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!

Registration for fall classes!

FALL CLASSES 2025

BRAND NEW FIRST YEARS: Hooray! I'm so excited for you to start your Let's Play Music journey! At this point, I'm going to open two classes. One on Tuesdays from 11-11:45 and one on Tuesdays from 12:30-1:15. (I may also add another class on Wednesday morning, depending on input from families, so let me know if that would help you.) During first year, parents come to every other class, and younger siblings are not invited.

FIRST YEARS GOING TO SECOND YEAR: I am planning on two 2nd year classes. One will be on Wednesdays from 2-2:50, and the other on Wednesdays from 4:10-5:00. Depending on a few different things (including the decision of transfer students I've been in contact with), I may add a third class from 3-3:50. Parents come to class only once a month (rather than every other week like in 1st Year), and siblings are still not invited to attend classes.

SECOND YEARS GOING TO THIRD YEAR: I am planning on two 3rd year classes. At this point, I have them scheduled on Tuesdays, one from 3:00-4:00, and the other on Tuesdays from 4:15-5:15. Based on input from the survey, I think (hope!) that these times will work for two balanced classes. If not, I will plan on shifting the start time of both classes 15-30 minutes later. I know some of you requested an early class, so that's why I'm starting with earlier times.  Parents come to class only once a month like in 2nd year, and siblings are still not invited to attend classes.

ALL STUDENTS: I am hoping that your family can fit somewhere into these options. If not, please let me know. I can't fit everyone's preferences and schedule into my calendar, and some may have to look at transferring to other teachers, but I have learned that more communication is better than less during this process. I may ask you sometime between registration and classes starting if you are able to switch do a different time option. If I do, know that I'm just gathering information to try to accomodate the most students. If a change would work for you, great. If not, don't feel bad about that. Scheduling is pretty tricky, and I chant my "It will all work out" mantra regularly during this time of year! Classes will start the week of August 19/20.

STEP ONE: REGISTRATION FEE

The registration fee is $25 per student and covers my sundry office fees like copies, T-shirts, beads, stickers, pins, balloons, corporate student support fees, random supplies, end-of-year recital stuff, etc. 

Because I really really want to get people registered and be able to move my focus back to teaching, I am going to waive this registration fee for any new or returning student who registers in the month of March. If it's still March, then go on to step 2!

Here is my venmo link to pay the registration fee.

STEP TWO: ENROLL AND ORDER MATERIALS

1. Go to my registration page at this link.

2. Select your classtime and enter my enrollment ID: 95761

3. Log in using your LetsPlayMusic account info.

4. When ordering materials, check which BUNDLE you'd like from the drop down menu. If this is your first child going through Let's Play Music, you'll need the FULL SET. If you have had older kids go through the program, you already have access to the recorded music on the app, so choose the SIBLING SET. Everything you need is included in the BUNDLES, so don't select any extras unless you want multiple of the same item.

For 2nd and 3rd Years, the only difference between the full set and the sibling set is access to the audio. The sibling bundles include both the 2nd year bubble hands and the 3rd year flashcards for your younger students, so you don't need to order those unless you want multiple.

For 1st Year, the full set contains everything (booklets, tote bag, audio access, bells, and bug cards), and the sibling bundle includes only the booklets and the tote bag. The sibling set does NOT include audio access, but if you are looking at the sibling set option, you still have access from your earlier students. The sibling set does not include the bells or the bug flashcards. If you don't have your original student's bells or bug flashcards, order an additional set of these.

LET ME KNOW 

If you have any questions or issues with the registration site, let me know! From other teachers' reports, it seems to be working very smoothly this year. I hope that's your experience!

TUITION RATES

*Tuition for all students will be $70/month for 8 months, or $280/semester for 2 semesters each year. This tuition level will remain in place for the three years of your student's Let's Play Music journey.

*The first tuition payment will be due the first week of class on August 19.

Blue Bugs #8

NEED TO KNOW

Blue Bugs #8: We have a lot of fun on parent days, but it's a whole different brand of fun on students-only days! We had a blast this week!

