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Power of Listening
I got to play Peter and the Wolf Saturday for the family/kids concert. to It took me back to laying on the floor in front of our stereo system staring at the LP jacket of the recording and playing with the carpet. I listened to that record so many times! It’s amazing how imbedded that interpretation is in my mind all these years later. A few spots “felt” wrong to me Saturday just because it was different than what was on that recording. 🤣 (don’t worry I played what I was supposed to!) I was reminded: never underestimate the power of listening – especially as a kid!
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Hymn Settings for 2 Violins
Celebrate with us Horsehair Music’s newest publication, Immortal, Invisible: Hymn Settings for 2 Violins with Piano Accompaniment. This is a new collection of 10 violin duets. If COVID taught us anything, it is that playing music together is a gift to be enjoyed. These duets will be a great addition to any setting. Shop Now Titles include: This Is My Father’s World Be Still My Soul Immortal Invisible God Only Wise Christ Arose (Lo in the Grave) Like A River Glorious Rock of Ages Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah (with Apples in Winter) Hark the Herald Angels Sing The Love of God Sleepers Awake (Wachet Auf) Listen to Full Length…
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Primer Level
The Magic of Music Theory Primer level is now available at Amazon.com as well as ingramspark.com! This Primer level is perfect for the student who is age 6-10 who has started reading notes or is ready to begin reading. Incorporating the concepts taught in the pre-reading series. Students review pitch placement for the basic finger pattern for all 4 strings. New for this level is learning A and E string notes on the staff. Basic note values of quarter, half, dotted half and whole notes are reviewed. New for this level, 2 beamed eighth notes are introduced for students to recognize and draw. New in Primer level students will draw…
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Spot It!
Here is a new game, Spot It! to help students with terms. My students have struggled recently with knowing what the symbol is actually called. They know what does but the actual term often eludes them. So here’s a game to help them brush up on those terms. Based on the game in the U.S.A. known as Spot It, but in other countries as Dobble. Students have to find the symbol on their card that matches the card in the middle and say the name of the symbol. This version uses basic symbols for all music reading. So this version of Spot It is not string player specific. Download Spot…
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Music Theory for Little Violinists
I’m really excited to tell you that my NEW music theory workbooks are available this summer. The PreReading series has just been released. Primer, Book 1 and Book 2, will be available Fall 2024. My students have been testing out these pages and lessons for the last 5 years. I told my husband this is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever attempted, not because the subject matter is hard, but explaining concepts in concise clear, and engaging manner was a challenge. I want a 4 or 5 year old or a non-musical parent to be able to understand. Lesson time is valuable and already rather full. So, I wanted each…
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Is My Student Ready for Book 3?
One of my students is finishing up learning the last piece in Suzuki Book 2, Minuet by Boccherini, and we’ve been asking the question “Is my student ready for Book 3?” I actually posed this question to her a couple weeks ago. I wanted to know what she was thinking. She immediately said she didn’t think she was ready for Book 3. I think she has learned the technique points and could be ready for Book 3, but I found it interesting that she didn’t think she was ready. So, I’m taking a cue from her and we are going to do some supplemental literature this summer that is at…
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Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet – Florence Price
With February as Black history month, there are more and more resources that are being produced to help teachers and students explore this part of music history . Here is a Great Composers Note Reading Worksheet on the American female composer, Florence Price. While Florence Price’s music is too advanced for the beginner. Here is note reading worksheet to introduce her name and a little bit about her for the student working on identifying note names. The violin worksheet covers notes on the A and E strings. The viola and cello worksheets cover pitches on the D and A strings. For the teacher using this in an orchestra setting, the…
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La Folia – Variation 7 Rhythm
I have a student working on La Folia. We got to variation 7. She worked through it and her counting the next week wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t exactly accurate. Rather than having her write the counting into her book and clutter up the page with information I wanted her to have in her head I created this worksheet. I took out the pitches and took out the bowing. This allowed her to focus on the counting alone. Working in 2 measure groups I had her write in the counting and then play it counting out loud on open D. The first run through of the 2 measure phrase we…
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How To Draw a Bass Clef
Here is a worksheet for kids to learn how to draw a bass clef. I think the bass clef is the easiest of all the clefs to learn to draw. The important part to remember is where the dots go, and that the bottom of the half of the heart doesn’t touch the bottom line. I also like teaching bass clef because it reinforces where bass F is. The large dot is an easy visual reminder and marker to help them remember F! Here are a couple of talking points when you are introducing bass clef to violin students. What does bass mean? How do you pronounce bass? (It’s not like…
