Practice sheets

Just popping in from my crazy schedule of teaching all 3 of my kids piano now - ak! - to share what  I do to help my kids practice.  We are getting into the groove of having a lesson on Saturdays, and then I give them a list of what to practice on their own for the week.  I have been brainstorming how to make this easier on the kids - I've had notebooks, but they get lost, so today I went on Pinterest for "piano assignment sheets" and came up with a lot of great ideas, but nothing was just right for my middle child, so I made it based off the awesome examples I saw, and laminated it so I can write on it with a dry erase marker:

He's a HUGE Horrible Histories fan so I added some pictures from the books for him :)

My two oldest are lucky enough to have keyboards in their rooms, so I slapped a command hook up on the wall and punched a hole in the top so it could hang right where he could see it.

Here's a lovely round-up of brilliant practice chart ideas from around the web.  Happy practicing!

Left wrist violin hack

I received a comment last week about how to keep a beginner violinist's left wrist from collapsing, and I was surprised to realize I had never shared this trick!  It's pretty simple, and all you need is a rubber band (those are to violinists what duct tape is to everyone else!).

Pardon the blurry phone pics - I took these during nap time.  Step one - put rubber band on the scroll:

Step 2 - slip student's wrist through the band.  




It's important to make sure the band isn't too loose or too tight - just enough to give the student the feeling of pulling back slightly. Collapsing the wrist means the band feels tighter, so it's a good way to teach them to start noticing and correcting it themselves.  If you have any other solutions for this very common issue, share away!

Awesomesauce music stand

I recently found out about a hidden inbox that Facebook has, and found some lovely messages that you dear readers have sent in the last few months that I had received. Sorry about that! I have very much enjoyed writing this blog, and chronicling some of my journey as a music parents. When I started this blog, I had a 4 year old daughter who I was just beginning to teach the violin and piano. Now I have a 9 year old daughter playing the violin and piano, a 6 year old son who plays awesome piano, despite some physical challenges he faces, and a three-year-old toddler who threatens to destroy any practice his siblings attempt. :-)

By the way, lest you think I actually found some free time to sit down and write this post, I am dictating this into my phone while watching my son play out at a bounce town. Multitasking!

We are now living in Texas, which is a big change from our home in Wisconsin. It has been rough for everyone, although the positives outweigh the bad. It's a good lesson in knowing that wherever we go and whatever challenges we face, at least we've got each other!

I have been blessed to make some really awesome friends, but it's still very hard to engage my toddler all day long. I'm just not as interesting as other kids, and his siblings are at school all day. He's starting 2 day preschool next year, but there's still a lot of down time.

One of my more more ingenius ideas when we were living in Wisconsin, was to make friends with a homeschooling family who all played the violin. The reason why this was brilliant  was because they could have lessons anytime of day, and I had a toddler and then a baby who needed playmates. So in exchange for teaching their kids, they came over to my house and played with my kids. It was really a win-win.   A few months ago, I got lucky enough to make friends here with another homeschool family who was just as awesome and playful. I don't know about anyone else, but when I have school-age kids and one non-school-age kid, Mondays are one of the hardest days. If we don't have anything to go out and do, the toddler just ends up lonely and stir crazy. So these friends and I have a standing play date every Monday, where I get to teach the daughter (who is one of those super awesome kids you love to teach), and the toddler gets to play with somebody else and their toys. That's a serious win!

Because this family has a child who only just started playing the violin, and two rambunctious little boys, the mom was nervous about getting a music stand for practice so she came up with this absolutely adorable idea in her living room.

The basic idea, was to take a blank picture frame, and tie a string back and forth from two sides so she could use clothes pins to hold up any music for her daughter look at. And then of course her creative side had to kick in and she made it look absolutely adorable :-)

We are in the process of buying a house, and I can't wait to do something similar for my daughter's wall in her bedroom. She has so many pictures and doodles that end up in the bottom of drawers or under her pillow.

I have a few other survival tips that I have been learning the last few months, especially with my piano-playing middle child. I'm going to do my darndest to make time to share those in the future!

