In the realm of home education, teaching music can feel like a daunting task, especially for moms who may not consider themselves musically inclined. However, with the right approach, any parent can become an effective music teacher for their kids. If you're a mom who feels like her kids are more musically inclined than you are, fear not!
Here are six expert tips to help you navigate the world of music education at home with confidence (from a music teacher mama):
- Embrace Your Role as a Guide: Your musical journey with your children begins by understanding that you don't need to be a virtuoso. Think of yourself as a guide, introducing your children to the world of music, helping them explore different genres and exposing them to new songs, providing support and encouragement and showing them you are learning along the way with them.
- Start with the Basics: Begin by laying a solid foundation in music theory, covering essential elements such as rhythm, melody, and harmony. Engage your children with interactive games, fun songs, and hands-on activities to make learning enjoyable and effective. Don't know where to begin with that? Check out the Classical Collective Membership for resources.
- Make Use of Resources: Leverage the wealth of resources available online to support music education at home. From interactive tutorials and educational apps to lessons and community music groups, there's something for every age and skill level. These resources can enrich your children's learning experience and provide valuable support for you as a parent-teacher.
- Encourage Creativity: Nurture your children's creative expression through music by encouraging them to compose their own songs, experiment with different instruments, and even craft homemade musical instruments from household items. Emphasize the joy of exploration and self-expression, fostering a love for music that goes beyond rote learning.
- Lead by Example: Set a positive example for your children by actively engaging with music in your daily life, showing them you are also a lifelong learner! Listen to a variety of musical genres together, sing and dance, read them songtales, attend live performances, and demonstrate that music is something to be enjoyed and celebrated as a family together.
- Be Patient and Persistent: Above all, remember that learning music is a journey that requires patience and persistence. Celebrate your children's progress, no matter how small, and encourage them to persevere through challenges. By fostering a supportive and nurturing environment, you can inspire a lifelong passion for music in your children.
Teaching music at home can be a rewarding experience for both you and your children, regardless of your musical background. By embracing your role as a guide, starting with the basics, utilizing resources, encouraging creativity, leading by example, and maintaining patience and persistence, you can instill a lifelong love of music in your children and grow your own skill and confidence along the way. So, don't hesitate to start this musical adventure together and discover the joy of making music at home!
As homeschooling parents, one of the joys of educating our children is the opportunity to explore lesser-known facets of history, culture, and the arts. While the works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Strauss (to name a few famous composers) are undeniably influential, there exists a treasure trove of lesser-known classical composers whose contributions are equally deserving of recognition. Here, we touch briefly on the lives and music of five hidden gems that every homeschooling parent should discover, enriching their children's educational journey with diverse sounds and stories. If you're interested in learning more about these composers and others, check out The Classical Collective Membership!
1. Clara Schumann (1819-1896)
Clara Schumann was not only a virtuoso pianist but also a gifted composer whose works are celebrated for their emotional depth and technical brilliance. As one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era, Clara's compositions offer a window into her inner world, marked by passion, longing, and resilience. Introduce your children to Clara's piano music, including her charming character pieces and poignant lieder compositions. Explore Clara's remarkable life as a pioneering female artist, navigating the challenges of love, motherhood, and artistic fulfillment in a male-dominated world.
2. Florence Price (1887-1953)
Florence Price was a trailblazing African-American composer whose music defied racial barriers and prejudice to leave an indelible mark on American classical music. Price's compositions blend elements of African-American spirituals, jazz, and European classical tradition, creating a unique and vibrant musical tapestry. Price's symphonies, piano concertos, and chamber music explore themes of identity, heritage, and social justice. Discuss Price's groundbreaking achievements as the first African-American woman to have her music performed by a major symphony orchestra, inspiring future generations of composers and performers.
3. Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)
Fanny Mendelssohn, the older sister of Felix Mendelssohn, was a remarkably talented composer whose gifts were overshadowed by the societal constraints placed on women in the 19th century. Despite facing obstacles to her musical career, Fanny left behind a wealth of exquisite compositions that deserve recognition and appreciation. Introduce your homeschoolers to Fanny's piano music, chamber works, and choral compositions, revealing her lyrical melodies, harmonic richness, and emotional depth. Explore Fanny's complex relationship with her family, her struggles for recognition as a composer, and her enduring legacy as a pioneer for women in music.
