June 28, 2025: Saturday Remix
Teachers and Staff: Happy Saturday!
Next Week is Off-week (Monday, June 30 to Sunday, July 6, 2025)
We have off-days over the Independence Day (4th of July) holiday. This off period goes from Monday, June 30 to Sunday, July 6. No regular lessons during that week. We have our Summer recitals during that week (July 2 & 3). (There will also be no Forum in July since the off-week falls on the first week of the month.)
Have a wonderful Independence Day celebration!
Musical Ladder “Tests”
Last time I wrote a little about the Musical Ladder and “tests.” Remember, these are intended to be assessments of some sort to help make achievements on the musical ladder more meaningful. The Musical Ladder levels are based on longevity – how long a student has been continuously enrolled in lessons.
Tests or assessments have two important features: 1) They should be designed and planned for by students and teachers in cooperation. 2) A student must never, ever, fail their test. (They can, perhaps, not succeed the first try, but then they should soon succeed – that same week or the week following. They cannot ever go a level without completing it.)
Here are ten more examples of potential tests or assessments. I will provide a list of ten examples last week, this week, and next week. I am confident that you can think of others that might be useful, appropriate, and meaningful for your students.
Play a song on the piano while singing the lyrics, and while singing the melodic solfege.
Prepare, produce, perform, and preserve a Solo Recital for family and friends, according to these instructions and guidelines:
https://www.dennisfraynemusicstudio.com/music-solo-recitals-for-family-and-friendsPlay the first 5 Major scales up and down, one octave, with proper fingering, in a consistent rhythm. (C, G, D, A, E.)
Complete the Row, Row, Row Your Boat transposition/arranging project in Presto! It’s Piano Magic, Book 2, and play in each key (C, D, F, G).
Attend a live musical performance and write a brief “concert report.”
Watch/listen to two performances of the same piece, and write a brief analysis consisting of three similarities and three differences of the performances.
Perform in your school’s talent show.
Practice until able to aurally identify the difference between two intervals with 90% accuracy. (Such as major and minor seconds, or thirds, or octave v unison, or major scale v minor scale, etc.)
Research and be able to discuss the significance of four composers (written or oral presentation).
Complete an analysis of the form of a sonata composed for your instrument.
Studio Recitals July 2 & 3, 2025
Teachers who encourage their students to participate in recitals have more students participating in recitals!
Every teacher should encourage their students to participate in as many recitals as possible. Students should always be developing their repertoire of music that they can perform anytime, anywhere, for anyone. These are the pieces to help them select for their recital performances!
Our upcoming studio Summer recitals are July 2 & 3, 2025, at the Norman P. Murray Community Center in Mission Viejo. If your student is participating but you have not sent me their repertoire yet, please do as soon as possible!
Theme Recital Coming in September
We have a theme recital coming up in September, which will be Songs of America. Please encourage your students to learn one or more patriotic songs, folk songs, or other pieces of music that represent the breadth and depth of American culture.
These kinds of songs and pieces are often found in abundance in method books and music curriculum, and we can also provide others as needed. If you want some music that we don’t already have, please let us know, and we will strive to get it for you.
Start Thinking about Holiday Music Now
It’s easy to wait too long to start preparing for holiday music. We recommend that you start thinking about holiday music now, and then students start learning and practicing it in July & August, after the summer recitals. Holiday music includes everything from Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas & Hannukah to New Years and others that your students celebrate. It also includes seasonal music for Fall and Winter.
If you think summer is too early to start holiday music, reconsider! Students should be learning a variety of music (not just holiday music), but they should definitely start learning and practicing very early, to be well-prepared for holiday recitals, soirees, and family times at home.
The holidays are a season, not one day or one single performance! And it’s a long season! Don’t fight against the several-months-long holiday season – embrace it!
VOTE for Us!
Click here to vote for Laguna Niguel School of Music, Dennis Frayne Music Studios as the Best Music Lessons in Orange County! It’s fun, and you will support our school!
Click this link (Parenting OC) and then select the category Classes, After School Programs, and Music Lessons.
https://parentingoc.com/readers-choice-awards/readers-choice-awards-2025/#/gallery?group=512228
VOTE for us!
—
Q. Is it true we are opening a school in Lake Forest?
A. Our longer-term goal is to open a full music school in Lake Forest (location #2). Temporarily, or transitionally, we are going to start teaching some lessons out of a home studio in the Baker Ranch area. Once we reach a sufficient number of students on the roster, we will move to a retail location.
—
Thank you, everyone, for all that you do!
Have a magical Saturday, a musical weekend, and a safe and healthy coming week.
—
Thank you,
Dennis Frayne
"Dr. Dennis"
Laguna Niguel School of Music
Dennis Frayne Music Studios
30110 Crown Valley Pkwy, Suites 105/107/108
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
(949) 844-9051 (office cell)
(949) 468-8040 (personal cell)
www.lagunaniguelschoolofmusic.com
Piano Lessons | Voice Lessons | Music Lessons
Music is... Creative, Thoughtful, Fun, & Rewarding!