May 3, 2022

New session of Crescendo Kids Online begins Tuesday, May 10!

This Memo includes

• Feature Article: Reminiscing About Past Recitals

• Practice Tips - This one is about preparing for the recital

• Student Achievements has a new name, Students Hall of Fame

• Upcoming MOM events includes next Crescendo Kids start date of May 10, 2022, and our Spring Recital

• Parents Ask Pam - How do I find the videos each week in Tonara?
  

Feature Article - Reminiscing About Past Recitals

With our Spring Recital coming up later this month, I thought it would be fun to remember some special moments of our past recitals.  

Our first recital was the Spring of 1995. We had it at the Prosser Piano Store in Seattle. I had pasted each recital song on colorful card stock for the students to perform from and then take home. This turned out to be a lot more work than I anticipated and was up quite late the night before getting everything ready, but it was a fun event that was well-received by all the parents and students as well as the staff at Prosser. 

One year, one of my best teachers decided it would be really cool to have all the students play the exact same song. Every single student, probably about 16 or so, played, Mary Had A Little Lamb! (She later helped me devise a policy so that would never happen again.)

For a couple years we had very special pianos to perform on. One piano store happened to have a 9-foot Steinway concert grand available. Another piano store had a 97-key Bösendorfer. Typically, pianos only have 88 keys. The extra keys on a Bösendorfer are at the low and high ends and the keys are reversed in color. These extra keys are not really meant to be played, but they give the middle range keys a much better quality of sound. Both pianos were such a treat! 

There was one boy I will never forget. He was 13 years old and this would be his last Spring recital with us. His lessons had all been on a keyboard and I don’t think they had a piano or keyboard at home. Without his teacher knowing, he sat down to play on the grand piano and placed his feet over the pedals so they would press all three pedals down at the same time. He then played his piece. I guess he decided he was going to get the most out of playing this fancy piano! 

We have always had a Spring Recital on a concert grand piano, but one year I wanted to do something special. I invited all the kids up to see inside the piano and feel the strings as the piano was being played while I explained a little more about how the piano makes its music. This was so well-received and such a hit with the kids, it became part of our regular program every year. 

Although as teachers, we do our best to prepare the students to perform like stars, there is always that student that is never prepared or is so unpredictable that we have no idea how their recital will go. I had a student like that. He was performing a Paul McCartney piece and I was hoping he could make it through without stopping and starting over. Instead, he totally shocked me! He played it so well and with so much passion. There were several audience members with tears in their eyes. 

I have two proud mama moments. (Of course I have many Spring Recital proud mama moments, but these two stand out.) One, when my daughter was three years old and played in her first recital. She walked up to the piano so proud and played, Little Bitty Kitty, perfectly. I think the last recital she performed in was also memorable. At this time she was also teaching some classes, so she had a personal connection with many of the students. As a special treat at the end, she played the theme song to Downton Abbey and received a standing ovation. 

Of course, in 2020 we had our first online recital. That was quite the experience because there were so many unknowns. I was probably the most nervous I have ever been regarding a big recital, but once again, the kids shined.  The positive side of the online format was that it allowed us to include participants as well as audience members from other states. It was the first Move Over Mozart recital my mother, who lives in California, was able to attend.   

This year we are thankful to return to an in-person recital for one of our locations while everyone else continues with the online recital format.  The joy of live music with a grand piano will have to wait a little longer.  But no matter how we celebrate our music, we continue to have wonderful experiences which then turn into fond memories. I’m definitely looking forward to see what the future has in store for us.    

Student Hall Of Fame

Our students are making great progress! These students have accomplished new goals this last month.

Welcome to our new students! Clara C. and Olivia V.

5X5 - play the piano for 5 minutes, 5 days in a week, for 5 weeks in a row - Hannah S, Katsu K (1st time!), and Lillian R.

5X5 Advanced - play the piano for 25 minutes, 5 days in a week, for 5 weeks in a row - Nathan H. (1st time!)

