Color In My Piano

NEW: Handdrawn Music Note & Symbols Sets

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 12:42:00 GMT

Hello, friends! I’m excited to share with you today about a recent project that has just reached completion.

If you’re like me, you probably find yourself creating various digital/print projects such as flyers, worksheets, recital programs, and social media graphics throughout the year for your music studio. Perhaps you, like me, enjoy using music notes or symbols to spice up your projects visually.

But if you’ve ever done an internet search for “music note clipart” or “music symbol graphics”, you may have noticed there isn’t such a good selection of options available. This is especially true if you, like me, care about the music symbols being correct (e.g., no backwards treble clefs or eighth notes!). The choices become even slimmer if you are careful to observe copyright terms (as we all should!) and use only images that explicitly allow for what’s known as “commercial use”.

This is an issue I’ve run into more times than I can count, but I only recently decided to do something about it. So, I got out my iPad and Apple Pencil, and started drawing my own set of music notes and symbols. Here is the result:

The project was so much fun that one set soon turned into four. The “regular” handdrawn set was followed by sets of curly notes, hearted notes, and smiley notes.

Thanks to my Adobe Illustrator skills, I was able work some magic and transform my handdrawn designs into a folder of high quality images that can be used in Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Apple Pages, Google Docs, Canva.com, or whatever program I might choose to use for my projects.

I had such a blast creating these, and I’m proud to offer them to you as well. The four sets have just been added to my shop so you can purchase them yourself and start using them in your projects!

Let me tell you more about what makes my clipart sets unique. What’s cool is that when you purchase a set, you’ll receive TWO versions of each design: PNG files and SVG files. If you aren’t familiar with these two file types, let me explain. PNG is a file format that supports having a transparent background — which means you won’t see an ugly white square surrounding the music symbol should you place it over a colored background.

SVG is a vector file format — which means two things. It means that the image can be resized indefinitely without losing quality (in other words, the image will not appear fuzzy and pixelated even if you blow it up large within your project). The second thing about SVGs is that, under the right circumstances, you can recolor the image. If you insert one of my SVG images into your project, you’ll be able to change the fill color from black to anything you like! Amazing!!

Check out my two example projects below. You’ll notice in one example I used the music notes and symbols in their original black color, but in the other example I decided to use a pretty turquoise color. Don’t those notes and symbols look fun and friendly?!

Here’s a quick tutorial video that shows you exactly how to change the fill color of my SVGs when using Microsoft Word or Canva.com (a great free resource for creating graphics and printables). I think you’ll agree it’s pretty easy to do!

These clipart collections can be used for making your own social media graphics, recital programs, flyers, invitations, worksheets, games, T-shirt designs, etc.. When you buy one of my clipart sets, your purchase includes not only a Personal Use license, but a Limited Commercial Use License. That means the sky’s pretty much the limit! (You can read the full terms of use on the shop page under the “Licensing” tab.)

I’m pretty excited to have these new clipart sets at my fingertips for my future projects. I hope these will prove as useful to you, for years and years to come, as they will for me! Please visit my shop page HERE to learn more and to purchase my handdrawn clipart sets.

Thanks for reading about my latest project! Now it’s your turn: Which clipart set is your favorite? And what digital or printable project will YOU design next for your music studio? I’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment below this post!

[Visit NEW: Handdrawn Music Note & Symbols Sets to view the original blog post at Color In My Piano.]

How I Use Instagram, and an Invitation to Follow Me There!

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 15:15:22 GMT

Are you on Instagram? Although I’ve had an Instagram account for a long time, I have been surprised to realize that the enjoyment I get from Instagram has been increasing the more/longer I use it. Although Instagram is owned by Facebook, I like Instagram better than Facebook.

In this blog post, I’d like to share a little about how Instagram works, how I use it, and why you might enjoy being on Instagram, too.

[If you enjoy the content here on my blog, you’ll probably enjoy the content from my Instagram channel, too. I invite you to follow me there!]

Using Instagram

Instagram is available as a free smartphone app (iOS | Android). It is also free to create an account.

Instagram is a visual-based platform. It differs from Facebook in that all posts must contain a photo or a video — you cannot post text alone. This puts the visual element front and center. For that reason, there is generally less negativity (and less political talk) on Instagram than on Facebook. I enjoy scrolling through my Instagram feed!

View this post on Instagram

I received this amazing drawing in the mail from a student of mine working on her BINGO sheet. ?? Here’s to looking forward to when students and teachers everywhere can meet in person once again! ? The BINGO sheet printable is available free at my blog (link in bio). I hope your students enjoy! ?

A post shared by Joy Morin (@joymorinpiano) on May 7, 2020 at 5:42am PDT

[Here’s an example Instagram post from earlier this year. You can find the mentioned BINGO sheet here.]

