I want to check it out. What I want to share are about amazing piano teachers who have been doing lessons online and where to find information about it. There are so many

Syncopated Sam

Syncopated Sam

At the beginning of the year, I came across a piano duet called Syncopate Sam by Martha Mier, through Alfred Music. The duet is actually uses two pianos, which is great when the first keyboard we obtained is used during the lessons. Need to find more ways to incorporate the first keyboard. When I first heard the song, I was hooked and very impressed by the music. Martha Mier's song is in the key of C, yet utilizes many accidentals that bring out jazz and ragtime. Each part ha

Composing Continues

Composing Continues

This is Bree Alexander. She is a high school student and has been taking lessons for over a year. In the journey of her lessons, she has been bitten by the composing 'bug". In fact, she has recently created some music in the last month. During the month of January and February she has been working on two originals, that are fun and different, not conventional. She uses tones, including 7th and unusual chords that will make you wonder. Her first song was called Winter Blues, w

Composing ideas

Composing ideas

The past weeks have been busy focusing on working at schools for Middle School Festivals and finally got done on Saturday, playing for 40 band and vocal students. When I got home, I needed to rest. Now life is a bit back to "normal". When teaching people to play piano, we must always think of ways that will help each student succeed. Once we start learning how a student learns, we can always provide ways to help them succeed. One of the ways I try to "teach" and share from pe