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How Far Is It To Bethlehem?
I learned the Christmas hymn “How Far Is It to Bethlehem?” when I was in 4th grade. I remember it because my family moved from Chicago to South Carolina. We began attending a small church in Clemson, SC. That year the children’s choir learned the song “How Far is It To Bethlehem?” for the Christmas program. Recently, I read an article on Frances Chesterton, wife of G. K. Chesterton. She is the author of the poem How Fari Is It To Bethlehem. I still remember most of the words for the hymn. But I didn’t realize it’s beauty and depth until I re-read it now as an adult. Who was Edith Chesterton? The…
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All I Want for Christmas is…
In the lines of that classic Christmas song, “All I want for Christmas…” Well it probably isn’t your two front teeth. But are you looking for Christmas gift ideas to inspire the string player in your life? Over the years parents and grandparents have asked me for some ideas for Christmas. Here are some ideas ranging from books and music to equipment. All I Want for Christmas is a Shoulder Rest Everest shoulder rests come in lots of colors which kids love! Everything from hot pink to light pink, red, dark purple, blue, dark blue, green, light purple, gray and the classic black. Before you order the shoulder rest, you will…
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Snowflake Hornpipe
If you are looking for some good winter music, check out Snowflake Hornpipe. We’ve got snow on the brain here in Colorado. Mostly because we haven’t gotten any! Ski resorts have delayed their opening, and we are all watching the weather forecasts hoping that a few little snowflakes are on the horizon. Well, ok, more than a few, actually we would like a lot of snow. Don’t get me wrong, I am loving the warm fall days full of sunshine, but our parched ground in desperate need of water. So here’s a little music to bring on the snow! Classical Winter Music Composers throughout the centuries have tried to capture and…
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Turkey Dance – Rhythm Worksheet
It’s a great time of year to do a Turkey Dance – Rhythm Worksheet. Here is a new seasonal rhythm worksheet to send home with your students to review. Many students travel during this time of year. So if your students are traveling over the holiday, here is a worksheet that they can take with them even if they can’t take their instrument. It will be a simple and quick review away from the instrument. They will connect the dancing turkey to the turkey on the platter. Match the note with the note value. I haven’t specified what time signature. I am assuming we are in 4/4 time with the…
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The Galaxy Race
Reviewing away from the instrument reinforces fingerboard knowledge, and a game is a great way to review, add variety into practice time, and help visual learners understand the fingerboard.
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No Shortcuts
My husband Matt and I recently hiked to Quandary Peak in Colorado. The sign at the trailhead warned us that this would be difficult, there were unknowns, to be prepared and we should stay on the path. As we hiked up the 6.2 miles to the top, I began to think about how much this sign applied to many aspects of life. I probably would have no students if I put a sign like this up in my studio. Shortcuts? Be warned – There is no easy way to learn an instrument. Be determined – Keep practicing – there are no shortcuts. Be aware – of how you spend your time. Lots of good…
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The Everlasting Song
My mom and I have a new collection of arrangements for violin and piano that was just released this summer, The Everlasting Song. I’m not sure I can describe it any better than what we wrote in the foreword for the book. We are thrilled to share another collection of violin solos with you. We have been collaborating on musical adventures together for the last thirty years as a mother-daughter team. Beginning with those early days of playing all the Twinkle Variations and then creating arrangements of “Jesus Loves Me” and other children’s songs, we have played together in church , at nursing homes, for family concerts, for recitals, and for…
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Music & an Ipad
Here are some ideas to play and perform music with an iPad. I received an iPad as a birthday gift many years ago. One of the first things I did was start researching how I could integrate it into my music life. So now 8 years later it’s almost as necessary as a music stand. Music & an iPad + Worship Services Our worship leader uploads the specific scores into Planning Center Online that we will be using. The Music Stand App is a feature that churches can subscribe to for a small fee. The app is free to download and then allows you to see the order of worship and choose…
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Learning to Learn
learn - gain or acquire knowledge of or skill in (something) by study, experience, or being taught. As the years pass it is easy for teachers to forget what it is like to learn something new for the first time. Since many of us began playing when we were young we can’t remember what it was like not to know that there are groups of two and three black notes on the piano. Or that the bow fits around the spinner when packing up. This summer I decided to practice learning. One skill I had absolutely no knowledge or experience, learning to play guitar. The other skill, swimming, I had…
