Today was the last day of Intermediate Theory Camp - it went by so fast! Students also met from 10:00-12:00 for 5 days, and we dug deep into theory (though that definitely doesn't mean we didn't have lots of fun!) At this camp, students focused on key signatures, triads, intervals, dynamics & terms, rhythm, and more! Students also learned how to compose starting with a chord progression, and even created digital versions of their pieces through composing software! A definite highlight was the Music Term Escape Room on Wednesday, which they finished in record time! There were so many fun moments over this camp, and I was so impressed with how these amazing students really dove deep into the theory - they picked it up so well! (Some of the information was beginning college-level theory). They did amazing!
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Last week, we had the first ever Beginning Theory and Composing Camp, and oh what fun we had! Students came for a group class from 10:00 - 12:00 for 5 days, and students learned so many great concepts and made such fun memories! Students reviewed and learned important concepts like dynamics, notes on the staff, scales (C Scale, G Scale, A, scale, F Scale), intervals (practicing intervals on a giant keyboard, as can be seen in the above picture), and rhythm! The students put in so much effort for their pieces! We definitely had lots of fun (maybe somewhat silly =D) moments too! This picture was taken from our Accidentals (Sharps/Flats/Naturals) Relay Race. One of the things I loved most about the camp (in addition to the great theory, note, and rhythm practice) was the camaraderie of the students as the week progressed. The way the students cheered each other on and the friendships that were made in the camp was so exciting to see! One of the students wrote me this note at the end of camp: Thank you for an awesome piano camp! Not only did we get to learn about theory and composing, but we also...got to play some really fun games like Don't Spill the Beans and kaBoom! And also make some friends. I hope you can maybe do another camp next summer! Here are some highlights from the camp! So thankful for the mom who took all these amazing pictures!
What an amazing time! I am so excited for all the summer opportunities! I am offering several new opportunities this summer - so incredible excited! Also, we will be continuing to have summer lessons, complete with our theme - Take a Trip Around the World! This year, I am also offering some day camps - registration is going on now, so be sure to sign up today! Music for Little Mozart Camp: Welcome Music Friends!This 5-day, 1 hour camp is a great way to introduce your 4-6 year old to piano and music! We will be learning about black keys and white keys, basic rhythm, basic melody, and so much more! Beginning Theory and Composing CampThrough games and more, this camp will be covering the important aspects of beginning theory as well as composing (through the escapades of "Muttzart the dog" and "Ratmaninoff" the cat! Come join the fun! This camp will be held for 5 days for 2 hours a day (10:00-12:00 in the morning). Intermediate Theory and Composing CampThis camp will be teaching students the important concepts of theory necessary to playing at the intermediate level, yet in a fun way! Think Music Terms Catchphrase, Kaboom, Jeopardy, and more! We will also be composing and working with notation software. Register to join in the fun! This camp will also be held for 5 days from 10:00-12:00 in the morning. Homeschool Orchestra CampAnd last, but definitely not least, Homeschool Orchestra Camp! I am very excited to offer this opportunity for Homeschool musicians (performing all orchestral instruments) to come together to perform music together! This camp is offered July 24-28th from 9:00-12:00. Register today!
It's been a little quiet on the blog, but the studio has definitely not been quiet! Everyone has been busy with fun activities over this past year! At the beginning of 2022, some awesome astronauts prepared for a year in space... well, at least in the studio anyway. :) We held a practice competition called "Reach Beyond the Stars", and these students achieved so many goals, focusing on valuable skills! At the end of the year, the students and families joined together for our spring recital... outdoors! Students had a blast (pun intended) playing their space-themed pieces outside, some even in themed costumes! We had a wonderful time celebrating the students achievements! Here is the live video recording! Students also had the opportunity to participate in summer "boot camp", where they focused on skills such as rhythm, note reading, and more, complete with a bootcamp escape room (and ice cream social afterwards!) The students continued to perform in the Fall Festival and Spring Festival, and they did amazing! This picture here is with two special students I've taught for years after they performed their hymns for Fall Festival at the Morrison Center, BSU. Another hard-working student earned her gold cup this year - what an honor to get to celebrate the years of hard work and effort of this amazing student! I have also had the privilege to start teaching students from around the country via online lessons over Skype and FaceTime! These students have been able to join in to our live recitals via Zoom, and have been able to continue their Festival performances through video options! This young man has been working through the Music for Little Mozarts curriculum online and has continued playing in Festival while he and his family travel around the country! At our last recital, parents, friends, and uncles joined the students in playing at the recital titled "Christmas Together". It was so sweet to watch the families sharing music together, and I saw so much excitement in the students after the performance - how inspiring it is to get to share music with others! Performances included other instruments such as flute, clarinet, guitar, violin, and of course, piano. Here is the link to the live video feed! On a more personal note, this year, I completed the requirements for my Bachelors of Music. What an exciting milestone! Above is a selection from my senior recital. What an amazing year (or so... =) ) So many amazing achievements by these awesome students, and I'm so excited for what's coming up next!
