Merry Christmas!

Hi there friends!  This was our last week of class before the break.  I hope you all have a WONDERFUL holiday!  Thank you so much for the thoughtful gifts.  I appreciate each and every one of them!  I'll see you back the week of January 7th.  Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

NO CLASS this week

There will not be any classes this week.  Happy Thanksgiving break!  I'll see you back the first week of December!

Sound Beginnings Registration Ends Tomorrow!

If you are interested in signing your child, ages 2-4 up for this class, please have your registration form and deposit in to me by tomorrow, November 19th.  Classes begin January 7th.  Go to our website for more information:  http://www.letsplaymusicsite.com/sound-beginnings

Today's the Day!!

Registration for January 2014 Sound Beginnings begins today!  This class is for children ages 2-4.  Classes go from January-May and are 30 minutes, with a parent attending each class with their child.  Sound Beginnings is the non-mandatory precursor to Let's Play Music.  We use the same fun methods and techniques that are used in Let's Play Music while learning colors, numbers, time, sequencing, rhythm, note reading, singing in tune, harmony, tempo and SO much more!  For more information visit our website at http://www.letsplaymusicsite.com/sound-beginnings.  If you are interested in registering for a class click here.

Why Chords?

10 Ten Reasons for Learning Primary Chords

Red, yellow and blue.

In Let's Play Music, each of the primary chords gets assigned their own color. This greatly helps our young students learn these all-important chords without having to go into explanations of I, IV, and V or tonic, dominant and sub-dominant. We put a lot of emphasis on recognizing, playing, singing, and understanding these chords in all their forms.

WHY is this?

I have a list of Top 10 Reasons!
I give credit for these to Dave Meadows, a Let's Play Music teacher in Phoenix. 

10. Memorization is easier because you don’t have to memorize every single note in a piece of music. You just have to memorize the chord pattern. For example, instead of learning 342 different pieces of information for one song, when you learn it by recognizing and memorizing the chords, you can get it down to about 30 pieces of information.

9. Feeling the chord progression – When you train the muscles to know what each of the chords feels like, then when you see the chord on the page, your hand automatically knows where to go and how to be positioned. We can talk about chords all we want, but until you experience playing them (a lot) you don’t get the feel for them. The learning process for music is then sped up once the chords feel natural for your hands to play.

8. Tension and Release – All music is based on tension and release. It drives the song forward. Even when a song is sung a capella, there are underlying chords and harmonies that are felt despite not being played. It’s what provides the emotion in the music.

7. Can do more with written music – If you learn how to read music without actually understanding the chords, you are tied to what’s written on the page. You can’t do anything more with it. But when you know your primary chords and recognize them in the music you can easily add more notes based on the underlying chord, change the style the chords are played in, and basically pretty up the music however you want. And let's not forget that chords are the foundation for transposing music, too.

6. Faking it – Of course you prepare well for any performance, but sometimes the unexpected happens: your sheet music falls off the piano, the vocalist skips around in the song, you are missing a page of music, you make a mistake etc. If you know and can hear your primary chords, you can fake it, so no one knows there was a problem.

5. Recognizing key signatures – Knowing your chords helps you to be able to analyze music and easily tell what key you are in and whether it’s major or minor.

4. Improvisation –If you only know the melody to a song, you would be able to improvise an accompaniment. You can hear the change in the feel of the melody and match the appropriate chords to the music.

3. Composition – The culmination of Let’s Play Music is having all of our students compose a piece. Not every musician is going to be a composer, but they all should be encouraged to learn the skill. It will help them appreciate music more, be better analyzers of music, understand what they’re playing better, and be more excellent musicians. You have to know your chords to be able to come up with an accompaniment for a melody you compose.

2. Trust the Experts – Great musicians know them and Let’s Play Music teaches them, so they must be important!

1. Fun! You can have more fun with music when you understand it!

There are, of course, more chords than the three primary chords.  Other chords add interest and character to a song, but 90% of music is made up of our primary chords.

Learning chords = learning music!

