After an exciting year of acheivment it's time for our awards ceremony. Here are some ideas that we do for our awards ceremony that you might like and get ideas from:

1. Order your medals in Mar/Apr (the month before your ceremony) when you know how many medals you'll need. This year we have a Senior (gr. 7-12) and a Junior (gr. K-6) division so I needed 2 ea. of the Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals. I get the medals from Maxwell Medals online.

2. Order your certificates from KJOS online. They have 7 event certificates and single event certificates. I use mostly 7 event certificates because most of the students do at least 4 events. I use the single event certificates for those who only do one or two events.

3. We give awards for the following categories:

     Participation (movie ticket certificate)
   
     The Seven Events in Keyboard Gymnastics:
     Performance Outstanding Students (ice cream cone certificate)
     Creative Project Outstanding Students (personal pizza lunch from Fredrico's Pizza)
     Theory Perfect 10's (Book Table gift certificate)
     Ear-Training Perfect 10's (Book Table gift certificate)
     Sight Reading Perfect 10's (Kneaders gift certificates)
     Technic Perfect 10's (Book Table gift certificate)
     Ensemble Outstanding Students (Cache Valley Fun Park gift certificates)

     Highest scores in each division: Cash award, $10 itunes cards, and a Gold, Silver, or Bronze medal

     Runner-up prizes: Twizle Berry Cash certificates

     Outstanding Student (highest overall cumulative score) personal mp3 player

     All 7 Events (this is where the fun begins!)
          We purchase one Symphony Bar per student that qualified and place a $1 bill OR a Golden   
          Ticket in each. (this year we're putting in two golden tickets!) After each student opens their
          candy bar two lucky students are awarded personal mp3 players. The rest of the students will
          find a $1 bill, so they're not too sad either--and everyone gets to eat a giant Symphony bar.

4. We usually end with the All 7 Events award because this really motivates the students to complete all 7 events the next year so they are eligible for the mp3 player.

5. Our awards ceremony program consists of giving out awards interspersed with students performing their outstanding pieces in performance, creative project (composition or project), and ensemble.


This year we combined our Ensemble Event with the USU Monster Concert. Every Keyboard Gymnastics student who participated in the Monster Concert was given a score of 8.5. At the USU piano festival KG students were give the opportunity to better their performance score (which had been done in the fall) or their ensemble score (they had to prepare a different duet or concerto than the one they did in the Monster Concert). It was surprising how many students took advantage of this opportunity and achieved even higher scores!

It's been a great year. I hope this information helps with your program. Feel free to share your ideas as well!

Kathleen

Time for Sight-Reading!

It's time to begin preparing students for our January combined Creative Project/Sight-Reading event.

If you're like me you have your favorite Christmas recital pieces and your not so favorite ones. Get some use out of those not so favorite ones by letting your students take home a book of Christmas tunes to sight-read each week. (Remember, sight-reading should be 2 levels below their actual reading level.) At the lesson, use the Keyboard Gymnastic sight-reading examples to teach them proper sight reading skills. There are 12-24 examples on each level--enough to do at least one a week until our event in January.

Also, the holidays are a great time to have your students sight-read duets at lessons--especially when their practice time is suffering because of all the holiday activities! Playing a duet along with their teacher requires a student to keep going--an essential sight-reading skill. Keep it light and have fun enjoying the music.

Here's a planner that might prove useful in your studio. Enjoy!

Keyboard Gymnastics

Schedule Planner 2011

September

-Assign Halloween piece

-Assign Christmas piece if student is planning to try out for the YC Christmas recital

-Gather KG yearly student fees -- due Oct. 28

-Distribute KG calendar to students

October

-Teach students how to memorize with their Halloween piece

-Begin exploring composition ideas with students (May be based on technic sheet skills. Use Halloween to inspire dramatic expression.)

-Write down student’s short composition ideas at the lesson with them

-Halloween Recital Carnival October 28th 5-8 pm

-Assign Christmas piece

November

-Assign Monster Concert/KG ensemble event piece. Choose pieces Nov. 1, 7:00 pm room 214 (Bring list of all students and their playing level.)

