Group Lesson Easter Style

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 a color of egg.  For example, purple eggs have questions for level one and orange eggs have questions for level two.

Here are some examples of what questions are in the eggs:
1. What is a skip above C?
2. Play an E major chord
3. How many flats are in the key of Db Major?
4. What note is 3 beats long?
5. Name the 5 lines of the Treble Clef
6. To gradually slow down.

I also have musical symbols they identify.

First I hide the eggs and the students try and find them.  I tell the students the can only find a set amount of eggs so everyone can find the same to be fair.  Then I have the student match the letter on their egg to a staff card, chord card or just a keyboard note, depending on the level.  After they match their egg they can place it in my Easter basket.  Then I tell them to pick an egg, a certain color if necessary and they answer the question inside.
Enjoy!