Our theme for this summer was “A Trip to the High C’s”, which incorporated the theme of water into our music this summer! I had a lot of fun turning the studio into an underwater theme! Every summer, we study a different composer, and for the summer, we studied Handel, who composed the classic “Water Music”. Students under age 13 completed a lap book with fun facts about the composer, while students over 13 also learned about this composer through reading. Over the summer, I also like to host a practicing competition. This year, the student who practiced the most received a very fun prize! It wasn't a gift card or an ice cream, but the student loved it! He's a little hard to see in the lighting, but "Beats" the betta was our practicing mascot of the summer, and she has been doing a great job taking care of him! We also had a special summer celebration outside, following all of the safety guidelines and protocols at that time. It was a very fun, special time! As a special reward for their hard work, we had a music escape room that I put together! The theme was Handel's music room, and they needed to complete a song before the big performance! They loved it! We spread out on the lawn by family and enjoyed ice cream, playing music, and having lots of fun! In addition to traditional summer lessons, we also started up the Music camp of Music for Little Mozart's lessons, which was super fun! Someone was very excited! :)
2020 was quite a year, but I am so excited about all that my students accomplished this year! It has been quite a momentous year! These are just a few of the many accomplishments: As the world went in lockdown, businesses went online, and teachers were no exception. I was blessed that I had already used online lessons when a student was contagious but feeling well, so, within a weekend, we moved online for a couple months. Using FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Zoom, Skype, and even the phone, we were able to continue our learning spread over a distance. It was so great to get to see my students, even though we couldn't meet in person. In this video, you can see a recording of one of my student's pieces. (The stickers on the piano were used when we first started to help distinguish the keys and octaves when the screen was fuzzy.) (Also, as a note, normally, the screen is not split in the middle. :) )
I have found online lessons to be just as effective as in person! I have used it for my Music for Little Mozart's lessons, pre-reading lessons, elementary, middle, and high school lessons, as well as adult lessons! I am grateful for the technology we can use, and grateful for the ability to continue helping students grow in their music. I saw them grow exponentially during this time. I am so proud of them! Wow! The time has flown by! I wanted to take a moment to post an update of the Spring Recital! In following all of the local guidelines in May, we had 4 mini recitals! It was so wonderful to see the students perform their music after months of hard work and online learning! At the end of our recital, we posed for a spaced out, social-distanced picture. :) These students did an amazing job! To listen to their music, click on the links below. We streamed the recitals live over YouTube, and these are the recordings! It was a wonderful opportunity to get to involve grandparents and family who lived far away. Our Christmas Recital was definitely a success! I loved watching each of my students achieve a very special milestone. They worked so hard, and I am so proud of them! Our theme this year was Christmas throughout history, as we took a "trip down memory lane" and looked at how Christmas was celebrated throughout history, all the way to the birth of Jesus. For our first song, we opened with an ensemble. It is so important for students who play music to be able to play with others - that has been an important part of cultures throughout history! In this song, six students played on the piano, and 12 other students played instruments including, triangle, cymbal, bells, viola, and more! It teaches rhythm and is really a fun introduction that welcomes everyone in to the recital! Click on the video to watch! It is truly such an amazing facility! (As I mentioned before, I hold my studio recitals at a local assisted living). I love that it gives students an amazing opportunity to be able to use their music to bless others! Such an important, beautiful gift! We had several beautiful solos performed by students of all ages! We had a few duets. We even had a trio! For our December Theme, we did the "Great Christmas Chain of 2019". Every time that a student learned a Christmas song, it was added to the chain. I was hoping it would be pretty long, even though we started in December, but it exceeded my hopes! We posed with it (it even curved around a bit further in the picture! ... And we posed at the end for a studio picture. I am so blessed to teach such amazing students!
Wow! These past couple months have been unprecedented! If I had been told 6 months ago that almost the entire world would be at home, I probably would have looked at whoever told me that piece of information a little funny. But that news has become a reality, and yet, the world of music continues to live on. My students have been continuing to learn and grow through their online lessons (which have almost every benefit as in-person lessons, plus new benefits), and I have been privileged to still get to "see" their smiling faces each week! Very grateful for technology! That being said, I will be continuing to update this page over the next few weeks now that life is starting to continue back to normal. I am super excited to announce some new opportunities, as well as update how this past year has gone! So proud of all my students! |
Hannah pircWelcome to the updates page! Here, you can get a glimpse into the awesome opportunities and activities in my studio! I hope you enjoy this snapshot of piano lessons with the Piano Studio of Hannah Pirc! Archives
July 2023
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