Completed their current lesson book - Brooke W, Cecil C, Connor O, Jaya K, Jitesh S, Katsu K, and Mia W.

Mastered a piece outside of their regular lesson books - Clive L and Joses C.

Completed an individual practice challenge designed by their teacher - Lillian R.

Advanced to the next music level - Ishwin S, and Shivani K.

Practice Tip

With the recital coming up, it is always helpful to practice performing. Stand up, announce your piece, play as though it is the performance, and then stand up and take a bow. When visitors come to the house, practice performing with them. Or get out those stuffed animals and put on a show for them.

Upcoming MOM Events

Want to see all upcoming events? Check out our calendar. It includes when the next Crescendo Kids class begins, school closure dates, piano parties, and recital dates.

FREE Online Piano Party! Students share their own music as well as participate in musical games, creating music and learning some music history. Each party is a little different with a theme and a special guest instrument. Come, meet our piano teachers, play some music, and have fun! All ages and musical levels are welcome. Parties are available to non-students, former students as well as current students. Click the link to sign up. Piano Party Sign Up

Sunday, June 5, at 11:00 am. RSVP required.

Parent Information Meetings - Have questions about our online piano class program? Want a tour of our practicing app? Click the link to schedule your meeting with Miss Pam. Parent Info Meeting

2022 Spring Recitals -

North Kirkland Community Center - Tuesday, May 17, on location during their regular class time. (Private and only available to students and their immediate families.)

Online Recitals - May 20, 21 and 22 - Contact Miss Pam if you would like to attend.

Crescendo Kids CLASSES - Tuesdays or Thursdays at North Kirkland Community Center -

Summer Registration begins March 17 - visit kirklandparks.net

Tuesdays or Thursdays, June 21 - August 25

30 - Minute Private Online Piano Lessons - Did you know that many of our teachers also teach privately? Now you can continue your child’s musical education, or your own, with Move Over Mozart. Click here for more information. Private Lessons

New Crescendo Kids Online begins Tuesday, May 10. Our piano classes are fun and easy to do! Perfect for beginning students ages 3 1/2 to 12 years old. Students are put into one of 4 classes depending on their age and musical ability.
Crescendo Kids Online Sign Up

Pre-Reading - Ages 3 - 5 years, or students not yet reading, 
We use a color-coded method for the students to match their five fingers to five keys on the piano.  New songs using only those 5 notes are given each week.  

Primary - Ages 5 -7 years or older and brand new to music, 
This group is for the very basics of piano playing.  Students learn to play simple rhythms, correct hand position, and the names of the white keys on the piano.  

Beginning Elementary - Ages 7-12 years or younger and reading notes, 
This is for students just starting to read notes on the staff.  Students are taught how the staff relates to the piano and how to translate the notes to making music.  Also, having the students memorize a few key notes on the staff will help greatly with their ability to read music.

Advanced Elementary - Ages 7 - 12 years with previous piano lessons
This group already reads notes on the staff and can immediately identify many of the notes by name.  They will learn more advanced technique and music theory beyond the initial basics of learning to play.  

Parents Ask Pam

Have a question for Miss Pam? You can email, text message, or message on Facebook your questions. She will respond immediately to you, and your question might be featured in future newsletters.

Q: How do I find the videos each week in Tonara?
A: Our Crescendo Kids Online program offers a video each week in addition to your one-on-one mini-lesson. The videos are located with your assignments in Tonara. Simply click the open book at the bottom, then scroll down until you see, “Video 1.” New videos will show up in your assignments on Tuesdays. There are 4 videos in a series. Each video builds on the last one, so you will want to watch them in order. Also, sometimes there is additional media to reinforce the concepts with each video. If you have any questions about the video, you may text your teacher in Tonara, or ask at your next mini-lesson.

Your Comments And Questions

We want to hear from you!  What are some ways that you have included music education in your children’s lives these last couple of years? Please leave your questions and comments below or email Pam directly at misspam@moveovermozart.net