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... bringing the joy of music to students and their teachers
In This Issue
Make Your Studio Holiday Party Fun!
Great Party Games
A Christmas Carol Just for Music Teachers
Learn More Online
 
 
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Music For Life Books

Share the great ideas and inspiration in these books with your friends and fellow musicians 

 

Ask Santa 

for

 Making Music and Enriching Lives and Making Music and Having a Blast!

 

 

for concrete solutions to your everyday problems and ideas to get more satisfaction from the
best job in the world!

 

 

It's not worth it unless it's fun!
Smiley Face









 

Susan decided to
go carol singing on Christmas Eve.
She knocked on
the door of a house
and began to sing.

 

A man, holding a
violin, opened the
door to the house.
In a few seconds,
tears were streaming down his face.

 

Susan continued
singing every carol
she knew. At last,
she stopped.  

 

"I understand,"
she said softly.
"You are remembering your happy childhood Christmas days.
You really are extremely sentimental."

 

Choking back the tears, the man answered between sobs,
"No...
I'm a musician."

 
December 2012
Greetings!
 

Greetings!

The annual holiday party has become a cherished tradition in my flute studio. I'd like to share with you some of the ideas that have made it such a hit. 

The holidays are a wonderful time to celebrate with our students, recognize how much music contributes to our appreciate of the season, and enjoy our many blessings.

Happy holidays to you!

Bonnie 

Be the Host or Hostess with the Mostest

Here is the invitation I sent to my students. This schedule works great for each age group to have time by themselves and for the entire studio to get to know each other. 

                                    

It's time to party!
Grade school and middle school students are invited to come to a party here December 15th at 1:00 p.m. 
  
Each student will perform a little solo or duet. We'll then play the trios in the back of Tune a Day together and trios from a book I will give each of you at your lesson.

High school students are invited to join us at 2:00.

We'll have pizza (my treat), play a couple of games, and do the cookie and present exchanges.
High school students will then stay to sight read Christmas flute choir music. 

Please bring two dozen cookies to share (everyone will go home with a dozen cookies)* and a $10 (or less) present to exchange.
 


* Note to teachers: That leaves me with plenty of cookies for my holiday entertaining. Pretty slick, huh?
 
 
 Parents are welcome to come share in the fun!

Holiday Party Games

Trade your Gift:
The gifts are stacked in an enticing pile and the first student gets to pick and unwrap his or her gift of choice. Student #2 can decide to take student #1's gift or choose from the pile. Student #3 now has the choice of the unwrapped gifts or to choose an unwrapped gift and so it goes on down the line.This game produces lots of begging and screaming and makes the gift exchange pretty exciting. (A fun variation is to have them open the gifts while wearing ski gloves!)


oh hmm, hmm, hmm
"Oh hmm, hmm, hmmm"
Name That Christmas Carol: 
Too many "kids these days" don't know traditional Christmas carols, which I consider part of our music history. 
  • Play the tune on your instrument and have students guess the title
  • Sing a carol and leave out words for the students to fill in
  • Give students the name of a carol on a piece of paper to act out in charades

Cookie-eating Contest
Can you get the cookie from your forehead into your mouth and eaten within a minute -- without using your hands?
 
The Music Teacher's Carol

 

Sung to the Tune of Jingle Bells

by Bonnie

 

Practice now, practice now,
practice all the day.

If you don't know how to learn,
I'm here to show the way.

 

Practice now, practice now,
you'll learn how to play.

If you do not practice now,
my student, you won't stay.

 

Practice now, practice now,
practice all the day.

Do you remember that last week
your notes went all astray?

 

Practice now, practice now,
your lesson caused dismay.

If you do not practice now,
please don't forget to pay.

 

                                     

If you've found this newsletter fun and helpful, please forward it to your friends, teachers and colleagues. I'd love to hear your comments and any ideas or suggestions you might have about content; we can always learn from each other. I promise more tips, tricks and stories in the coming months.

And don't forget to check out my website.

Sincerely,
Bonnie Blanchard
bonnieblanchard.com