END-OF-YEAR RECITAL: If you didn't do it last week, please fill out my quick survey on dates for the end-of-year recital! So far, Saturday, April 12 is the overwhelming best day. I'll still take input to make sure it's the best for the most, but for now I'm leaning towards that!

REGISTRATION FOR FALL: Registration for fall classes opens next week during Spirit Week. My plan at this point is to have two 2nd Year classes. From the information I have now, my current plan is to have two class on Wednesdays, one during school hours from 2ish-2:50ish, and the other after school from 4:15ish-5:05ish. If you have any input about these timeframes, please let me know. I can't promise that I'll be able to change everything, but it would help me to have all the information. Know that invariably, I have students transfer to and from different area teachers due to class scheduling. It will all work out. And thank you! Scheduling fall classes is the hardest part of this. 

SPIRIT WEEK: And that means that next week is Spirit Week! I love Let's Play Music, and I truly believe it is the best music education introduction for your children! Spirit Week gives us a way to easily show off how awesome Let's Play Music students and parents are. We'll talk about it in class next week, and you and your student will leave with flyers explaining everything! There is also an online contest each week from the corporate office. The first week's prize is a $200 tuition voucher for next fall! Find details on Instagram (@letsplaymusic_official) or Facebook (Let's Play Music - Making Musicians).

PARENT WEEK: Spirit Week always falls on a Parent Week, and the third installment of tuition is due. I'll send an invoice later this week, and I'll see you and your student in class!

GOOD TO KNOW

CHORDS IN PIECES: As we sang this song this week, we left out some of the chords and audiated them in our heads instead of singing them aloud. There is so much development happening in their brains!

BUG RHYTHMS: We mixed up the order of the bugs while we chanted and clapped the bug rhythms. Your amazing kiddos are learning so quickly!

FUN TO KNOW

BINGO is one of the new songs we started the week. It's a classic, and there's a lot musically going on in the song. Audiation, steady rhythm, bug rhythms, harmonic patterns, and maybe an existential crisis?

 

Blue Bugs #7

NEED TO KNOW

Blue Bugs #7: Thanks for coming to class this week!

PUPPET SHOW COLORING PAGES: We used the Puppet Show coloring pages as a puppet show activity in a came I call "One Color Character." Some of the students wanted to color the pages on their own with whatever colors they wanted. Here is a link to the printable pages if you'd like!

HOW TO SKIP: For extra help on playing this song on your bells, check out this clip from the virtual LPM lessons as a Skills Video!

END OF YEAR RECITAL: Our End-of-Year Recital is going to be so much fun! This is a fun chance to show off the things your student has learned. We're not a performing group, but it is definitely time for celebration. I know we'll never get a date where every single student and family member will be able to attend, so I thank you ahead of time for understanding. I would like to get a date on the calendar soon, so please fill out this form and I'll choose one that the most students can attend!

GOOD TO KNOW

I'VE BEEN TO HARLEM: We use the DO-MI-SOL bells and play them at the same time to make a MAJOR red chord. The blue and hellow chords are also major. We call major the "happy" sound. If we change the middle bell, we can make the chord sound minor, or "sad." We are training the ears to recognize the difference between the two tonalities. This helps your student to recognize that music can express emotions and influence listeners. When we change the red chord to minor with the bells, I change the E to an Eb. You don't have an Eb with your bell set, but the D chord on your bells (D F A) is naturally minor. If your student wants to play a minor chord on the bells, use those!

DINOSAUR SONG: We introduced this song and traced the spikes on the dinosaur's back. The more senses we use in learning, the more our brains cement the concepts.

STAFF SKILLS: I always get a little amazed at this point in the semester at how much the kids have learned! They can totally read music on the staff and play it on the bells! Ahhhh! It's a miracle what can happen when small and simple things occur on a daily and weekly basis. Keep up the good work!

FUN TO KNOW

In the Parent Notes for Blue Bugs #2, the Fun to Know section has a video of a visual of what is happening on stage during the Triumphal March of Aida, our current puppet show. Here is a video showing a full orchestra playing the piece. It's so interesting to see which instruments make which sounds! Share it with your Blue Bug in a cuddle moment!