NEW Website and Change in BLOG!

I'm SUPER excited to let you know that after months of working on a new website for Birds of a Feather Music Resources, we are now officially launching it!!!

All of our products are now beautifully organized and easy to locate.  We've even added some new items which we'll be highlighting shortly!  There are sample pages and pictures all meant to make your shopping easier!

In celebration of our new website and a new decade, we're having a store-wide SALE!

20% off of $20 or more using the coupon code BOAF2020  

The SALE will last through February so take the opportunity to stock up on all of those items you've been wanting!

The website will also include our BLOG so you can read all future blog posts HERE or at:
      www.BirdsofaFeatherMusicResources.com/bof-blog/

Thank you for supporting us!

Marvin's & Milton's Revenge!

I live in Connecticut and we are under a "watch" for EEE (Eastern Equine Encephalitis).  Thanks to all of those virus-carrying mosquitos, we have to be careful to avoid being bitten!

Well, rather than worrying about it or moaning about the inconvenience, we decided to add a fun spin to this dilemma!  Meet Marvin's & Milton's Revenge!

Marvin and Milton are simply two "misunderstood" mosquitos trying to make their way across the piano keyboard.  This board game is a great way to introduce or review whole and half steps with your early learners.

The game includes the game board, game cards, game pieces - Marvin & Milton - and full instructions.

Each player starts at one end of the game board working their way across trying to be the first to get to the other side.

If you've followed us or used our materials, you know there is always an exciting twist and Marvin's & Milton's Revenge is no different!

Enter...mosquito eating dragonflies!! Snap and all his friends need lunch and Marvin & Milton are in their sights!

BEWARE! There may be a duel or two involved in this game!

This exciting game is part of our ABC & 123 line for your younger students.  You can purchase Marvin's & Milton's Revenge by going HERE or clicking the on the Birds of a Feather Tab above.

Last Day for the SALE!

Just a quick reminder that TODAY is the last day for the SALE on:
MY FIRST PIANO BOOK

A fun and interactive flip book that introduces your youngest students (4-7 year olds) to music and the piano.

You can read more about MY FIRST PIANO BOOK here.

You can purchase MY FIRST PIANO BOOK here.







STUMP JUMP

An exciting adaptable board game that you can adjust to drill all of the music concepts taught by MY FIRST PIANO BOOK.  It also features all of those adorable bugs your students will LOVE!

You can read more about STUMP JUMP here.

You can purchase STUMP JUMP here.





ALSO don't forget about the other adorable bug games!


BUG GAMES BUNDLE

There are 5 games that feature each one of the 5 adorable bugs and one of the concepts taught to early learners.  

You can read more about each game and the bundle HERE.

You can purchase each game separately or as a bundle at a reduced price HERE.

Enjoy!  And HAPPY TEACHING!

Stump Jump!

We recently introduced our new line of early learner resources.  The new line - ABC & 123 - includes an interactive flip book, MY FIRST PIANO BOOK and five new BUG Games featuring early learning concepts and five adorable bugs, Buddy, Dot, Flash, Snap and Octavia!  Each of the five games feature one of these cuties and teaches five concepts - the musical alphabet, piano fingers and hand shape, rhythm, loud and soft dynamics and the keyboard topography.

Well, because we couldn't help ourselves, we decided to create a game that features ALL of the bugs! Meet...STUMP JUMP!

Help your early learners review all of those first music theory concepts with this exciting forest-inspired board game.

The board game is actually in pieces allowing you (or your students) to arrange it in any configuration you want.  Once the game board is set up, you just need to decide which music concept to work on OR for added fun, decide to work on several!  

We've included game cards to allow you complete flexibility!

Each of the bugs, Buddy the Butterfly, Dot the Ladybug, Flash the lightning bug, Snap the dragonfly and Octavia the spider are all featured as player game pieces!  There are all kinds of twists and turns, learning, and FUN involved - all meant to keep your students excited about music!



We decided to put it on SALE as well so take advantage of the lower price while you can!


You can purchase STUMP JUMP! here or by clicking on the Birds of a Feather Tab above.

We hope you and all your students enjoy learning!

Musicians in Training/Fun-lympics IDEAS!

We're so thrilled that so many of you have purchased our MUSICIANS IN TRAINING practice incentive and the bundle that includes the camp, FUN-LYMPICS!  We're running it as well in our studio this year and our students are loving it!  What great practicers we have!!!

I thought I would show you a few pictures of what the studio looks like and how I organized everything in case some of you might need some ideas.

