A Peak Into Your Child’s Next Piano Lesson - Mozart’s Memo - Volume 72

Feature Article - A Peak Into Your Child’s Next Piano Lesson

By Pamela Cornell, Director

Now that Fall classes are underway, you may be wondering what exactly is happening in your child’s piano class. Let’s take a peek and find out!

Welcome Moment

As your child enters the classroom, he is greeted with a smile from his teacher. Then they start the class with something familiar. For a preschool student, it might be color-coding their fingers - something playful, but also helpful when playing their new song for the day. For ages five and six, it might be a rhythm review, and for our older kids, it will probably be a keyboard review. These reviews are meant to redirect your child’s attention to the class, remind them of what they previously learned and excite them about what is to come.

Engaging Game or Activity

Our teachers have many ways to present new material, but our favorite always includes physical involvement from the students in a game or activity. For example, the teacher may call out a letter and the students would have to place their marker/stone on that key on the piano keyboard. Then the teacher mixes up the stones and the students have to place it back on the correct key. Sometimes our teachers get really silly and have the students do other tasks, like three jumping-jacks, then place your stone on the correct key, or go touch something in the room that starts with the same letter. This additional movement actually helps students learn and remember as well as providing a fun, learning environment.

One-on-One at the Piano

After the group activity, the students settle into a more individual activity such as a worksheet reinforcing the concept for the day, or maybe working in partners in a similar keyboard game. While doing the individual activities, the teacher takes each student, one-on-one, to the piano to review previous music and learn something new. Our goal is a new song each week, but some students like to play more and will do several songs a week. Other students have many activities besides piano and only play during the class time. It doesn’t matter who your child is or how they process new information. The teacher will meet them right where they are at and help them learn a concept that is just right for them. For our older students, individual time with the teacher is followed by their own jam time on the practice piano. Ideally, the student is practicing what they just learned with their teacher, but some students take this time to create something new or review music they’ve already learned. The key here is that they are having fun and enjoying whatever music they are playing. This is a big factor in motivating them to continue playing each week.

Celebrating Accomplishments

Once all the students have had a chance to play with the teacher, they come together for a final review or recap of the day’s objective. This is when the teacher reviews their paperwork, acknowledges their understanding so far and congratulates them for their hard work and cooperation during the class.

Looking Ahead

That love of learning continues long after class is over. Music becomes part of a child’s world when it feels close, familiar, and easy to reach. Listening to classical music at home helps children develop a natural ear for sound and rhythm and a practice area that feels welcoming can make all the difference. A piano placed in a central spot where family life happens invites your child to play often. Some parents add a few special touches, like displaying earned musical certificates or brag tags by the piano, as an encouraging reminder of their child’s accomplishments.

Even if a child is not currently in a class, the love of music can still grow beautifully at home. The Crescendo Kids Online program offers the same caring instruction and quality curriculum as the in-person classes, with lessons that are tailored to each child’s unique learning style and musical interests. It is a simple, easy, and convenient way to keep music part of your child’s everyday life.

To learn more or enroll, visit https://www.moveovermozart.net/crescendo-kids-online

Your Comments And Questions

We want to hear from you!  What questions do you have? What do you like best about this memo? How has our online lessons benefitted your child? Please leave your questions and comments below or email Pam directly at misspam@moveovermozart.net