I have had a long, wonderful career and a lot of people have helped me along the way. This is my way of giving back. Plus, computer art is my hobby and I enjoy doing it.
Why don’t you make some things for older students?
I have a lot of older students and occasionally I make things for them, but not often. Once piano students are past the early intermediate level, they don’t need a lot of worksheets and games. However, I do have some material for the older student, if you will take the time to scroll through everything.
How long have you been composing music?
All my life, but until I learned how to use Finale I didn’t use it with my students because they couldn’t read it and I couldn’t either. I started using Finale about 15 years ago.
How do I print out your material?
Click on the link which will take you to my web site. Then click “download” and you will see a PDF version. You can print this if you have Adobe Reader installed on your computer. Adobe Reader is a free program and can be downloaded from the Internet.
Why is your material in color? I don’t have a color printer.
I make my material for the private music teacher who has a color printer. If I had to go back to doing everything in black and white I probably wouldn’t have this web site. I’ve always loved color and that is the fun part of making my material.
I try to proofread everything, but I have a lot of vision problems. Unlike store-bought activities, I have no editor or help except you and my students. I often don’t know about mistakes unless you point them out to me. Please let me know when you find mistakes and I will fix them as soon as possible.
Students who take piano want to play the piano, not a lot of games. Why do you make all this?
Some students need extra help to learn rhythm and notes. I make my material for these students. Some students need to move around and are not successful in piano if they have to sit still for 30 or 45 minutes. Some students don’t “get” an explanation the first time around, so I try to come up with another way of learning something. All children are different, so I have a variety of activities that I pick and choose from. I never use everything with every student.
Where do you get your ideas?
I have a file cabinet and a computer full of things I made long ago that I am trying to do over and post. Some of it I made by hand with a ruler, before the advent of personal computers.
I get my ideas from my own students and from teachers who email me with ideas for things to make. I am always learning and trying to improve as a teacher. If you pay close attention to your students, you know if they “get” it or not. If they don’t, I try to come up with another idea of presenting it. And sometimes they learn it, but forget it and need a review.