4. Amy Beach (1867-1944)
Amy Beach was a pioneering American composer whose music reflects the spirit of her time while breaking new ground in form and expression. As one of the first American women to achieve widespread recognition as a composer, Beach's works encompass a wide range of genres, from symphonic tone poems to intimate chamber music. Introduce your children to Beach's piano music, songs, and orchestral compositions, immersing them in her lush harmonies, evocative melodies, and inventive structures. Discuss Beach's role as a trailblazer for women in music and her contributions to the American classical tradition, inspiring future generations of composers and performers.
5. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer whose vivid orchestration, exotic harmonies, and evocative storytelling captivated audiences around the world. While Rimsky-Korsakov is known for his orchestral showpieces like "Scheherazade" and "Capriccio Espagnol," his contributions to Russian opera are equally noteworthy. Rimsky-Korsakov's operas highlight tales of magic, adventure, and folklore that showcase his mastery of melody and orchestral color. Discuss Rimsky-Korsakov's role in the Russian nationalist movement and his influence on subsequent generations of composers, shaping the course of future Russian classical music.
By introducing your children to these five lesser-known classical composers, you open the door to a world of musical discovery, cultural enrichment, and artistic inspiration. Embrace the diversity of voices and stories that enrich the tapestry of classical music, fostering curiosity, empathy, and creativity where otherwise you may not have heard of these fascinating musicians. And if you're interested in learning more about these composers and other lesser-known musicians, check out The Classical Collective Membership!
In the realm of classical homeschooling, music holds a special place. From fostering creativity to enhancing cognitive development, the incorporation of music into your daily life and homeschool can enrich your and your child(ren)'s experience in countless ways. If you're looking for fresh and inventive ideas to infuse music into your classical homeschooling routine, here's a few ideas that work for my family and the families I guide!
10 creative ways to integrate music into your homeschooling journey:
1. Composer Study Sessions: Delve into the lives and works of classical composers through biographies and musical contributions. Choose engaging narratives that bring composers to life and encourage your children to narrate back their life story and what they've learned in their own words.
2. Musical Storytime: Select classic children's books with musical themes or adaptations of famous musical compositions or folk songs. Encourage your children to narrate their understanding of the stories and discuss the emotions evoked by the music and how it helps tell the story.
3. DIY Instrument Making: Engage in hands-on exploration by crafting simple musical instruments. Encourage your children describe the sounds produced by their homemade instruments and the principles of sound they've discovered. You could even connect it to a book you're reading by acting out part of the story using vocal and instrument sounds with what you created!
4. Music and Movement: Integrate music into physical education by exploring the connection between music and movement. Encourage your children to express themselves and the various elements of what they are listening to through movement while listening to a wide variety of styles and genres of music. This DVD gives some great examples!
5. Historical Music Exploration: Explore different historical periods through books that show the cultural and musical developments of each era and how they are connected. Encourage narration as your children retell the stories of how historical events influenced musical styles and composers. Create a Book of Centuries (or timeline journal) and encourage your children to add the composers and musical time periods and eras to it as they learn.
6. Virtual & In-Person Concert Field Trips: Take virtual field trips (or live ones!) to concerts, operas, or musical performances around the world -- beforehand, provide context and background information. Encourage your children to narrate their impressions of the performances and discuss the elements that stood out to them afterwards.
7. Music Journaling: Encourage your children to keep a music journal where they can write or draw their impressions of various pieces of music. Ask them to describe how the music makes them feel or what imagery it invokes in their minds.
8. Collaborative Music Projects: Foster teamwork and creativity by organizing collaborative music projects. Encourage your children to compose their own songs, create musical arrangements, or even form a family band. Emphasize the importance of communication and the value of working together and compromise (if needed) in the creative process.
9. Music in Language Arts: Integrate music into language arts studies by exploring the intersection of music and literature. Analyze song lyrics as poetry, explore the use of symbolism in music, or even try your hand at writing song lyrics inspired by literary works.
10. Music Appreciation Picnics: Take your lesson outdoors with music appreciation picnics. Pack a basket of snacks, a blanket, and your favorite music selections, classical selections are fun to do this way. Enjoy listening to music (and add in the movement!) while discussing your favorite compositions and composers.
