100 Days Practice Chart!!!

We all need to find ways to motivate our students to practice.  I have designed a practice chart to keep track of 100 days of practice. 

I will have a prize for the first student from my Little Musician classes to complete it. You can also give prizes to your students or children after they finish it.

Practicing is great for learning an instrument but it also teaches students that if they stick with something long enough and are consistent, good things will happen.
 

See Ms. Tonya at NewSongs or email her at tonya@elkgrovemusiclessons.com for your copy of the 100 Days of Practice Chart!

Finger Songs for Beginning Pianists

Children in the Little Musician classes are still developing their finger coordination. These songs will help warm up and strengthen their fingers. Sing them often!

Finger Play Song
Thumbkin is finger number one, number one, number one;
Thumbkin is finger number one, but where is finger number two?

Pointer is finger number two, number two, number two;
Pointer is finger number two, but where is finger number three?

Tall man is finger number three, number three, number three;
Tall man is finger number three, but where is finger number four?

Ring man is finger number four, number four, number four;
Ring man is finger number four, but where is finger number five?

Pinky is finger number five, number five, number five;
Pinky is finger number five, now wiggle them all and say goodbye!


Where is Thumbkin?
Where is Thumbkin?
Where is Thumbkin?
Here I am, here I am.
How are you today, sir?
Very well, I thank you.
Run away, run away.

Where is Pointer?
Where is Pointer?
Here I am, here I am.
How are you today, sir?
Very well, I thank you.
Run away, run away.

Where is Tall Man?
Where is Tall Man?
Here I am, here I am.
How are you today, sir?
Very well, I thank you.
Run away, run away.

Where is Ring Man?
Where is Ring Man?
Here I am, here I am.
How are you today, sir?
Very well, I thank you.
Run away, run away.

Where is Pinky?
Where is Pinky?
Here I am, here I am.
How are you today, sir?
Very well, I thank you.
Run away, run away.

Great Websites for Guitarists!

There are so many websites for musicians but where to start?!?

These links will help you get started.

http://ultimate-guitar.com has guitar tabs and chords for hundreds of pupular songs that you will want to play

http://allmusic.com has music information on everything going on in the music world. You can check out your favorite artist, albums and videos. The blog tells the latest news in the music world.

http://jamstudio.com is the online music factory. You can create great songs in 3 easy steps. 1. Enter chords 2. Choose instruments 3. Play your song

Check back often as this list of great websites grows!

Violin Resources

All violin students need their own violin!

Violins come in different sizes for the growing student. Talk with your teacher to get the right size.

Violins can be rented or bought.

It is important to get a good quality violin so that the student makes nice sounds and is motivated to play. Poor quality violins are not fun to play on or listen to!


To rent or buy:
Ifshin's Violins
1633 University, Berkeley, CA 94703
(510) 843-5466

To buy:
Young Musicians at www.ymonline.com

To buy:
Shar's at www.sharmusic.com

To buy locally:
Jeff Sahs 739-1962

To rent or buy:
Happi Music Land
(916) 685-0555

Kline Music
(916) 456-8742

Must See

For families that love musical theater, I just watched Cathy Rigby's version of "Peter Pan" on DVD--excellent production and very well filmed. It was a great chance to see top notch performances without the high priced tickets. For Netflix subscribers, you can request it or watch it instantly online (as I did). I highly recommend it!

What I Love About Musical Theater

The only movie star I really knew growing up was Fred Astaire. I am only 27 (not 72), but he was my hero, I watched all his movies, read his biography, etc. Needless to say none of my peers shared my enthusiasm.

It should come as no surprise, then, that I love Broadway musicals. I don't care if they are predictable, unrealistic, or corny. I don't need any excuse to believe people would break out into song and dance at the drop of a hat. I wish real life was like that: happy, creative, outgoing, colorful and unabashed. I realize that the rest of the world is not going to suddenly fall into my fantasy and sing along. Nevertheless, I love teaching musical theater to kids; not because I am brainwashing them to be members of my utopian society, but because I love watching students change from bugs to butterflies.

