Category Archives: Students

JoyTunes / Piano Maestro Update Tomorrow!

Posted by MaryO on

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Once the new version tomorrow (Wednesday, August 190, 2016) is out you can manually update the app by exiting out of the app, go to the App Store and you’ll see the update tab where you’ll see Piano Maestro with “Update” next to it , tap on that and it will update to the latest version.

If you have automatic updates for apps switched on from your iPad settings under iTunes & App Store, Piano Maestro will automatically be updated.

This tutorial by David might help

Piano Maestro has become a paid app as of this update.  JoyTunes, the makers of Piano Maestro, very recently announced they will no longer be able to continue offering full access to the app on free accounts for students and will be introducing new membership plans. Pop songs, method books and other licensed content, plus home access will become premium as they can no longer continue to absorb the royalty payments.

They also announced the new version will have tons of new exciting songs, as well as 5 new method books from top publishers.

The O’Connor Music Studio will cover the cost of studio access for Piano Maestro.

Home access will be available for 50% off at $30 a year per family (due by August 18th).

I highly encourage you to use this at home if you have an iPad so your student can continue to have full access to all the fun licensed pop songs, exercises & content at home. It will be the best screen time of the week at your house!

If you want to continue to use Piano Maestro at home as well as in lessons the cost will be an additional $5.00 per month or $30 annually for the 2016-2017 school year.

You can purchase Piano Maestro through the App Store for $59.99 per year on your own or take the special discounted price I’ve secured for our Studio families.  The music is super fun and who doesn’t love to see a motivated musician? I’ve seen in my studio that the kids that use Piano Maestro really progress faster, I’d hate for you to miss out!

Please let me know your choice as soon as possible, or no later than August 18
• I prefer a monthly (Sept-June) $3 tech fee.
• I prefer a yearly (Sept-June) $30 tech fee.
• I will buy Piano Maestro for $59.99 directly from the App Store.
• I prefer not to use Piano Maestro at home, so there will be no additional cost

Thanks!

Bach’s Ornament Table

Posted by MaryO on

The following ornament table is a transcription of the one appearing in the Clavier-Büchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, written by Johann Sebastian Bach for the keyboard instruction of his eldest son.

A scan of the original manuscript appears at Dave’s J.S. Bach Page.

The German title translates as “Explanation of various signs, showing how to play certain ornaments correctly.”{1} Bach gives the sign for each ornament on the upper of the paired staves, while the lower shows its execution directly beneath.

(This blog has) simply modernized the clefs in my transcription, since Bach’s manuscript uses soprano clefs, as several composers continued to do throughout the 18th century in place of the treble clef now used in all keyboard music.

After the transcription graphic showing the table, there appear clickable buttons which are keyed to AU sound files; you can click on any of the ornaments and hear a sound file play its execution.

ornaments

Read the original blog post with the ornament table and listening files at J.S. Bach’s Ornament Table.

Piano Maestro – Olympics

Posted by MaryO on

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Good morning everyone!

Some of you asked for some Olympic themed music, and so the wonderful folks at JoyTunes have been hard at work to give us the 2016 Summer Olympics experience!

They now have over 15 National Anthems added to Piano Maestro (some with simplified versions also)! You’ll find them in the brand new National Anthems category and they can be accessed from the main menu (note, Summer Camp is now over).

The National Anthems from around the world will remain free for all for the duration of the Olympics.

Game on:)

NEW Summer Camp Song!

Posted by MaryO on

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We’re excited to announce that Summer Camp is still in session! Tune in each week to see which song will be released for your students to learn and play. Each song will feature live singer recordings that the JoyTunes musicians have worked hard to prepare!

“Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley is the last Summer Camp song.

Summer Camp is the perfect way to keep your student’s piano practice up during this summer to keep the skills you’ve worked so hard to gain so that come fall your students return to lessons prepared!

Each week a $10 Amazon Gift Card will be rewarded to a top player to recognize your student’s awesome playing (winner will be chosen at random and announced here the following week)!

Songs can be found in the Summer Camp category of the Library.

RoadTrip! for Younger Students

Posted by MaryO on

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From the Piano Pronto website –

Roadtrip! is a primer level method book for very early beginners ages 4 and up. The multi-key approach offers eighteen songs that are easily taught by note, rote, or number allowing student to master basic music fundamentals while creating a musical memory book that becomes a keepsake item to commemorate their maiden voyage into piano lessons.