Here's a quick look at the decor:

We hung up the large poster of MUSICIANS IN TRAINING with the logo showing the concepts we're working on all year - Skill, Focus, Knowledge, Endurance & Creativity.

We also hung the awesome sports pennants around the room.  They really came out great and add SO MUCH festivity to the studio!

We hung the team scoring chart across parts of two windows (wall space is sparse in the studio!) and the Team Scores sign.

We also made another sign (not included in the incentive) that we use to encourage kids when practicing starts to wane.  We're trying to help them "push through" those weak moments!

The incentive is packed with cards to use with all of the games.  In looking for a way to corral them, I purchased a bunch of "crayon boxes" from a local Walmart that work perfectly!  Then I found a slotted container in my stash at home that works perfectly to hold them.

I set the container on our game table and it's available for any game/sport we do in a lesson.  If I need to use more of the table, it has a handle so I can easily remove it.

Here's a closer look at the container. It has handles that snap the lid on. It works easily and because the boxes are flat, they are also convenient to stack if needed.  I used my label maker to label each box.

Side note:  these are available on-line but were significantly more expensive even on the Walmart site then actually purchasing them in the store.

The containers work perfectly for cards, but also help corral the game pieces and any other items (dice, post-its, etc.) that you may need.  I have found that if everything is easily assessable right where I need it, it saves precious teaching time.

I have a half-wall on one side (there are stairs behind it) so I used the top to put the Aquatics course.  I then used the lower wall to display the gymnastics and the golf course/equestrian event.

When you don't have a lot of wall space you use whatever you can!

To the right of the Aquatics, I used the rest of the half wall top to corral everything I need for the golf course and the equestrian eventing.  I've already played a few holes of golf this week since we just started and my students have really enjoyed it!

For areas where I don't necessarily have a table available, I've been using clear plastic containers.  I placed all of the game instructions in clear plastic sleeves (job tickets) to keep them protected and because you can put two in one sleeve (back to back), they work great!




These are just a few ideas that I hope helps you if you've purchased MUSICIANS IN TRAINING leading to the FUN-LYMPICS. If you haven't, considering joining those of us who are helping our students celebrate music AND the upcoming summer Olympics!

You can read more about MUSICIANS IN TRAINING and FUN-LYMPCS HERE and can purchase them HERE.

ALSO:  The SALE on all of the BUG games and our newest interactive book, MY FIRST PIANO BOOK is still going on for another 12 days, so be sure to check them out HERE.  They are just SO ADORABLE!

Happy Teaching!

What's BUGGING you?

We mentioned in an earlier post that Birds of a Feather Music Resources has developed a line specific to 4 and 5 year olds!  ABC & 123! We've already showcased MY FIRST PIANO BOOK, a fabulous interactive book that introduces music basics, but we know that the key to retention for these young kiddos is repetition!

With that in mind, we developed FIVE games that highlight a musical concept and five adorable bugs that are part of this line.  Here's a look at each game:

BUDDY Knows the MUSICAL ALPHABET
One of the first concepts we teach beginners is the musical alphabet.  This game board features, BUDDY, the adorable butterfly and we use his wings to play!

Students practice the musical alphabet forward AND backward trying to be first to reach the end of one of Buddy's wings!  

BUDDY Knows the MUSICAL ALPHABET includes the game board, game cards, two BUDDY game markers, and full instructions.

You can purchase BUDDY Knows the Musical ALPHABET HERE or by clicking on the Birds of a Feather tab above.

DOT Knows MUSICAL FINGERS
When approaching piano finger numbers often we first have to start with LEFT and RIGHT hands.  DOT, our cute ladybug, is just the bug to help with that! 

This exciting board game uses students' hands and fingers for the game pieces - a sure way to practice left and right and the  piano finger numbers!

DOT Knows MUSICAL FINGERS includes the game board, game cards, and full instructions.

You can purchase DOT Knows MUSICAL FINGERS HERE or by clicking on the Birds of a Feather tab above.

FLASH Loves RHYTHM
FLASH, the lightning bug, wants to help teach your students about whole notes, half notes, dotted half notes, and quarter notes!  

Students use FLASH game pieces and game cards to make their way across the field and try to be the first to reach the moon!

FLASH Loves RHYTHM includes the game board, game pieces,  game cards, and full instructions.

You can purchase FLASH Loves RHYTHM HERE or by clicking on the Birds of a Feather tab above.

OCTAVIA Knows the KEYBOARD!

Teaching the letter names of the white keys has never been SO MUCH FUN with this sweet spider and her card game!