Do you have any creative ways to integrate music into your homeschooling or daily routines? Share your ideas in the comments below!
Intrigued by some of the ideas above, but don't know where to begin? Simple systems of how to implement these and much more will be included in the Classical Collective Membership! Sign up here to learn more and for pre-launch sale details.
Intrigued by some of the ideas above, but don't know where to begin? Simple systems of how to implement these and much more will be included in the Classical Collective Membership! Sign up here to learn more and for pre-launch sale details.
When teaching our children (especially in classical education or charlotte mason methods), we often emphasize the importance of exposing them to rich literature from an early age. We recognize the profound impact that books can have on their development, nurturing their imagination, and expanding their worldview. However, just as literature holds a special place in a child's intellectual diet, so too does music play a crucial role in shaping their hearts and minds.
In the words of Charlotte Mason (found in this book), "to introduce children to literature is to install them in a very rich and glorious kingdom." Similarly, introducing children to rich and wholesome songs can open the doors to a world of beauty, inspiration, and cultural richness. Just as we carefully select books that reflect our values and ideals, what's often called living books, we should be mindful of the songs we choose to share with our children.
Children's interaction with music should begin from the earliest moments of their lives. Just as we surround them with books, we can surround them with music that is uplifting, meaningful, has a beautiful melody and accompaniment or a cappella, and enriching. From lullabies sung in the cradle to nursery rhymes and folk songs, every musical encounter shapes a child's understanding of the world around them.
The benefits of exposing children to rich and wholesome songs are manifold. Firstly, music has the power to evoke emotions and stir the soul in ways that words alone cannot. Through songs, children learn about love, joy, sadness, and resilience. They develop empathy and compassion as they empathize with the characters and stories woven into the fabric of each melody.
Singing rich and wholesome songs also cultivates a sense of community and belonging. Whether singing with family members, friends, or classmates, children experience the joy of shared expression and collective harmony. In a world often fragmented by differences and the loneliness of technology, music has the unique ability to unite us across cultural, linguistic, and social divides.
Exposure to a diverse repertoire of songs introduces children to different musical styles, traditions, and cultures. Just as we encourage them to explore the vast expanse of literature, we should encourage them to explore the rich tapestry of musical heritage from around the world. From classical masterpieces to traditional folk tunes, from spirituals to contemporary compositions, each song offers a unique window into the human experience.
In a society where children are bombarded with commercialized and often superficial music geared specifically to children, it is more important than ever to curate a musical environment that nourishes their hearts and minds. As parents and parent-teachers, we have a responsibility to provide children with the tools they need to navigate the world with wisdom, integrity, and compassion. By singing rich and wholesome songs, we can instill in them a love of beauty, a reverence for truth, and a deep appreciation for the realities of humanity.
Just as Charlotte Mason advocated for the importance of introducing children to literature from a young age, so too should we prioritize the introduction of rich and wholesome music into their lives. Music has the power to inspire, uplift, and transform, and by singing together, we can create a more harmonious and compassionate world and thoughtful human beings for generations to come.
Find this helpful but don't know where to start? Stay tuned for some more great training coming down the pipeline! Sign up for updates here.
Sight Singing and Ear Training are fundamental skills in music education. Most colleges teach it over the course of a few different classes, and many people view it as skills you can't teach until middle school or later... but I love teaching these skills to students as young as 2nd grade (who are already tuneful, beatful, and artful!) in as little as 5 minutes per day. It can be done well and creatively so that students experience it in a joyful, fun way.
Sight singing is the ability to read and sing a piece of music at first sight without having heard it before. It involves translating the written musical notation into vocal sounds. This ideally is done AFTER having some foundational skills built first, namely ear training skills.
Skills Involved:
- Note Recognition: The ability to identify and sing the correct pitches indicated in the musical score.
- Rhythm Recognition: Being able to interpret and execute the rhythm of a piece accurately.
- Interval Recognition: Recognizing the distance between two pitches, which helps in accurately reproducing melodies.
- Key and Scale Recognition: Understanding the key signature and scale of a piece, which guides the performer on which notes to sing.
- Phrasing and Articulation: Interpreting the musical notation to convey musical expression, including dynamics, tempo, and articulation.
