April is here, the sun is out, and the tulips and daffodils are beginning to blossom.
Spring always feels warm, hopeful, and full of possibilities. Why not look for ways to bring that feeling into your music studio?
Here are my top ten favorite spring activities for music students.
10. Decorate Your Studio for Springtime
I love all the beautiful colors of springtime.
Decorating your studio with flowers, bunnies, baby chicks, and pastel colors is a fun way to freshen it up after the gray gloominess of winter.
Your students might enjoy helping you put the decorations up, too!
9. Teach a New Style of Music
Spring seems to be the season for all things new. Why not take this opportunity to try something new with your students?
If you’re a piano teacher, try teaching a unit on jazz or improvisation.
Maybe your violin students would enjoy learning some fiddling tunes.
You could embrace the more obscure music of a different time period, like the Medieval era.
Whatever you choose, it’s sure to bring some freshness and excitement into your spring curriculum.
8. Play “Pin the Wings on the Bumblebee”
This is a springtime twist on a favorite children’s game.
Draw or print out a picture of a (wingless!) bumblebee, attach it to some corkboard, and put it on your wall.
Cut out some wings and grab a blindfold and some thumbtacks or push pins.
Have a pop quiz for your students during their lesson, and if they get the right answer, they get a turn at helping the bumblebee fly.
See who does the best job of pinning the wings on the bumblebee, and reward them with a treat or a special song!
7. Host a Spring Recital
This is the highlight of spring activities for many music teachers.
Recitals provide a high point of the year for students to work towards, as well as great memories to look back on as they progress.
Whether you choose a spring theme or something different, your students will enjoy working towards this goal!
6. Make a Flower Chain
Set a goal for your students, such as “Play three scales from memory” or “Master five new rhythms”.
Each student who completes their goal gets to add a flower to the chain, which will be displayed in your studio.
Kids love challenges, especially when there is a tangible reward at the end!
5. Plant a Musical Garden
This fun rhythm game is one of my favorite spring activities.
Decorate a shoe box or other container and fill it with rocks or sand.
Cut out some flowers, carrots, turnips, or whatever else you like out of colored paper and glue each one to a popsicle stick.
Write a different rhythm on each popsicle stick and “plant” them in the shoe box garden.
During each student’s lesson, have them pluck several flowers or vegetables out of the garden and see if they can play the rhythms accurately.
4. Learn Spring Repertoire
There is a lot of beautiful and inspirational music for springtime.
The Spring movements from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons come to mind right away.
So does Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel’s Easter Sonata.
On a more modern note, there’s always The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” and “Spring Vacation” by The Beach Boys.
Your students will have fun adding to their repertoire with these sounds of the season.
3. Have an Outdoor Lesson
What is it about feeling the sun on your face after a long cold winter that is so invigorating?
If you have a balcony, deck, or other outside space, you might consider having a lesson or two outside.
The change in pace might be just what you and your students need to spark some fresh creativity.
If you don’t have an accessible outdoor space (or if you teach an instrument that’s not portable, like a piano), try opening a window or two to bring some of the crisp spring air inside.
That way your neighbors will get to enjoy the concert as well!
2. Hold a Chalk Art Contest
Chalk art is all the rage once the weather turns warm, and most kids love it.
Try challenging your students to create a music-related chalk masterpiece, whether it’s a drawing of their instrument, a favorite composer, or their own unique composition written right there on the sidewalk!
You can display photos of the entries in your studio and award the first-place winner with a prize!
1. Compose a Mother’s Day Piece
This is a fun way to surprise the piano moms in your studio while giving your students some more composing practice.
Have each child write a piece in honor of their mom.
They can play it from memory or you can notate it and decorate it, turning it into a keepsake that will be treasured for years to come.
What are your students’ favorite spring-related activities? Let me know in the comments!