Hello Everyone!
Welcome to the fall 2020 semester. Here you will find your homework each week. I will also suggest how long to practice and provide a few helpful hints to get you prepped for the following week. This will provide you with some guidelines to allow your child to progress. Good luck practicing and have fun!
Marita
Recommended daily practice time is 8-10 minutes per day
Technique:
This week we learned about
- 1. Groups of 2 black keys and groups of 3 black keys
- 2. The musical alphabet forwards and backwards – ABCDEFGA
- 3. Finger numbers 1-2-3-4-5
- 4. Groups of 2 go down to C
For homework I have provided a couple worksheets to help you practice!
Songs:
This week we learned a new songs! Mary Had a little lamb and Hot Cross Buns. These use finger numbers and they start on the group of 3 black keys. You can use the handout provided to help you practice!
How parents can help: Encourage your child to have a daily practice routine and ensure that they are filling out their homework logs correctly. In addition to the online homework posts, I recommend that each student keep and maintain a homework journal where they can fill in how long they practice and what they worked on that week. You can decorate it to make it fun!
Sidonie
Recommended daily practice time is 5-10 minutes per day
Technique:
- Continue to work on the alphabet backwards. There were a couple of exercises still to complete on the worksheets so you can try those out this week.
- Groups of 3 go down to F – There are some worksheets to help you remember!
- Don’t forget – Groups of 2 go down to C
- Keep singing the finger number song!
- Singing and playing on the beat! We tried singing the finger number song on the beat, remember every song has a beat and we just have to find it. We can try by either clapping, tapping, playing or even singing! When you hear music any music this week practice finding the beat!
Songs:
Hot cross buns is our new song! – There is a handout to help you with this one. It starts on the group of 3 and uses the same fingers as Mary had a little lamb. Continue to practice Mary had a little lamb. As a challenge, try playing it with both hands at the same time! Next, in the primer book – we didn’t get to it in our lesson – but feel free to try out two black ants and two black birds. You start on the group of two in the middle and work your way down and work you way up! Have fun with it!
How parents can help: Encourage your child to have a daily practice routine and ensure that they are filling out their homework logs correctly. In addition to the online homework posts, I recommend that each student keep and maintain a homework journal where they can fill in how long they practice and what they worked on that week. You can decorate it to make it fun!
Camille
Recommended daily practice time is 5-10 minutes per day
Technique:
- Continue to work on the alphabet backwards. There were a couple of exercises still to complete on the worksheets so you can try those out this week.
- Groups of 3 go down to F – There are some worksheets to help you remember!
- Don’t forget – Groups of 2 go down to C
- Keep singing the finger number song!
- Singing and playing on the beat! We tried singing the finger number song on the beat, remember every song has a beat and we just have to find it. We can try by either clapping, tapping, playing or even singing! When you hear music any music this week practice finding the beat!
Repertoire:
Hot cross buns is our new song! – There is a handout to help you with this one. It starts on the group of 3 and uses the same fingers as Mary had a little lamb. Continue to practice Mary had a little lamb. As a challenge, try playing it with both hands at the same time! Next, in the primer book – we didn’t get to it in our lesson – but feel free to try out two black ants and two black birds. You start on the group of two in the middle and work your way down and work you way up! Have fun with it!
How parents can help: Encourage your child to have a daily practice routine and ensure that they are filling out their homework logs correctly. In addition to the online homework posts, I recommend that each student keep and maintain a homework journal where they can fill in how long they practice and what they worked on that week. You can decorate it to make it fun!
Julian
Recommended daily practice time is 10-15 minutes per day
Technique:
This week we learned about strong and weak beats in a 3/4 time signature. Cinderella’s Waltz really shows us what that feels like. You can try dancing the waltz to really understand the strong and weak beats! S-w-w
Repertoire:
- You have a few songs on the go.
- Continue to work on Do-re-mi, it’s coming along very well and I love hearing you sing and play!
- You can also continue working on Cinderella’s waltz, remember S-w-w!
- Next is Ludwig’s accents. This is also in 3/4 time and you can continue to think about the S-w-w beats. Especially on the notes with the accents.
- Finally you have Super Mario. For this one, try singing the tune and finding the right pitches when you get stuck. Just experiment because it’s okay to make mistakes and get it wrong a couple of times, just keep trying!
How parents can help: Encourage your child to have a daily practice routine and ensure that they are filling out their homework logs correctly. In addition to the online homework posts, I recommend that each student keep and maintain a homework journal where they can fill in how long they practice and what they worked on that week. You can decorate it to make it fun!
Zoe
Recommended daily practice time is 25-30 minutes per day
Technique:
Continue to work on F# minor natural and harmonic scales with 2 octaves. For left hand you start on finger 4 and for right hand you start on finger 2. Keep your hands relaxed but with curved fingers and keep everything even. Try not to accent individual notes, and watch out for the bouncing wrists.
Repertoire:
This week you had 3 test songs and you did very well with all of them. We have some new songs on our radar that include Minuet in a minor and Cranky Cat. As always, be sure to fill in the counting and go through the tapping for each song. Try working on it both hands at the same time but, if you wish you can try hands apart at the start of learning in. You also have Waltz and Red Satin Jazz. These are both coming along fairly well, continue to challenge yourself to find and use the dynamics written in. You can also get creative and think about how you want the piece to sound. Come up with a story that you think fits with the piece!
How parents can help: Encourage your child to have a daily practice routine and ensure that they are filling out their homework logs correctly. In addition to the online homework posts, I recommend that each student keep and maintain a homework journal where they can fill in how long they practice and what they worked on that week. You can decorate it to make it fun!
Sara
Recommended daily practice time is 30 minutes per day
Technique:
This week work on A Major and E Major scale with both hand in 2 octaves. Keep the pressure even and try not to pause in the middle.
Repertoire:
In Red Satin Jazz, when working on it this week, remember not to swing the beats. Keep them straight and even. For Minuet in a minor, use all the dynamics written as well as the ones you added. Get creative and don’t be afraid to try new things. The same goes for Swinging leprechaun. Add some crescendo’s and diminuendo’s where you think it will fit the dynamics written and experiment. Have fun!
How parents can help: Encourage your child to have a daily practice routine and ensure that they are filling out their homework logs correctly. In addition to the online homework posts, I recommend that each student keep and maintain a homework journal where they can fill in how long they practice and what they worked on that week. You can decorate it to make it fun!
Olivia
Recommended daily practice time is 30 minutes per day per instrument
Technique:
This week you have D Major and A Major scale. That includes the scales, solid and broken triads.
Repertoire:
- Allegretto is coming along think about the S-w beats in this piece.
- Courageous cat is in 3/4 time – S-w-w is what you need to think about.
- New songs – Ecossaise in G Major and Atacama desert. Begin with filling in the counting and tapping out the rhythm for each piece.
Voice:
We will continue to work on Caro mio ben. Be sure to print either the sheet music or the text for next week so we can fill in the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) to help you with pronunciation.
How parents can help: Encourage your child to have a daily practice routine and ensure that they are filling out their homework logs correctly. In addition to the online homework posts, I recommend that each student keep and maintain a homework journal where they can fill in how long they practice and what they worked on that week. You can decorate it to make it fun!