Friday, February 19, 2021 by Karina Capp | 2021 Term Updates

Term 1, 2021

Thank you for joining me for another year of wonderful music making and learning. Of course a big welcome to all the new students and families who have joined me this term, I can't wait to get to know you all and see how much progress you all make over the year. Already I have seen some big improvements and achievements made by new and returning students. So well done! Let's keep the good music learning going!

Thank you to all the families who have returned registration forms to me, if you haven't feel free to just email it back to me if that is easier.

New this Term!

This term I am introducing Boom Cards into the studio and for students at home during practice times. Boom cards are a great digital tool to replace theory worksheets and are useful for my beginner students right through to my advanced students. You will soon be emailed a username for your child and password to login to Boom cards where you will find which worksheets or "decks" that have been assigned to your child/ren. They can click on these and have a go completing as many as they can. If you do not receive login details it is because there are no digital worksheets for your child at this time, this will most likely be the case for the very young students I have and new beginners. As they progress there will be some card decks for them to complete too. 

I began trialling Boom cards in the studio in February, 2021 and have already seen some wonderful progress which was able to be applied straight away on the instrument. 

Log - in Steps.

1) Go to link provided in email...Boom Cards (boomlearning.com)

You will see the home page with a button for student login..

2) Click on student sign in...

3) Sign in with Boom..

4) Sign in with the username and password provided to you, and then you will be directed to your child's profile page which will look like this...

5) You can see the "Classroom List" tab and below that it has "Decks Assigned" and there you can see which cards your child has been given to complete. They can click on these and complete them as many times as they like and they will get instant results and feedback as they complete them.

6) More decks will be assigned to your child as they progress and they will be visible underneath each other. Some will be removed when they are no longer needed. They can complete these and older ones whenever they choose and as many times as they like. We will also complete some of them in studio to see how they can recall music notation or rhythm information.

7) Have fun!!!

In focus...

This term, as we welcome students back and welcome new students, our main focus for learning is revising or becoming familiar with note names, finger positions on different instruments and basic skills such as following the contour or shape of the music to help students recognise when the music is going up or down. The knowledge of basic notes combined with reading the shape of the music is a great start and most students are learning this currently or revising this as they continue on with their learning. Most students are also currently learning or revising some foundation rhythm knowledge, and for some this is as basic as long and short sounds/notes, while for others it is using the correct notation names for the rhythms. All of these concepts are touched on in each lesson and added to as we progress through the term. If you have any questions about what your child is learning during the lessons please feel free to email me or catch me for a quick chat before or after the lesson briefly.

What do music lessons look like in the studio?

Each lesson is different for each child, but for the most part I follow a basic plan which stays roughly the same each week. Lessons usually start with technical work i.e, scales or studies for older students and for younger students this will be correct body/hand position to produce sound as well as playing/singing basic notes learnt, some basic revision of concepts learned previously (usually in the last lesson or previous to last lesson), we then play pieces or short works and will usually touch on something new in each lesson. Then I try to encourage as much music listening as possible, because listening is key to a successful music education, so I will often play the students a piece of music from the same instrument as them, sometimes it might be different or with other instruments and we may listen to 1 or 2 excerpts from different pieces. We often have a little discussion about what we notice in the music, whether they like it or not etc. Some beginner lessons will also allocate time to rhythm/beat knowledge, and students will listen to different music and tap the beat or rhythm and learn about different rhythmic patterns. 

Accessing the student portal..

Lastly, the student portal is up and running and I will also send out logins again for this, some of you were accessing this last year as well. It's not essential, but you can pop on there to see the latest news and information from the studio and also to see your child's next upcoming lesson and lesson time. Students can also input their practice time in the practice log - this is a great way for older students to stay accountable as they can see how often they are practicing. I'd encourage all students to pop on there and log their weekly practice sessions so they can see their progress.

You will also find attendance notes and lesson notes in there so you can see any information or new repertoire added into their lessons each week. 

Resources are also available on the portal and I try to update it as often as I can to include new resources. 

February Feel Good...

Had to share this one with you all, a great video of my former colleagues in The Queensland Symphony Orchestra and their experience sharing beautiful music with special needs children. The power of music is phenomenal! This one gave me that warm fuzzy feeling, so grab a cuppa and enjoy!

The Queensland Symphony Orchestra visiting students at Narbethong State Special School 

Thanks again and I look forward to music making for term 1!!

