The Core Values of Let's Play Music

Let's Play Music is a company that builds, teaches, inspires, and enriches. Based in Mesa, Arizona and started in 1998, we begain with a desire to teach music to children in the best way possible. Today, over 300 teachers across the United States and Canada work with this same passion using the Let's Play Music method.

Our Purpose: 
We enrich lives through the power of music.

Vision Statement: 
Let's Play Music is the paramount program for developing the complete musician. We incorporate the best of all musical and educational methodologies and discoveries. Let's Play Music provides its teachers, students and families with an enriched experience that holds the power to change lives. We increase confidence, develop talent, enhance intelligence, and bond parent to child by providing an outstanding music educational experience for children, using premium materials and lessons, taught by superbly trained teachers.

Core Values:
The following Core Values shape our daily decisions and define our culture. Click each link to read more about them on this blog.

• We play! and we recognize the benefits of play
• We embrace the process of learning
• We give consistent effort
• We focus on abundance
• We make the most of our time
• We communicate openly and honestly
• We pursue quality
• We celebrate accomplishment
• We face challenges with optimism
• We purposefully cultivate relationships

Our People: Meets Some Students and Teachers
 

LPM Graduate Highlight: Sydney

LPM Graduate Highlight: Cameron

 
2016 Composition Contest Winners
2015 Composition Contest Winners
2014 Composition Contest Winners
2013 Composition Contest Winners
2012 Composition Contest Winners

 

Becky Johnson (Kansas): Children learn through experience
Lindsey Judd (Illinois): The first teacher has impact
Katie Wilson (Virginia): From hating lessons to loving music
Celeste Stott (Montana): How do you teach the Karate Kid?
Jen Ellsworth (Minnesota): Teaching advance theory through play- sneaky!
Kim Seyboldt (Colorado): Let's Play Music in the News
Gina Weibel (recently Wisconsin): Let's Play Music on the News
Lisa and Joanna (Alberta, Canada): More than Just Piano Lessons
Darlayne Coughlin (Middleton, WI): Drumline, Band-leader, and LPM Teacher!
Ann Cue (Madison, WI): Exuberant Grandmother
Maura Brewer (Vancouver, WA): Music time is for loving and learning
Heather Ann Johnson (Pittsburgh, PA): Prepare for music, prepare for life 
Melissa Ashby (Hillsboro, OR): This is how music is meant to be taught
Rosalyn Ellsworth (Mapleton, UT): LPM fills a need in my soul 
Sara DeVries (Charlotte, NC): High Adventure and Music Class
Bonnie Slaughter (Utah): Making Practice Fun
Becca Smith (Knoxville, TN) :Fulfilled in teaching my children 
Brooke Stevenson (Portland, OR): This program does it all! 

Recital Time: We Celebrate Accomplishment

It's May, which means you've just participated in (or will soon experience) an end-of-year Let's Play Music recital.  Recitals are our biggest, shiniest way we share one of our fundamental values: We Celebrate Accomplishment and Aspire to Excellence.

Students of Nicci Lovell in Mesa, AZ perform classical music puppet show actions during a recital.

Why Perform?
How many adults have you met who wish they had persevered with music lessons instead of quitting early? Perhaps they needed more recitals! 'Too few performing opportunities' is among the TOP FACTORS that cause students to quit music lessons.  Let's take a closer look at your recital and why it's such a great teaching tool.  So, what does a student get from participating in a recital?

Motivation
Every student wishes to perform well in front of friends, family, and peers. For a first-year student, this may be the first time he gleans a deep understanding of the magic of serious practicing toward a goal.  Third-year students are definitely aware that a few weeks' of focus can result in an excellent show.  The upcoming show motivates students to add that bit of extra effort.  

"I'm definitely not going to miss any practices for the next 2 weeks, because I want to be really perfect for the SHOW!"  "I want to work extra hard on this piece, because it's going to be in the SHOW!"

First-year students of Heather Prusse in Gilbert, AZ had their bells songs mastered in time for the show.

Excellence
We aspire for excellence. At recital time, students have the opportunity and motivation to present their best selves.  They choose to write beautiful, challenging compositions and practice them to perfection.  Because our pass-off songs during the year are sometimes less-than-perfect (read our post on the learning process), recital gives an opportunity to strive for the VERY BEST. Once students know what that feels like, they raise the bar for in-class songs, too.

Discipline
Students will be asked to polish recital pieces beyond the level of perfection expected in class AND memorize them.  Will they rise to the exciting challenge, one that can only be met with steady, disciplined effort? Yes! Like the myriad of smaller challenges presented during Let's Play Music class, this one is intimidating at first, but definitely achievable.  "I know it is a big job to memorize this entire song, but I think if I add just a measure each day I'll be able to get it." "I don't want to skip practice today, because I know I need to learn at least one more line by tomorrow to be on target for learning this piece by showtime!"

Accomplishment
I love having recitals back-to-back or combined with several classes.  When a student sees the younger class perform, he can develop a sense of accomplishment and growth. "Last year I played that song, too. Now I can play so much better."  

Likewise, when watching an experienced student, he can set very realistic goals and aspire for the next year.  "I love that song that he wrote! I can't wait until I write my own song- It's going to be fantastic."  

In every case, students usually pull off their very best performances and even surprise themselves with how beautifully they perform.   "Grandma, did you hear me play the bells? I played perfectly!"   

