Kids these days are drawn to iOS devices.  So when the iPad Mini commercial (two iPad Minis playing "Heart and Soul" together) came out, it caught the attention of most viewers.  It was also the first time that many young students heard a version of Heart and Soul, sparking interests in learning to play a song on a piano.

I remember learning both the harmony and the melody to this as a child.  My sister and I would play it as a duet anytime we were together in front of a piano.  It's something that has been passed down from my grandmother, to my mother, to myself, and now to my own children.  The song is simple and can give even non-musical players the pride, enjoyment, and uplifting freedom to be able to play a song on the piano.

To incorporate this into lessons I created a "Heart and Soul Chords" theory worksheet.  When using this I also play the You Tube video of the iPad Mini commercial for them to hear, then pick out, the harmony from the melody.  For my level 1-2 kids, I also incorporate Faber's "Beach Party" ("For the Older Beginner Accelerated Piano Adventures - Lesson Book 2," page 65).

This activity can also be used as a great break or "refresh" from just "going through the book."  Especially when students are going through a busy schedule or just need something different when practicing.  Students enjoy learning it, memorizing it, being creative with it, and parents even enjoy listening to them have fun with it!

This week I created a new theory sheet for my students.  With our Summer Sweetness Challenge in full swing I needed a Popsicle related challenge for my beginner students reaching Popsicle Palace, so I created Popsicle~Pianos, downloadable on the left.

Creating worksheets can be a lesson in itself.  My first run I had the Popsicles on the top and the keys and notes on the bottoms.  Lines got so crossed I could not tell where they were leading to, so this modified version will be much easier for teachers to grade or review with students.  If you prefer a black and white copy click here.

I have also created this for bass clef notes.

It's week three of the Summer Sweetness Challenge!  Students are getting a hang of the game and learning how practice helps them play and learn as well as advances their pieces in the game.

Though treats can be earned at each sweet spot, it's amazing how many students have opted for something from the prize box instead!  I don't know if it's their ample supply of or ease of ability to obtain food-treats at home, because of health/wellness teachings at school, if they are learning the life-length value of non-expendable vs. expendable goods, or if they simply prefer toys over food.  Regardless, it's great to see them choose not to take the sweet treat, even through that's the theme of our game.  Unfortunately, that leaves more in the house for me to eat!

When I first taught my boys to play the piano they were 6 and 7 years old (no, not as young as the photo on the left).  It was my choice, not theirs, that they learn.  I went to a local music store and searched through many primers until I found one that seemed to best match my boys' learning style, had notes that were easy to read (font/graphic size and quality), and with bright and colorful pictures to capture their visual interest.  

We got through the primer quite smoothly.  It's amazing what young kids will do for a sticker or a small coin!  (Yes, parents use bribery to get their way, but it was for something good - my children were learning to play the piano!). 

We then moved on to Level 1 (songs went from 10c to 25c to master) and eventually got into Level 2.  But with the interest being mine and not theirs', my boys "quit" many times throughout those years.  

I have not pushed them too hard to stick with something that they did not choose to take on in the first place.  Though they could be in level four books by now, my goal is to simply keep them at a maintenance level so they do not lose what they have learned and to slowly progress them as they are willing to make mom happy.  They even played at my first recital!  Of course my youngest played "Axel F" on a keyboard vs. a classical piece on the piano, but hey, compromise is a dear thing.

How to I keep them motivated?  

• Incentives: They are now beyond stickers; and coins are nearly worthless.  Luckily they enjoy the sweets and challenges of the board game style competitions I create for my students. 
  
• Song Choice: I also don't give them songs that will take too much effort to learn or RE-learn.  And a big thing is finding music that they will enjoy playing for fun.  My youngest is learning Fox NFL Theme Song and my older son is waiting for me to re-write Minecraft background songs for him.  (If you're not an XBOX or PC-gamer and have not heard of Minecraft, you must listen to Calm - that's exactly what it is - who knew video games could increase the appreciate for piano music in such ways!).
  