Making a list, checking it twice

So last night, big sister was at karate, and I was trying to have a piano lesson with the middle brother. The only trouble is, we have a one year old who is into everything. We actually had to move the piano into a separate room so we can close the door, because he kept crawling on top of the piano during piano practice.

My 5 year old is practicing a song that just needs a lot of repetition and run-throughs. But, it's hard for me to sit there with him while his little brother is standing at the door howling because there's no one else in the house to play with. 

This was my solution, inspired by this post:

I usually give the kids checklist to fill out when I can't practice with them but tonight I thought I would sweeten the deal. Every time he completed a task, he got to eat a smartie or a chocolate chip, whatever is in the box. It's absolute bribery, but I'm okay with that. With a toddler and two big kids, I am an advocate for whatever works, and whatever gets them playing! 

In contrast, I gave a checklist to his big sister earlier, and instead of marking each box with an X, she decided to get creative. I love her brain!

Musical Drive-Thru

Here's one of those THIS IS THE GREATEST IDEAS EVER ideas that has been working wonders at our house.  Musical drive-thrus!  Let me explain...

I have a friend with two kids who play piano - the older a few more years than the younger - and the younger sibling has just zipped past the older sibling.  Both kids are very bright and have to practice the same amount, but the mom told me the younger one sits down at the piano several times to play around on his current song, while the older only practices the required amount.  You've heard of the 10,000 rule, that states that mastery requires time (I'm paraphrasing)?  All those extra few minutes the younger sibling spends really add up, and it shows. This got me thinking...  the Dude made more progress in his last piano book because he knew the tunes and they were easy.  Now that they are more challenging, he's slowed down and hasn't stopped by the piano in between practice times in a while.  So I wondered - how do I encourage him back to the keys?

Enter one of those bursts of inspiration while I'm in the shower.  (I was so excited I almost slipped while I was running out to write it down).

You know how sometimes you want to go out to eat, sit down and be waited on, and sometimes you don't even want to get out of the car and just zip through the drive-thru and be on your way?  What if we approached that philosophy in music practice?  When my kids really dig a song they are learning, they play it every time they pass by the piano and they end up mastering it much faster than the songs they only visit during practice time.

I put blank charts on the wall next to the piano for each child and told them for every time they randomly sit down and play one of the songs they're working on, they get to mark one box off.  They get to choose a reward/goal earn when the page is full (within reason).   The Dude requests to go through an actual drive-thru for french fries when he finishes a chart).  This is an extra thing they are in control of, and I have to force myself to not request drive-thrus.  It's all on their own time and own motivation.  Sure I can praise them when I hear one, but it has to be their thing, or it becomes another chore to do.  And those who know me can attest that keeping my yapper shut is quite the challenge - but I'm doing it(mostly)!!

A few handy tips:

Start with a small chart, just 10 or 20 spaces, whatever seems reasonable - it's much less overwhelming that way.  They were able to fill up their first one quickly and that got them excited for the next one - where I gave them larger and larger charts.

Some days when they need a jumpstart, I tell that that for that day only, I'm offering a special deal - for every 5 drive-thrus, they get one free.  Today only!  Get your deal before it's gone!  You get the idea.

Violin takes more effort in our house.  The piano is right there, but for violins they have to get it out of the case, get the shoulder rest on, tighten the bow, blllaaahhh, and then put it all back.  So I've gotten in the habit of leaving their violins out on the table in the afternoons, and for every violin drive-thru, they earn TWO spaces.  It's kind of a big deal.

Word to the wise - if you have more than one child doing this, print them different looking charts.  They're less likely to compare who has more.  I learned that the hard way!  I use bigger ones for WonderGirl since she's older - just google blank charts.  This page has some cute ones.

I made this ditty up for the Dude to color in with each drive-thru:

download here

And holy moley - WonderGirl had been making sluggish progress this year but in the weeks that we started this, she has started blazing through her book.  I didn't even do it for her, but the change has been so massive!  And the Dude has started picking up speed, too.  I didn't realize how important the in-between practice times were, but holy smokes, I do now!

No begging or pleading - just some quiet motivation.  Try it and let me know if it works in your house!

Straight bow practice

I took this with with my phone during the Dude's practice this morning.  This little rubber band trick has REALLY helped him feel the difference in using different parts of his arm for his bow stroke.

