Making Musicians

Keep Practicing!!

 

Demo Video

Curious to see what Let's Play Music is all about.  The following video gives a great explanation of our three year program.

 

 

2011 Composition Contest Winners Video

 

New Teacher Spotlight

Let's Play Music has added our first male teacher.  We are so excited and have no doubt that he is going to be an amazing addition to the LPM family!!  

Meet Dave Meadows from Laveen, Arizona!

                   

1. How did you hear about Let's Play Music?  I heard about LPM from another teacher, Kendra Halterman, who I knew and had accompanied for many times.  I put my son in her class and I was hooked!
2. What was your most successful recruiting strategy?  My most successful strategy was getting in contact with a local organized Mom's group.  The group contained a lot of moms who home school their kids so they are always looking for activities like music class.  I got five new students from on contact in that group!
3. What is your teaching schedule?  I will be teaching 3 first year classes.  Tuesdays at 4:00pm, and Thursdays at 5:00pm and 6:00pm
4. What is your favorite LPM song? I like so many of them, it's hard to pick a favorite.  I really like "Good Bye, Old Paint" for a couple of reasons.  A long time ago when I lived in Northern Colorado I had a temp job in Cheyenne and was always glad to be "leaving Cheyenne!"  Also, it's one of my son's favorite songs and I love how he sings it, cowboy accent and all.
5. How many are in your family?  (Kids, dogs, cats, etc..)  I've been married for 10 years and we have one son, Ethan, who just turned 9.  We've had several pets over the years (finches, rats, fish, etc.) but they all seem to die on us.
6. What is your favorite food?  My favorite food is whatever my wife just fixed...right?  (Despite being male, I've learned a thing or two) Great answer Dave!!  You just scored a few extra points.  ;)
7. What is your favorite past time or hobby?  My favorite past time is getting my wife to roll her eyes from dumb jokes or bad puns...she doesn't really laugh anymore.  Or I like taking a word she says and singing a song or line that has that word in it.  Also, I love cycling!  I love riding my rode bike (by myself and with my son) and watching every stage of the Tour de France.  I even have a picture (that I took with my own camera) of Lance Armstrong from his first win of the Tour in 1999.                                                                                                                                                    Three ropes walked into a bar...                                                                                                  
8. Do you have any advice for other teachers who are new to LPM and getting their business ready for the Fall that you would like to share?  I would say get a good nights sleep, eat a good breakfast, take your vitamins, get a little bit of exercise and STAY ORGANIZED!!  I couldn't do this without my wife's organizational help!

Dave, it was refreshing getting a brief glimpse into your personality.  I would love to be a fly on the wall in your classes.  I'm sure they will be not only educational but a blast as well.  Thanks so much for sharing with us!!

Symposium 2011

 

June 18th, 2011 was the date for this years Let's Play Music Symposium in Mesa, AZ.  We all came from different parts of the country hoping to "Get More" for ourselves, our studios and our students. Symposium didn't disappoint. We all left feeling excited, empowered and confident!

With trainings, guest speakers and workshops to attend, our agendas were full.  First was our keynote speaker, Clate Mask. He taught us some strategies to "Conquer the Chaos".  As a business owner and dad to six children he certainly understands chaos.  He shared the following quote, "Chaos moves in the minute you get your first customer."  Some of the strategies he taught were:

1. Build Your Own Emotional Capital.  What is the meaning of what you are doing?  Wake up every morning excited to start your day.  Check in with yourself every time you wake up and again when you go to sleep.  Ask yourself how you feel.
2. Practice Disciplined Optimism.  Confront the brutal facts of your reality and maintain optimism about what you are doing.  Have an undying belief in what you are doing.
3. Centralize and Organize.  Organization is key in helping you conquer the chaos.

Next up was Curriculum AdditionsTraining.  What?  Curriculum Addition you ask?  Yes...it's true!!  Let's Play Music just keeps on getting better and better!!  However, this years additions will be the last for the next five years.  These ladies are exhausted!!

They have been working SO hard to figure out the most effective way to implement the new, AWESOME additions to the LPM curriculum...not to mention all the other amazing stuff they do.  A big THANK YOU to the hard working LPM Advisory Board.  From left to right:  Marci Flowers, Melissa Lunt, Julie Fischbeck, Shelle Soelberg (LPM Creator/Owner), Sanya Fenn, and Jenny Smith.

More on the exciting Curriculum Additions in another post.

We were then able to attend three different Corporate Training Sessions.  We learned a little more about how to plan and prepare a successful Assessment, how to use the new Policies and Procedures book, and about the benefits of the Private Piano Teacher Certification program.  

Next, we were off to lunch...our tummies were hungry!!  Thank you so much to Holiday Inn & Suites, Mimi's Cafe, Crackers and Co, and Schlotsky's who offered discounts to all LPM teachers that day.  

After lunch there were different workshops to attend, booths to visit, "Tour My Studio" videos to watch, T-shirts to order and lots of socializing to do.

Here is the line up of workshops:

Specifics of these enriching workshops will be expanded upon in future posts.  

After the workshops, an Advisory Panel was held where all the teachers could ask the deep, burning questions of their big LPM hearts.

