Yellow Arrows #13

NEED TO KNOW

Yellow Arrows #13: THANK YOU for sticking it out and getting to all the parent days this year! I know it's hard to schedule, but it makes such a difference! I love having you attend and letting your kids show off to you during class. 

UPCOMING CALENDAR:

Wednesday, April 22: Lesson #14: Regular kid-only class

Saturday, April 25: End-of-Year Recital (see details below) 

Wednesday, April 29: Lesson #15: Celebration Day with parents (like in December, this will be an open-house drop-in style)

TUITION: Thank you for getting your tuition in! I appreciate it! If you didn't get it in, I'll send you a request/reminder. 

REGISTRATION: Thank you for getting your registrations done! Third year is going to be amazing! If you haven't registered yet, here is the link to get it done!

LET'S PLAY IT AGAIN: The Let's Play Music company has developed a summer camp curriculum to review concepts learned during the second year of Let's Play Music. While I may do a summer camp one day, I haven't been organized enough to plan that far ahead this year. Let me know if there's interest though and I'll see if it comes together easily! It is set up so that even without a teacher-led camp, you can purchase the digital printable student book and have a bunch of activities to do at home on your own. Check it out here. 

END-OF-YEAR RECITAL: Our End-of-Year Recital will be held on Saturday, April 25 at 5:00pm at the church on 5900 Castle Drive. We are not a performing group, but we will take an opportunity to celebrate the things your kids have learned and do it in a fun way! Invite your family and friends for a fun evening. 

Recital Practice List:

Trash*Fish*Pop:

We'll talk about harmony and then we'll sing it. The whole group will do all parts, then each kid will get to decide which "team" to be on and sing that part. 

C Song:

I'll ask students questions, then we'll sing it.

Robin Hood: as written on page 1

Everybody! We'll do this three (or four depending on how I end up setting things up) times to allow each student to play it. (sing when you're not playing)

Challenge Song:

Each student will have the chance to show off by themselves on the keyboards. They can choose to play anything in the Green Turtles or Yellow Arrows songbook. Whatever they want to!

Pirate Ship Puppet Show

We'll do this Puppet Show with scarves.

If you can't be there, know that it will be okay! The purposes of Let's Play Music happen during classtime, and the recital is just a bonus!

GOOD TO KNOW

HOMEWORK HELP: THIS OLD MAN: How exciting to see the culmination of the last two years of chord study when writing the accompaniment for this song! We use our ears to hear what sounds correct, then use our staff knowledge to write the correct chord on the staff. This is what we did in class. The homework is to finish the second line. As always with chord-adding, let your student add in the chord they like best even if it's not what you think should be there.

SCALE MIX-UP: You can play scales anywhere on the keyboard! Begin on any C. Choose to play OUT & IN or IN & OUT. Play each hand separate with various bugs. So many possibilities!

FUN TO KNOW

Did you notice the path of Artemis II was a Treble Clef?!?

Have the practice blues set in? Try opening up their Green Turtle Shells Songbook and show them that they can play all of the chords in the left hand while playing the melody with the right. Celebrate their progress! 

Jazz up practicing by making sure your student's practice tank is full, and here are some ideas of how to ask them to "play it one more time..."  

Also, here is a link to the Let's Play Music podcast episode where they talk about making piano practice fun and successful. 

I understand completely both as a musician and as a parent how difficult (and emotional!) practicing can be. More than anything, just keep going. Know that whatever time you and/or they spend will make a difference.