The Funtheory

People chose the piano stairs over the escalator... because stairs became fun. At Let's Play Music, we know the power of fun and infuse it into our lessons!  How much fun are you having?

Whole Brain Learning

Let's Play Music uses whole brain learning techniques.  Sounds fancy.  Really, it just means that we allow the body to experience what the brain is learning.  With minimal talking, we just experience and learn.  We sing, we dance, we move up and down with our balloons as they sing a major scale, we jump up when we talk about a "sharp" and we give karate chopping hands to emphasize "staccato".  Genius!  To see just how genius the brain is in learning this way, check out this little tidbit by Bobby McFerrin:

Classes Starting!

IT'S TIME!  Classes start this week!

Tuesday, August 27:  10 am Sound Beginnings
                                 10:45 am Sound Beginnings
                                 12:30 2nd year Let's Play Music
                                 3:00 2nd year Let's Play Music
                                 4:00 2nd year Let's Play Music
                                 5:00 2nd year Let's Play Music

Wednesday, August 28:  9:30 1st year Let's Play Music
                                      10:40 1st year Let's Play Music
                                      12:30 1st year Let's Play Music
                                      3:30 3rd year Let's Play Music
                                      4:30 3rd year Let's Play Music
                                      5:30 3rd year Let's Play Music

See you soon!

Parent Orientations!

We begin again!  Don't forget to come to your parent orientation this week.  Here is the schedule:

Sound Beginnings - Tuesday Aug 20 @ 7pm
LPM 1st year - Wednesday Aug 21 @ 7 pm
LPM 2nd year - Tuesday Aug 20 @ 8 pm
LPM 3rd year - Wednesday Aug 21 @ 8 pm

Classes start next week...HURRAY!

2013 Composition Winners Announced!

I am MORE than thrilled to know that across the country, students are composing music that speaks to them, and relishing the skills they learned in Let's Play Music.

I encourage you to watch some of the national winners play their music here. 

I was in Arizona at the national Let's Play Music teachers meeting when these winners were announced, and was able to watch a few of the students play their pieces live.  It was inspiring to hear the music created by such young minds, eager to speak, and grateful to have found a Let's Play Music teacher to guide them.  THIS is why I am teaching!

End of Year Recital THIS WEEK!

Hooray!  We are now done with classes for the year and looking forward to our recital this week!  Please see below for details to your recital:

The Piano Gallery

WHO:  All 2nd year students and the following 1st years: Lucas, Myles, Grant, Jamison, Idalie, Bella, Jaxson, Sophie and Fisher.
WHEN: Wednesday May 1st, 6:30 (6:20 for students)
WHERE: 650 S State St  Orem.  In the front door and down the stairs to the left.

Best in Music

WHO: The following 1st year students: Tereesah, Liberty, Dayne, Susanna, Ashley, Tyler A., Tyler H., Tenley, Christian, Sonya, Hyrum, Audrey, Cael, Calvin, Sawyer, Abby, Brandon
WHEN: Thursday, May 2nd, 4:30 (4:20 for students)
WHERE: 444 W 800 N Orem.  In the front door and straight to the back left of the store.

Just a few notes: Don't worry about bringing bells - I have them all covered.  Our recital should be about 45 minutes.  Please keep in mind that we are not a performing group but rather a piano course looking to showcase the skills and concepts that we have learned throughout the year.

I'll see you on Wednesday or Thursday!

End of Year Recital!

It's coming!!  We're so excited for our end of year Recital!  Please be sure that you're helping your kiddos practice and prepare so that they can feel confident and have fun.  I have given out assignments, so if you are unsure of what yours is, please contact me.

This year there will be two recitals, so please make sure that you know which one you are scheduled for.
The Wednesday May 1st recital is at 6:30 pm at the Piano Gallery (650 S State St  Orem).  On Thursday, May 2nd the recital is at 4:30 at Best in Music (444 W 800 N Orem).

Please be sure that all songs are memorized (no music books at the pianos!) and that all performers are in Sunday dress.  Audience members are welcome to come as they are.

Be watching for your official invitations in the mail shortly!