Instagram is a fun way to connect with friends and contacts. You can use Instagram for sharing anything you’d like, whether personal or professional. You can also opt to create multiple accounts — one for your personal life and one for your piano studio, for example. Personally, I prefer using only one account and using it to share a combination of things from my family life and professional activities.

In short, I use Instagram as a “microblog.” As the name implies, microblogging is like blogging except the posts are generally shorter and quicker to read. I see my blog here at ColorInMyPiano.com as a platform for sharing lengthier articles, while Instagram can be a platform for sharing smaller, everyday things. When I have something fun to share that doesn’t warrant an entire blog post here at ColorInMyPiano.com, I can post it on Instagram!

View this post on Instagram

Challenge accepted! ??? [Thanks, Aunt Susan, for the punny music shirt!]

A post shared by Joy Morin (@joymorinpiano) on Jul 30, 2020 at 8:03am PDT

Even if you don’t plan to post often, you might enjoy following your friends and your favorite influencers/celebrities on Instagram. Just use the search bar to enter names or topics you are interested in, and start browsing! Don’t forget to hit the “Follow” button when you find someone’s content you are interested in.

Instagram Stories

In addition to posts, Instagram allows you to post “stories.” A story is a special type of post that disappears after 24 hours. If there is a colorful ring around someone’s profile picture (see screenshot below for example), it means there is a “story” available to view.

People use “stories” in all sorts of creative ways. Instagram allows you to add text, animated stickers, music excerpts, interactive polls, and more to a photo or video. (I’ll share an example later on below.)

Stories can be saved and archived into “highlights” so that they can live on beyond 24 hours. As you can see in the screenshot below, I have a few highlight categories on my profile page: music, printables, Q&A, etc.

[Here is a screenshot of my Instagram profile.]

One way I’ve been using Instagram stories recently is to share what kind of music I’ve been recently playing in our home. Here are a few screenshot examples from my past Instagram stories:

I’ve been trying to expose my baby daughter, Aria, to lots of different things! There’s so much music out there. I’m searching out things I’d like her to know, as well as exploring new and interesting things.

It’s been super fun to create and share these Instagram stories!

There are so many creative ways to use Instagram. (There’s also a brand new feature called Instagram “reels”, which I haven’t even tried yet.) I’m no Instagram pro, but I am enjoying it recently so I thought it was worth sharing here about it!

So, that’s a quick overview of how I’m currently using and enjoying Instagram. If you are interested in following me there, you’ll find me under joymorinpiano (click here). I’d love to connect with you!

Your turn: What social media platforms do you enjoy? Are you on Instagram? Do you find it enjoyable and useful? Please tell us about it in the comment section below this blog post! (And share your Instagram profile info with us too, so we can follow you!)

[Visit How I Use Instagram, and an Invitation to Follow Me There! to view the original blog post at Color In My Piano.]

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 13:20:10 GMT

“The child should love everything that he learns, for his mental and emotional growths are linked. Whatever is presented to him must be made beautiful and clear, striking his imagination. Once this love has been kindled, all problems confronting the educationalist will disappear.”

–Maria Montessori

I love this quote from Maria Montessori. It encourages us to be deliberate about choosing material for our students. It encourages us to present that material in a way that makes it BEAUTIFUL and CLEAR to the student, provoking their imagination. We would do well to remember that the child’s mental and emotional growths are linked. Montessori suggests that when we kindle the child’s interest and love of learning, other educational problems will melt away.

What learning material (concepts, music books, pieces, etc.) do you love using with your students, and why? How can we present it in a way that is beautiful and clear to the student? How will this help us kindle the child’s interest and love of learning?

[Visit Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom to view the original blog post at Color In My Piano.]

Tutorial: Combining Videos to Create an "Piano Duet” Video

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 11:48:00 GMT

Back in May, I shared about how I organized a virtual recital for my students. In that post, I briefly mentioned how I combined two videos to create “duet” videos for a couple of my students. Today, I’d like to share how I accomplished this “duet” video magic, so you can try it for yourself if you’d like!

First of all, here’s an example of what I’m talking about. In this video, you’ll see a beginner student playing the rote piece “I Love Coffee” (from the Shaaks and of Piano Safari method fame), accompanied by me playing the teacher duet.

Below, I will share the steps for how to create and combine a student video and a teacher video to create a “piano duet” video. This technique is similar to that used by many YouTube musicians — you’ve probably seen the type. Even if you already know how to do this, I hope perhaps you’ll gain at least a helpful tip or two from this post!

Step 1: Acquire Student Video

The basic process is that one person records their video first, so that the other person can use it as a guide (using earbuds) while recording the second video. The first person’s video determines the tempo throughout the piece, which the second person must follow and match.

