September Group Lesson

2nds, 3rds, 4ths, and 5ths
What kind of Interval is this?
We stepped and stacked
And counted back,
Skipped lines and spaces
What funny faces!!

An interval is the distance between notes. Two notes next to each other is a 2nd, skip one note and you get a 3rd. There is an odd-even pattern that gives a clue. Ask your student what that might be. (See if he remembers!)
Sound-wise, a 2nd is just moving up the scale, a 3rd up sounds like an arpeggio or cadence. A 4th sounds like "Here Comes the Bride." (The boys weren't too thrilled with that one!) A 5th is "Twinkle, Twinkle" from Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. A 6th starts My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean. A 7th just sounds weird, and an 8th--or octave-- sounds like the same note (only higher or lower).

And so it starts...

Welcome to the new school year and the new Blue Skies music year. It appears that everyone had a fun, busy summer, including me. I am looking forward to life settling back into a routine, as well as life can.

In trying to be better organized this year, I have made up a Group Lesson schedule for the year, which can be seen here. I plan on sticking as closely to this schedule as possible. Please notice that our group lesson/recital in December is actually a visit to the Extended Care facility at Payson Hospital. The piano students will be playing a recital piece, as well as a Christmas song. We will sing Christmas Carols with the patients, so bring your best singing voices. If any other family members or siblings of my students want to perform something, maybe play an instrument or sing, that would be welcome, as well!

I have added another element to my blog. On the top left-hand side I have put a section called "Tips for Parents." In this section, I will write about what to expect from your child's practice sessions, as well as ideas for getting them to practice consistently.

In the studio, I will have a star dish that I will be filling with crazy marbles each month as they practice. If it gets filled up by the end of the month, they will all get a treat at group lesson. Since consistent and effective practice is essential for the progress of the student, I will be focusing quite a bit on this subject this year.

Be sure to check out the music games in the sidebar, as well.

I look forward to working with your children. They are great kids and really brighten my days. Thank you for letting me work with them.