To help teach little ones to play with straight bows from the elbow and not the shoulder, I put a rubber band around a foot of the shoulder rest and wound it around the right wrist.  The player feels a tug when their bow goes straight down, and doesn't feel that pressure when they play a bow with their shoulder.  We call the straight bows "Springy Bows" since they'll spring back for the up bow, and shoulder bows are "Swingy Bows" because they swing back and forth, not down and up.

Guest post: Memories of my mom, and why I'm in The Polyphonic Spree because of her.

When I was in college, I helped start a jazz ensemble for string players.  One of our members wasn't a string major - Sean was actually a percussion major (and an AWESOME one at that).  He'd played violin when he was younger and had migrated to drums and all that when he got older.  Sean is one of the best musicians I have ever known, and I'm lucky enough to have gotten to play with him for those few years.  He graduated from college with a performance degree in percussion his masters in sound design, and is also an amazing guitarist and arranger and all that - but never gave up playing the violin.  Last year he had the opportunity to join one of my favorite bands - the Polyphonic Spree as the violinist - and has been touring and recording with them like mad.  We're talking Africa, Korea, London - and I even got to see him in Chicago a few weeks ago!  I am insanely jealous of him, but since he's such a fabulous guy I let it slide :)

This last Mother's Day he wrote this amazing essay about his mom and violin lessons and it brought me to tears as a mother, teacher, musician and human being.  It was just so powerful that I go back to read it often to remind myself that it's okay - it's a bumpy road - but it's ultimately worth it.  He agreed to let me share it with you and I am so grateful he shared it with me.  Enjoy!

Memories of my mom, and why I'm in The Polyphonic Spree because of her.

(I know this is long, but I hope some of you read it. It's really hilarious and a tear-jerker, for me at least, especially if you're a parent, and even moreso a mother, thinking of raising musical children)

As some of you already know, I lost my mother Sharon Redman to breast cancer almost 7 years ago (this fact terrifies me. Years go by way too fast these days). She's missed a lot of major things that have happened in my life. Some I'm sad about, and some I don't mind that she didn't have to witness. But the hardest one is the fact that she never got to see me playing violin on stage for a living, the instrument that she started me on when I was 5. I think about her quite frequently at the beginning of our shows, especially when friends or other family come to see me, and I'm acutely aware of her absence in those moments. She would have just told me that we are way too loud, haha, but I know that she would have been extremely proud, and would have told all of her friends when I joined.

When I first got back to Texas last year to regroup and recover, I looked through a lot of old things, and found some amazing stuff she had written, that made me laugh really hard, and cry even harder. She had an awesome ironic sense of humor. This is something I found that she wrote about raising my brother Robert and I to play the violin in the Suzuki program (where mothers come to the lessons with their very young children and learn the instrument with them to encourage/help them), but please forgive us for our bratty or childishly arrogant moments. We were kids after all, haha. I don't know how she put up with us sometimes, and the last paragraph breaks my heart a little that she had to suffer so much motherly doubt (as all mothers do I suppose) in herself and the job she was doing raising us. I would apologize to her a million times if I could.

I think she knew that she succeeded though in raising us right, probably beyond her expectations, although I wish I could tell her and show her that now, with how my life has changed after joining the Spree. And if she had listened to me and let me quit when I was being a little butthole, I wouldn't have performed in London last year, and gone to Uganda this year, and wouldn't be playing for thousands at festivals in Australia, South Korea, France, the UK, and possibly more this Summer. So thank you Mom. Thanks for not giving up on me and for everything that you did to bring music into our lives.

She also sang to and with me constantly growing up, so if any of you like my singing voice, she's probably responsible for that too. So here it is, Sharon Redman's reflections on Robert and Sean. (Most people reading this could probably guess which one I am, but I'm the baby of the family, and Robert is 2 years older.)

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(Reflections while driving to yet another music lesson, listening to squabbling in the back, wondering how I had got through 10 years of music activity)

Once there were two little boys who thought they might like to play the violin. And one said (after three lessons), "This is too hard, we're going to quit, aren't we?" (But we had already paid....)