It’s up to you who you’d like to create their video first — the student or the teacher. I opted to let the student create theirs first, to make it easier for them this time around. I was working with young beginner/elementary students, and I wanted to be able to keep the process straightforward for their parents.

It is admittedly helpful to have as “perfect” of a student video as possible in terms of their tempo/rhythm. It may help to encourage students to practice with a metronome or backing track. When it’s time to record, you can also request that students take more than one video and to send you the best one or two.

That said, it is no problem if there are some imperfections in the student video. You can adjust for those, just as you would do for an in-person duet.

Step 2: Set Up to Record the Teacher Video

You’ll need two devices: one for listening to the student video, and one for recording your teacher video. You’ll also need a pair of earbuds (ideally with a play/pause control on the wire — more on that later) and a tripod (or something hold the recording device).

I decided to use my laptop to listen to the student video and my iPhone to record my teacher video. I placed my laptop near the piano, with earbuds plugged in and the student video pulled up ready-to-go.

Why use earbuds? It’s because we want clean audio for the teacher video. If the teacher video includes any audio from the laptop playing, it won’t sound as clean in the final video.

I set up my iPhone using a smartphone tripod holder on top of a tripod (similar here).

I tried to set up the frame of the shot to somewhat match the framing of the student’s video I received. We both shot our videos vertically rather than horizontally, which works nicely for putting them side-by-side in the final video.

You’ll notice that my laptop is out-of-view, outside the frame of the shot. This is part of the magic!

So, here’s how the whole setup looked.

Step 3: Practice and Record

Before hitting record, I did a few practice runs to get used to the timing of the student’s video. As any good collaborative musician would, I tried to follow in a way that would make us both sound good.

This is the time to also memorize how much time (or count the number of seconds) there is at the beginning of the video before the student begins to play. You’ll want to practice being able to start at exactly the right time after you hitting “play” on the student video. If you do it right, it will seem as if the two of you magically begin playing at the same time.

This is why having earbuds with an in-line “play” button is helpful. It allowed me to easily hit “play” on the student video while sitting ready at the piano, instead of turning around to operate the laptop. If the student video has plenty of extra lead time at the beginning, you will be able to later trim out the video footage of you managing the playback controls. It’s not a bad idea to ask the student to allow a few seconds on their video before playing!

But if you are given a student video that doesn’t include much lead time, it’s not a big deal — you just won’t be able to trim out the footage that shows you starting the playback video. If you are using the earbuds with the inline “play” button, it will be pretty discreet. Viewers most likely won’t even know what you are doing!

In the photo below, you can see my setup. I listened through only the left earbud, with the other earbud (the side with the in-line “play” button) draped over my shoulder out of sight. You can see the tripod for my iPhone behind me.

Once I felt practiced and ready, it was time to record! I hit “record” on my iPhone, got myself situated back at the piano, and then played along with the student video. I did this a few times, and then kept the best take.

Step 4: Edit the Video

Once you have your teacher video, it’s time to combine the two videos using video editing software! I used Adobe Premiere Rush (read more about it in this post), which is a pared down version of the professional Adobe Premiere software. I love it — it’s the easiest video editing software I’ve ever used.

When the two video clips are first imported, by default they will play one after the other on the timeline. So, you’ll need to click-and-drag to place one of the videos above the other (as shown in the screenshot above) so they will play at the same time. The videos will not be in sync automatically. I had to listen and adjust the upper track until the audio of both tracks was together. I also trimmed any excess video footage from the beginning and end.

Next, I edited the visual layout of the video footage. Each video was resized and placed neatly side by side.

Once the video is ready, it’s time to export! The magic is complete, and the video file is ready for uploading to YouTube.

And that’s it! Those are the steps for creating a “duet” video of you and your student. It might seem like a lot when explained in writing, but the actual process is pretty straightforward once you know what to do.

Viewers of your video (including your student) might not realize exactly what magic goes into creating a video like this, but they will no doubt appreciate and enjoy the final product! And you’ll be proud of it, too.

If you’d like to create a video that involves two or more students (or the same student playing two different parts or instruments), the steps will be similar. Once you understand the basic process, the sky is the limit!

Your turn: Have you ever created a similar type of video before? Do you have any tips to share? Let us know in the comment section of this blog post!

[Visit Tutorial: Combining Videos to Create an “Piano Duet” Video to view the original blog post at Color In My Piano.]

Piano Pouches: Something Fun for New Online Students

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 19:16:20 GMT

What happens when you are teaching lessons online and your student needs a new music book? My tuition fee includes the cost of books/materials, so I am accustomed to handling the acquisition of books for students as needed. Since we’ve been online, it’s not quite as simple as handing the book to the student!

So, here’s what my approach has been. (1) If the student lives nearby, I can do a porch drop-off. (2) I can mail the books to them. Or, (3) I can order the books online and have them shipped directly to the student’s address.