No class next week!

There will be no class next week.  (But don't forget to practice.)  I'll see you back the week of April 9th!

Happy Spring Break!

Last Day for Registration!

Hello out there!  Registration is coming to an end today.  Most of the classes are all full, but if you are still interested, here is what is available:

Sound Beginnings (ages 2-4):
10:45 Tuesdays - 2 spots;  register now

Let's Play Music (ages 4-5):
10:30 Wednesdays -1 spot;  register now
12:30 Wednesdays - 2 spots;  register now

Today is the LAST DAY, so please act quickly if you would like to claim one of these last openings!  If you have any questions please contact me: marja(dot)reynolds@gmail(dot)com.

Attention: Sound Beginnings Registration

Registration for Sound Beginnings fall 2013 has now begun!  This class is for children ages 2-4 that teaches preschool/kindergarten concepts along with music concepts and skills.  Child and parent attend together once weekly for a 15 week semester to sing, play simple percussion instruments, listen, and move to music.  Children are exposed to music vocabulary and music notation. Specific concepts and skills taught include in-tune singing, timbre, beat, playing simple percussion instruments, fast/slow, theme and form, counting, primary colors, name-recognition, and much more!  To sign up for this class you can fill out an online form here.  Classes begin the end of August 2013.

Also, if you are still thinking about signing up for Let's Play Music for children ages 4-5 I only have 2 spots left.  The deadline to sign up for Let's Play Music is Friday, March 15.  You can access the online form here.  The available spots are Wednesdays 10:30-11:15 or 12:30-1:15.  Classes begin the end of August 2013.

2013 Registration Almost Filled!

Hello out there!  2013 registration is in full swing!  Classes are filling up quickly, so if you want a spot please get me your registration form and deposit ASAP.  For 1st year Let's Play Music classes I am offering:
Wednesdays at 9:30 (3 spots left)

Wednesdays at 10:30 (1 spot left)

Wednesdays at 12:30 (1 spot left).  

If you are interested in registering for 1st year LPM click here to fill out a form.

If you are interested in learning more about the amazing way that we teach your 4/5 year old child to play the piano at a beginning intermediate level in three years you can visit us at letsplaymusicsite.com.

2013 Registration

Registration for fall 2013 is soon upon us!  I will begin accepting forms on Wednesday, February 6.  I'm trying to make things easier this year by accepting forms online as well as paper copies.

For those of you new to Let's Play Music here is a little about us:
Let's Play Music is a three year piano course offered to children who will be 4 or 5 by September 1.  By the time a child graduates from Let's Play Music they are able to play the piano at an early intermediate level playing in 5 different keys, playing 3/4 and 4/4 time, playing cadences and scales, improvising, composing, transposing, self accompanying and are well versed in classical form, ABA and theme variations.  The beauty of this is that it is all accomplished through playing, singing, using music to teach music concepts and fun group interaction.  For more about the program go to our website: letsplaymusicsite.com.

If you are interested in placing your child in 1st year Let's Play Music classes you can click here to fill out the online form.

If you are continuing on with 2nd year or 3rd year Let's Play Music from the previous year you can access the 2nd year form here and the 3rd year form here.

How to make a rain stick

 Rain sticks are some of the COOLEST instruments ever!  You can make your own by following these directions.  You'll need a poster tube, a hammer, nails, beans and anything else to decorate the outside of your rain stick.

First you'll start by tapping the nails into the sides of the poster tube at various locations all over the tube every few inches.

Once you're done inserting the nails it should look like this.

 Now you're ready to fill it with dry beans.  Different size beans will make different sounds.  Pick whatever you have on hand or whatever sound you like the best.  Next put the tube plug in the end.  Ta DA!  Done!  Feel free to decorate the outside to your hears content.  Tissue paper, stickers, feathers, construction paper...the list is endless.

Not only do you have a new instrument but you've just spent your time developing child-parent bonding, creativity, fine motor skills, listening and distinguishing skills, and exploration of the how the world around them works: tools, instruments, art, design and technology.  Way to go parents!