Blue Bugs #15

NEED TO KNOW

Blue Bugs #15: Thank you, thank you, thank you for an AMAZING first year with your students! Seriously, they are so much fun! (And so are you moms and dads :))

FALL CLASSES: I'm going to send out fall class enrollment information emails next week, and before-class-starts information in August. It's going to be great!

GOOD TO KNOW

SUMMER FUN: Here are some bell activities and some songs they know on the bells. Sometimes it's fun just to play!

SUMMER REVIEW: The Let's Play Music company has put together a summer review booklet. It might have some of the same things that is in the packet I sent home, but will probably be more thorough. The 1st Year Review Packet is $9.99 and can be accessed at this link. It is made to be used in one of two ways. One, you can go through it with your own student. It comes with a parent guide that includes activities and games to correlate with the lessons. Two, it can be part of a teacher-led summer camp. I have been batting around the idea of doing this as a summer camp. If you'd be interested let me know. It's not too late for me to decide to do it!

ANOTHER SUMMER REVIEW OPTION: The Let's Play Music company has also bundled a virtual summer review. They have chosen six lessons that really punch home the heart of the 1st Year curriculum and are offering it as a summer review. Once you purchase the bundle, you will have access to those six lessons to watch as many times as you want for 12 weeks. They videos are engaging and fun, and I've had students watch them over and over. The video review bundles are $40 and you have access to the videos for 12 weeks after purchase. Here is the order link.

GREEN TURTLES MUSIC: Once you register, you should be able to access the music on the app. If you'd rather, here is the link to a Google Drive folder with the recordings. Here is also the link to download the songs if you prefer that route. I'll also have CDs available for anybody who wants one once classes start in the fall.

FUN TO KNOW

Check out this escape room designed especially for First Year Let's Play Music students! It worked better for me on a computer rather than a phone, but I could make it work on both. It was fun for my older kids too! I hope you can help the fox get out of the barn!

Blue Bugs #14

NEED TO KNOW

Blue Bugs #14: I can't believe we're to the end of the year! We have only one class left, and I'm going to miss your students so much! Our final class is a Parent Day, at regular class time. We're gonna have a good time!

END-OF-YEAR-RECITAL: I was so proud of your kids and how they showed off at the recital on Saturday. Way to go!

ALMOST DONE!: There is only one class left! Next week's Parent Day will be a fun review of everything we've done this year.

REGISTRATION: If you haven't completed your registration, here is the information to do so. 

GOOD TO KNOW

PRIMARY CHORD SONG: The new activity this week was singing a broken primary chord on command. The kids sang the correct chord a cappella for me when I held up the colored triangle. They did fantastic! This shows us that their aural brain is internalizing pitches and their ability to sing in tune is developing. These concepts are helping to developing a complete musician. Laying this solid aural foundation now will help your student take dictation in 3rd year and write their own composition.

SUBDIVIDING BUGS: We also tried out another new skill where we subdivide the bugs. Check out the skills video here to do the activity at home!

FUN TO KNOW

There is just no end to the William Tell Overture renditions! This one is a Just Dance routine that is so much fun!

Bugs have helped us learn official music rhythm notation. Here are some fun bug crafts to keep the bug theme going!

Bandage Lightning Bugs

Spoon and Pipe Cleaner Bugs

Blue Bugs #13

NEED TO KNOW

Blue Bugs #13: THANK YOU for sticking it out and getting to all the parent days this year! There is such a different feel to class when you attend and let your kid show off. Can you believe we're almost done?

UPCOMING CALENDAR:

Saturday, April 12: End-of-Year Recital (detail below)

Tuesday, April 15: Class #14: Regular kid-only class

Tuesday, April 22: Class #15: Last class of the year!

TUITION: Thank you for getting your tuition in! If I didn't get a payment, I sent you a request/reminder. If you think you already paid, let me know. I'm good at bookkeeping but I do make mistakes!

REGISTRATION: Thank you to all who have registered for fall classes! It makes it so much easier for me to just be done. You're the best! For those who haven't done it, here's the link to the Registration Information!

LET'S PLAY IT AGAIN: The Let's Play Music company has developed a summer camp curriculum to review concepts learned in the first year of Let's Play Music. While I may do a summer camp one day, I haven't been organized enough to plan that far ahead this year. Let me know if there's interest though and I'll see if it comes together easily! It is set up so that even without a teacher-led camp, you can purchase the digital printable student book and have a bunch of activities to do at home on your own. Check it out here. 