• Practice Time:     

• Time of the day: The best time for my boys to focus on the piano is quite late at night.  Often, my time on the piano ends up in the evening.  If I'm playing later in the evening, 9:00-10:00 at night, my boys, having had their fill of everything else that consumes their days, sometimes wander over to the piano to practice.  If they are willing to practice I get out of the way and let them have it to themselves, offering to help if they want me to.  If they both want to play at the exact same time (they are kids, and siblings to boot!) I have one go to the keyboard with headphones and the other stay at the piano, switching after a given time.
• What to practice: I let them practice scales, chords, music, or just be creative.  Lately just playing around with the chords-side of the Heart and Soul duet makes them happy.  And hearing them play, really play, makes me happy!

Yes, I could try to force my children to learn to play the piano and try to make them play X minutes/day, but that would not help them become good musicians.  Good musicians appreciate music and want to create it, listen to it, understand it.  So I will continue to encourage my children to learn new songs and about music theory, maintain what they have learned, listen to the background songs while playing video games like Minecraft or watching old Tom and Jerry reruns, and appreciate what comes with that.

This week during summer piano lessons we celebrated Christmas in July!  Students were greeted with snow flake clings on my front door, my chalkboard welcome sign was decorated in a snowy scene announcing "It's Christmas in July at Piano, " and my piano itself was lit up with Christmas lights and garland.

We played Christmas songs on the piano, "A-CHORD-ing to Santa" and "Santa's Delivery" online PC games, and for a homework bonus activity the kids were to play a Christmas song for a stuffed animal.

...and just because it was "Christmas in July" students were able to pick a price from the prize box after their lessons!

My students LOVE it when I have a board game style challenge for them to participate in!  They love the personalized characters and the rewards for their work.

This summer I created a Summer Sweetness Challenge.  There is not a main goal with a single path that would reflect each player's progress (or lack of), but mini, self-selected goals, for each student to choose and work towards.

Each student's play piece is a person of royalty, with their own face, dressed in colors and accessories of their favorite sweet.

The number of spaces they are able to advance each week depends on their attendance, amount of time practiced, completion of theory assignments, ability to play their last song assigned, completion a bonus activity, and time spent playing games at Tonic Tutor. 

Special Areas Include
Cupcake Caverns - If beginners can site read Bastien's "Chocolate Cake" they earn a real cupcake.  Older students must build 12 cupcakes in less than 45 seconds to earn the prize.
...other areas to work towards are Bubble Gum Kingdom, Fruit Salad Forest, Red Vines Ravine, Watermelon Falls, Rock Candy Climb, and Popsicle Palace.

My players' pieces are finally created and ready to go!  The board (with my child-like drawings, I need to invest in printer ink) is still in the works, but students can look at everything this week and take home their assignments and logs to complete and bring back next week to start the game!

The week of the Fourth I had a few students attend lessons, but for most it was an off week for vacations.  But instead of an excuse not to practice, I used the holiday to encourage celebrating their skills!

I e-mailed all of my students links to Susan Paradis' Fourth of July activities with the promise of an item from the prize box if they composed a song.  (I had two girls come to lessons that week before with their songs already done!)

Those attending lessons also received a short fine motor craft time to create "Make a Blast Warm-Ups!" bookmarks.  They used their fine motor skills and finger muscles to color in a firework of stars and eighth notes, peel and place a sticker to the bottom, hole punch a hole at the top that they then threaded a ribbon through, added beads to, and knotted.  After explaining the warm-up activities listed on their bookmarks I sent them home to practice away!

Click here for the .pdf of 6 bookmarks with teacher instructions.

To help my new beginners learn their musical alphabet and white piano keys I created a new song with the thought of one of my students and her love of jaguars.  I can't wait to share this with her and my other students next week.  I hope it helps them learn their white notes as well as to become creative in adding additional lyrics and composing their own songs.

With my short and sweet, fun-filled summer term being just three months long I actually have more students in the summer than during the school year.  The kids aren't overwhelmed with school, homework, and all the after school activities so I like to keep their brains active with fun lessons and theory games and assignments.

The question is, how do I keep all of their papers, homework, payments, little encouraging notes, and goodies separate?  I thought about a shoe organizer, but can't figure out how to hang it where I want it.  I thought about making something and using paperclips, but afraid they might not hold.  I'm tempted to use file separators with a nice basket, but I just can't decide...

Suggestions??? 

Needing something different and with a bit of challenge for my older beginner students I decided to make a music puzzle.  Their first puzzle is a simple song cut into measures.  The directions remind them of what to look for in music: