June 8, 2022

New session of Crescendo Kids Online begins Tuesday, June 14!

This Memo includes

• Feature Article: What Are Preschool Piano Lessons?

• Practice Tip - What to do with that particularly difficult section.

• Students Hall of Fame

• Student Showcasing returns!

• Upcoming MOM events includes openings in our CLASSES at North Kirkland Community Center.

• Parents Ask Pam - Where do we find the dots to set up our piano/keyboard at home for our preschool-aged child?
  

Feature Article - What Are Preschool Piano Lessons?

What do piano lessons look like for a preschool-aged child? 

This is such a common question! I get it from parents, piano teachers and curious friends. In fact, when I started Move Over Mozart in Washington, in 1994, I was advised against teaching piano to such young children by other, supposedly more experienced piano and music teachers. But the market has changed and now, product and services are in response to the demands of the parents. With nearly 30 years experience, we are one of the few piano schools that offers a quality piano program specifically for the preschool-aged child. 

Why is our piano program for young children the best? First we consider common characteristics of being a child. They are active, curious, and playful. They find large motor skills fun and engaging. They are creative and imaginative. They love copy-cat games and are quite good at imitating. And they have quite the sense of humor, always ready for a laugh! We consider all these characteristics when planning our lessons. Our lessons include whole body movements, easy rhymes with silly words, and opportunities to be artistic and creative. As with all ages, students that are having fun are also motivated to learn. We also try to find every positive characteristic and accomplishment to praise the child. Positive feedback, especially about something the child did, (compared to something the child is,) can be very encouraging. 

Since children at this age are just starting to develop their fine motor skills, piano playing has to be very focused. To do that, we color-code each finger to match a colored sticker on the keys. This way the student can focus on matching each finger with its matching key on the piano. Our songs are short and familiar, so their intense focus doesn’t need to last very long. 

In our physical classes, we have 3 activities within a 30-minute class. The group activity introduces the topic or concept for the day. For example, if we are learning about quarter notes, A quarter note would be shown, the kids could draw a quarter note in the air, then they could clap a steady tempo of quarter notes, and then maybe march around the room. Their song for the day would also be introduced, along with any hand or body motions to go with the words. Then the class sings the piano song several times so they are familiar with the tune. The next activity would be to color-code their song for the day. While the students are working on their song sheet, they, one at a time, go to the piano with their teacher and play their new song several times. 

Our online classes have similar activities but in a different format. First, we do not have group classes online. That actually sounds sort of horrid for an adult, let alone a young child! Instead we use a practice app, Tonara, to coordinate our assignments. Instead of a group activity, there is a short video to introduce the weekly concept and provide fun activities to do at home to help learn the new concept. The app also contains pdf’s of any worksheets that can be downloaded and printed out. Color-coded, as well as blank song sheets are provided so your child can color their own song sheet, or use the colored one, to play the piano. Then we have short, virtual, 8-minute lessons to play piano with your teacher and as time allows, also play music or piano games. The short, virtual lesson is ideal for their short attention span and to have intense focus for a short amount of time. 

Can a preschool-aged child really be successful with an online program? Yes! As with all new situations, children need to test the boundaries to find out what they can expect, what is expected from them, and if it is something they want or enjoy. In a classroom, many times our piano class is the first formal lessons the child has away from their parents. It can take several weeks for the child to adjust to this new format for learning. It is the same with virtual lessons. Just like it is easier for children to adjust to the classroom setting if they have already been in a classroom for another class, such as Sunday school or pre-school, it is easier for the child to adjust to a virtual lesson if they have already had other virtual experiences, such as talking to grandparents over Skype or Zoom. But even if piano lessons are their first virtual experience, after a few weeks, they will be comfortable because they will understand the boundaries and limitations and know what to expect. 

Of course, traditional private lessons requires daily practice at home. Is this even possible for a preschool-aged child? Is it necessary? 

Possible? Yes, but in a different format. There are two factors that should drive a preschool practice session. One is motivation and two is time. We ask parents to provide a “piano time” in their daily routine. Maybe it is right after brushing their teeth, or after the afternoon snack. Whatever time works best for you and your child, try to keep it the same every day. Then, what is played and how long it is played is up to your child. So for one day, your child may want to make up their own song. Another time they may want to share with you what they learned in their piano class. Maybe they want to play old music they have already learned. Maybe they want to listen to music and dance or color a picture or maybe play with legos. All of these activities count as piano practice. Your child may want to play for one minute or five minutes. It is all okay and appropriate. In fact, giving your child options to control their own learning is very motivating and empowering to your young student. 

Necessary? Yes and no. If your child is getting weekly lessons, they will continue to learn and grow musically. Those that practice between lessons, even just one or two days a week, will retain what is taught better than those that don’t. Also, we find that those that practice between lessons seem to enjoy their lessons more. However, those that don’t practice between lessons still learn, still grow musically, and still have fun. It is just at a much slower pace. Obviously, we will encourage daily practice, but when life gets in the way, musical learning can still happen. 

What are the benefits of preschool piano? The biggest advantage is that it helps create a positive attitude toward learning and appreciating music that will last their entire lives. Yes, they will transition to reading music more easily than the older student just beginning. Since they already have a pattern for practicing, it seems to come easier to practice as they grow and mature. There are also scientific studies about brain interconnections and cross-stimulation, implying that music students have higher test scores than non-music students, but that is speculation. What music does give is another way for a person to communicate and that is valuable for all ages. 

Do you still have questions? Want to know more? I would encourage you to set up a free introductory lesson. This gives you the chance to ask more questions, see how our practice app can benefit your child, and see how your child interacts initially with a virtual teacher. Just click the link below to set up your free, no obligation lesson. 

https://MoveOverMozart.as.me/ParentIntro

Student Hall Of Fame

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

Welcome to our new students! Joshua G, Jonathan G. and Brooks R.

5X5 - play the piano for 5 minutes, 5 days in a week, for 5 weeks in a row - Iris H, Vivian C, and Lillian R.

5X5 Advanced - play the piano for 25 minutes, 5 days in a week, for 5 weeks in a row - Jacob S.

100 days - play the piano for 100 days in a row - Lillian R.

Listen to an hour of classical music, 4 weeks in a row - Sara M.

Completed their current lesson book - Vyom S.

Advanced to the next music level - Avi N, Sara M. and Vyom S.

Student Showcasing

We love hearing our students perform! Here are a few that practiced hard for the recital and then at the last minute, were unable to attend.

Practice Tip

When learning a long or particularly difficult piece, it is best to follow the advice from this ancient riddle, “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer is, “One bite at a time.” What this means is to break your long passage into smaller manageable “bites.” How small? Typically two to four measures are sufficient, but it really depends on the student and the piece. When you think about it, this practice tip can be applied to so many areas of our lives, right?

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

Saturday, July 9, 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

Crescendo Kids CLASSES - Tuesdays or Thursdays at North Kirkland Community Center - We still have a couple openings in our Thursday class for ages 7 - 9 years old, 6:30 - 7:00 pm.

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, June 14. 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: Where do we find the dots to set up our piano/keyboard at home for our preschool-aged child?

A: I am super excited to announce that ALL of our preschool-aged students will now be getting FREE window-cling stickers to place on their pianos or keyboards at home! These are glue-less stickers that will easily cling to your piano keys and then easily remove when you are ready to take them off. No more goo-gone!

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