Saturday, March 11, 2017 by Lisa Flood | Games

Weeks Twenty-Five and Twenty-Six
 

These past two weeks have been somewhat quiet here in the studio; we’re getting back into the routine after Festival. Festival participants read their rating sheets from the judges and others are preparing for their spring recital.
 
To have a little fun and review theory at the same time, we brought out some old and new games. Students had a blast playing “My Fly Pie,” “Frosting Frenzy,” “Sugar High,” and “Hydrant Hullabaloo!”

 
What a fun way to review things like “intervals,” “stem direction rules,” “directional reading,” and “sharps and flats!” Theory doesn’t have to be boring!

Saturday, March 4, 2017 by Lisa Flood | Group Classes

Week Twenty-Four

It’s group class week again! Group classes are so much fun and give us a needed break from routine. There were five classes scheduled this week and, because some students were attending Festival and others weren’t, I varied the lesson plans for each class.  This ensured that the Festival participants received the theory review they needed for their upcoming theory test and non-Festival participants focused on reinforcing some concepts they’ve been working on in private lessons.

Last month, students focused on rhythms and note values. This time, students focused on note naming by playing games including “Zoo Food,” “Sugar High,” and “Note Nabber.”

Non-Festival participants enjoyed “Trash to Treasure Composing.” They chose items from a paper bag and used them to create motives (short melodies) to turn into a full composition. Students were creative with using rubber bands, rings, ribbon, and plastic bugs!

After the games, Festival participants performed their prepared pieces for the class. Classmates wrote encouraging, specific comments for the performers. We’re learning to build each other up while constructively listening to music!

Festival participants also had the opportunity to participate in a theory review of music terms and symbols and duet partners were able to use part of the class time to rehearse. Our preparation paid off as everyone made a Superior or Excellent rating for their Festival events! Congratulations, students! 

Tuesday, February 21, 2017 by Lisa Flood | Memorization

Week Twenty-Three

For the last several weeks, 15 students and I have been focusing on Federation Festival which is coming up next weekend. Students have been finalizing memorization and doing some last minute polishing of their pieces. We’ve reviewed what they’ll do when they walk into the room with the judge and talked about what to do if they have a memory slip (forgetting a few measures of their music). Duets have been rehearsed, counting has been practiced, and everything is coming together. Now it’s time to send them out to do their best!

This year, to assist with memorization, students assembled a puzzle of their pieces. I cut up copies of their music, sent them home with a zipper bag filled with the pieces, and they returned it glued together on construction paper. Many of the students told me it helped them keep the sections of their music organized in their mind. Awesome!

Here are some students’ reflections that they posted on our “What’s New In Your Musical Mind” poster this week:

Participating in a big event like Federation Festival helps us grow in many different ways, including giving us the opportunity to learn about more aspects of music!