When mailing a package or doing a porch drop-off, it’s fun to include some kind of surprise for the student along with books! I’ve been raiding my studio prize box to find some fun, mailable items.

Recently, I signed up a couple of new piano students who live on the other side of the state. As I prepared a package of books to pop in the mail, I thought it would be fun to send a “piano pouch” of items I wanted them to be able to have at the piano for their lessons. In this post, I’ll share about what I put together for these new students!

Zipper pencil pouches — First, I shopped around on Amazon and found these colorful mesh pencil pouches.

Name card — I whipped up name cards (“Alex’s Piano Pouch”, e.g.) in Microsoft Word using a fun music font called LD Music. Because the pencil pouch is made of see-through mesh, you can still read the lettering when it’s placed inside.
Pencils — Are you finding that some of your students don’t keep a pencil at their piano? I put a couple of mechanical pencils and a music pencil (similar here) in the pouch. I always use mechanical pencils when I teach and my students tend to enjoy them, too. I love that they always stay sharp. (I needed to stock up, so I ordered this double pack of mechanical pencils from Amazon.)

Highlighter — Highlighters are fun to use to mark problem areas using color, or to find and circle certain symbols or notes in the score.
Post-it notes — In my lessons, we always use 1.5”x2” sticky notes as bookmarks to make it easy for students to easily turn to the pages they are working on. I definitely wanted my new students to have these!
Stickers (not shown in photo) — I normally let students mark each page with a sticker when they’ve completed it. With online lessons, I’ve been asking students to draw themselves a star on the page instead. Even better, though, is to send students some sticker sheets they can use at home if they’d like! I buy most of my stickers from Dollar Tree.
Other goodies — Here are a few just-for-fun items from my prize box I also included:
- Music bookmark (ordered from here)
- Silicone music bracelet (similar here)
- Japanese puzzle eraser (you can get great variety packs like this or this on Amazon, but the hedgehogs are my favorite!). Students LOVE those puzzle erasers, and they can be useful for beginner games such as the Amazing Keyboard Race.

And that’s it! A simple, but fun, piano pouch for my new piano students.

Your turn: Have you put together something similar for your students? Do you have ideas for what else to include? We’d all love to hear about it! Please share in the comment section of this blog post.

[Visit Piano Pouches: Something Fun for New Online Students to view the original blog post at Color In My Piano.]

Piano on the Patio! Quarantine Teaching Adventures Continued…

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 11:48:00 GMT

Hello, friends!

How are your lessons going? I imagine many of you are continuing to teach online, while some of you have returned to in-person lessons — depending upon where you live, among other factors.

Currently, my lessons are still online, using FaceTime/Zoom. I have 15 students who are based in Northwest Ohio (where I lived before moving last December). I am teaching them online until I feel it is safe to resume teaching at the small studio space I was renting.

I also have two Michigan-based students, so far. When the quarantine arrived, my husband and I changed our original plans in terms of marketing my piano studio after our move and childcare for our baby daughter, Aria. When things become more “normal” (whatever that means!), I will at some point begin more actively seeking new students. For now, I’m okay with the change in plans and am content with my current home life and teaching life!

My little “treble maker” is 7 months old now!

Earlier this summer, I saw a few Instagram posts from piano teachers who thought to offer “porch recitals” or “patio lessons.” Inspired by this out-of-the-box thinking, I decided I’d like teach lessons for my two Michigan students outside on my back patio for a time or two, just for fun. So, I started closely watching the weather forecasts.

It’s been a hot summer, but last week I finally saw an opportunity. The weekend weather was supposed comfortably in the 70s. So, I emailed my two Michigan students. They loved the idea!

And so, last Saturday, we had in-person outdoor lessons on my back patio. And it was wonderful! It was nice to be face-to-face and enjoy the beautiful weather as well. I hope to do this again a time or two before the winter weather hits.

Do you have a portable instrument and an outdoor space for something like this? In this blog post, I’ll share some ideas and a to-do list in case you’d like to try something similar yourself!

My “piano on the patio” setup!

As with most things, clear communication is key for setting expectations and ensuring success. Parents will appreciate knowing upfront what measures you will take to keep everyone safe. With that information, they can decide for themselves if they’d like to take advantage of the outdoor lesson option that week or if they’d like to stay online.

Here’s a few suggestions and things to consider if you’d like to arrange your own “piano lessons on the patio”!

