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Hosting recitals are my most cherished and happiest times... and while this year will surely be different due to Covid-19 and me teaching on my own again, I always want to bring and make the best experiences to my students and families. Those who've been around me during this time know that I just love making gifts, coordinating the events of the day, and putting together a fantastic show! Usually, we would also do a potluck, take a group photo, and socialize but this year we will be doing it online! And, I know it'll still be fun. In fact, we will be pre-recording all of our performances which brings in new challenges and experiences for students. In spite of all the ongoing changes in the world, we will continue forward with recital traditions and keep music alive and well! Recitals are 5 weeks away and everyone is learning new songs. I'm super stoked and this year...I look forward to sharing with you a few things that I'll be doing at the studio. Have fun and stay safe! Warmest, Miss Donna Teachers & Colleagues...The first is...our Holiday Recital Bingo Challenge! I really wanted to make it fun and keep everyone motivated. And, who doesn't like BINGO and collecting studio points?! Well, that is what the students are up to!
Teachers & Colleagues, you can download my free shareable copy to use with your students. Good luck and have fun!
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 Emma really has learned a lot from the first few lessons! We’ve both really appreciated the way you’ve organized the lessons and made them a lot of fun. - E. Foster (November 2020) I am currently taking in a handful of new students for group piano lessons for ONLINE lessons only and I'm offering 3-week and/or 3-day trial lessons called "PIANO PARTY FOR KIDS!!!" where we are pretending it's everyone's birthday while getting an intro to piano lessons. This program is co-created with the KeyNotes Group Piano Program which is a fantastic specialized piano program that is made specifically for group piano learning. These lessons are differentiated for all levels of beginner learners and incorporate storytelling, composition, and more! As a teacher, I always want to create an environment where kids who learn quicker can get a bit more learning and kids who need a bit more help to also be a part of the class and moving forward in learning. Students are invited to join me on these 3 trial lessons first before joining on to the ongoing group piano program. During the trial lessons, there are no obligations to continue and it will give you a great idea if your child is ready for online learning and online group piano lessons. Students will receive a Piano Party workbook before the first day of class (to be printed) and during class online, we will play on the piano, learn terms, play games, sing songs, listen to music, composer a song, and more! Ofcourse, a party is not a part without birthday crowns, blowing out "pretend" candles, and singing Happy Birthday! No, it doesn't have to be your real birthday. It's a pretend birthday party. I bring all my experiences of teaching in-person privately, in-groups, and online teaching to create a fun and engaging experience for all students who love learning. These group classes require parent engagement for ages 3-5 and on-the-side support for ages 6-11. I've had a number of parents ask me for private in-person lessons and at the moment, please join my waitlist for private piano lessons and for in-person lessons. The next opening will most likely for 2021-2022. Hence, you're welcome to join me for a group online instead if you do not want to wait! For more information on the piano programs, click here. Warmest, Miss Donna  2 Minute Read >>> A quick guide for families to set up their child for success when starting and transitioning into online piano lessons. #1: PianoHaving immediate access to a piano or keyboard is crucial to online learning success! Your child's interest will continue with a piano available to use. You can start with an acoustic piano or an electronic keyboard and always upgrade later. If possible, place your piano away from noise and distraction. #2: Technology & ProgramsWill they use a laptop? A tablet? A webcam? How about Zoom? Google Drive? Or? Your teacher will let you know what programs or tools you need. Take the time to review the programs yourself first before guiding your child on how to navigate. It will take time to adjust and explore these programs. Remember, these are tools. They only work if you use them often. #3: MaterialsHelp your child feel prepared and capable by having all materials ready by their second lesson. Materials can include lesson books, manipulatives and stationary goods (e.g., a sharpened pencil, eraser, highlighter, and sticky notes). Getting organized is key! #4: InternetCheck your internet wifi connection using Speedtest.net. Ensure your wifi speed is at least 800kbps/1.5Mbps for high quality videos. Any issues during the first few lessons, your role will be to help your child troubleshoot internet connections and update software systems. #5: ATTITUDEKids can have a tough day and so can parents. Modelling a willingness to learn, to persist together, and a positive outlook is integral for kids transitioning to learning something new. Be consistent with your expectations, be flexible and work together to find solutions. Mistakes are valuable as they help you learn faster. Go for it! #6: SupportBe present and available during online and offline lessons to support your child's learning, especially if your child is under the age of 11. You will want to learn along to keep up with their learning, help facilitate the teacher's directions, and provide positive and encouraging reinforcements. #7: SchedulingYounger children and most preteens are still learning about time and time management. At the beginning of each week, go over with your child what their schedule looks like. Block off piano practise time, review practise agreements and automate a lesson date reminder on your calendar. They say new habits take at least 3 weeks to consolidate. Start preparing now with these 7 steps and you will be well on your way to starting piano lessons online successfully! Keep going and be the best you! Check out our group online piano lessons! It's a great start to learning piano. Warmest, Miss Donna  ENTER IF YOU DARE... I've curated and co-created this FREE HALLOWEEN themed interactive .pdf filled with tons of activities for you and your child to do at home! Simply click on the objects in my piano room to see what activities are hidden! Activities include the following...
