This is a Public Audio Presentation of "Grandma Melody's (Friendly) Ghost Story" from Piano Bears Musical Storybook - "Little Bear's Halloween Party!"

This delightful audio presentation is full of music, surprises, and fun sound effects! A great Halloween story for all kids, and especially kids in piano! I hope parents, grandparents and teachers enjoy it as well.

18 minutes - be patient, may take a minute to load.
Click on the heart to listen!
Written, Narrated, and Produced by: Cynthia Marie VanLandingham

Free Printable Sheet Music - Halloween Treat Medley

Also, teachers and parents, kids will enjoy listening to this fun story around a pretend campfire in the music or piano room! Below are some directions to make one...

Gather enough rocks to make the fire ring. Clean them off before bringing inside. Rip up a brown paper bag and twist the pieces to look like firewood. You could use real twigs and sticks but paper is cleaner. Use scrap pieces of felt for the flames. To make the flames, cut up yellow felt scraps (you could use a mix of colors) so that they were a bit like irregular triangles. Then pull at the felt edges to soften the look. (you could also use colored tissue paper for the flames.) Arrange the rocks in a circle and build your fire. I recommend putting "real" marshmallows on safe sticks. Prepare the campfire ahead, before your young guests arrive at the party. Before the story, have a treasure hunt by hiding candy around your music room. The kids can decorate their own treat bags as an ice-breaker activity while students are arriving. At the end of the audio presentation "Halloween Treat Medley" is played. My students enjoyed trying to guess the names of these popular pieces for a prize. After the story, they enjoyed learning to play whole-tone scales on the piano to make scarry sounds. We had five at the piano at one time on the octaves from bass to high treble, taking turns and blending the scales as though one person was playing continuously up and then back down the piano. The person playing the middle octave gets to hold down the sustain pedal! (A very special scary effect!) Then we learned to play chromatic scales and played them together in the same way. My students also performed their fall piano pieces they've been working on for each other. They we played a few more piano games for prizes and finally we celebrated with a wonderful piano cake baked by Susan Slay!

Best Wishes,
Cynthia Marie VanLandingham

Put a Tune in Your Heart this Valentines Day!

Get my free printable Valentines Sheet Music, Put a Little Tune in Your Heart!

This is an easy arrangement for level 2 students. The Audio is included - click on the speaker in the PDF to hear the music. I'm sure you'll recognize this fun tune!

To make this a gift that will keep on giving, you can share it with your friends, by sending the link in your own email on Valentines Day!

Also, you can save 25-30% on my New Holiday Book & DVD Paks at PianoBears.com . Order by February 14th, 2010, and get a free I Love Piano Bears T-Shirt.

Happy Valentines Day!

Cynthia Marie VanLandingham

Little Bear's First Christmas Recital

Holiday Surprise - New!

Little Bear's First Christmas Recital

8X10 Color Print Edition Item # 3406070

This delightful storybook is full of Christmas joy and excitement as Little Bear learns to play holiday songs on the piano, and prepares to play in his First Christmas Recital.
(Perfect for Ages 6 - 10)

Includes Elementary Piano Solos & Duets

Plus, Fun Activity Pages!

Order Here
Printed Book
$11.97

DVD
$18.97

Preview VIDEO!

Preview Full Screen

Little Bear's Halloween Party Storybook & Sheet Music

Order from Publisher
$11.97














Little Bear's Halloween Piano Party!
From Piano Bears Musical Storybooks

PLUS Sheet Music Halloween Treat medley
Listen!

This delightful story is full of clever tricks and treats that will have you and your students laughing and playing the piano! Little Bear's Halloween Party Storybook Includes Grandma Melody's Ghost Story PLUS Piano Sheet Music - Halloween Treat Medley. The Medley includes: Ding-Dong the Witch is Dead from the Wizard of OZ Movie, Casper the Friendly Ghost TV Movie Theme Song, Scooby Doo Theme Song, Tocatta in D Minor by Bach, and Ghost Busters Movie Theme Song!