Scheduling: Decide if this is a one-time “just for fun” or if this is something you’ll do on some kind of regular basis. I framed it as a one-time “just for fun” option in place of their usual lesson time. I figured my students would appreciate the goodwill gesture (and I sure enjoyed it, too)! You’ll also need to decide if you’ll offer the outdoor lessons either during or outside of your normal teaching hours. For me, it was more practical to reschedule my two Michigan students onto a Saturday, so that I had time to set-up and tear down.
A digital piano, or two! Both of the instruments in the photo are ones I already owned. (I’ve had that old Korg since my grad school days!) They were both acquired affordably via Craigslist or Facebook marketplace. If you don’t have a digital piano, perhaps you could ask around to see about borrowing or purchasing one used. I let parents know the pianos/seats would be placed six feet apart.
Extension cord and/or power strip: You’ll want to make sure you have reach to an electrical outlet to power your digital pianos.
Sanitation: Let parents know you’ll be wiping down the keyboard (keys, bench, etc.) between each student. I used Clorox disinfecting wipes. It only takes a minute or two to do a thorough cleaning while making the usual small talk with the next student. Have a bottle of hand sanitizer out and encourage students to use it before and after their lesson. I think it’s vital to take sanitation seriously, but there’s no need to add to any potential anxiety your students/parents might be experiencing. Be pleasant and light about it: “Lemme wipe down the piano for you first. Time to wash your hands! It doesn’t hurt to be cautious, to keep everybody healthy!”
(Optional) Use a pointer: If you’d like to be able to point to a particular place in the student’s sheet music (while wearing your mask, of course), consider getting yourself a pointer of some kind so you don’t have to reach as far. There are various types of pointers out there for teachers (here are a few ideas from Amazon). A fun music teacher option is to use a conducting baton! I know a teacher who uses a baton as a pointer regularly during lessons, even pre-Covid. The bonus is that you can use it to teach students about conducting and meter. I have a Mollard baton that I’ve kept since my college days!
Masks: Decide if you will require masks or make them optional. IF we are outdoors AND staying apart, I personally feel comfortable without a mask. But I think it’s a good idea to offer to wear a mask for any students who request it. If you decide you’d like to be able to approach your student, you’ll want to plan to both have masks on. Whatever you decide, be sure to communicate your expectations to your students ahead of time so there are no surprises or misunderstandings.
Use of your patio furniture, bathroom, etc: Let families know what to do when they arrive. Should they come to the front door first, or walk straight around to the back patio? If you don’t want to sanitize your patio furniture between parents, ask them to either wait in their vehicle or bring their own lawn chairs along. Remove your patio furniture from the area or place masking tape across the seats to discourage anyone from accidentally sitting there. If you’d like to keep your bathroom off limits, ask families to use the restroom at home before coming. (In case of event of an emergency, perhaps keep your bathroom sanitized anyway if possible.)
Music scores: If you plan to stay apart and/or use two separate pianos, be sure to have your teacher copies of your students’ music handy. I used a plastic bin to keep my books organized and on hand.
Clothespins: When the breeze starts to blow around your pages, you’ll be glad you have a pair of clothespins for each piano!
Setup time: Be sure to plan for setup time. You’ll need to gather your materials together and get everything in place outdoors. My keyboards are heavy enough that I cannot carry them alone, so I needed to plan for when my husband was available to help me move them.
Backup plan: In case of inclement weather, let your families know to plan on virtual lessons as a backup plan.
Looking for more advice regarding in-person lessons? Check out MTNA’s helpful “Legal FAQs for Reopening Music Studios.”

My patio piano lessons definitely required some planning and setup, but it was well worth it to be able to enjoy some outdoor, in-person time with my Michigan students! I think my students appreciated the special opportunity.

Your turn: What out-of-box thinking have you done recently for your teaching? Please share in the comments section on this blog post!

ALSO: Call for photos! Have you offered any outdoor lessons or recitals? I would love to round up some photos and feature them on my blog, to share the inspiration! Please send me your photos (admin[AT]colorinmypiano.com).

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 14:26:59 GMT

“Our care of the child should be governed, not by the desire to ‘make him learn things,’ but by the endeavor to always keep burning within him that light which is called intelligence.”

–Maria Montessori

I love this quote from Maria Montessori. Learning outcomes are important, but MORE important is keeping that light called intelligence burning brightly in our students! How can we avoid snuffing out that light? What can we do to nurture interest, curiosity, and inquisitiveness in our students?

Thoughts to share? Leave a comment on this post here.

Giveaway Winners: Wendy Chan’s "Music Escapades Shoppe” Teaching Resources

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 18:11:41 GMT

Congratulations to our three randomly-selected winners: Lavinia, Kjersten, and Faith! Winners, please watch your inbox for an email from Wendy arriving very soon.

Thank you all for entering! I hope you’ll consider browsing Wendy’s beautiful teaching resources if you haven’t already. Click here to visit her shop.

Happy teaching this week!

Last Chance: Enter the Giveaway for Wendy Chan’s Teaching Resources

Sat, 29 Aug 2020 13:58:15 GMT

Hi there! Just wanted to send a quick reminder that the deadline for entering the giveaway for Wendy Chan’s Music Escapades Shoppe teaching resources is tomorrow, Sunday, August 30, 2020 at midnight (Eastern time).