Ear training, also known as aural skills, involves developing the ability to identify and reproduce musical elements solely by hearing them. This includes melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre. My goal is always to develop the musical ear before the musical eye.
Skills Involved:
- Pitch Recognition: Identifying individual pitches and intervals between them.
- Melodic Dictation: Hearing a melody and writing it down in musical notation.
- Harmonic Analysis: Recognizing and identifying chords and chord progressions in a musical piece.
- Rhythmic Dictation: Hearing a rhythm and notating it accurately.
- Chord Progression Recognition: Identifying the sequence of chords in a piece of music.
- Transcription: Listening to a piece of music and notating it in sheet music form.
Both ear training and sight singing are essential for any musician who wants to perform, compose, or arrange music. It enables musicians to effectively communicate and collaborate with others. Musicians with strong sight singing and ear training skills can adapt to various musical styles and genres. These skills empower musicians to improvise and create their own music. It hones the ability to critically analyze and appreciate music. Both sight singing and ear training are skills that can be developed and honed through consistent practice and training. They are vital components of a well-rounded musical education.
Conversational Solfege is a system of 12 steps that addresses these needs first by ear and then adding the eye and symbols to it to develop a person's musical mind and musical thinking in a playful, creative way!
To learn more about Conversational Solfege, check it out here. And here are the flash cards I use that go with the CS units. I'm happy to chat more about CS as well, it's a passion of mine to use this well-created resource to help develop young musicians.
Conversational Solfege is a system of 12 steps that addresses these needs first by ear and then adding the eye and symbols to it to develop a person's musical mind and musical thinking in a playful, creative way!
To learn more about Conversational Solfege, check it out here. And here are the flash cards I use that go with the CS units. I'm happy to chat more about CS as well, it's a passion of mine to use this well-created resource to help develop young musicians.
Teaching music to toddlers is incredibly beneficial for their overall development.
Here are several reasons why (if you're a parent or a music teacher, read on!):
1. Cognitive Development:
- Enhances Memory and Recall: Learning music involves memorizing patterns, melodies, and lyrics, which helps improve memory skills.
- Develops Problem-Solving Skills: Figuring out rhythms, notes, and melodies encourages analytical thinking and problem-solving.
2. Language Development:
- Expands Vocabulary: Through song lyrics, toddlers are exposed to a wider range of words and phrases.
- Improves Pronunciation: Singing helps with speech development, enunciation, and pronunciation.
- There's research that shows that being able to keep a steady beat actually helps with language development and future reading skills!
3. Motor Skills:
- Fine Motor Skills: Playing instruments like drums, xylophones, or even simple hand clapping exercises fine motor skills.
- Gross Motor Skills: Dancing and moving to music helps with coordination and balance. Crossing midline is very important for future motor planning, which clapping and other movements that are musical can help with (like keeping the beat activities I use with my early childhood classes!).
4. Emotional Expression:
- Encourages Emotional Expression: Music provides an outlet for children to express their feelings, which can be particularly helpful for those who may not have the verbal skills to do so.
- Music can help calm a worried or sad child.
5. Social Skills:
- Promotes Cooperation: Group activities like singing in a choir or playing in an ensemble teach children how to work together towards a common goal. It teaches them how to start together with a group and builds teamwork.
- Encourages Communication: Sharing musical experiences encourages interaction and communication among peers.
6. Mathematical Understanding:
- Introduces Basic Math Concepts: Rhythm and beat introduce foundational mathematical concepts like counting, patterns, and divisions of time.
7. Cultural Appreciation:
- Introduces Diversity: Music exposes toddlers to different cultures, traditions, and musical styles from around the world, fostering cultural appreciation and understanding.
8. Creativity and Imagination:
- Fosters Creativity: Music allows for self-expression and encourages creativity as toddlers experiment with sounds and melodies.
- Stimulates Imagination: Singing and playing with instruments can stimulate imaginative play. Arioso (a type of solo singing I use in my classes) is a great place to show this!).
9. Boosts Confidence and Self-Esteem:
- Positive Reinforcement: Learning and performing music in front of an audience can boost a child's confidence and self-esteem. I have seen SO many students grow in this area in my time with them.
