Think about that first moment when music first touched your heart. Do you remember the day you first got to play a piano piece you truly loved…when you played the piano and felt the music in the very depths of your soul? Music became part of you that day, and gave you a connection you wanted to keep.
I bet you can name the piece. Is there still a picture in your mind of where you were as you learned to play it? How old were you?
For me, it happened when I was four or five years old and my sister was learning Chopin Nocturne Op. 37 No. 1 in g minor. I loved that piece! In my teen years I remembered it and requested to learn it and then played it for my university auditions.
Other music has come and gone in my life, but this piece remains in my fingers and in my heart.
To create lifelong piano lovers, it’s important to encourage your students to help choose the pieces they learn. They’ll be sure to choose music that touches their hearts! Then, ask them why they love their favourite piece!
Printable piano lesson activity
With this post I’m releasing a FREE printable that will give your students a chance to reflect on music that they love. It’s an ideal activity for any time of year, but especially for February and Valentine’s Day!
The design looks like old-fashioned homemade Valentines with hearts and white paper doilies.
The first design has an open heart for very young children who may be learning pre-staff music or who may prefer to draw a picture of how the music makes them feel, inside the heart .
There are lots of details for your students to fill in!
- Lines where students can fill in the title of the piece, composer and their own name.
- Borders that can be coloured in with crayons, coloured pencils or markers.
- Two choices of staff size so students may copy in their own handwriting the first few measures of their favourite music.
- White space surrounding the heart where creative students may illustrate the way the music makes them feel in images, if they wish.
- Guide lines where students can complete the sentence, “I love this piece because…”
Put your finger on it!
Have you ever tried to describe why you love a piece of music, or how it touches your heart? It’s a difficult exercise! But when we stop and try to put our finger on why we love a certain piece of music, or how we feel a personal connection to it, the entire experience of playing that piece is enriched and enhanced tenfold!
The idea behind this piano lesson activity is to encourage our students to truly understand why they love this piece and put it into words and art, and to write some of the music down. To build this personal connection may create a lifelong musical tug on their heart strings, to help them realize how much they cherish their music and never want to let it go!
(This activity might also help you as the teacher to understand your students better, to help you program more pieces like the one they love, to keep them committed to their own musical development.)
Step 1 Find your own heart
First, complete the activity, yourself. Share part of your own personal music love story with your students, and show them an example of how the sheet can be coloured and decorated. You might even take time in the lesson to play a little of the piece that touches your heart!
Step 2 Distribute sheets
Because the design is in black and white, it can be emailed to online students and printed easily and affordably on home printers by most people! Or, if you’re teaching in person, give the prints to your students. The printable includes three designs. It’s recommended that you print a few of each, then let your students choose the one they feel is best for them.
Step 3 Collect and display
Once collected, display your students’ sheets on your studio wall! It’s like your students are sending Valentines to one of their true loves — piano music!
Here’s the link to the FREE printable!
Check back in a few weeks and I’ll post photos of my own studio wall! Send me photos of your students’ creations as well! I’d love to see!
Piano music ❤ TLA
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Video of the Week
Forever, Ever After (Late Intermediate, Level 6), takes you on a journey of first love, kept promises, faith, and fairy tale endings. This piano solo will take your breath away! Teens, tweens and adults will love it! Check out the studio-licensed Forever, Ever After eSheet! Also, an elementary version of the same piece with teacher’s duet is available in the print and eBook Rock this Town, 11 Elementary piano works, solos and duets that develop rhythmic drive and expressive playing!
Rebekah Maxner 