Students make matches while trying not to be caught in OCTAVIA's web!

OCTAVIA Knows the KEYBOARD! includes the game cards and full instructions.

You can purchase OCTAVIA Knows the KEYBOARD!  HERE or by clicking on the Birds of a Feather tab above.

SNAP! Knows LOUD and SOFT!

BEWARE of SNAP! the mosquito-eating dragonfly! Losing this game makes you a WINNER!

Players make matches using forte and piano to help them move their opponent's game piece!

SNAP! Knows LOUD and SOFT includes the game board, game cards, game pieces and full instructions.

You can purchase SNAP! Knows LOUD and SOFT  HERE or by clicking on the Birds of a Feather tab above.

Are you a new teacher looking to build your music resources or do you find that you need some fresh resources that will appeal to your youngest students?  Our charming bug games will make a PERFECT addition to your studio or classroom and are available for purchase individually OR as a set with a bundle savings!  

To purchase the games individually OR as a bundle go HERE or click on the Birds of a Feather tab above!  Happy Teaching!

My First Piano Book - A Flip Book for Early Learners and A SALE!

I'm really excited today to showcase a new line of resources designed for your early learners!  ABC  & 123 specifically provides material for 4 and 5 year olds.  The Piano Flip Book has been so popular that we decided to create a flip book that introduces young students (4-5 year olds) to the piano and beginning music theory.  

Meet MY FIRST PIANO BOOK, a fun and games book!

This interactive flip book is a fantastic way to start your young beginners. What better way to begin piano lessons than to introduce the piano with a fun coloring-sticker activity book!

In addition to the piano, MY FIRST PIANO BOOK introduces:
               * The Musical Alphabet
               * Musical Hands and Fingers
               * Simple Note Values
               * The Topography of the Keyboard
               * Line and Space Notes
               * Treble and Bass Clefs
               * Dynamics - forte and piano

As each page introduces one of the concepts above, students draw, color, fill-in-the-blanks, and add stickers!  We've also introduced five adorable and lovable bugs that will show up in all of the resources in the ABC & 123 line.  

We really wanted to make this flip book something that students would be excited to share with their parents and siblings so unique to this flip book, on each page there is a section titled, "At Home".  "At Home" provides detailed instructions for activities and games for students to complete during the week to reinforce what you've just taught them and to engage the family in the learning process.  

MY FIRST PIANO BOOK also provides flashcards for you to use right in lessons and for the "At Home" sections . There are cards for reviewing finger numbers, left and right hands, note values, etc.  We've even included a spinner!  All of the cards and the spinner have their own pockets in the flip book.

Once your student completes MY FIRST PIANO BOOK, there is a certificate of completion right on the back cover! 





So to recap...here's what's included:
             * A 14 page interactive music book
             * 9 pockets that include 8 sets of cards & 1 spinner 
                         Musical alphabet cards
                         Hands cards
                         Finger number cards
                         Note value cards
                         Keyboard cards
                         Clef cards
                         2 Sets of Dynamics cards (f and p)
              * A sheet of stickers
              * 18 "At Home" activities
              * A set of Award Stickers with for each of the Adorable Bugs!
              * Printing Instructions
              * Teacher Instructions
              * Parent Instructions for the "At Home" activities

MY FIRST PIANO BOOK can be used in lessons OR if you want a way to add students in the morning hours, consider using this interactive book with an early learner piano class by working on the book a page or so at each class over a few weeks.  MY FIRST PIANO BOOK would even work great for  homeschoolers!

We've put MY FIRST PIANO BOOK on SALE for the entire month of September!  Save 20%!  AND, this one time purchase allows you to make unlimited copies for your own studio!

Keep in mind that we have even MORE resources for this line coming very soon!

To purchase MY FIRST PIANO BOOK, simply go HERE or go to the Birds of a Feather tab above.
               

The Olympics are Coming!!

We're all excited for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo starting July 24, 2020! Now you have the opportunity to get your students excited with you AND get them excited about practicing!  A Win-Win!

We've mentioned our new practice incentive, MUSICIANS IN TRAINING in a previous post HERE and it's a perfect way to start out your new year this fall!

We'll be running this practice incentive this year as well so the studio is getting prepped and ready!  We've even decided to challenge our students to come up with a FUN-LYMPICS fanfare!  We're looking forward to hearing all kinds of composing creativity!

We're running a SALE on MUSICIANS IN TRAINING as well as the bundle that includes the camp, FUN-LYMPICS! As you are thinking about all the prep work you need to do over the summer, consider adding a practice incentive that inspires and encourages your students.

