Green Turtle Shells Lesson #1

Welcome back to another great year of Let's Play Music.  I'm so excited to be on the keyboards this year! 

Here at the beginning, practice only needs to take as little as 2 to 5 minutes, 5 times a week! The goal is let your child get the idea that sitting at the keyboard is brief and pleasant.

Remember that listening to CD often is part of the weekly practice assignment and will enhance your child's learning process: Listen, Listen, Listen to the CD.

Celebrate Connection
Think of ways you can focus on making practice time as fun as possible – give your child warm, friendly eye contact, smile with your voice, be a little silly, show you are relaxed and happy to sit with your child, and look for the good in your child's effort. Notice the joy in your child's eyes. Verbalize the good you see and hug your child often. This is the beginning of the practice relationship that will be essential to your child's success in Let's Play Music. The more you invest your energy into positive interaction, the more solid and successful this habit will become.

After doing your assignment for class, allow your child to fool around and experiment if he wants to, and play a song you know -- no matter how simple. This can be done anytime or multiple times throughout the week. Model joy as you play the piano. If you make a mistake, smile and show that you are relaxed and enjoy trying again to fix the mistake. Celebrate your effort to give him the idea his efforts are something to enjoy and celebrate.

Purpose in the Play
Do is Home
Just a reminder to put one RED STICKER on Middle C (Do is Home) this week on your piano or keyboard. Each practice time should begin with THINKING OF middle C, then SINGING it, then PLAYING it! This will continue to strengthen the goal for each student to acquire relative pitch.

Kit Kat Keyboard
The first verse of this song emphasizes the black keys in groups of 2 and 3. Dividing the keyboard this way helps build 'keyboard geography' in our minds: a mental image formed from visual conclusions. As we look, study, and play at the keyboard, a mental map is formed. Use the entire hand to see, feel, and hear the black keys!

Bubble Hands
Practice with the bubble to build finger strength and good form. Finger numbers will be emphasized more next week. For now make sure their elbows are close together and their fingers are aligned with each other, spread apart and not overlapping.

Spring Bees
Here is a link to some fun puppet show coloring pages. Print them out, and turn on "Spring Bees" and have your child listen while they color.

Making Musicians
We're so excited to have our parents participate in class with us! Check out some terrific ideas to make the best of your Let's Play Music experience in the classroom and at home with your child!