- Karina's Music Studio

  Thursday, October 22, 2020 by Karina Capp | 2020 Term updates

Welcome to Term 4!

A huge welcome to all the new students starting music lessons this term and welcome back to those who are continuing their music learning. I have had a lot of new piano students, flute and vocals and I am so thrilled to see such a variety in musical interests amongst my students. It warms my heart to see so many students smiling as they enter the studio each week and to hear how much they are enjoying their lessons. For those returning students for term 3, it was great to hear your progress over the holidays and I look forward to seeing what we learn this term!

By now you would all have received my updated studio policy and I ask that you all have a read of this when you get the chance. It covers information about my studio including pricing and what to do if you are away from a lesson for a week. Please feel free to approach me or email with any questions you might have regarding this policy as I would love your feedback and any input you would like to have. There are also a few housekeeping items as well so please have a read. 

This term we are once again enjoying face-to-face lessons and while I hope this continues for the term, but if need be we will return to zoom lesson. In the meantime I am have my COVID safe plan and there are a few measures that we are undertaking in studio. Firstly, please encourage your child to use the available hand sanitiser at the front door on the way in and out of lessons, this is to reduce the spread of germs as we use the same piano and make contact with surfaces in the studio. The piano is also wiped down between lessons to stop the spread of germs. Also, in recent studies completed on music instruments and COVID-19, it was found that the Flute is the only instrument which spreads droplets through the air across the room, as opposed to the other wind instruments which project the droplets downwards. I am in the process of creating some face shields for the flute students to use during their time in studio and for myself to use as well so that we reduce the spread of droplets. The room will be well ventilated when the weather permits and we are maintaining our social distance of 1.5 metres. My tuition room allows for 3 people to be attending a lesson. I ask that students keep their distance at the entrance to my studio when being dropped off and collected as well. Hopefully for the rest of the year lessons can continue without much disruption. A copy of my covid safe plan will be available to view in studio or upon request if needed. 

Christmas Music

As a lot of you will know by now, I was hoping to hold a christmas concert at the end of the year for all the families to attend and for the students to have the opportunity to perform in front of their peers. Unfortunately due to the up and down of COVID restrictions, I feel it will be much better if we just put 2020 behind us and hope for a better outcome next year. I have looked into the possibility of a zoom concert as well and I will keep you updated with any information on that, but due to internet connectivity this may also prove to be difficult.

Practise Tips

Photo credit Regina Zona - Music Lessons resource

 

It's true that "Practise makes perfect!" But if you are having trouble with time management, fitting in your practise into a busy weekly schedule or with motivating yourself; here are a few key suggestions to help improve your practise and push you to the next level!

Regina Zona wrote about these top tips in her blog post a few years back and they remain true today:

1. Set Goals for your practise time

2. Keep a practise log (Some more on this later..)

3. Break up your practise time into smaller increments - this one is especially useful for those students who have busy weeks!

4. Remember that practising is not just about playing through your music.

5. Repetition is key!

6. Make sure your practise room is set up for effective practising.

7. Warm up mindfully!

8. Record yourself.

9. Remember that practising isn't just about playing your instrument.

10. Practise something EVERY DAY!

For more on this and Regina's practise tips, read her blog here!

For help logging your practise, my new online portal allows you to enter the time you have practiced each day and you can see a running record as well as you go. Login details for the online portal will be sent out in the coming weeks as well as a tutorial on how to use the portal to get the most out of it. Log in here!

Whats New?

Ukulele Classes at the Golf Club

 

Last term saw the introduction of Ukulele classes to Karina's Music Studio, and they have been such a hit! So far between 7-10 ukulele lovers have been attending each week and it is proving to be a wonderful social get together that is inviting all who have a love of music to have a go at making music. Classes are for players of any level including those who have never held a ukulele before. You don't need to have your own Ukulele as I have spares that I am able to lend out for the classes, so please get along and have a go if you've always been curious about learning an instrument. Ukulele is an easy entry-level instrument that incorporates chords and different strumming techniques and patterns to bring your favourite songs alive. You don't need to be able to read traditional music notation to learn how to play and it really is a lovely hobby to help relieve stress, get social with other ukulele players and enjoy music making. Classes are at 10am each Wednesday at the Golf Club on Hindmarsh street, so we'd love to have you along for some uke fun! Stay tuned to my Facebook page for some up coming photos of my lovely Ukulele class!

Iso-musician in focus...