Even when things go differently, students have an opportunity to evaluate themselves. "I missed a few notes on that song. I think I could have done better in the A section."

Performance Skills

Second-year students of Jodi Blackburn in Mesa, AZ 

It takes muster to get up on stage and perform! Some students are extremely nervous and anxious, but challenge themselves and go onstage nonetheless.  While it seems scary, the more a student performs, the more comfortable he becomes at it.  Recitals give students opportunities to build courage and confidence: traits that translate to public speaking and life events later on. 

"Last year I was pretty nervous to go on the stage, but this year it's not so bad. I know Mom is going to love hearing me play."



Mistakes
Recitals teach that mistakes are part of life.  Inevitably, a few stray notes will happen on stage.  Mistakes are common and we all make them.  Students learn that the mistakes are not the focus of the evening.  The important thing is getting up on stage and performing.  We focus on the accomplishment and not the mishaps that occur.

Celebration
The recital is a show, a performance, and a grand celebration.  I love to have pretty cakes and myriad treats at recitals, accompanied by awards and matching shirts and dressing up.  It is a special day and a big party complete with photos and flowers and lots of clapping.  After the marathon work students put in to produce their best work, a celebration is in order for a job well done.  We celebrate accomplishment!

First-year students celebrated with teacher, Tera Nelson in Rancho Cordova, CA

All Year Long
The Let's Play Music program is designed to celebrate accomplishment and aspire for excellence all year long.  Each time a student echoes Ed, sight-reads Edna's melody, or performs a pass-off song, a small opportunity arises to celebrate.  

"You really listened carefully…and you got it!"  "You played that song the best I've ever heard you play it!"  "Last week that was really tough for you, but you practiced and now you're doing it faster!"

Every activity in class has a purpose in music-teaching, every class takes students one step closer to excellence, and every time children participate in class activities they perform in a micro-recital among peers and parents.  

-Gina Weibel, MS
Let's Play Music Teacher

Your Very First Recital!

If you've just enjoyed most of your first year of the Let's Play Music curriculum, then that means you're preparing for your child's very first Let's Play Music recital!

Practice Counts
This year practice has been very flexible: do the homework assignment, listen to the CD  and sing along, practice the bell songs a few times, and repeat any games and activities from class that you love.  You didn't have to record if practice was daily.  It was easy and fun!

During these last few weeks, practicing becomes a bit more intense (and still fun); now your child will need to practice exactly the bell songs she's be assigned to perform for the recital.  It will be important to practice EVERY day for the week or two leading up to the show.

This gentle spurt of effort is a great way to prepare Blue Bugs for the joys of becoming Green Turtles, since they'll be expected to practice at least 5 times/ week.  Explore strategies for helping your child enjoy this daily practice now, and get her excited to continue daily practices next fall.

10-Day Practice Log
My daughter is very motivated by coloring, so I designed a 10-day practice log, scheduled to end on the day of the recital.  Click on the image to download one for your eager musician.  If she plays her songs 3-4 times every day for 10 days, she definitely will be perfectly prepared for the show.

Click the image to download the practice chart.

A Few Things They Learned
The recital is more than just darling children singing songs; it's an opportunity to delightfully reminisce about the fabulous skills they've learned this year!  I chose my favorite ten characters to feature in the practice log.  Maybe you'll want to revisit their songs as you color in each space. Let's see what they taught us:

Bill Grogan's Goat: We learned how to find a beat, feel the beat internally, and accompany singers on the harp while keeping the beat.  We even listened and identified out the common melody notes Sol-La-Ti-Do.

Frog Went Hoppin': We learned how to read leaps on the staff, and play a song with leaps on our bells.  We identified the bug-bug-slug rhythm of the ostinato.

Oooo Halloween: We expanded our vocal range and practiced singing with a pleasant head voice.  We carried the beat internally and were able to surprise our friends.

Hickety Pickety Bumblebee: We sang a minor 3rd interval (Sol-Mi) on correct pitch and played the song on our bells with 3 different melodic endings that we learned to identify by ear or notation.  We learned to play this song in the key of C (Do is C) and F (Do is F).

Jungle Drums: We were able to keep a steady beat while subdividing.  We noticed the mathematics of subdividing and played our rhythm while others played different rhythms.

Bug Rhythms: We learned to read rhythms and play them correctly with or without using our voice.

The Dinosaur Song: We learned how to read steps and skips and play this song using steps and skips on our bells.  We learned that songs have melody, and we identified and sang the solfeg.   **For the dinosaur enthusiasts: Yes, I have been told that dinosaurs of that diplodocus-like shape did NOT have spikes, but all the dinosaurs that DO have spikes are not really shaped for climbing up and sliding down.  So, this drawing is a dinosaur dressed up as a stegosaurus for Halloween.**

The Red Balloon: We learned to sing a major scale ascending and descending, and identify a major scale by ear or notation.  We learned all the solfeg and accompanying hand signs.

Five Fat Turkeys: We were able to pick out the melody and identify sol-sol-do in this song.  We learned to keep the beat while singing and doing hand actions, and we played this song on the autoharp while reading from a chording sheet.

BINGO: We clapped and audiated rhythms, and even identified the bug rhythms used in this song.  With careful listening, we discovered the melody, too, and notated the sol-la-ti-do at the end!


Have a wonderful time coloring and I wish you the best at your very first Let's Play Music recital!

-Gina Weibel, M.S.
Let's Play Music Teacher