END-OF-YEAR RECITAL: Our End-of-Year Recital will be THIS Saturday, April 12 at 5:00 at the church at 5900 Castle Drive. Your 1st Year students will wear their LPM shirts with black or denim bottoms. The things we do at the recital are the things we did in class this week in our "Mini Recital." It is things they're already singing and playing with their normal stuff, so nothing should be taxing to learn. To make sure everybody feels their best, here is the outline of which kids are doing what things on which songs. 

Recital Practice List

Primary Chords/Chords in Pieces

I'll ask the kids questions about the chords, then we'll all sing.

On Top of Spaghetti

Kids will choose if they want to sing the broken chords part or the melody part.

Can't Bug Me

I'll ask the kids questions about the bugs/notes, then we'll all sing.

Bell Challenge Song:

Each student will have the chance to show off by themselves on the bells. They can choose anything to play. Some kids will take 4 seconds and others will take closer to 30. It all is great. If they don't want to play, they don't have to.

*Major Scale up and/or down

*The "DO-MI-MI  MI-SOL-SOL..." part of Do a Deer

*Dinosaur Song up and/or down

*How to Skip

*The "DO-MI-SOL  DO-MI-SOL  DO-MI-SOL..." of Old Paint

*The "do-sol-do   do-sol-do..." of Are You Sleeping

*The "DO-SOL-DO-SOL-DO-SOL-DO-SOL..." part of A Frog Went a'Hoppin

*The "sol-la-ti-do  sol-la-ti-do..." part of Ants Go Marching

*The "bells up" or "bells down" glissandos

*If there's something else they'd like to do, let me know... we can probably make it happen!

*Most kids will choose a Major Scale and THA'S OKAY! I love that they love the scale.

Puppet Show:

Magic Lamp with scarves

If you can't be there, I will be so sad, but I know it will be okay! The purpose of Let's Play Music happens in class, and the recital is a bonus. 

GOOD TO KNOW

SIGHT READING: This week one of our activities was to sight read the steps or skips from a given note. They did great! This is a crucial skill set needed to develop into a music sight reader. There is a five-line staff in the reference section of your book. You can recreate this activity at home with pennies, raisins, or M&Ms!

FUN TO KNOW

Our "Fox Hunt" puppet show uses one of the most well-known classical pieces ever, Rossini's "William Tell Overture," which was originally written as part of an opera set in Switzerland. It has been adopted and adapted by the modern era and is virtually synonymous with the Lone Ranger. Sometimes the job of a mother feels like the most wild ride of all. Here is a pretty amazing take on what a moms might say set to the tune of the William Tell Overture. I like to believe that my "momisms" are more loving and supportive, but I can't deny the hilarity of this! I think you're doing a GREAT job of mothering!

Blue Bugs #12

NEED TO KNOW

Blue Bugs #12: I am so impressed with how much your children have learned this year. They are pretty fantastic! And we are so close to finishing out the year... just three lessons left!

PARENT WEEK/TUITION DUE: Next week is Parent Week, and the last tuition payment is due. I'll send out invoices this week, and I'll see you in class with your students next week!

END-OF-YEAR RECITAL: Our End-of-Year Recital will be on Saturday, April 12 at 5:00 at the church at 5900 Castle Drive. Your 1st Year students will wear their LPM shirts with black or denim bottoms. The things we do at the recital are things they're already singing and playing with their normal stuff, so there should be nothing extra to "prepare". Here is the outline of which kids are doing what things on which songs. 

Recital Practice List

Primary Chords/Chords in Pieces

I'll ask the kids questions about the chords, then we'll all sing.

On Top of Spaghetti

Kids will choose if they want to sing the broken chords part or the melody part.

Can't Bug Me

I'll ask the kids questions about the bugs/notes, then we'll all sing in the order it is on the recording.

Bell Challenge Song:

Each student will have the chance to show off by themselves on the bells. They can choose anything to play. Some kids will take 4 seconds and others will take closer to 30. It all is great. If they don't want to play, they don't have to.

*Major Scale up and/or down

*The "DO-MI-MI  MI-SOL-SOL..." part of Do a Deer

*Dinosaur Song up and/or down

*How to Skip

*The "DO-MI-SOL  DO-MI-SOL  DO-MI-SOL..." of Old Paint

*The "do-sol-do   do-sol-do..." of Are You Sleeping

*The "DO-SOL-DO-SOL-DO-SOL-DO-SOL..." part of A Frog Went a'Hoppin

*The "sol-la-ti-do  sol-la-ti-do..." part of Ants Go Marching

*The "bells up" or "bells down" glissandos

*If there's something else they'd like to do, let me know... we can probably make it happen!