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on the giveaway blog post (click here) sharing either (1) a teaching tip or resource which has been a go-to for you recently, or (2) which resource you’d love to have from Wendy’s shoppe and why.

The THREE lucky winners will be randomly chosen and notified by email on Monday. Good luck, all, and have a great weekend!

NEW SHEET MUSIC: Where the Train Tracks End

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 13:02:20 GMT

Hi there!

I’m pleased to announce that a new piano piece is now available in my shop! If you’re looking for something jazzy and fun for mid-intermediate level students, you might be interested in checking out this piece.

It’s called Where the Train Tracks End. This piece is in rondo form (ABACA) and the key of B minor. It opens with finger snaps over a descending bass line, which leads into the syncopation and laidback vibe of the main theme. The B section consists of flashy-sounding patterns that race up the piano, while the C section is upbeat with a walking bass line. There is an opportunity to improvise towards the end of the piece. This three-page piece is perfect for recitals as well as for personal pleasure.

Watch the video to take a listen!

I composed this piece a few years back as part of a “Pedagogical Commissioning Project” organized by my Ohio-based colleague, Andy Villemez. The project brings working composers in direct conversation with music teachers and their students. Each student is paired with a composer who writes a piece based on the student’s current technical and musical abilities, personality, and interests. I wrote the piece Where the Train Tracks End specifically for a student named Brielle in Durham, NC.

Interested in purchasing the sheet music? It’s available in my shop as a PDF download. There are both Single User and Studio License options available, both of which come with an MP3 audio recording. View Where the Train Tracks End in my shop here. I hope it’s a piece your students would enjoy!

PS: I have two other pieces available in my shop: Grace (late intermediate) and Simplicité (mid intermediate). I’d be honored if you’d like to check them out for your students! I have two new videos to share from a couple of my students who recently learned Simplicité. Here is Robbie’s video and here is Isabella’s.

And here is a video of me playing Grace. Thanks for listening, and happy teaching to you as we begin a new school year!

Review & Giveaway: Wendy Chan’s "Music Escapades Shoppe” Teaching Resources

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 15:29:40 GMT

Years ago, I remember meeting Wendy Chan and her Music Escapades Shoppe. Well, recently I reconnected with her and learned about the relaunch of her online shop! I was pleased to chat with Wendy again and check out her resources.

When we chatted, Wendy asked if I’d be interested in reviewing any of her teaching resources. I replied that I’d definitely be interested in her Grand Staff Magnetic Dry-Erase Board. She, in turn, sent me not only that, but three of her other teaching resources as well. How generous! Pictured below are the four items she sent.

In this blog post, I will share my personal thoughts and photos about each item. Please continue reading, and be sure to learn how to get a discount code and enter the giveaway at the end of this post.

1. Grand Staff Magnetic Dry-Erase Board

Wendy’s Grand Staff Magnetic Dry-Erase Board has been quite useful during my recent teaching, especially while teaching online right now due to Covid-19.

The board is well made and incredibly sturdy. It comes with a dry erase marker and a set of magnets with letters, accidentals, and colors.

There are many ways to use this board. You can show notes, chords, key signatures, and more on the staff or keyboard.

You can also draw notes and symbols using the dry erase marker. You can even draw on the back of the board. I LOVE how easily and cleanly the marker wipes off!

There are many ways to use this teaching resource. Wendy created quite a nice video demonstrating more examples of how it can be used.

I only TINY complaint is that I wish the magnets were slightly stronger. But they do work just fine, plus Wendy plans to make the magnets stronger for the next batch.

I am finding myself using this board quite a bit during my lessons right now! It’s an effective and useful visual for all ages of students.

2. Circle of Fifths Magnetic Spinner Board

This is Wendy’s Circle of Fifths Magnetic Spinner Board. As with the grand staff board, this is not only magnetic, but also a dry erase board. The magnets for each key can be popped out of the foam sheet and placed onto the board in their respective places on the circle of fifths. The major keys are in red, and the minor keys are in blue.

A magnetic spinner is also included, in case you’d like to randomly choose a key for a game or your student’s scale warmup that day!

Here’s another video from Wendy showing it works.

3. Rhythm Magnet Tiles

The Rhythm Magnet Tiles come in such a pretty box.

The tiles are sized in accordance with their note values, making it a useful visual tool for students. (For example, the half note tiles are twice the size of the quarter note tiles.) The colors are vibrant and fun.

I’m looking forward to giving this manipulative a try with my students in-person eventually!

4. Rhythm Flashcards

Wendy also offers a few different types of flashcards in her shop. Here are the Rhythm Flashcards. The cards can be used for rhythm dictation, composing rhythm patterns, etc.

