Are you on the hunt for modes in pop songs? They are more common than you think! I’m always on the lookout for interesting elements I can extract for my Kodály musicianship classes and piano students. Plus of course running a Pop Solfa Choir is far more rewarding if you can identify the songs with […]
5 Clues to Confidently Find Interesting Modes in Pop Music Read More »
Do you have trouble explaining the difference between pulse and rhythm? Get physical first with this fun, simple song Helen uses in both her Kodály Musicianship and Piano lessons. Your students will FEEL the difference and you won’t get tangled up with ineffective, wordy explanations. Step 1 – Teach the song and play the game
Teach Beat and Rhythm Successfully With This Simple 5-Step Game Read More »
Developing improvisation skills with young children is far more achievable than you think. We need to develop simple on the spot decision making and enjoyable exploration. Age-appropriate, level appropriate and right from the first lesson. Lots of teachers are a tad intimidated by improvisation. They don’t feel confident improvising themselves and consequently struggle to teach
Top 5 Simple Improvisation Activities for Kodály Piano Teachers Read More »
Bonding with students is essential to succeed in piano, singing, musicianship or anything really! Bond with your students using Helen’s Balloons game. The thing is, it’s SO easy to do. It doesn’t involve any equipment, there’s no special script to memorise and yet it contains so many benefits. “To me, the Balloons activity sums up
10 Benefits From One Simple Bonding Warm Up Read More »
This week Helen is preparing the live Zoom launch sessions for the teachers enrolled on Doremi Teach: Piano. One of the activities will be to brainstorm exactly what we are teaching in a piano lesson. I set a timer for 5 minutes and scribbled down whatever popped into my head. All the things I’m working
What Exactly Are We Teaching in a Successful Piano Lesson? Read More »
2021 has a seriously big silver lining. (We’re really good at identifying the positives at Doremi Connect!) Sure, choirs and orchestras have had their rehearsals put on pause, singing in schools has ground to a halt and summer schools have been cancelled. But the top Kodály educators have really embraced the online world and solfa
Top 5 Online Courses For Solfa Musicianship This Summer Read More »
…and relaxed, confident teachers! Our children are curious, adventurous, experimental and playful. Instead of telling them what we want them to know, and expecting them to retain it, we need to curate a playful adventure where they experience and discover. Find out how to embed playful learning into your music and piano lessons with Doremi
Playful Teaching Creates Happy, Successful Students Read More »
What’s your favourite childhood musical or film? And has it stood the test of time? I was thinking about my earliest musical memory last night and I actually think it might be Singing in the Rain. My sister and I absolutely adored it. We drove my mum so insane with our “tap dancing” around the
I’m Still Singing In The Rain Read More »
Helen Russell (Founder of Doremi Connect) – 27th March 2021 There’s no doubt that music education has suffered dramatically at the hands of our global pandemic. Whilst some students have been lucky enough to continue with private tuition online, the vast majority of our children have been left with nothing. Impacting their musical education and
New Model Music Curriculum – A Positive Step Read More »