The first day I met all of my students, I had them each choose one topic of music that they wanted to learn this year. This could have been how to sing better, how to play a certain instrument, or just knowing more about music in general. An overwhelming amount of students shared with me that they want to learn how to play the piano. While this made my music teacher heart happy, I also realized that I did not have the resources to provide my students with what they wanted to learn.
I quickly took to the internet to find an affordable and practical way to teach piano to my students. Full sized keyboards are expensive and I don't have the storage to fit 20 of them in my classroom. Upon doing some research, I stumbled upon these MIDI keyboards which would be perfect for my students. These MIDI keyboards expose students to music technology, music composition, piano playing skills, improving fine motor skills, and more. There are also several free programs online that the students will learn to use in conjunction with the MIDI keyboards, such as GarageBand or Finale.
Another benefit of these MIDI keyboards is that they reduce the risk of sensory or auditory overload. There are no speakers in these keyboards, so students with any sort of hearing sensitivity could play them without even listening to the sounds and still be successful while the other students play wearing their headphones.
Ultimately, I hope to be able to strengthen the connection between music made inside and outside of school by providing them with the opportunity to play an instrument that is used so widely in music today.
About my class
The first day I met all of my students, I had them each choose one topic of music that they wanted to learn this year. This could have been how to sing better, how to play a certain instrument, or just knowing more about music in general. An overwhelming amount of students shared with me that they want to learn how to play the piano. While this made my music teacher heart happy, I also realized that I did not have the resources to provide my students with what they wanted to learn.
I quickly took to the internet to find an affordable and practical way to teach piano to my students. Full sized keyboards are expensive and I don't have the storage to fit 20 of them in my classroom. Upon doing some research, I stumbled upon these MIDI keyboards which would be perfect for my students. These MIDI keyboards expose students to music technology, music composition, piano playing skills, improving fine motor skills, and more. There are also several free programs online that the students will learn to use in conjunction with the MIDI keyboards, such as GarageBand or Finale.
Another benefit of these MIDI keyboards is that they reduce the risk of sensory or auditory overload. There are no speakers in these keyboards, so students with any sort of hearing sensitivity could play them without even listening to the sounds and still be successful while the other students play wearing their headphones.
Ultimately, I hope to be able to strengthen the connection between music made inside and outside of school by providing them with the opportunity to play an instrument that is used so widely in music today.
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