10. Stress Reduction and Relaxation:
- Emotional Regulation: Music can have a calming effect, helping toddlers manage stress and anxiety. They can process sadness or learn to wait through songs too.
11. Foundation for Future Learning:
- Prepares for Formal Education: Early exposure to music can provide a strong foundation for future music education and learning other subjects.
12. Enjoyment and Fun:
- Promotes Happiness: Music is inherently enjoyable and brings joy to children's lives.
It's important to note that the benefits of teaching music to toddlers are maximized when it's approached in a fun, age-appropriate, and engaging way. Activities should be adapted to suit their developmental stage and interests, and should never feel like a chore. Ultimately, music offers a holistic approach to early childhood development, nurturing cognitive, emotional, and social skills in an enjoyable and enriching way.
If you're a parent looking to find classes for your toddler or baby, check out my offerings on my website menu above!
Can I teach music without a degree?
This is a great question! The very short answer is YES.
The long answer requires asking some more questions, such as...
- Are you referring to having no music degree or to having any undergraduate degree?
- What setting are you wanting to teach in?
- What kind of music are you wanting to teach?
- What time of day are you wanting to teach?
- What type of students are you wanting to teach?
- What background knowledge to do already have as credentials?
These are some of the first questions you'd need to answer in order to answer the initial question. For example, I teach a few homeschool choirs (which are bursting at the seams, I almost need to start another one to keep up with the demand!). I have a music education degree, but would not need to have a degree in order to conduct these choirs. I do have some experience and great classroom management techniques as well in order to be successful at managing large groups of elementary through high school age singers in a choral context. So depending on your background knowledge and experience, that may be more important than the degree itself in being able to do the work successfully.
What time of day and type of students are you wanting to teach? If you want to teach private lessons and do that full-time, you will likely need to have evening and weekend availability, something that I myself did not want for my family and work rhythms. I only teach a handful of private lessons for this reason, and currently most of my private students are homeschooled so that they are available during the daytime hours for their lessons.
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Hopefully considering a few of these factors helps in answering the question, "Can I teach music without a degree?" for you. If this was valuable and you'd like more guidance in considering these options as you want to start a music business, I offer coaching for those wanting to begin in either a part-time or full-time capacity (my own business is part-time hours but the income is full-time level due to how I've structured it). And we have a support group with resources for those interested which you can find here too!
Here are 5 tools I use weekly as a Music Teacher that will blow your mind!
1) Hoberman Sphere! A fun toy that I use to work on deep breathing for singing (and works well to have a calm moment with a rowdy class if needed too!). I like to have students takes turns leading the group in how fast or slow we will take those breaths and pick someone breathing silently to go next.
2) A microphone! I like felt ones personally but have also used this sparkly one that my students love as well. Great for turn taking, a talking piece for classes that interrupt one another a lot, or solo moments. I use the Feierabend First Steps in Music with my younger classes, so there are lots of opportunities for solo singing!
3) Claves or another instrument that you can use to keep a steady beat. A great alternative to your voice, a metronome, or clapping! My middle schoolers love playing a game called Pass the Beat Around the Room while I keep the beat with the claves.
4) A new song resource, like this global music resource, for teaching new songs! I have SO many favorites -- should I do a blog post just of those?
5) Pitch Pipe! Very useful for anywhere you don't have a piano, to get a pitch quickly and accurately. My students think it sounds funny, but function over funny is my motto with this one. ;)
There you have it! I have so many toys and tools that I use all the time, should I do another post of more? What tools do you use all the time in your teaching? I'd love to hear!
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Feel like you could use some direction in how to set up classes, how to price classes for your area and market them, or what to teach when? These topics and so much more we cover in 1-1 music leadership coaching! You can learn more about that here.
I know, I know...
Every music teacher out there asks, 'How can I make extra income during the summer and/or during the school year?' We don't get paid enough, or maybe we're even bored during the summer not making any music (is this possible?!?). Or we just want to make some extra spending money to do fun things with the kids (raises hand -- I just went strawberry picking with my 8mo and it was a blast!).
But maybe you don't like teaching lessons or you don't want to deal with the schedules around vacations and hassle of that, etc...