-Concerto/1st KG performance event Nov. 12

-Continue with composition

-Come up with ideas for the KG Creative Project Event Jan. 28 (composition may be used)

December

-Begin learning pieces for Monster Concert/KG Ensemble Event Feb. 4, 6:00 pm

-Dec. 6, USU YC Christmas recital

-Finish composition or creative project over break

-Sight-read Christmas books (2 levels below playing level) over break

January

-Evaluate and give suggestions for creative projects that have been prepared for the Jan. 28 event

-Assign KG sight-reading practice examples and go over them at lessons in preparation for the KG Sight-reading Event Jan. 28

-Practice with students for the Monster Concert/KG ensemble event

-Put compositions on the computer

-Assign piano festival/KG Performance Event #2 pieces or KG Ensemble Event #2 piece--These events are for those students who want to improve their score

-KG Creative Project/Sight-reading & Technic Event Jan. 28

February

-Monster Concert/KG ensemble event Feb. 4, 6:00 pm

-Continue preparation for KG Performance Event #2 and Ensemble Event #2

March

-Check students on their preparation for KG theory and ET tests

-Begin preparations for KG awards ceremony (soliciting prizes from community sources)

-Federation Performance Event Mar. 24 (may be counted as the KG performance Event)

April

-Piano Festival/KG Performance Event #2 and Ensemble Event #2 April 14

-USU Piano Festival Carnival 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

-KG Theory and ET Events, tests given in private studio or at the USUYC

-Gather all the scores for students KG events. Teachers are responsible for gathering scores from the USUYC. Scores are due April 28 (technic is an ongoing event and may be passed off anytime during the KG year.)

May

-KG awards ceremony May 12; featuring outstanding performances from the KG Performance Event(s), Ensemble Event and Creative Project Event. Awards and prizes are given for top scores in each of the seven areas of study, three medals for each age division, and an outstanding KG student award.

-Assign concertos for students who wish to compete in the November KG concerto contest

We held our first meeting of the year on Tuesday, October 4th at USU. At the meeting we discussed the dates for the upcoming year and they are as posted above. The following Keyboard Gymnastics administrative committee was formed:

Director/Record Keeper: Kathleen
Treasurer: Elise
Hospitality: Jennifer
Feedback: Sherol

The following volunteered to be chairpersons for the events this year:

Ensemble Event: Tehawna and Jennifer
Creative Project Event: Jennifer and Sue
Sight-reading Event: Sherol
Performance Event: Kathleen
Theory, Ear-training, and Technic Events: Elise
Awards Ceremony: Tehawna and Kathleen

See the Keyboard Gymnastics Manual for information about the duties of each of these positions.

And away we go!!!

Theory progress charts

This year I made up some theory progress charts that you might find useful to plan your theory units throughout the year. I place one in each student's notebook. As the students complete their theory and listening pages I put a sticker over the square with that page number.

This let's me know how that student is keeping up with their theory assignments and it gives the parents tangible feedback to know how their child is doing in their theory.

By the way, ear-training examples for each book are now online and free at KJOS.com. This address with the steps to follow is noted at the top of each progress chart.

If you would like a pdf of these charts, email me at kknpal@hotmail.com.

Enjoy!

Kathleen

Welcome Friends

I'm so happy to welcome you to the TCW Keyboard Gymnastics blog!

During the year I plan to keep you up to date on our event days and help you with your personal planning in your studio so you can get your students ready for each event.

Right now you should be getting your students ready with two pieces of contrasting style for the KG Performance event on Nov. 12th. These pieces must be memorized. Pop tunes and duets are not allowed. Jazz is OK. The students will perform in short (30 minute or less) recitals and will be given judges comments and a score. You can find more information about the judging and scoring by purchasing the Keyboard Gymnastics Manual for $12 at tcwresources.com.

If your students won't be ready for the November event, don't worry--there will be another one held on April 14 in conjunction with the USU Piano Festival. However, you may want to come and observe the Nov. 12th event just to get an idea of how things work. Also, if you student does play Nov. 12th and is not satisfied with their score, they can play again on April 14 to try to better their score.

Our first Keyboard Gymnastics teacher's meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 4th directly after the USU Tuesday Evening Teaching Series Meeting held from 7-7:45 in room 214 in the USU FAC. We'll be no more than 1/2 hour. Hope to see you there!

Kathleen

p.s. check out these blogs for some great studio ideas: threecrankywomen.blogspot.com and keyboardgymnastics.blogspot.com