DIY DRUMS FOR KIDS

DIY DRUMS FOR KIDS

MATERIALS

• tin cans
• leather
• decorative fabric
• leather laces
• Crop-a-dile
• wooden dowel and ball
• hot glue gun
• cotton

STEPS

1. Cut your fabric to fit around your tin can. Use Elmer's Glue to glue it in place. 
2. Lay out your leather and trace around your can. Measure 1 inch around the traced circle and draw another circle. 
3. Use a pen to map out your holes. Use a Crop-a-dile to punch the holes out. If you don't have a Crop-a-dile, you can use a large needle to make your holes. 
4. Run your leather lace through the holes. Cinch tight over the top of the can. Repeat the same steps for the bottom. Run another leather lace diagonally through the top and bottom laces (see picture below for reference).
5. Insert your wooden dowel into the wooden ball. Glue cotton all over the ball to create your drum sticks.
6. Enjoy your adorable new gift! 

 courtesy of: A Beautiful Mess

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How To Tie A Bow Tie?

HOW TO TIE A BOW TIE?

Contrary to popular myth, it is not difficult to tie a bow tie.
Whether you are tying a bow tie or tying a shoe, the steps are the same.
In fact, if you can tie a pair of shoe laces, you can already do it.
The trick, if there is one, is to do it neatly.

Here are some helpful hints if you are learning to tie a bow tie:

1. The widest part of the "bulb" section of your bow tie corresponds with the spot on your tied shoelace where the loop folds back on itself (see diagram below). "Fold wide" because their natural inclination is to fold at the narrow spot. Resist that temptation, and FOLD WIDE instead. 

2. I suggest that you give yourself time to learn to tie your bow tie BEFORE the event for which you will be wearing it.

3. It's easier to learn if you can be in a quiet, well lit room rather than with lots of distractions. This is technical reading you are doing!

4. You must forget everything you know about tying a necktie. Think "SHOE" not "TIE."

The Bow Tie Knot is used to tie a bow tie
and is worn to give you a formal and elegant appearance.
A "black tie occasion" such as a concert is an event that you would commonly wear a bow tie at, along with a tuxedo.

The proper size should never be broader than the widest part of your neck and should never extend past the tips of the shirt collar.

STEPS

The diagrams below show what you will see in a mirror if you follow the instructions.

 

 

Drape the tie around the neck with one end — about an inch and a half longer than the other. One end has to be longer because it will contribute the material which forms the center part of the bow between the two wings.

watch the tutorial video:

another tutorial video:
(without hands getting in the way)

Remember, practice makes perfect!

Good luck, gentlemen! 

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Music Alphabet Blocks Printables

MUSIC ALPHABET BLOCKS

Desperate to teach the students about interval, scales, and triads?
Very expensive teaching tools?
Check this out! 

Music Alphabet Blocks 

Cool 3-D shapes to cut out and glue together. Use card-stock for best results.
Easy to assemble, and inexpensive enough that the students can even take them home.
Use them for learning the musical alphabet, steps, skips, intervals, scales, chords, and anything else you can think of! 

Here are some ideas for activities with the music alphabet blocks:

• Build the musical alphabet, forwards, backwards, and starting on various letters.
• Practice organizing letters into skips.
• Practice intervals by picking a block, then finding a block a fourth higher, fifth lower, and so on.
• Building triads, and changing them from major to minor, then diminished and augmented.
• Building scales.

Sometimes the kids can be rough on things, especially in the group lesson. 
 So here is some tips to extend their life time:

• Laminated (just use a craft knife to score the fold lines before you fold them)
• Place sections of cardboard on the sides that will face in and that lends support to the overall structure of the cube

You can have the cubes in various colors and sizes for group lessons.
Less stress for the music teacher and fun for the students.
Hope it's helpful and enjoyable. Happy teaching!
  

Download the pattern HERE

courtesy of Layton Music 
 

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How to Maintain Digital Piano?

HOW TO MAINTAIN DIGITAL PIANO?
(GUIDELINES & CARE)
 

1. Avoid place with a lot of foot-traffic or in direct sunlight, water, and moisture exposure! Like other pieces of furniture, they may expand, crack or fade in direct sunlight. 

• Don't use the electronic devices near any heat sources (heater, radiator, stoves, computer, and even amplifier) and water! 
• Clean only with dry cloth! 
• Put it minimal 4 meters from the direct exposure of the things that have already mention above!

2. Don't plug your digital piano into an outlet that is shared by a microwave oven, air conditioner, refrigerator or any other major electrical appliance!
Interference from such devices can affect the sound of your piano, or interrupt its operation during high-power cycles. In extreme cases it may even damage the piano, fire, or risk of electric shock to person.