So, here are 3 income streams (you can start today!) that are NOT teaching private lessons:
#1 Affiliate Marketing -- you can share about stuff that you like and use (teaching related or not!) with your friends and make income from it. Your friends aren't charged more for it; the companies who use affiliate marketing are spending their marketing budget on this instead of on billboards and ads because it WORKS. I learned how to do it well without feeling salesy from my business mentor, you can check out her course all about it here! And it doesn't take much time, you can work it around naptime or other busy schedules of life.
#2 Baby Music Classes! There are SO many moms out there who are looking for cheap & fun things to do with their littles, especially first time moms (haha, that was/is me!) who are looking to meet people. Find a park and teach a baby music class for moms and their littles! Need help with marketing? Happy to help, I've coached people through this process so they get more turn-out for their classes without having to go through community education and plan WAY in advance or charge a LOT because they have fees. Tip? As long as your parks don't have rules around renting space in the summer, you can just find a local park to teach your class and have a rain date if needed!
#3 Coaching/Consulting -- are you an expert in a certain topic (could be music or otherwise) that you could help people with? Maybe you have a hobby that you'd love to teach people how to do. You can walk them through that step by step with a coaching program (live or evergreen or a combo)! This is just a tiny sliver, tip-of-the-iceberg tip from the massive signature program that is HBR (Home Based Revolution), the multiple income stream course & coaching program by my own business mentor. Check it out here (& reach out for a massive discount code if you're interested!).
Every music teacher out there asks, 'How can I make extra income during the summer and/or during the school year?' We don't get paid enough, or maybe we're even bored during the summer not making any music (is this possible?!?). Or we just want to make some extra spending money to do fun things with the kids (raises hand -- I just went strawberry picking with my 8mo and it was a blast!).
But maybe you don't like teaching lessons or you don't want to deal with the schedules around vacations and hassle of that, etc...
So, here are 3 income streams (you can start today!) that are NOT teaching private lessons:
#1 Affiliate Marketing -- you can share about stuff that you like and use (teaching related or not!) with your friends and make income from it. Your friends aren't charged more for it; the companies who use affiliate marketing are spending their marketing budget on this instead of on billboards and ads because it WORKS. I learned how to do it well without feeling salesy from my business mentor, you can check out her course all about it here! And it doesn't take much time, you can work it around naptime or other busy schedules of life.
#2 Baby Music Classes! There are SO many moms out there who are looking for cheap & fun things to do with their littles, especially first time moms (haha, that was/is me!) who are looking to meet people. Find a park and teach a baby music class for moms and their littles! Need help with marketing? Happy to help, I've coached people through this process so they get more turn-out for their classes without having to go through community education and plan WAY in advance or charge a LOT because they have fees. Tip? As long as your parks don't have rules around renting space in the summer, you can just find a local park to teach your class and have a rain date if needed!
#3 Coaching/Consulting -- are you an expert in a certain topic (could be music or otherwise) that you could help people with? Maybe you have a hobby that you'd love to teach people how to do. You can walk them through that step by step with a coaching program (live or evergreen or a combo)! This is just a tiny sliver, tip-of-the-iceberg tip from the massive signature program that is HBR (Home Based Revolution), the multiple income stream course & coaching program by my own business mentor. Check it out here (& reach out for a massive discount code if you're interested!).
Hope these 3 options get your creative juices flowing and get you rolling making some cash for summertime fun (or even more)! I could make $1500 in 4 hrs once I structured things correctly. If you'd like help structuring something like this to fit your needs, check out coaching here.
Considering becoming self-employed but you're a planner and want to look at how budgeting and the money side of things might look? I made a tips list that was stuff I wish I'd known before diving into the self-employed world, things I learned myself work best. Check it out here!
Considering becoming self-employed but you're a planner and want to look at how budgeting and the money side of things might look? I made a tips list that was stuff I wish I'd known before diving into the self-employed world, things I learned myself work best. Check it out here!
Need some cute Easter Basket ideas?
Here's some things I am going to add to my baby girl's -- both musical and non-musical, for now and for when she's a little older! Click on the photo to take you to where I got it. :)
1) Cute outfits! She's growing WAY faster than I anticipated, so we're buying clothes like crazy around here to finish winter and start spring in bigger sizes than I expected. :P
2) Books! Can never have enough books, especially that share Truth.
3) Conversation cards -- for older kids, about the things that matter most.