And the younger one said, "I might as well play violin too, we have one the right size." And the older one said, "I LIKE these songs, I can't WAIT 'til I get to Bouree! Come show me how to play the next song."

(And his mother never forgot he said that.)

The younger one said, "I'll play until I catch up with my brother, and then I'll quit."

The older one said, "How many books are there anyway? That's too many. I guess I'll just finish Book 5 before I quit. That's a good stopping spot." (But he forgot.) Instead, he said, "Mom, that little girl is younger than me and she can play more songs. I have to catch up!"

When congratulated on finishing Book One, the younger one was startled to tears and shouted, "But I didn't WANT to!" (He was only 5 and hadn't realized how much he had learned.)

Once, at a Suzuki Institute, the older one ran to me shouting, "Quick, I have to learn Minunet in G. They're playing it on the recital this afternoon and I want to play it too!"

And the younger one said, "Mom, stop playing with me, you play out of tune and get me off."

And the older one cheered out loud in group class when he discovered he had caught up to his friend. (and she was annoyed, because she didn't even know there was a contest!)

And the younger one said, "Don't we have any other tapes to listen to but violin? I don't have to listen anymore. I already know it. I hate practicing, I want to watch TV. I hate my teacher, she wants me to hold my violin up.

(I have to interject for a second here, because I actually LOVED my teacher Mrs. Robertson to death. Kids say jerky things sometimes...),

I hate double stops. I CAN'T do them. I won't learn the cadenza. It's too hard, nobody will know the difference. I won't carry the violin, my friends would know I played!"

And the older one said, "Find me another talent show Mother. I want to win again!" And the younger one said, "Leave me alone, don't talk while I'm practicing." (and five minutes later he shouted, "Come quick and tell me what I'm supposed to do here!") And the older one said, "Now that I'm in orchestra, I don't need to take lessons anymore. I'm good enough."

And the younger one said, "I'm definitely going to quit when I finish Book Ten, (by the way, Mom, we have to find a better piano accompanist, you don't play fast enough.)

And Grandmother cried when they played, and Granddad was proud, and Great-Grandmother said, "At last! Somebody in the family who can really play!"

But the little boys didn't understand why yet, and whispered, "They were just saying it because we are their family."

And the younger one said, "I don't think I want to play forever." And the older one said, "I'd rather play trumpet", and the other said, "I'd rather play percussion." (And they did that very well, too.)

And one said, "I guess I'll keep playing in the string quartet because nobody else would play as well as I can." And one said, "If you find us more jobs for money, I'll keep playing."

And once, when she had heard "I hate violin" once too often and thought it might be time to quit, one came in and said, "Watch my fingers, Mother, see how they play this fast part. They're just doing it by themselves!" And she thought, maybe a LITTLE longer.....

(and their mother tried to be very quiet and not say anything wrong, but it was hard to know what was right, and sometimes she did say the wrong thing, but maybe sometimes she said the right thing, but what was it? She couldn't remember...)

Sweet rewards

Having a baby is marvelous, but it can muck up my morning lesson routine when said baby needs a nap but is fighting a nap and I have to rock the baby instead of the piano.

Luckily, WonderGirl has a lot of review songs in her brain, so I can make her a list and rush off to baby-tend. Today I thought I'd sweeten the deal and give her chocolate chips to eat after every song. And 2 bonus chips because she'd stepped in and practiced with the Dude when the baby got fussy during his violin lesson.

Do you sweeten up practice time when things get chaotic? I'd love to hear your tricks!

DIY recitals

I used to worry that as my children's only teacher, they were missing out on being a part of a studio and doing the typical studio things like recitals.  Then I decided I was being silly and had my own.  Recitals don't have to be stodgy, terrifying experiences.  I have some friends who have children who take lessons and I invited them all to our house for a evening concert.  The ones that wanted to participate prepared for it, and one friend actually taught her kids just so they could join in!  Her 3 year old daughter played a piece I named "Tiny Sonata in in C, first movement" - which was her getting up and finding middle C and playing it for us.  It was so sweet!  My mom was visiting so she accompanied some of the violinists too, although we also thought about hiring a local pianist to be our official accompanist.  Maybe if mom isn't visiting that will be our plan next time.