COVID-19 has seen many of my colleagues interstate and abroad, get creative (or crazy) as they are stuck inside for so long! Musicians are often used to isolation, having spent many hours practising on their own but without an audience many musicians have had to get creative on ways to share their music. 

Here is a family of guitar musicians who have spent their time in isolation arranging new songs together and just generally enjoying music-making! There have been a few families who have told me they would like to have a family band, so here is your challenge!! 

Sheet Music Resources

Stuck for more music?! There are some great apps available and online resources for sheet music if you don't want to order the whole book of a particular artist. Musicnotes is an app which allows you to search for sheet music for different instruments and at beginner or more advanced levels to suit your needs. You can then purchase individual PDF files of sheet music which can be viewed on an iPad for practising and you can also change the settings on the music including changing the key it is in. The app contains thousands of songs from classical, pop, through to jazz and musical-theatre genres. Take a closer look here!

As always I hope you all enjoy your practice and remember to take time to listen to a new song each week!

  Wednesday, April 22, 2020 by Karina Capp | 2020 Term updates

♫ Welcome Back ♫

I would like to firstly say a big thank you to all my students and families for being so adaptable and willing to go along with me during this time. I really appreciate it and it has made the transition to online lessons a breeze!

Some of you have already had your online lessons and some are still yet to have yours, but so far they are working beautifully and the students have impressed me so much with their concentration and willingness to give it a go. This was completely new for me, but I'm busily preparing resources and links to help enhance the lessons each week. Here are a few tips and suggestions for making the online lessons as smooth as possible for you at home so take a look and give it a go!

(Credit: topmusic.co)

Cyber Safety

I will also soon be sending through passwords for all families so that they can use these to securely connect to the Zoom lessons. Due to the vulnerable nature of online activities for children, I am wanting to make our Zoom lessons as safe as possible and password access is another measure to ensure online safety for their learning. I will hopefully have these to you this week!

What's New?

I'm currently working on providing every parent/student access to an online hub so they can view their lessons and notes from me after each lesson. This is taking a little while to navigate but as soon as it is available I will email you with a log in (*fingers crossed*) 

There are also a few apps that I am trialling with access to music notation games, rhythm learning exercises, beat/pulse tapping and also a practice log which will hopefully help to motivate all my students to practice that little bit extra! 

Here are a few of my favourite apps that could be another winner in your household at the moment:

1. Staffwars

A great app for learning notation names in treble and bass clef.

2. Noterush

Note reading made fun! A great way to help students learn to read notes to help them play the piano.

3. Flashnote Derby

A race to the finish line! Each time you guess a correct note name your horse inches closer to the finish line!

4. Rhythm Lab

A great app to reinforce rhythms. Students tap the rhythms onto the ipad or iphone and receive feedback about their results. 

Article in focus: 

For many people music is a great solace during times of stress and during the current situation we all find ourselves in. Whether you enjoy listening to music, dancing to music or engaging in music making, these can all offer valuable stress relieving remedies. 

"Social media is filled with people singing and dancing during social isolation. What is the power of music to help us cope?
 For musicians and performers, this is the perfect opportunity for them to practice, share their music on social media, and use it as a means to connect with the world outside. The good news is, you do not have to be musically inclined to reap the benefits of music! Aside from playing a musical instrument, music listening in itself releases endorphins in your system. When listening to music that you enjoy, dopamine, the “feel-good” chemical and serotonin, the “happy” chemical is released in your brain giving you a sense of pleasure and boosting your mood. Music is a great motivator and music with a strong beat will make you want to move due to a psychological phenomenon called entrainment. This is why so many people listen to music when exercising and dancing. Could you imagine doing these activities without some beats?"

To read the full article click here (credit: Northwestern medicine) 

What are we up to?

Many of my students at this point in their musical learning are improving their ability to read music notation. I have introduced the concepts of FACE and Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit/Fun to all my students so far to help identify notes in the spaces and on the lines in the treble clef, and these take a little while to fully grasp. To help with this I am sending through some fun worksheets to consolidate this concept. As well as this I will also send through a keyboard template with the notes written on it to help students identify the notes on the keys and connect that with the notes on the page. This template can be stuck on a wall above the piano or keyboard in your house or kept on the music stand. 

(Credit: Teacherspayteachers.com)

Tips

Here are 13 great tips to help keep your child motivated to practice! Click here to read the full article 

(Credit: takelessons.com)

I look forward to seeing all my students on Zoom again next week!

Happy practicing and have fun!

- Karina Capp