4) Musical instruments! Egg shakers are a great musical instrument and perfect for springtime Easter basket theme. :) I also really like ukuleles as an affordable first quality instrument. The brand below is a good starter.
5) Coloring books! There's tons of options out there, here's a great one I love.
There you have it! Some fun Easter Basket options. Check out my "Things I Like" page for more gift ideas.
There are a lot of myths about teaching music freelance that I've heard from my coaching clients and others that I am going to debunk in a new blog series, so here it goes. :)
Myths about Teaching Freelance Debunked, Part 1
#1 If I want to teach freelance, I have to teach private lessons.
Nope! I do teach a couple private lessons (currently I only have 4 private students), but that is not the bulk of what I do. Mostly, I teach choirs (3 different groups) and elementary music classes during the day!
#2 If I want to teach private lessons, I have to give up my evenings and weekends.
Also no! All of the lessons I've taught from my home as a self-employed individual have been during the day. Occasionally I'll offer makeup lessons on a Saturday or an evening, but all of my lessons (at one point I had 13 private lesson students) have been during the day. How do I find students to fit this need? Homeschoolers, retired folks, and online students in other time zones are the three easiest ways, in my experience.
#3 Self-employed people pay double taxes.
While I am no tax expert (so don't take my comments as advice, just my own experience!), I have never paid double in taxes because I am self-employed. There are SO MANY things we can deduct by being self-employed that my taxes are no worse than someone who is an employee, and I have free control of my schedule, work part-time with full-time pay, and don't have nearly the amount unnecessary paperwork or meetings as employed people do. To me, the perks are worth it!
If you'd like more budgeting 101 for self-employed music teacher tips, you can grab that here. I'm all about saving you time where I had to learn the long way through living it. :)
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If this was helpful for you and you'd like to stay tuned for part 2, you can join my free group where we talk about this kind of thing all the time. I post the blogs, informative videos, and discount codes to my coaching & courses here.
There are SO MANY method books out there for teaching beginners how to play piano... and there are even video courses and such to learn from home without going to a teacher!
Here's my favorite piano method books for beginners and how I recommend best utilizing it.
1) There are multiple first places to start -- whether you are or have a 5 yo, 10 yo, teenager, or grandma wanting to learn for the first time, there's something for everyone! Most of the beginner books do not have cutesy pictures and diagrams, so they're great for older beginners who don't want to feel like a little kid as well as the young beginner to not have too much "eye clutter" on the page.
2) They have a GREAT transfer guide -- as a piano teacher, this is awesome for those students who've taken a bit of piano but are just starting with me; this helps me place them at a good spot in the method series so that there's a bit of review but not too hard or too easy... like goldilocks, just right!
3) There are so many amazing supplemental books and single pieces by a variety of composers in the community -- these are handy for so much: hooking a kid's interest at the appropriate playing level, honing in on a transfer student's ability before having them buy books, picking something fun for a recital, and more.
4) I really like the approach to introducing the grand staff, various theory concepts, and pacing -- the minimal explanations of various theory concepts that are written on the pages allow me to teach the concept how I want to, which varies sometimes student-to-student so that I can meet their learning style and level of understanding the best way possible. I've also found that my students are MUCH better readers with this method than any other I've used before.
5) They make everything listen-able and sample-able -- I can look at every page in the books if I want to online before purchasing (with parts greyed out, of course)! This is invaluable, as I can have a good look before buying a bunch of books that I don't know will be a good fit for a student. This again allows me to customize my teaching SO well to each individual student.
If you're a potential student, here's how I recommend best using the PP resources: get yourself a good live teacher (not just online video course). Find someone who is friendly and kind (doesn't make you feel silly for asking questions or making mistakes), who makes it fun and motivating for you/your child by seeking to connect the learning with your/their interests (including finding styles of songs you'd like to play), and who starts by reading the staff (not finger numbers or pictures or some other way, unless their is some learning disability present, there are exceptions to this rule of mine!). This will help you move forward better in the long run and play from any music you want to in the future!
If you're in the west Twin Cities metro area MN, I'd love to connect with you about taking lessons in-person, or I also offer limited virtual lessons via Zoom (currently I only offer daytime hours, but if your time zone is different, it may still work!). You can learn more here or message me and I'll get back to you!