I printed up a little program, the kids dressed up or dressed down, and took their turns standing in front of the crowd and bowing, playing, then bowing again.  Then we put the instruments away and had root beer floats.  It was a blast!  Giving the kids goals to work towards - even a simple house concert - are fabulous motivation tools.  And if you look and the Dude's face, you can see how great it makes them feel when they accomplish something.  It was his first time playing for an audience, and after seeing all the other kids playing piano, insisted on starting piano lessons the next day.  It's going great so far, but that's a whole other post.

Plus it was a great motivation for me to get the house all cleaned up.  Win-win!

Party of 5!

It's a boy!  Again!  We were blessed with him back in March and the adjusting has been pretty minimal.  This kid is AWESOME.  

(these pictures are from my 365 photo-a-day project - hence the numbers)

Boy #1 has been having violin lessons for 6 months now and has been making progress - slowly but consistently!

He has some fine motor issues, so it has been so impressive to see him begin to be able to move his fingers independently of each other.  I'm so thankful we are doing violin now to strengthen his hands!  Interestingly - I taught his sister piano first and violin second because piano was so much easier for me to teach and for her to learn lesson skills since it's so straight-forward.  Plus she could read so reading piano books was a great first step.

Boy #1 can read already, but since we only have an electric keyboard, the distraction of all those buttons is too much to ask him to concentrate.  Violin has no distractions - just me and his instrument.  For a 3 year old boy, that seems like the best first fit.  I thought I had it all figured out after the first one - and this second child is doing everything backwards.  It's such a great education for me as a teacher.  I am curious to see what curveballs our new little brother will throw at us!

Teaching music to my own children has taught me to get rid of my preconceived notions of what I think they would be doing with a different teacher, and how I was taught in the past.  I can't push and make everything fit some mold - there is SO much flexibility required.  I have to be willing to be humble and go with the flow - which is difficult since I've spent so much time being a teacher to other people's children.  I can't be as strict, but I can't be lax either.  It's such a interesting balance.

 I adore these three munchkins.  There are so many unknowns in their future - but if I can at least teach them how to work and practice and try - then I think I can breathe a little easier.  And here's nothing more adorable than seeing them race to get their instruments so they can jam with Daddy on the guitar.  That makes it all worth it :)

Move slowly and don't stop.

I'm here!  I'm alive!  And this has been my mantra for the last 7 months or so, since I discovered morning, noon and night sickness again.  Yes, we are being blessed with another member to our family next month!  But it has taken a serious toll on my ability to do just about anything.  The guilt, the messes, the guilt - ak!  There are weeks where I don't have the energy for daily violin and piano with WonderGirl, and I repeat this to myself again and again - MOVE SLOWLY AND DON'T STOP.  The only way I can fail is if I quit.

When I started teaching WG, my mom gave me the best advice - you can make a mountain one spoonful at a time.  So even if I couldn't heap on tons every day, just constantly adding a bit more to our pile of experience would equal something bigger someday.  This has been very helpful during my pregnancy, especially because piano lessons are increasingly difficult with a 3 year old brother dying to steal the piano away.  So some weeks, we've had to settle for one of two sessions together - but I didn't beat either one of us up about it, I knew it was all just another spoonful for our mountain.  Some weeks violin practice is very thin or nonexistent, but we're not quitting, we're just taking a different pace.  We are still growing!  The important part is connecting with each other, giving her a new skill to develop and accomplishing something she can take pride and enjoyment in.

She's just hit the 2nd Faber Piano Adventures book on piano - eep!  - and one song away from completing the first Suzuki violin book while learning to read violin music.  I couldn't be happier, especially because we are traveling this journey together.   And you won't believe it - my 3 year old begs for violin lessons now!  I've taken the same mountain building approach and his lessons are just a few minutes each - and so far, his wee hand can manage a bowhold and he can hold the violin without dropping it for a good long while.  I don't care if he ever reaches massive technical feats on the violin, I do care that he is learning to stand quietly with me, learn something new and develop his ear and body.  It's a magical thing to witness in a 3 year old who rarely stands still for anything.  Or course he knows at the end of the lesson there is the chance to earn a treat... something from his Halloween stash usually, so there is definite motivation there :)

I have friends with much more regimented schedules and they are an inspiration to me - but I have to constantly stop and check myself before I start comparing and feeling inadequate - I am doing all I am capable of doing right now, and most importantly - no matter how slow I move, I will not stop.