Consider, for instance, a student I will call Kate. She came into a class at our school painfully shy--the kind where you are afraid you may make them cry at any moment just by being in the same room. But at home, she loved to perform and put on shows and her parents knew that she could grow to be more confident on and off stage. She loved her classmates, but on show day it was anybody's guess as to if she would actually make it out of the wings and onto the stage when there were real people in the audience. She made it to the third song before she realized how many people she was singing in front of and ran off-stage mid-sentence. Her parents, teachers, and the whole cast were so proud.

An older student, let's call her Maryann, is a little bit of a diva. She likes to be right, tell other people what to do, and have them be impressed by her skills and experience. Not exactly what they teach you in "How to Win Friends and Influence People." Being part of a drama cast enabled other students to get to know her behind her facade and gave her a true sense of belonging that she did not find in other places.

If a sports team can feel like a family, the cast of a musical can even more. Everyone can have their petty issues, but it takes a lot of vulnerability and courage to sing, act, dance, try new things and make mistakes literally on a stage for all to see. It helps students bond and gives them confidence--if I can be in a musical I can do anything!

It also helps students build creative problem solving skills and quick thinking. When in a play, you must be ready to react to both the expected and the unexpected. When my daughter was 4 she played a policeman in Pirates of Penzance and the only black "boots" she would wear was a pair of high-heeled leather boots that zipped halfway up her leg--the ones her Grammy bought her. Let's just say when she had to stand on a rock and look menacing for 5 minutes everyone had to quickly think of ways to keep her from falling completely off the stage!

Confidence, teamwork, creative thinking on the fly--that's before we ever teach kids a thing about how to memorize lines, act in character, sing on key or dance on time. If you have never been a part of a musical (even if you are all grown up now) you may think about trying it. Life my never be the same. And as they say "The show must go on..."

Spotlight Musical Theater Starting Soon

"Charlie Brown and Friends"

Learn confidence and creativity on stage.

Rehearsal-based classes teach students new skills weekly as they prepare for the final show!

Acting track: Tuesdays
Grade K-2 4:30 to 5:30 pm
Grade 3-12 5:30 to 7 pm

Vocal track: Thursdays
Grade K-2 4:30 to 5:30 pm
Grade 3-12 5:30 to 7 pm

Auditions: August 17 and 19
Final Performance: October 30th

Tuition
One track: $149 per session (10 weeks)
Both tracks: $275 per session
Additional siblings 10% off

Practice for Cupcakes!

Ms. Tonya's Little Musician classes are practicing for cupcakes!

Starting August 4 their goal is to practice at least 3 times a week.

September 1 will be the cupcake party for all who have reached their goal!

Practice can be very short consisting of warming up fingers, sitting correctly at the piano, nice hand position and playing their song for the week.

Each student has been given a practice chart to keep record.

If your student needs another practice chart click here to print a new on: http://www.makingmusicfun.net/htm/printit-oliver-sticker-practice-chart.htm

Good Luck everyone!

Any questions email Ms. Tonya at tonya@elkgrovemusiclessons.com

Six Little Ducks

This is a fun song. Children love to sing it while acting out the parts of the song.

Six Little Ducks

Verse 1. Six little ducks that I once knew,

Fat ones, skinny ones, they were too.

But the one little duck with a feather on his back,

He led the others with a quack, quack, quack

Quack, quack, quack

Quack, quack, quack

He led the others with a quack, quack, quack

Quack, quack, quack, quack.

Verse 2. Down to the river they would go,

Wibble, wabble, wibble, wabble, to and fro;

But the one little duck with a feather in his back,

He led the others with a quack, quack, quack.

Quack, quack, quack

Quack, quack quack.

He led the others with a quack, quack, quack.

Quack, quack, quack, quack.

Sing the song, acting out parts of the text:

Six little ducks............................Hold up six fingers

fat ones, skinny ones..................Show size with hands.

one little duck.............................Hold up one finger.

feather on his back....................Hold one hand as feather on your back.

quack, quack..............................Place palms together for beak for each quack.

wibble, wabble...........................Palms together, let ducks swim.