Next, prizes were awarded.  Texas LPM teacher, Annalee Dinkel, was the lucky winner of a Flip Video Camera for her "Tour My Studio" video.  

 
Jennifer Ellsworth was the recepient of this year's "Vision Award".  She is a very talented teacher and an amazing artist.  She has helped update our puppet shows and bug cards and also has created some wonderful recruiting tools.  Thanks Jennifer for seeing the vision of LPM and being such a team player!

Symposium 2011 was a blast!  Everyone mark your calendars for Symposium 2012.  It will take place in Mesa, Arizona on June 7th-9th.  Can't wait!!!

Congratulations 2011 Composition Winners!!

Composition Contest 2011

Remember this??  We are SO excited with the overwhelming response that we received for the Composition Contest this year!!  There are over 100 entries and we want to make sure that we give each and everyone the attention that it deserves.  With that said...we need a little more time.  

Thank you for your patience and the BIG announcement will be very soon!!  
 

Teacher Spotlight

Let's Play Music has many wonderfully talented and super qualified teachers sharing the fabulous LPM program all over the United States.  We want to spotlight our teachers so others can learn more about the wide variety of instructors we have, where LPM is being taught, and the joy that music brings into all of our lives!

Our next Teacher Spotlight is Jennifer Ellsworth from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania!

                                   

1. How long have you been teaching LPM?  I was trained in 2008 and have loved every minute of it since then!
2. What is your current teaching schedule?  I am just finishing two 3rd Year classes, four 2nd Year classes and one 1st Year class.  I love them all!
3. How did you hear about LPM?  My son received a flier from his preschool (when we lived in Arizona) which peaked my interest.  After checking out the website, I was sold!  I had never even seen a class in action, but after researching the program, I was amazed at the skills Let's Play Music taught and how much fun it just looked!  After I was trained and started teaching I knew my initial hunch was right, it IS super fun!!
4. What is your favorite LPM song?  I love all the 3rd Year songs because they are such a catchy way to teach the tricky concepts!  I especially love "Magic Keys" and "Find the Root."
5. How many are in your family?  (Kids, dogs, cats, ect..)  My husband Kevin and I have three boys who are budding musicians themselves:  Carson (7), Connor (4) and Cameron (1).
6. What is your favorite food?  Moving away from Arizona has really shown me what my favorite foods are, because they all seem to be missing from Pittsburgh!  I LOVE good Mexican food, Daves BBQ and Paradise Bakery.  I hit up all three when I visit Arizona (multiple times each)!  :)
7. What is your favorite past time or hobby?  Music, or course!!  In addition to teaching, I enjoy performing my violin in the symphony or just playing the piano at home for my boys to dance to!  I also love to work and play outside with my boys, read a good book, and work on big projects.
8. Do you have any advice for other teachers or lessons learned while teaching that you would like to share?  Remember to keep it fun; for your students and for YOU!  That is part of what makes Let's Play Music so great, it is exciting for the teacher too!  It might not be in your nature to be silly (especially in front of parents!!), but if you let yourself go and just have fun, it makes a world of difference.

Jen, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us.  Let's Play Music is lucky to have teachers who truly LOVE what they are doing!!

 

Playing Two Grand Pianos At Once?

I love to see people really challenge their abilities.  This is amazing!!

 

 

Teacher Spotlight

Let's Play Music has many wonderfully talented and super qualified teachers sharing the fabulous LPM program all over the United States.  We want to spotlight our teachers so others can learn more about the wide variety of instructors we have, where LPM is being taught, and the joy that music brings into all of our lives!

Our next Teacher Spotlight is Kristy Bliss, who teaches Let's Play Music in Flagstaff, Arizona.  

 

 

1. How long have you been teaching LPM?  I started teaching in the Fall of 2010
2. What is your current teaching schedule?  Currently I teach two first year classes, both on Wednesday afternoons.
3. How did you hear about LPM?  My two oldest children started taking LPM in the Fall of 2009 from a good friend of mine, Melissa Hansen, who told me about the program.  Watching their class got me really excited about becoming a teacher and...here I am!
4. What is your favorite LPM song?  I think my favorite song is "Frog in the Middle".  I get such a kick out of watching the kids "get down" in the middle of the circle!
5. How many are in your family?  (Kids, dogs, cats, ect..)  My husband and I have four darling daughters and soon will add a son!  We also have a Russian Tortoise named Malcheek ("little boy" in Russian).
6. What is your favorite food?  Hmmmm...I really like pizza....and cookies.  Of course you can't leave out chocolate and fruit, together is best.  I could go on...
7. What is your favorite past time or hobby?  I love to swim, read, and of course, sing!
8. Do you have any advice for other teachers or lessons learned while teaching that you would like to share?  I am still learning so much myself.  I guess I would say that enthusiasm is contagious.  The children mimic my energy and attitude.  I had a cold one week and could barely sing so the class all whispered the songs too.  It was really funny, I couldn't get them to sing with gusto!  I think the best advice is to love what you do.

Kristy, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us.  Congratulations on the upcoming addition to your family.  That little boy will be so loved with so many big sisters!!