3. Don't operate your digital piano without plugging in through a guaranteed or insured surge suppressor or outlet strip!

4. Don't put any objects on the digital piano!

Don't place your computer or monitor directly atop your digital piano! (unless this use is specifically sanctioned by the piano manufacturer.) Marring the case not withstanding, you will likely change the acoustics and will place stress on the frame. The last thing you want is to develop an unpleasant rattle or buzz because the case on your piano has loosened up.

 

5. Cover the keys when you are not playing your digital piano

Digital pianos are more susceptible to damage from dust than real pianos. Dust gets into everything, and can cake up on sensors, electronics and other sensitive components. Most current models do have sealed actions, but not their controller boards and sound systems. 

6. Don't leave your digital piano turned on when you are not using it!
Digital piano will be better off if it is turned-off when not in use. When you finish playing your piano, please cover the keys and turn it off!

7. Keep your pets off of the piano!

No birds, cats, ferrets, rats, etc. This is mainly for hair reasons. Even with their sealed actions, pet hair can get into your piano and affect its performance. Either acoustically, by contributing to unpleasant buzz or kazoo affects; or electronically, by wedging into a sensor or by shorting something out. Your pets may inadvertently scratch the surface of the piano, affecting its appearance and resale value.

8. No eating or drinking around or on your digital piano!
Crumbs, grease, sugars, etc, are all bad--very bad!--for your piano. Entry of the water, needles, or hair pins may result in breakdown or short-circuit. The product shouldn't be exposed to splashing or dripping. 

9. Don't hit, kick, lean, or pound your piano!

You can damage the action by hitting it with more force than your fingers can reasonably exert. Leaning against the digital piano may cause the product to fall over, resulting the injury. 

10. Wash your hands before playing, but don't insert/disconnected the power cord plug with wet hands!

Sticky, gummy, greasy and/or filthy keys are no fun. Prevent them by washing thoroughly before play. Don't forget to keep your hands dry afterwards to prevent an electric shock!

11. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

12. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time. Always hold the plug, and pull to remove it, when disconnecting the AC power cord's plug!

13. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

14. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.
Don't disassemble, repair, or modify the product that may result in product breakdown, electric shock, or short-circuit! Service is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way (e.g. power supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled, object has fallen into the apparatus, has been exposed to rain/moisture, has been dropped), please don't operate manually!

15. Avoid listening with the headphones long periods of time at high volume levels! Doing so may cause hearing problems. 

!Read and follow the safety instructions before using the products!

 

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Inspirational Story

INSPIRATIONAL STORY
LEARNING PIANO...

Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys!) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby. But Robby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student. 

Well, Robby began with his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it was a hopeless endeavor. As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel. But he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary pieces that I require all my students to learn. 

Over the months, he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to encourage him. At the end of each weekly lesson he'd always say, "My mom's going to hear me play some day." 

But it seemed hopeless. He just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled but never stopped in. 

Then one day, Robby stopped coming to our lessons. I thought about calling him but assumed, because of his lack of ability, that he had decided to pursue something else. I also was glad that he stopped coming. He was a bad advertisement for my teaching!

Several weeks later, I mailed to the student's homes a flyer on the upcoming recital. To my surprise Robby (who received a flyer) asked me if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and because he had dropped out he really did not qualify. He said that his mom had been sick and unable to take him to piano lessons but he was still practicing. "Miss Hondorf...I've just got to play!" he insisted. 

I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital. Maybe it was his persistence or maybe it was something inside of me saying that it would be alright. 

The night for the recital came. The high school gymnasium was packed with parents, friends and relatives. I put Robby up last in the program before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he would do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my " curtain closer". 

Well, the recital went off without a hitch. The students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked like he'd run an egg-beater through it. "Why didn't he dress up like the other students?" I thought. "Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?"

Robby pulled out the piano bench and began. I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen Mozart's Concerto #21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. 

His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo ... from allegro to virtuoso. His suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by someone his age! 

After six and a half minutes, he ended in a grand crescendo and everyone was on their feet in wild applause. Overcome and in tears, I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy. "I've never heard you play like that Robby! How'd you do it?" 

Through the microphone Robby explained: 

"Well, Miss Hondorf ... remember I told you my mom was sick? 

Well, actually, she had cancer and passed away this morning. 

And well ... she was born deaf 

so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play. 

I wanted to make it special." 

There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As the people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed into foster care, I noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy and I thought to myself how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil. 

No, I've never had a protégé, but that night I became a protégé ... of Robby's. He was the teacher and I was the pupil. For it is he that taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself and maybe even taking a chance in someone and you don't know why. 

"Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others 

without getting a few drops on yourself"
- Ralph Waldo Emerson -

courtesy of:

www.agiftofinspiration.com.au

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