When you’re eight years old, struggling with a new piano concept or skill is no fun at all! At least… it USED to be no fun at all… until Dr. Dynamico arrived on the scene!
Who is Dr. Dynamico? Dr. Dynamico is a piano superhero. And he is about to help your young piano students conquer their toughest battles.
To “call” Dr. Dynamico to your studio all you need is this fun piano printable, a pencil, and a superhero-sized imagination.
How To Use The Dr. Dynamico Printable
Bring Dr. Dynamico to life in your piano studio in 5 simple steps. Follow along with the instructions below and let your imagination run wild!
1. Show your piano student the Dr. Dynamico Printable. Explain to her that Dr. Dynamico has been battling the perils of the piano for years and that he has come to help defeat a piano villain today. (If you’re super creative, make up your own comic back story for Dr. Dynamico… how he became a superhero… who he has defeated villains in the past… his superhero powers, etc.)
2. Explain to your piano student that Dr. Dynamico is going to help her with a certain piano skill or concept (playing legato, remembering to count rests, posture, etc.) that she is struggling with and discuss with your student aspects of the concept that “need work”.
3. The concept discussed in Step 2 is “the villain”. Now, in order for Dr. Dynamico to defeat the villain, he needs to be able to identify the villain. So… with your piano student, complete the General Intelligence Bulletin on the Dr. Dynamico Piano Printable. Let your imaginations run wild as you create a comic villain name, date of birth, and identifying characteristics for “the villain”… or piano concept.
4. The “Comments” section is for you, the teacher, to fill out. Because your piano student will be taking this printable home as a reminder of something to work on, you can use this section to tell your student what she needs to work on at home to help Dr. Dynamico to defeat the villain. Once again, go ahead and put a creative spin on this.
5. Finally, send the Dr. Dynamico Piano Printable home with your piano student. Explain to her that in order to assist Dr. Dynamico in defeating “the villain” she must place the sheet on the piano each time she practices in the coming week as a reminder. Also, ask her to bring the piano printable back to her lesson next week with a wonderfully scary portrait of “the villain” drawn in the photo frame on the worksheet.
Here’s An Example Of A Completed Sheet
Here’s what my sheet says…
Name: Count Numeromeister
DOB: 01/01/11
Identification: Breezes through rests without stopping!
Comments: Count Numeromeister is lying in wait! Don’t let him take over. Every rest in your music is in danger of being forgotten forever! Pay very close attention to quarter rests as he is fond of vaporizing them to dust!
To Solve Even More Technique Troubles…
We love using the imaginative power of stories to bring the piano to life. And one of our most successful ways to use stories is with our technique resource TEDDtales. Our interactive, story-based approach to technical exercises will have your technically-terrified piano students begging for more!
Denise says
Thank you for this wonderful idea and printable! I can’t wait to use it! 🙂
Andrea says
You’re welcome Denise! Hope it gets great use in your studio 🙂
Sherry says
Very cute idea, my students will love it! What a great way to help a student with their song without “nagging” them! Thank you!
Andrea says
Exactly… nobody wants to be a nag 😉 “Creative Nagging”… I’m working it becoming my specialty…
Julie says
Love these activities and what you’re doing through TPT!! I have quite a few older students (8-12yrs) that are still preliminary players and would benefit from exercises like these, but have told me that they’re a little too “young” for them. I’ve tried modifying the activities and games for the bigger kids, but it often doesn’t go over well..
Wonder if you’d consider creating activities geared toward a slightly older age group?
Cheers!! Thanks for all that you do!
Andrea says
Hi Julie – yes, absolutely. We have shared some ideas that might appeal to those kids too – links are below:
https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2015/06/16/someone-punkd-my-teenage-piano-students-and-now-they-practice/
https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2015/02/17/3-super-cool-brain-breaks-your-teen-piano-students-will-love/
https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2012/11/05/break-through-the-too-cool-and-be-too-fun/
Janice says
This printable is going to be a “super” help for my teaching! I have to repeat and repeat certain “need work” concepts, and I often feel like my instructions are not really heard by certain students. Thank you again! Your help is much appreciated!
Andrea says
You’re very welcome Janice! Thanks for reading 🙂
Robin says
What fun! Dr. Dynamico will rescue–to the double bar… and beyond!
Andrea says
Oh Robin…I can tell your descriptions are going to be imaginative! Have fun 🙂
Ronda says
You are just SOOOO creative! It just blows my mind!
Andrea says
That’s so sweet Ronda – thank you 🙂
Jahn Crews says
Hopefully, Dr. Dynamico can get those fingers curved, legato & stacatto signs observed, and with a name like that he will kick dynamic signs into being! Thanks so much!
Andrea says
You’re so welcome Jahn! Yes! Here’s to defeating Fearsome FlatFingero, The Infamous Legato Lord and The Stacccato Sniper 😉
lynn kiesewetter says
love this! but so many things that go home are ignored and i don’t always have a chance to talk with parents on the run….i’m thinking about scanning in their completed page and emailing it to their parents. have you ever done that?
Nodira says
Andrea and Trevor, you are absolutely great teachers! super creative! It’s just big big help for teachers like me who is busy with own kids, home, non musician hubby and yet adores teaching her students but doesn’t have time and fantasy to create such amazing things! You make my lessons a lot interesting funny and creative which make my students enjoy every lesson:) thank you so much!!!!
Tamara says
Oh this is fabulous and I know EXACTLY who needs this character in their lives!! Can’t wait to introduce this cool super dude to my lessons! You guys rock – seriously!!!
Andrea says
Yippee! Don’t you love it when you have the perfect tool for a particular child?! Hope it works for you Tamara 🙂