J. W. MacLeod Elementary School March 7 2.45-3.45pm

Excellent work today. We had a small class, this being our last MusIQ club before March break, but we got a lot done, and everyone seemed enthusiastic about the lessons.

Level 1:

• We reviewed your 5 scales: C major, C pentatonic, C contrary motion, G major and G pentatonic.
• We learned how to play in the key of F today. F major has 1 flat - the 4 th note of the scale. The fingering for the right hand is 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4. You don't need your 5th finger to play this scale.
  
• We practiced your songs: Let it be, Happy Birthday, Clementine, Daydream Believer and Ode to Joy.
• At the end of class we played some ear training games (rhythms and melodies) and spent some time improvising in the CMJ program.

Level 2:

• You warmed up with your C major scales, hands separately.
• We reviewed note naming and note values.
• Practiced your songs: Old grey goose, Twinkle, Pop goes the Weasel, On top of Old Smokey.
• Learned a new song, Get Up.
• Keep up the good work Peter and Alyx. You're helping each other with your songs and getting much better with note recognition and sightreading.
  

At the end of class Chloe, Hannah and Zeke showed us some songs they had been teaching themselves independently. Great playing!
It's a good idea to brush up on your piano skills at home over the break. Try reading from any sheet music that you may have, and if you would be interested in purchasing the Piano Suite software please let me know by Email.

Have a good break :)

Kingswood School Thurs. March 6 11.40-12.40pm

Today was our last class before March break. You listened and worked fairly well today. I was glad to see everyone paying better attention than last week.

Level 1:

• We reviewed your 5 scales: C major, C pentatonic, C contrary motion, G major and G pentatonic.
• We learned how to play in the key of F today. F major has 1 flat - the 4 th note of the scale. The fingering for the right hand is 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4. You don't need your 5th finger to play this scale.
  
• We practiced your songs: Let it be, Happy Birthday, Clementine, Daydream Believer and Ode to Joy.
• At the end of class we played some ear training games (rhythms and melodies) and spent some time improvising in the CMJ program.

Level 2 (Lauren):

• You warmed up with your C major scales, hands separately.
• We reviewed note naming and note values.
• Practiced your songs: Old grey goose, Twinkle, Pop goes the Weasel, On top of Old Smokey.
• Learned a new song, Get Up.
• Your clapping is getting much better and your sight reading as well. Keep up the good work Lauren :)

Over March break please try to playing from any music books you may have at home. This would be excellent piano practice and I would be happy to hear any songs that you can prepare for me, next class Thursday, March 13th.
See you then!

Westmount Elementary School Tues. March 4 12.15-1.15pm

Well done everyone - we had a great class.

Level 1:

• Completed levels 14 and 15 with Scott Joplin.
  
• Talked about 5-finger ant tunnels.
• Practiced 3 and 4-note finger patterns, and talked about notes stepping up and down.
• The Musical Alphabet - practicing finding all the C's and all the F's on your piano at home.
  
• Rhythms - in 4 beat groups and three beat groups (what kind of music always has three beat groups? the waltz).
• New game - The Toy box. Say your musical alphabet both backwards and forwards. A-B-C-D-E-F-G. G-F-E-D-C-B-A.

Level 2:

• Completed level 20 and a bit of level 21.
• Learned the songs "Love Somebody", "Mary had a big fat sheep" and "Ode to Joy" (review with CMJ software at home - click on the computer in the Library).
• New game - Falling Leaves. Find the key on your piano with the correct letter name and the bird will catch the leaf before it touches the ground.
• 3 and 4-note playbacks, as well as rhythm playbacks.

Review the lessons at home if you can this week. Remember to spend some time in the improvisation room the way we do in class, after practicing.
Curved fingers and a steady beat :)

See you next week.

Fleming Tower Elementary School Mon. March 3 2.15-3.15pm

Another great class today.

Level 1: You completed lesson 11 with Scott Joplin. You started working on lesson 12. If you have the CMJ software at home, please review these two lesson and work on the fiver-finger tunes you learned. Makr sure to keep your fingers curved, as if there is a tunnel of ants under your hand. If you flatten your hand the ants will get squished ;)

We practiced rhtyhms and learned a new Leapfrog game. Good work Breagh and Lauren.

Level 2: You completed lesson 18 with Miss Melody today. Well done! Everyone's becoming much more familiar with the musical alphabet. When you practice your songs at home try to think of which letter name your finger is playing. You can start off by setting your hands in Middle C position and naming the letters your right hand plays, going up. Then name the letters your left hand plays, going down.
Practice Folk Tunes for Both Hands. Keep up the excellent treasure hunting with the games too.
Next week everyone will get to play the new game 'Falling Leaves'. (Sergio and Noah got a chance to try this one a little bit today after they finished all their lessons and practice.)

We talked about steps and skips with my violin. Could you hear when the two notes were close together and when they were far apart? You can practice your stepping notes by playing one note after the next in middle C position at home.
What about skipping notes? Remember, that means you skip over one key - for example: going from the note Middle C to E, with your right hand.

See you next time! Parents, I still have certificates and assessment forms from last term for some of you. I don't want to hand them out to the students because the certificate could get bent or crumpled.

Please drop by to see me after class, or send me an Email if you would like me to send the certificate home with your son/daughter. Thanks!