Emily collapsed theatrically onto the piano stool and we both giggled! “Tiring day?”, I enquired and nodding her head she proceeded to tell me all about her maths test and that PE had been “awful” as the teacher made them run around the field “ten times!”. Making sympathetic noises, I realised the lesson would be…
Put your detective skills to the test in this grade 5 music theory game and stop Reg from robbing the museum! Wouldn’t it be great if you could revise for your grade 5 theory exam but make it fun at the same time? Heist is an online card game which helps you practice questions relating…
There are so many ways to play with dice in a music lesson! Just recently I have been using Google Dice which is a really handy tool, but I always have a real dice next to the piano to add some extra fun to learning. Here are some of the ways I use them: I’d…
Alien Eric spends his days floating around the Tempo Galaxy, collecting spaceships and boasting how many he has. His latest pride and joy is the ‘Crescendo 5000’, the fastest ship in the galaxy! Alien Eric might have an amazing collection of spaceships, but he is also great for helping with note reading. His game is…
I’m an interpreter of stories. When I perform it’s like sitting down at my piano and telling fairy stories. Nat King Cole What a fantastic quote! Once upon a time, I was preparing a student for her exam! Everything was in place. All the notes and rhythms were correct but there was something missing. So…
If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn Estrada Years ago it was normal for teachers to stand in front of a class of silent students and present what was to be learnt that day. Everyone was taught exactly the same thing in exactly the same…
In an ideal world every student that walks through the music room door would be enthusiastic to learn, ready to fully listen, and engage 100% with the lesson. Sometimes though, they arrive after a full day of school or work and might be tired out or have had a bad day. Even though you try…
Play is not a break from learning. It is endless, delightful, deep, engaging, practical learning. It’s the doorway into the child’s heart! Vince Gowmon Imagine there are two music rooms! In the first one Mrs Andante is teaching little Sophie the piano. They have just played some scales, with the teacher testing each one in…
You find yourself in the hallway of a house. The only way out is to use your music theory knowledge! My students love a puzzle or challenge so one of the first games I created was an escape game. It was a huge hit so I knew I was onto something that was highly motivating…
As a teacher the drag and drop notes are incredible! I love how I can tailor it to the range of notes a beginner knows, or focus on a particular set of notes that are recent and relevant. Music Teacher Picture the scene … it’s Ancient Egypt and Pharaoh Fred is ruling the land! He…
Hands up if your imagination was a huge part of growing up! As a child I remember making dens in the garden with friends and hiding from dragons, or dressing up with clothes from mum’s wardrobe and pretending to be characters in an adventure story. Fast forward to today and children are no different. In…
I loved doing this and I won as well!!! Music student In Sophie’s last piano lesson we found ourselves in a clearing in the forest. Straight ahead was a rope ladder and next to it we could just about make out some kind of wooden chest hiding behind overgrown flowers. We carefully moved the flowers…
