We have had another fantastic school year at Strings, Keys and
Melodies!
Last summer, we had a fun incentive program called Summer Bingo.
The students made bingos as they completed different musical activities
such as practicing at home, putting on mini-concerts for family, listening to
certain composers on YouTube, and composing their own songs.
In August, we had our Summer Recital at Camden Springs Retirement
Home. We had a great turn out even though it was the middle of summer!
And the students played beautifully!
As the school year began in September, we took the time to get to
know one another with a “Music Friend” sheet that had space for listing our
favorite things plus a musical goal. It’s so important for all students
to know why they are playing an instrument and where they want to be in a few
months.
In October we held our Fall Recital at a new retirement home, The
Commons. The home has a beautiful grand piano that was a great experience
to play! Recitals give our students a chance to play for other people as
well as an incentive to perfect their pieces.
In November we continued to have our regular lessons and worked on
note reading, rhythm counting and clapping, and interval naming.
We held our Winter Recital in December at The Carlton Senior
Living. Our students did another outstanding job! Most of the pieces were
Christmas songs, which our audience loved.
For the New Year in January we all wrote out 3 new musical goals
for the next semester. Some of the goals included practicing every day,
composing their own pieces, learning a certain number of songs or just enjoying
music more! We will be going over those goals this week to see how many
we completed!
In March we played our recital to a packed house at The Meadows.
The students played their music while many people listened from all the
way outside the doorway!
In April, we voted for the Spring Recital’s theme. Pop and
Rock won and everyone began picking and choosing their favorite songs. It
was fun and a great learning experience to get out of our regular books to try
something different and maybe a bit harder than usual!
This Sunday, May 7, we held our Spring Recital at Camden Springs.
The students did another fantastic job playing their Pop and Rock songs!
I was so impressed with how well everyone played, their rhythm was super!
The crowd really enjoyed the selection of songs.
This week, I will also be leading the Spring Fling at Jessie Baker Elementary School, a school for students with
special needs. I have taught Music and Movement classes at Jessie Baker
twice a week this school year (for a total of 5 years now). Each class
gets to choose their special song. Then I teach them dance moves and we
work on it all year long. They get to show off their dances at the Spring
Fling. This performance is very special to them, the teachers and me!
This summer, we will continue to have our regular lessons working
on learning new songs, practicing reading music, naming intervals, recognizing
rhythms, memorizing scales, arpeggios and chords, plus other music theory.
We will learn these by playing songs as well as playing fun games and
activities.
This year, I have continued my music education by expanding my
instrument knowledge! My instruments now include: piano, voice, violin,
guitar, ukulele, pennywhistle and the electric guitar. I have purchased a
large amount of new music for all of those instruments for me and my students.
I have also been taking music courses through The Great Courses by music
professor Robert Greenberg, a wonderful professor who has taught at UC Berkeley
as well as the San Francisco Conservatory and other great Universities.
I love music, learning new music and musical instruments and
teaching my students to love music too! I look forward to another great
year of music with all of you!
Ms. Tonya
