Happy Birthday

OK let's finish off with a certain favourite!

CHOPSTICKS!!! Piano teacher's nightmare!!!

CHOPSTICKS!!! ARRRGGHHHH!!!

I actually have the music & really like the original 'Chop Waltz'! It's just the pirated version with UGLY FINGERS that fills me with dread. Quite happy to teach it - the RIGHT way! Problem is...it's not easy to make it easy to read as a written piece of music in the way that is acceptable to finicky kids.

Here is my attempt:

Speaking of students who want to run before they can walk....

Kurtis is a monkey! SERIOUSLY!!!

Kurtis wants to learn his favourite music!! Fair enough, I hear you say! OK...but Kurtis couldn't & wouldn't learn to read the music!

Oh dear! MORE grey hairs!!

Solution: Kurtis & I made a DEAL! I'll arrange some easy versions of his wishlist IF he learns his notes! Deal made with enthusiasm from Kurtis.

1. James Bond Theme

'I Want to Play.............Mary Poppins!'

If there's one thing that I can count on, it's that Demi will ask to play a piece of music that is too hard for her! Yesterday was particularly troublesome.....Mary Poppins.........she wanted to play! Dear me! Yes, I do have Mary Poppins music...just not music that is within her current ability!

I'm loving the Noteflight website! It's letting me overcome this problem with a few of my young students who 'just want to play.....'

Today's arrangement is Chim Chim Cheree from Mary Poppins - just to keep Demi happy! :)

Hoping the Tooth Fairy Remembered....

I'm just hoping the tooth fairy remembered 5yo Alex on Friday night. It was a complex order for the poor fairy this time so there's good reason why she was a little tardy with coughing up some cash. Alex requested Egyptian dollars for this tooth, you see! Did have to explain that Egyptian dollars might take a little longer, & that giving a second choice of Australian dollars might be a safer bet.

New note name - according to Sarah

OK...so anyone who can read music knows what these notes are called, don't they? Well.....I know them as QUAVERS....

Reviewing note names this afternoon with 6yo Sarah & we come to quavers after moving through crotchets, minims, semibreves & dotted minims.

'So Sarah' I say, 'what are these notes called?'

She replies (with a squished up nose & hesitation.... 'SEMI-CROTCHETS?'

Well COME NOW.....linguistically you can't fault her, can you????

Getting older - a 6yo perspective

6yo Sarah comes to her lesson this afternoon. It's 13 days until her birthday when she will turn 7 (she holds up 5 fingers on one hand & 2 fingers on the other hand). Then she says, 'SOON I'm going to be an OLD WOMAN!'

....just wondering how old that makes me.... :)))

Update on my education by a 4yo

So the 4yo piano student walked in my door again this afternoon, stopped, pointed at my wall calendar & said, "That is NOT Right! Make it right! It is NOT July anymore, it is AUGUST! You have to tear it off!"

Danny Boy (easy piano)

Since I was arranging some easy music for a couple of students, I decided to do an arrangement especially for a special little girl I know. Here's the link

http://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/8a71009f7648fbe54a068244e51fc8ce236fa282

Along the Road to Gundagai

Request from 6yo Alex for the song 'Road to Gundagai' so I've just been on noteflight.com & arranged one for him for tomorrow. Here's the link if you want a copy
http://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/1c4d9f7528fdab5de34864370dea65ebe2b6e5fb

New Hogpiano Cup Page

Check out my new page - Hogpiano Cup Term 3 2010. Exciting new development after Dobby House won Term 2 again.

Corrected by a 4 year old

4yo Austin came for his piano lesson today. He's now had about 3 lessons. He was learning how to play 'French Fries'. His conversation went as follows:

Austin: France is a country isn't it?
Sharon: Yes Austin it's a country.
Austin: And Paris,is that in France?
Sharon: Yes Austin, it's a town in France?
Austin: No, that's not right! It's a CITY not a town!
Sharon: (with a chuckle) Yes Austin, you are quite correct! Paris is the
capital city in France.
Austin: Yes, that's like Toronto is the capital city of Canada! But I just
can't work out what our Toronto is? Is it a town or a city?

With a chuckle in your heart & a twinkle in your eye

Spent a lovely weekend with a chuckle in my heart & a twinkle in my eye.

What gives you a chuckle?