More online theory awesomeness

I was looking around for online music theory games and found the mother load!!  MusicTechTeacher.com has a huge list full of music theory, ear training, music history and more.  It appears to be the brainchild of a music teacher in Alabama, and it is a wonder.  I suggest going to the quiz page and checking out all there is, but I looked through and found a few that I know will be perfect for my almost 6 year old (tomorrow - aahh!!!!).  They are all great, but these were some I found that would work well for WonderGirl:

• Treble Word Match
• Treble Louis Armstrong Story
• Find the Missing Note Beethoven Game
• Treble Word Warrior
• Treble Spaces Game
• Bass Word Warrior
• Bone Up on the Bass Clef Quiz
• Bass Clef Ledger Lines Quiz
• Treble Clef Ledger Lines Quiz
• Identify the Music Notes
• Identify the Key Signature Quiz
• Skips, Steps and Repeats Quiz
• Music Terms Hangman Game

link love

Lately I've found myself searching the Suzuki website for ideas and have found some great articles - the first,

101 Ways to Practice One Note, One Measure, One Line… - it's a fabulous list from the silly to serious, written for piano students, but can easily be used by other instruments as well.

I Love to Practice!  - written for parents, it reminded me of a few truths about practice, especially Mr. Suzuki's great advice - "Move slowly and never stop."  

Lastly, I just taught WonderGirl the dreaded Suzuki Book 1 Etude and was seriously lucky to stumble on some lyrics to it that a teacher posted on the Suzuki site:

Harry Potter Harry Potter had a special friend to play namedRonald Weasly Ronald Weasly, and he brought along his quaffleHarry Potter Harry Potter picked it up and threw it back toRonald Weasly Ronald Weasly, but it crashed right through the window 

Dumbledore came down the stairs and called to HagridHagrid came right down the stairs and quickly picked upHarry Potter Harry Potter, picked him up and said, “Bad boy!” andSent him back to class.

She's only 5 so I haven't let her start on the Potter series yet, but she knows enough that it excited her to no end to learn the words AND helped her from getting lost in that maze of repetitions and teeny tiny changes.

I have also found some music education gems on Pinterest!  What a fabulous wealth of awesome!

Just a spoonful of sugar

Does anyone feel like some summertime family snuck into their house in the dead of night and sprinkled some  I-don't-wanna dust all over their children?  Maybe it's just our house, what with the onslaught of family vacations, uprooted schedules, ridiculously hot weather and hosting the family reunion in our house with 12 guests last week.

Whenever I've managed to get WonderGirl to play violin or piano with me for our guests, it's obvious her memory and technique have taken a vacation as well.  I've been at my wits end with her with most things lately.  Today marks the first day where our lives are slightly back to normal, and I expected some whining on both sides of the lessons (I'm not perfect!) - until I remembered my greatest idea ever (I can't take credit, I know it was divinely inspired!) 

I grabbed 5 chocolate chips and put them in a bowl beside us, and we did mainly review on on both piano and violin.  It was a WG I hadn't seen in weeks!  She was disciplined, obedient and adventurous.  I really do need to remember when things feel like they are slipping out of control to get back to the basics - that making the medicine/practicing go down easily always goes better with some sugar!

Hooray for H!

Yes, we are still committed to cranking these alphabet videos out!  The original purpose isn't as pressing, since WonderGirl's little brother (the Dude) learned the whole alphabet a while back, but it's all about teaching commitment, right??  And also it didn't hurt that a lovely reader left a sweet comment about them :)  Way to motivate, Jenny!

I added it to the Alphabet Rock playlist, so go enjoy!

Sunday inspiration: the Shropshire Music Foundation

image via Shropshire Music Foundation

I want to share a bit of inspiration today in the form of the amazing work the Shropshire Music Foundation does using music to promote peace and joy.  In Uganda, Kosovo and Northern Ireland, children who have been hardest hit by the violence in their countries can have the opportunity to attend classes for singing, drumming, pennywhistle, and harmonica, “sing-a-longs,” and performances for families and friends.