Here’s another video from Wendy.

There are more teaching resources to explore in Wendy’s Music Escapades Shoppe! And she is running a special Back To School sale for my readers. If you’d like to order any items from her shoppe, use the promo code CIMP15 for 15% off all orders. Or, use CIMP20 for 20% off for orders of $75 or more. All orders above $49 will ship free within US and Canada. Be sure to visit Wendy’s shoppe here to see what’s available.

You can also follow Wendy on Instagram or Facebook to keep up with what’s new.

Giveaway

And now it’s time for the giveaway! Wendy has generously offered to give away any THREE products from the Music Escapades Shoppe! To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this blog post before Sunday, August 30, 2020 at midnight (Eastern time), sharing either (1) a teaching tip or resource which has been a go-to for you recently, or (2) which resource you’d love to have from Wendy’s shoppe and why.

Three winners will be randomly chosen and notified by email the day following the giveaway. Good luck, and I look forward to reading your comments!

Freebie: Lesson Attendance Sheet Updated for 2020-21

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 17:16:29 GMT

Just a quick post today!

I just finished updating one of the studio business forms from the Printables page for the 2020-21 school year. It is called the Record of Lesson Attendance & Payment PDF. I do not currently use this form myself anymore, but every year I receive requests from teachers asking if I would update it for the upcoming school year!

In case you haven’t seen this, here is how the form works: Write your students’ names in the first column. Each week, write the lesson date (in a month / date format) in the column for that week. This is how you can track attendance. The small circles in each cell are where you can write checkmarks indicating tuition payments. Whether you charge by-the-week or by-the-month, you can place a checkmark by each paid lesson date.

Download it below or on the Printables > Studio Business page.

Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

P.S.: Here is a link to where I explain my more recent system for tracking payments received.

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 11:05:00 GMT

“The first essential for the child’s development is concentration. The child who concentrates is immensely happy.”

–Maria Montessori

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 11:40:00 GMT

“The environment must be rich in motives which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences.”

–Maria Montessori

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 11:05:00 GMT

“We discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being.”

— Maria Montessori

Giveaway Winners and a Webinar Series

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 16:53:14 GMT

Just a quick post today!

First, congrats goes to Angie, Martine, and Gwenn R., the randomly chosen winners of the music mask giveaway! Winners, please check your inbox for an email from me. Thanks goes to everyone for posting your entry comments and sharing about how life is going for you in your neck of the woods during this time! I appreciate hearing from you.

Second, I wanted to let you know about a webinar series you might be interested in. Four of the piano faculty from the Gordon Institute for Music Learning are teaming up to offer a series of six webinars about Music Learning Theory and piano instruction during the week of August 10, 2020. The presenters, Krista Jadro, Janna Olson, Marilyn Lowe, and Jennifer Fisher, are making the webinars available singly and as a discounted bundle. If you aren’t available to watch the webinars as they air live, you’ll have the opportunity to watch replay videos afterwards over the next two months. Click here to check out the rest of the details. I’m excitedly looking forward to watching this webinar series.

I hope you’re all having a great week!

Reminder: Enter the Giveaway!

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 11:43:00 GMT

I just want to say thank you to those of you who have entered the giveaway so far for a chance to win a music mask sewn by my sister, Heather of HeatherMade Designs. It’s been so interesting to hear from so many of you about how you’re doing during these COVID-19 times! Click here to read the comments.

If you haven’t yet entered the giveaway, don’t delay! The giveaway closes Sunday, July 19 at midnight (Eastern time). To enter, go to this blog post and leave a comment sharing with us a bit about what life is currently like in your corner of the world during these Covid times. For example: share with us a story or tip about online teaching. Or, tell us something interesting about how you are doing and what you’re up to while living in quarantine.

The three winners will be chosen on Monday, July 20 and notified by email.

Have a great weekend, friends!

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 11:06:00 GMT

“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment.”

– Maria Montessori

I’ve been reading recently about Maria Montessori and Montessori philosophy, and am fascinated by it! She must have been quite a person, being the first female physician in Italy and founder of “Casa dei bambini” (“Children’s House”) for underprivileged children aged 3-7 in Rome in 1907. Her work has since inspired educators and school founders for decades. ?
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Maria Montessori’s ideas resonate well with what others have to say about learning, which has been so cool to discover! Here’s a great Montessori quote that reminds us that learning is not about listening to words. Learning comes about through EXPERIENCES created in a thoughtful environment. ?
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What are some ways YOUR students learn not through words but through experiences in their learning environment? ?

GIVEAWAY: Music Note Face Masks

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 20:30:59 GMT

Hi there!

How are you all? I’ve been quiet here on the blog, but keeping myself busy as usual! Baby Aria keeps me busy, and I also have a couple of projects coming down the pipeline that you’ll hear about sooner or later.

