Traditional piano books can be difficult for students to work through with unwavering motivation. Without a storyline or end goal, “checking off completed pieces” becomes the driving force that keeps kids moving forward. And, as many of you know, this driving force can lose its power very quickly.
This is why it’s always a great idea to have students working on a “project” piano book in conjunction with their regular method or piano books. A “project” piano book is not a collection of stand-alone pieces but rather a collection of pieces that contribute to a single theme or end goal.
In today’s post, we’re previewing the perfect project piano book that any teacher with early elementary students should have in their back pocket.
There’s a mystery beneath the waves… Someone has stolen seven notes from Inkor Squidvinsky’s Saltwater Symphony, and the first performance is tonight!
In September’s Piano Book of the Month from Teach Piano Today’s PianoBookClub, a curious crime and creative compositions combine in this wonderfully motivating resource that explores stepping and skipping with young piano students.
A Stepping and Skipping Mystery From PianoBookClub
In The Mysterious Case of Inkor Squidvinsky, an underwater musical mystery gives your piano students the opportunity to improve their G position note reading skills by exploring stepping and skipping patterns. Using hilarious clues from a host of kooky ocean critters, your piano students will boost their keyboard awareness as they become crime-solving detectives working to find the culprit by the end of the book.
Offer the sleuths in your studio a captivating experience that reinforces keyboard awareness with intriguing, game-based detective work. And it gets better…
Delightful teacher duets accompany all seven early-elementary piano pieces in this book, making it the perfect resource for in-lesson fun and first-recital performances!
Preview The Mysterious Case Of Inkor Squidvinsky
The Mysterious Case of Inkor Squidvinsky was September 2017’s Book of the Month from PianoBookClub. To see this month’s book visit PianoBookClub.com.
Chane Marques says
Hi there,
I would like to know if you have any theory exam printables for pre-school, grade 1 & 2 level students?
Andrea says
Hi Chane – we don’t have printables that are geared specifically toward exams, but we have a lot of free theory and ear training printables on http://www.wunderkeys.com. Click on “Printables” and you can sort them based on concept 🙂
Linda Hyland says
Anyone who reads your blogs and doesn’t join the book club is really missing out! Every month is “Happy Birthday to ME!” and I have used many of the books soon after getting them and others later on! I’m so happy have found this site a few years back!
Andrea says
So happy to hear your’e thrilled with PianoBookClub, Linda! 🙂 Thanks for commenting and have fun with Inkor Squidvinsky! 😉
Terri Archibald says
We have had a lot of fun with the Piano Book Club in my studio as well. The music is motivating and interesting. I love the variety. I have been a member long enough now to start feeling unorganized with it. How would you recommend the printing, storing and organizing of my Piano Book Club music collection so that I can utilize it the best?
Andrea says
Hi Terri – For digital storage we suggest having one main folder (PianoBookClub) and then separating that into sub-folders based on level (Early Elementary, Elementary, Late Elementary and Intermediate). Then, as you receive the books you can save them to the appropriate folder (our intro page always lists the level). This way, as you do your weekly planning you can simply open the corresponding levelled folder and select which book to print. I like to have a main, coil-bound studio copy for reference. Many teachers make multiple copies of books they use frequently and keep them behind tabbed dividers in a binder 🙂
Linda Kirkconnell says
My students love the PianoBookClub music! I wish I’d
joined this site earlier! The pieces are a welcome break from traditional lesson books. It’s wonderful to watch the excitement break out when I introduce one of these books!
Andrea says
So happy to hear it, Linda! 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
Kim says
I just wanted to say thank you for creating such amazingly fun resources. Today, I introduced “Smells Like Treble”
to a 2nd grade student. He couldn’t stop giggling as we read the story, and was so excited to take it home and practice. It was priceless! Thank you!
Andrea says
Hi Kim – we just LOVE to hear this! Laughter is one of the best ways to help children learn – and so if we’ve accomplished that, then we’re thrilled! Plus.. happy students = happy teachers… and that makes US happy! Thanks so much for taking the time to write 🙂
Yuliana says
Can I purchase this book? I became a member only in this month- December.