*Most kids will choose a Major Scale and THA'S OKAY! I love that they love the scale.

Puppet Show:

Magic Lamp with scarves

There's a possibility I may tweak the above songs a bit, but it will definitely be something they've done a lot and I will have it totally decided by classtime next week.

If you can't be there, I will be so sad, but I know it will be okay! The purpose of Let's Play Music happens in class, and the recital is a bonus. Just let me know so I know who to expect :)

REGISTRATION: THANK YOU for getting your registrations done and for communicating with me about your plans for the fall. If you haven't finalized your registration, please do so now at this link!

GOOD TO KNOW

ANTS GO MARCHING: Marching to this fun song helps us practice keeping a steady beat. We also review the cadence pattern sol-la-ti-do. Repetition is key to training the ear!

JUNGLE RHYTHM: We've been exploring our jungle animals for a while now. Here's a skills video from the LPM company to experience this song in another way.

FUN TO KNOW

We have learned so much about the staff this year. The five lines, the four spaces, the skips, the steps, the leaps... But what happens when there is no staff! 

Blue Bugs #11

NEED TO KNOW

Blue Bugs #11: Thank you! For getting fall registrations in, for having great kids, and for being part of my studio!

FALL CLASSES: The most exciting part of 2nd Year is that we get to start on keyboards! Yay! As a reminder, your kids will need access to a piano or keyboard for practice throughout the week. If you don't have a piano accessible, check out this blog post for some thoughts on getting one. 

REGISTRATION: And if you didn't get registered for fall classes yet, here is the link for that. It helps me more than I can tell to get classes set for fall. Also, once classes end, the supplies for fall 2nd and 3rd year classes will ship from the LPM offices to me. If you register after that, there will be an additional fee from the corporate office.

END-OF-YEAR RECITAL: Our End-of-Year Recital will be on Saturday, April 12 at 5pm. 1st Year students will wear their LPM shirts and black or denim bottoms. Among other things, each student will get a "bell spotlight," where they can play whatever they want to on the bells. A major scale, the Dinosaur Song, the Do Mi Mi-Mi Sol Sol part of Do Re Mi, How to Skip, Old Paint, the “bells up” glissandos, etc. some kids with take about five seconds and some closer to 30. I just want everybody to have a chance to shine on what they want. 

We are not a performing group, and the recital is more of a celebration of what we’ve learned rather than the pinnacle of the year’s activities. If your child can’t (or doesn’t want to) participate, is really no big deal. What we do in class is the real payback. With that being said, it would help me to know what folks are not planning on attending so that I can know what to expect for that day. Thank you!!

GOOD TO KNOW

ON TOP OF SPAGHETTI: This week in class we talked about the word "harmony" as we sang "On Top of Spaghetti." The students know that harmony is two different sounds that sound good together. Learning to sing harmony helps them to sing in tune and stay on their part. It develops the inner ear and lays a solid foundation for becoming a complete musician.

MINI TRIANGLES: In class we put together mini chord triangles. Your kids did so great! Some parents asked if you could make them at home. Yes! Here is a link to the files. There are a few options: the triangles with color to print on white paper, or just the outline of the triangles to print on colored paper. You could also print the outlines on white paper and color them. There is also a separate sheet for the black and white solfege notes, unless of course you print on white paper. Then just don't color them! 

SKILLS VIDEO: Check out this skills video from the LPM company that shows the Frog Went a-Hoppin' song! 

FUN TO KNOW

These little frogs LOVE to go a'hoppin'!! Check out this video to make your own hoppin' frog.

Blue Bugs #10

NEED TO KNOW

Blue Bugs #10: I love this point in the year when the kids truly and honestly understand how to read music, how to play it on the bells, and are ready to move forward!

HOORAY FOR SPIRIT WEEK! Thank you so much to those who participatied by sharing about your amazing young musicians! Your student got a thank-you prize in class today and I've loved seeing your shares! It's been delightful for me to see everybody's sharing, and it's always fun to hear from people about how great your kids are doing and to hear from people who want their own kids to be just like yours! If you have local friends with questions, send them to my FAQ-for-new-students page, MusicAdventureswithPaigeMoore.blogspot.com. If they're not local, have them check out letsplaymusicsite.com to find a teacher near them.