And more! Did you enjoy this activity? It sure is FUN and was FUN to make. Make sure to subscribe to my newsletter so that you will receive the next themed FREEBIE of Miss Donna's Interactive Piano Room! Subscribe here. Have fun and stay safe everyone! Xoxo, Miss Donna ⭐ 𝔹𝕖 𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖. 𝔹𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕕. 𝔹𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦! ⭐ Credits & Shoutout: Thank you to an awesome art teacher Laura Larson Galloway on Facebook for curating this amazing background and all the fun art activities! You're amazing and I know it takes a lot of time and effort. And, thank you to all the amazing online piano teachers and Youtubers that made this curation possible. All credits go to the original owners. Links: All activities are safe for children and links to youtube have been linked through safetube.net.    Hiyee! It's Miss Donna! Welcome to my website! I've noticed a huge increase in traffic recently and so I really want to say... Thank you so much for visiting! Today, I thought I would share some thoughts on piano lessons online...and maybe I will turn these into a video someday but for now, I hope you can sense where I am getting to as I am using my speaking voice. :*) Over the years, we've upgraded our piano teaching methods to ensure we keep up with what clicks with children and their curiosity, interests, and joy for learning. We customize a program specifically for your child's learning and while we emphasize the value of learning the traditional elements of classical piano, we also love to make sure your child's FIRST piano learning experience is fun, engaging, and child-centered. This could include singing, improvisation, art, games, videos, apps, and more! Now, all this time, we've been focused on in-person piano lessons...and guess what? For the last few months, I've had MEGA success with online piano lessons and to the point where I am kind of mind-blown, shocked, and in awe. I am SOOOO thankful to the handful of parents and students who asked me to teach them online and I'm having so much fun too! We've been playing around with different platforms and I sincerely am grateful that everyone just went along with the multiple implementations... And, I'm super grateful for a lot of online forums and pages where so many amazing colleagues around the world have shared their experiences of teaching online. The amount of resources, support, and dedication is sincerely appreciated and I've learned so much. Trust me, I was so hesitant at first since I was a latecomer, but...I've now fully embraced it. To me, it's another tool kit to my teaching experience. And because that is the attitude that I choose to have when things get tough and rough. You either go around it and hope for the best or go through it and give it your best. Now, one of my biggest dreams have always been to teach group piano lessons (since I wanted to bring in my classroom teaching experience). Indeed, I did have this opportunity to create my own program with the use of these wonderful method books and I had so much fun teaching group piano lessons when I had a physical location. I so much miss this! And, so my dream got bigger again...or, rather my vision grew during Covid. ONLINE LEARNING? A BIGGGG YESSS! GROUP ONLINE LEARNING? YESS!!! I know what you're thinking...online piano lessons? Miss Donna? Group piano lessons online? YES! And, it's not something new.... as I've now discovered that there are hundreds of online piano teachers for children and adults wayyyy before Covid-19 hit. It just was not the norm. And, I took a lot of time testing and trying out what works. I know for a fact that online and in-person piano lessons are the future and so... why not give this a try and do my best? And, we are still facing challenges, learning and growing, which means, there is an opportunity here. Now, I know you might be excited...why? Because, this means you the parents will have the convenience of learning from the comfort of your home, no more waiting in the car for piano lessons, and you can also be around to support your child's learning too. This depends on their age ofcourse! But, how does this whole online group piano look like? Will my child actually learn? It sure does sound intriguing and it is not for everyone, yet. My students are still learning and thriving! And, I'm sure a handful of piano teachers are also not only thriving but now considering it as their future. Stay tuned for more of an update as I write more about this. In the meantime, make sure you get started with us so you can be the first to know about our online group piano programs, trial sessions, and more! Love this quote...it describes me to the core. Warmest, Miss Donna ⭐ 𝔹𝕖 𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖. 𝔹𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕕. 𝔹𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦! ⭐ Tags: online piano lessons, piano lessons for kids, group piano lessons online, piano lessons vancouver, piano lessons near me, vancouver piano lessons, toddler piano lessons, preschool piano lessons, private piano lessons vancouver, group piano lessons vancouver, piano classes vancouver, piano teacher vancouver, kindergarten piano lessons, piano lessons in vancouver bc, piano teachers vancouver, kids piano lessons, piano classes for kids, piano lessons for beginners, online piano teacher, best online piano lessons, online music teacher, zoom piano lessons, skype piano lessons, keyboard lessons online   Hope you have a successful week back at school! I cannot believe why I've never set up a mailing is... Well! I've got a bunch of FUN things coming... Hence, you don't want to miss out! AMAZING NEWS! Over 100+ private piano lesson openings and over 10 new group piano lesson programs have been added and created to begin in January 2019! Lessons are open during the day after 9am and into the evening until 9pm!  Sign up for a free trial lesson today to get started and to save your spot today! Click here.  Learn more about our piano lessons! What is a Complimentary Trial Piano Lesson & Interview?
Meet with the Director Miss Donna! A trial lesson and interview is required for us to get to know one another and for us to find out more about your music goals, background, and interests. It's very important that the student and family is compatible with our teaching style as the nature of private piano lessons is ongoing and usually longterm with one teacher. This opportunity also allows us to answer any questions you may have.  We are super excited to host our Spring 2018 Music & Piano Recitals!!!
Spring Piano Sessions: May 26th Session I – 12:00pm – 1:30pm Session II – 2:00pm – 3:30pm Session III – 4:30pm – 6:00pm June 9th Session IV – 10:30am – 11:45am June 10th Session V – 10:30am – 12:30pm Photo Release Forms: Please print and sign your name for each guest (including students and family members). These photos may be used for blog posts, website, social media, and or future promotional tools. Dress Code:
What To Bring:
Clean Up: Volunteers needed to assist with clean up at the end of the recital. If you would like to help, please let us know. Thank you so much! |
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