Sing a New Song

This week I am having group lessons.  I started giving group lessons about three years ago and am so glad I did.  I do two group lesson each semester.  Students sign up for a time and come for an hour.  The group lesson takes place of their regular lesson.  It is a great way to reinforce musical concepts and I always have my students share a piece they are working on, so it is a great motivation to get a piece ready for a performance. This time I have an Easter themed group lesson.  We did a fun activity with Easter Eggs.  I take plastic Easter eggs and write A,B,C,D,E,F,G on them with a sharpie.  Inside the eggs I put slips of paper with questions or symbols to identify.  I try to have my students arranged by level in their group lesson so that we can focus on learning the same things.  Sometimes I have mixed levels and have to accommodate for the differences.  If all the students are the same level, then the eggs can be mixed up, but if you have different levels I assign the level

Lucky Penny This game is fun around St. Patrick's day and great way to review note names. Items needed: Pennies Staff cards Green sticker Candy 1. Place a green star or sticker on two - five pennies. 2. Place these pennies on the keyboard. 3. Students take turns taking off the penny that matches the staff card. 4. If they get a lucky penny with the green sticker on it they get a small candy (starburst, piece of bubble gum, etc. . .)

St. Patrick's Day Songs The Leprechaun Song (sung to Mary Had a Little Lamb) I'm a little leprechaun leprechaun leprechaun  I'm a little leprechaun Who likes to hide my gold. I dress in green from head to toe head to toe head to toe  I dress in green from head to toe I wear green all day long! You'll never catch me or my gold not my gold not my gold  You'll never catch me or my gold I hide it much too well! St. Patrick's Day (tune: If You're Happy and You Know It) On Saint Patrick's day, you might see a leprechaun. (wee little lad) If you close your eyes and wish, and pretend you are Irish,  On St. Patrick's Day, you might see a leprechaun.  On St. Patrick's Day, you might see a rainbow bright. (Ah make rainbow with arm ) On St. Patrick's Day you might see a pot of gold. (I’m rich Snap finger ) On St. Patrick's Day you might see a shamrock green. (Make a wish) Leprechaun stew Leprech

The Secret Color Game This is a great game to work on note location.  Many students can name notes on flash cards, but when it comes to playing the note in the right place on the keyboard, they sometimes are too high or low. Directions: 1. Place bingo chips or jewels on the keys you want to review.  I have different colored jewels that I use. 2. Before you start the game you take one jewel and hide it under a book or cup.  This is the secret color. 3. The student takes a jewel off the key that matches the flash card.  4. You or another student take turns taking jewels off. 5. At the end you reveal the secret color and that color is worth two points.  You add up your jewels and get two points for each jewel that is the secret color.  Whoever has the most colors wins! Variations: 1. For beginners you can just use alphabet cards instead of flash cards. 2. For students who don't know many note names, you can put more than one jewel on a key. 3. Another way to start the game is to h

Rhythm Puzzle Rhythm puzzle is a game designed to help students with note values, counting and playing rhythms. 1. You set a times signature 2. You have cards with note values on them ranging from quarter note, to triplets, dotted rhythms and sixteenth notes.   3. You place the card in four lines so that each line has four beats. 4. Then mix up the cards by switching them.  You cannot add any cards to a line or take away cards.  In other words, each line must have the same number of cards it started with.  Some lines may have 5, while other may only have one card. 5. The student must switch the cards to get each line to equal the correct amount of beats, according to the time signature. 6. When completed, I have the student point and count and then clap and count. The fun part of this game is that the solution to the puzzle can be different each time, depending on which cards you switch.  I have played this in teams where the kids take turns switching cards.   The first picture is of

Snow Songs   10 Little Snowmen Sung to "Mary Had a Little Lamb" 10 little snowmen dancing all around Dancing all around, dancing all around 10 little snowmen dancing all around The sun came out and one melted to the ground. Continue with different actions:  9. Hopping 8. Sliding 7. Marching 6. Twisting 5. Bending 4. Tip toeing 3. Skipping 2. Running 1. Jumping Teaching Idea 1. Use a bigger number and subtract two or three or more at a time for harder problems 2. Have children represent the snowmen and melt to the ground. 10 little snowballs Snow fell last night and it fell so hard When I looked out my window It covered up my yard I made 10 little snowballs and I put them in a line One fell off and then there were 9 9 little snowballs I put them on the gate 1 fell off and then there were 8 8 little snowballs I hit 1 up toward heaven.  It came down splat! and then there were 7 7 little snowballs I hit 1 with a stick.  It b

I like to do a bear theme in winter because it lends itself well to talking about hibernation.  I have bear songs about grizzly bears, polar bears and teddy bears.  I also have a cute song about the famous story "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." The Bear in the Dell  (sung to FARMER IN THE DELL) The bear stretches his legs, the bear stretches his legs, Hi ho the derry-oh the bear stretches his legs The bear scratches his back, the bear scratches his back, Hi ho the derry-oh the bear scratches his back The bear runs through the woods, the bear runs through the woods, Hi ho the derry-oh the bear runs through the woods 
 The bear climbs a tree, the bear climbs a tree Hi ho the derry-oh the bear climbs a tree 
 The bear eats some honey, the bear eats some honey, Hi ho the derry-oh the bear eats some honey 
 The bear takes a nap, the bear takes a nap, Hi ho the derry-oh the bear takes a nap Did You Ever See a Bear? (sung to DID YOU EVER SEE A LASSIE?) Did yo