REGISTRATION FOR FALL CLASSES: Thank you to those who have registered for next year! If you haven't, head to this link for all the information. Expectations both in and outside of classes are greater when compared to 1st year. I feel confident about where your kids are and advancing them to 2nd year, but am willing to hear if you think they should repeat. This is a checklist of what skills they should have before going to 2nd year.

1. Can sing and sign solfege (mostly) accurately at the same time.

2. Knows the solfege signs.

3. Understands the concept of a step, skip, and a leap on both the staff and the bells.

4. Understands that their claps should match the syllables of the bug names.

5. Usually gains an understanding of new concepts and skills.

6. Usually pays attention during activities.

SPRING BREAK: No classes next week for Spring Break! Check your calendar for any questions, and I'll see you the next week (March 25) for the next parent day!

END-OF-YEAR RECITAL: Our recital will be held on Saturday, April 12 at 5pm. Of those who responded to my survey, it was the preferred date. If you are unable to attend that date, thank you for understanding. First year students will wear LPM shirts (that I will give out during class once they arrive) with denim or black pants/shorts/skirts/leggings. We'll choose performance songs later. Get it on your calendar now!

GOOD TO KNOW

DINOSAUR SONG: Your kiddo is reading music! They played the "Dinosaur Song" on bells while reading the written notation. They did it by looking at the patterns of steps and skips. You should be so proud of them! Here is a Skills Video to get a visual of the Dinosaur Song on the bells if you'd like to see it again!

DICTATION: The homework assignment is the first step of a skill called "dictation," where you write down music that you hear. In 3rd year, I play a few notes on the piano starting on DO and using guiding questions, the kids write what they hear. This is the first step in developing that skill!

FUN TO KNOW

Music changes lives! Check out the musical journey these kids have taken in this video. 

Blue Bugs #9

NEED TO KNOW

Blue Bugs #8: With Spirit Week and Registration starting, this is a full parent note... let's get right to it!

LET'S PLAY MUSIC SPIRIT WEEK: Let's Play Music Spirit Week is all about sharing, and this year I have requested specifically that you share with adding a Google review to my business listing. OH MY GOODNESS THANK YOU to those already submitting Google reviews. I am so grateful, and so humbled by your kind words!

* Here is a link to the flyer I gave out in class in case it got misplaced.

* Here is a link to share a Google review.

* Here is a link to share FAQs of the program and my studio with your local friends. Your not-local friends probably have a Let's Play Music teacher by them, so share with them too! 

* Use the hashtag #WeLoveLPM2025 to see what other folks are sharing on social media. 

* The LPM corporate office is hosting giveaways all month long. Check out their IG (@letsplaymusic_official) or FB (Let's Play Music - Making Musicians) for details on how to enter.

REGISTRATION FOR FALL: Register for 2nd Year! Go to this link to find all the registration information! Also, if you have students who will be 4 before September, they can start 1st Year!

END OF YEAR RECITAL: I will have a date for our end-of-year recital by next week. If you have input for dates you are available, fill out my survey here.

TUITION: Thank you for getting tuition in! If you didn't get it in, I'll send a reminder/request.

GOOD TO KNOW

JUNGLE RHYTHM: We introduced a poster chart for our Jungle Rhythm chant. Seeing the chart visually divide space while hearing the song aurally divide time helps to introduce the student to subdivision of notes.

CAN'T BUG ME: In class this week, we matched the musical notation to our bugs and clapped them (just like they've been doing for a while now). Then I took away the bug pictures and we used just the musical notation! They're so awesome!

FUN TO KNOW

Our new puppet show was written by Giaochino Antonio Rossini, who was born on February 29 (leap day!) in 1792. His father played the horn and his mother was a singer. When he was six years old he joined his father's band as the triangle player. When he was ten, he was often asked to play the piano and sing at church. He began composing and soon became the most celebrated composer of Italian Opera. Our puppet show "The Fox Hunt" is from the William Tell Overture, and originally had nothing to do with horses, but was used in The Lone Ranger which added to the fun. This famous piece has been adopted and adapted by musicians around the world. Take a gander at few fun ones! Here is the link to the printable mini puppets and the link to the coloring pages. 

Here are two silly guys with a melodica.

And here's a "Lone Ranger meets Metal" rendition.

And here's a clip from the Let's Play Music virtual classes!