18 songs: Non-position based; black key pieces; R.H. & L.H. only pieces; on-staff reading only
Also features: improvisation activities; ear training; composition; teacher duets

 

There will be 4 books in this series, when it’s finished.  The second one, Roadtrip! Outdoor Adventure is available now and I have copies at the O’Connor Music Studio.  Also planned are Farm Adventures and an Outerspace Adventure.

What this means for the O’Connor Music Studio – younger beginners will be able to get a great start to their musical lives.  Previously, I’ve only accepted students starting at age 6.

Starting with the new school year, interested parents can enroll their students from the age of 4.

Register for lessons here: http://ocms.mymusicstaff.com/Register-for-Lessons

JoyTunes Piano Maestro Year End Summary

Posted by MaryO on

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From JoyTunes:

To celebrate the end of the teaching year, we thought you’d enjoy some very cool Piano Maestro stats that show how students practice more at home, parents are more involved and lots of other revealing info in our end-of-year infographic we’ve prepared for you!

We’ll be rolling it out in stages so without further ado enjoy the first one! Stay tuned for the next part coming soon.
Are there any stats that surprised you? —

Summer Camp, Week 1

Posted by MaryO on

 

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We’re excited to announce that Summer Camp is finally in session for 4 weeks starting TODAY! Tune in each week to see which song will be released for your students to learn and play. Each song will feature live singer recordings that the JoyTunes musicians have worked hard to prepare!

The first Summer Camp song will be all-time classic “We Are The Champions” by Queen

Summer Camp is the perfect way to keep your student’s piano practice up during this summer to keep the skills you’ve worked so hard to gain so that come fall your students return to lessons prepared!

Each week a $10 Amazon Gift Card will be rewarded to a top player to recognize your student’s awesome playing (winner will be chosen at random and announced here the following week)!

Songs can be found in the Summer Camp category of the Library.

Book: Technology is key to piano

Posted by MaryO on

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Piano teacher Leila Viss isn’t only about Bach, Beethoven and Chopin. For her, it’s also about easing her students into using the iPad application “Piano Maestro.”

Viss, a piano performance and pedagogy graduate of University of Denver, first set up a studio in her home after she graduated in 1990. Ever since, she’s blossomed into a teacher who incorporates a different kind of approach in her lessons.

It all began with her mentor, Elaine Emeigh, who’s a piano teacher in Littleton.

“I wanted to continue her legacy, so I started having labs during my private lessons,” Viss said.

The Centennial resident’s students are now urged to stay for an extra 30 minutes after each lesson to spend time doing something on the computer — whether it be reviewing concepts, studying piano history or reinforcing lessons, she said.

“When I graduated, the Internet was just coming around. Now I have my own website, blog, and my whole idea of how I communicate has completely changed. It was a hassle over the years using technology; you were booting up the computer, putting in a CD-ROM, and then when the iPad came along, it made everything so much easier,” Viss said.

Her book, “The iPad Piano Studios, Keys to Unlocking the Power of Apps,” came out in 2013 and reflects her appetite for using apps to practice note names, inspire creativity and compose with her students. Viss considers herself to be a writer and also contributes to the Clavier Companion, a nationally known premiere piano magazine.

The owners of private applications company, JoyTunes, contacted Viss after reading her blog a year ago.

With more than 4 million users, the company’s apps are a hit, Viss said.

“Joytunes is changing the face of music education by transforming the way people learn music, enabling anyone to play a musical instrument,” JoyTunes head of brand Nadia Hitman said. “By combining music methodologies with the latest in gaming features and instant feedback, the learning process is significantly shortened for millions of children, adults and teachers already using the apps.”

Hitman said all of their applications recently became free for teachers and their students, and many of the apps are still available for purchase to anyone.

“Speaking on their (JoyTunes’) behalf, and mobile technology — Piano Maestro is unbelievably amazing,” Viss said. “You set it up on the piano (doesn’t have to be digital) and choose from like 2,000 songs in the library. You press play and the student follows along with the piano. After that, you get evaluated and receive immediate feedback. You can get up to three gold stars.

via Technology is key to piano | Centennialcitizen.net.