Veeery Scaaary Halloween Music for Pre-Readers! Plus a Fun Piano Game!

Piano Bears Musical Storybook -
Little Bear's Halloween Piano Party!
This delightful story is full of clever tricks and treats that will have kids laughing and playing the piano! Little Bear's Halloween Party Storybook Includes Grandma Melody's Ghost Story PLUS Piano Sheet Music - Halloween Treat Medley, and a lesson in playing scarying sounds on the piano with chromatic scales.

The Medley includes: Ding-Dong the Witch is Dead from the Wizard of OZ Movie, Casper the Friendly Ghost TV Movie Theme Song, Scooby Doo Theme Song, Tocatta in D Minor by Bach, and Ghost Busters Movie Theme Song!

Also below is a fun pre-piano game parents can enjoy with one or more children at home. It's called 'Cover the Keys' by Susan Parandis. Below are links to two of my previous articles explaining how students in piano benefit from having more "Knowledge at their Fingertips!" This game is a great start to this. After playing the game, students can enjoy playing LITTLE BEAR ON HALLOWEEN, my free Pre-Reading Sheet Music featuring the Piano Bear Musical Storybook Character, Little Bear. This printable sheet music also includes audio so students can hear the song played. Its veeery scaaary!


Download Little Bear on Halloween Free Sheet Music

Piano Articles:
Pre Piano Games are a Great Home Activity for Kids

Piano Students Rock with Knowledge at their Fingertips

GAME BOARD

Download Game Board from SusanParandis.com


MUSIC ALPHABET CARDS FOR GAME from SusanParandis.com

Download Alphabet cards


GAME DIRECTIONS:
To play the game, cut out the alphabet cards and put them in a small bowl. Print out one game board for each student. Students take turns drawing the alphabet cards and then covering the correct key on the game board. In an individual lesson the parent/teacher plays along with the student. There is an element of luck involved, and students will be tickled to actually beat their teacher (Mom/Dad!)

Best Wishes,
Cynthia Marie VanLandingham

Piano Bears Music Camp Video

Below is a video on YouTube that two of my students, Erin and Kennedy helped me create as a momento of their fun Piano Bears Music Camp experience. In addition to piano games and activities, it includes Kennedy and Erin playing the "Piano Chord Tunes" they learned to create and improvise with. Watch the relaxed, fluid playing technique the girls perfected, and see how fun and easy piano can be for kids!



Best Wishes,
Cynthia Marie VanLandingham

Helping Kids in Piano Connect to their Inner Artist - 5 Tips for Recital Time

Piano students spend a lot of time preparing their music, especially at recital time. Here are 5 tips to help piano students maximize their creative energy and get the most out of their practice time.

1. Ask Questions Along the Way - Feel free to stop and investigate any areas of the music you're unsure of or have questions about with thoughtful review. Just playing the piece over and over without changes limits the possibilities for improvement.

2.Make sure the objective is creative work at the piano, not just 'time at work' - Practice with a specific goal in mind that adds a creative purpose to your playing. Such as counting out the rhythms, checking for accuracy of the notes, or improving your playing technique.

3. Target your best attention to challenging areas - At the beginning of practice our minds are fresh and our attention is best. So begin practive on areas in the music that are most challenging. Then stop for a few minutes and start again fresh in another area. Look for areas of the music that need work and focus attention on these. Then play through the piece many times. Start the next practice session with another area of the music that is more challenging.

4. Don't gloss over the notes - To let the music speak clearly, become familiar with the melody. Your ear needs to hear the music clearly to play clearly. Also, don't rely only on your own creative ideas, listen to how others have interpreted the music as well.

5. Add the human element - Creative ideas come to individuals. To connect to your inner artist, make it personal. Imagine each note is an important word in a personal conversation you're sharing with your very best friend. This will bring your own, magical personality into the musical conversation, so that each note resonates as part of a coherent, musical idea that's important to you and honors your audience.

For more information on how piano lessons benefit children, read my earlier post How Piano Lessons Benefit Young Children.

Best wishes for a great piano recital,
Cynthia Marie VanLandingham