Says founder Liz Shropshire, “Our goal is for these children to know that they have the power to make their own choices, that the path of peace brings happiness and security, that weapons do not equal power, and that violence is not the answer. Sometimes a song can give us the strength to turn away from that which is wrong. Our goal is for these children to become instruments of peace.”


Are you inspired??  You can read about their history here and find out how to help here.

Pop Quiz (sight-reading made sweet)

Okay, I admit I had a leeetle to much fun coming up with a "Pop Quiz" title in iPiccy (awesome Picnik alternative) but I promise, the premise is cool.  It's a new tradition I've started with one of my students and WonderGirl at the end of every lesson and practice session.  I'll pick a short etude out of my unused techic books that is around or just below their ability level, and let them look at it with the piano turned off (or the cover down) for about 30 seconds to a minute.  Sometimes I offer a few suggestions, like reminding them to look at which direction the line is going or any repeated notes or rests - and then I turn on the metronome and a very slow speed.  They can start when they want and the only rule is they don't stop or go back if they stumble.

And if they get it right the first time, they earn a special little treat!  WG requests a chocolate chip, my student gets a whopper malted milk ball - it's a teeny reward, but even the teeny ones are sweet.  Since we do it every lesson and practice session, it's not the end of the world if they doesn't earn one because they know they'll have another chance to try tomorrow.

How do YOU make learning to sight-read not a chore?

Practicing tricks: video star

A few weeks ago I got the bright idea to use my smart phone for something smart!  I recorded WonderGirl playing her latest song at the beginning of our violin lesson, and had her watch it.  Then I asked her to be the teacher and tell me first what she'd done well and then what she could improve on.  I resisted the urge to add my own input which was VERY difficult as a mom and a teacher!

Then, we recorded her again a few times (watching and critiquing her try after each take) until she'd made some real progress on her trouble spots and we called it a day.  Later on at dinner, we played the first video and then the last one for Daddy.  The difference between the two was eye opening and really impressive, even to him!

We could have used our camera, but I had the phone right there and it was quick and convenient.  The best part was she was the teacher, and I was just the coach and camera-mom.  I LOVE any opportunity to give WG the reigns and take responsibility over her playing.  And she loves watching videos of herself (good thing she got me as a mom, huh? ;)  You don't need a smart phone to try this, most basic phones with a camera have video capabilities.  The novelty is priceless, as well.  Try it and let me know how it turns out!

Practicing tricks: step up

WonderGirl and I were practicing yesterday without her Bow-Right - and I was seriously impressed with how straight her arm was without it!  But when I tried to mix things up and do some silly exercises like walk around the room while she played, it was too much to focus on and her bow went every which way.  So we came up with this game - playing in some of my high heels!  (and yes, she was wearing all that already... she's quite dramatic:)

oh, to be that flexible again!

It was a hit!  Just changing things up made her focus a little more to stay steady musically and physically.

Any unfamiliar pair of over-sized shoes would be perfect.  I had a drama teacher who would make us rehearse in our costume shoes because of the same focusing logic.  Try it out!

Living Room Dance Party #16

Who doesn't love Yo Yo Ma?  I have been adoring his collaborations the last few years and his latest- The Goat Rodeo Sessions is fabulous.  Edgar Meyer??? Stuart Duncan??? CHRIS THIELE???? (from Nickel Creek!  swoon!)  I'm in heaven folks.  It is one of our favorite about-the-house-albums, because it is SO varied.  From 20th century to hoedown, it twists and turns and takes my breath away with its complete unpredictability.  It's like my favorite genres of music got together and threw a party for my ears.  Thank you :)

The first track on the album has become a fast favorite in our house.  Attaboy is just perfect for a LRDP because it is a frenzy of contrasting themes - there is so much to move to!

Oh, and be sure to watch this interview they did on the Colbert Show.  Did you know Edgar Meyer was named and MacArthur Fellow??  These guys are so fabulous.

You'll have to watch the video on youtube since it won't embed, but I did add it to my LRDP playlist!  I highly recommend owning this album.  And listening to it at least 3 times a day.