I’m still teaching my piano lessons online during these Covid times and practicing physical distancing as appropriate. Here in Michigan, our quarantine measures have loosened somewhat compared to be before, but there are guidelines still in place to keep us safe. I know the specific guidelines vary greatly state-by-state and country-by-country according to the current risk in each area. I hope we can agree it’s important to be smart and cautious during these times.

I’d really love to hear from you all about how you are faring and what life during Covid-19 is like currently in your neck of the woods. You’ll have a chance to do so — more on that in just a moment!

But first, let me back up and introduce you to my sister, Heather. We are teaming up to offer you a giveaway.

Heather operates her own business sewing a variety of products and selling them on her website, at craft shows, and local gift shops across Michigan.

Heather makes beautiful baby blankets, bibs, burp cloths, hair bows, infinity scarves, and more…and more recently, masks! During these Covid times, she started selling cotton face masks and using some of the proceeds to donate masks to some local elderly care facilities. She’s awesome, isn’t she?!

Recently, I mailed Heather some music-themed fabric I had found at a thrift store for $1 and asked her to make me a few masks. I not only wanted to have music-themed face masks for myself, but also wanted to have child-sized masks on hand for whenever I decide I’m ready to resume in-person lessons. Heather happily obliged.

They turned out beautifully, didn’t they? I was pleased! I’m happy to have those cheery music notes on my mask when I need to run out to the grocery store or wherever.

I saw a tip online about adding beads to make the straps more precisely adjustable. I happened to have some beads in my craft bin (this kind), so I went ahead and tried it out. They work great. You could knot the elastic instead, but I find that the beads allow you to make smaller adjustments to make the fit just right.

I suggested to Heather that she might like to offer music note masks on her website alongside her other beautiful prints. I told her I might know some music teachers interested in having music-themed masks around. So, she searched around to get her hands on more music fabric, and this is what she found:

Beautiful, right?! She does nice work.

If you are interested in having a music-themed mask, you’re in luck — Heather has a promo code just for my readers PLUS we’re offering a giveaway!

Here are the details:

We are giving away the three masks pictured below: a child-sized mask and two adult-sized masks. THREE winners will be chosen.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below here on my blog by Sunday, July 19 at midnight (Eastern time) sharing with us a bit about what life is currently like in your corner of the world during these Covid times. For example: share with us a story or tip about online teaching. Or, tell us something interesting about how you are doing and what you’re up to while living in quarantine. It will be fun to read everyone’s comments!

The three winners will be chosen on July 20 and notified by email. The masks will be shipped shortly after.

If you would like to make an order from Heather’s website, here’s the discount she’s offering my readers: Enter the promo code COLORINMYPIANO during checkout at Heather’s HeatherMadeDesigns.com website to get 10% off your purchase of $25 or more. This offer is good until Monday, July 27th, 2020. Check out all the beautiful sewn items on her website here.

I look forward to reading your comments!

Just Added: Two New Digital Game/Worksheet sets

Thu, 21 May 2020 14:13:32 GMT

As promised, here are two brand game/worksheet sets. I created them with groups in mind, but these would also work well in one-on-one settings.

I’m releasing these worksheets in two formats: (1) a black-and-white, print-friendly version and (2) a version with the colored background. The colored version is perfect for having students complete it digitally on the iPad in an annotation app such as GoodNotes, OR to screen share in Zoom during online lessons. Check out this post for more about screen sharing and the GoodNotes app.

What Do YOU Hear? – Rhythm Patterns game set

This set contains two pages: rhythm patterns in duple meter and rhythm patterns in triple meter. The teacher chants a rhythm pattern as students listen. Students echo it back and then identify which rhythm pattern they heard from the sheet.

If you have a group of students in a Zoom call, you can ask them to each choose a different “stamp” from the stamp tool (stars, hearts, checkmark, etc.) so they can visually mark which rhythm pattern they heard. Or, it also works to ask them to use hand signs (for example, if they heard rhythm pattern C, they will make a “C” shape with their hands).

Download the colorful version or the print-friendly black-and-white version below.

Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file. Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

Key Sigs, Scales, and Chords worksheet set

The next worksheet set is about keys signatures, scales, and chords. It contains four pages (each pictured below). These are great for one-on-one lessons as well as for a group setting.

For an in-person group setting, you could connect your iPad/computer to a TV or projector to create a virtual whiteboard. Talk through the worksheet and fill in the blanks together.

For an online group setting in Zoom, you can have students work together to annotate the sheet. I did this recently with a group and was happy with the result. We talked through the activity together, and I asked students to choose a pen color and each annotate certain parts of the sheet as we went.

Download the colorful version or the print-friendly black-and-white version below.

Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file. Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

I hope you enjoy these resources! If you try them out, let me know how they go by leaving a note in the comment section below.