The SALE will last the entire month of July!   To get more information, check out THIS POST for all the details!

Here's too a fun, athletic-inspired year!

What's New Wednesday?

Summer is full of fairs and carnivals and who doesn't love an amusement park?  Our newest game, STUCK AT THE TOP! celebrates all that type of fun!

STUCK AT THE TOP! is an exciting game that reviews/reinforces musical accidentals.   It even helps them understand enharmonics!

The game comes with four mini ferris wheel boards, game cards and full instructions.  The object is for students to do a full loop around the ferris wheel and be the first to reach the entrance/exit position again.

The game cards challenge their knowledge of sharps, flats and naturals as well as half and whole steps.   There are additional cards that change up the game, sometimes sending them to the top of the ferris wheel.  In some cases this may be helpful and in some cases it may send them back, but all of it is pure FUN!

There are four different colored ferris wheels so it can be at least a 4-player game.

STUCK AT THE TOP! is a great way to highlight all the summer fun in your area while teaching!

You can click on the Birds of a Feather tab above to purchase the game or go directly to the link HERE.

Right now you can get STUCK AT THE TOP! on SALE - 25% OFF!  Enjoy!

What's New Wednesday?

Do you have students that LOVE cars?  I taught a family (unfortunately they moved away) with two teen boys and a younger sister.  The boys loved cars of any kind and their younger sister, catching the "bug" asked me if she could help me create a car-style game for the studio.  The result:

Classic Car Trade-Up!

This exciting board game has your students clapping rhythms  to try to upgrade their classic car to a much sleeker and much faster model in order to be the first to complete the race!

This game will have your students willingly working on rhythm!

So much fun!

And because we just can't help ourselves,  we've included a few surprises to add a twist or two to the race!

The packet includes the game board, vehicle cards, game cards and full instructions.

To purchase Classic Car Trade-Up, simply click on the Birds of a Feather tab above OR click HERE.  

And because we like a good sale, Classic Car Trade-Up is available this month for 25% OFF!

Enjoy!!

15 days left of the ANNUAL camp sale!

There are only 15 days left of the ANNUAL Camp and Practice Incentive SALE!  Just a quick reminder to take advantage of the lower prices while you can!

If you're thinking about running a music camp this summer, here are numerous camps available:

1.  Our newest and quickly becoming popular...

FUN-LYMPICS!
An olympic-style camp that encourages healthy competition and loads of music theory games!

You can read more about Fun-Lympics HERE.





2.  Our MOST popular camp...

ROADTRIP USA!
Explore regions of the United States and different styles of music.  This camp is full of fun activities, games and movements.

You can read more about RoadTrip USA HERE and HERE.  There are also Road Signs available.



3. It's a jungle out there and this camp will help you celebrate that!

JUNGLE JAM
This is our largest camp and is LOADED with games and activities.  It also includes a trading post, a look at the composer, John Cage and nine amazing jungle animals that may just remind you of a few musicians!

You can read more about Jungle Jam HERE.



4.  Looking at a trip to the city?  Look no further...

BEYOND CITY LIMITS
This camp is full of city-related activities and games and makes use of things on a LARGE scale.  There are several crafts and a group art project.

You can read more about Beyond City Limits HERE and HERE.





5.  How about a trip around the world?  

WORLD ADVENTURE
This camp is a compilation of games, activities, science projects and crafts designed to celebrate the diversity of our world!  With eh help of the this resource you can explore 33 countries in 6 continents!

You can read more about World Adventure HERE.




6.  How about a mystery?

MYSTERY ON MUSICIANS' ISLAND
This camp includes games, activities and crafts all with a fun, island theme! Add to that a mystery that needs to be solved and you have the makings of a camp your students will be talking about for a long time!

You can read more about Mystery on Musicians' Island HERE and HERE.




7. And if composers and composing interest you and your students...

MEET THE COMPOSERS
Meet the Composers provides a wonderful opportunity to introduce your students as well as children who may have minimal or no musical knowledge to some amazing composers and the art of composing!

You can read more about Meet the Composers HERE.



That's 7 great options for your summer!  We have more camps in the works  that you'll hear about over the next few months but these are all great options for this summer!  

REMEMBER - there are only 15 days left to get any of these camps ON SALE!

FUN-LYMPICS!!!!!

You've been asking and we've been working hard to deliver!  2020 marks the next Olympic games and we've put together our own musical version - FUN-LYMPICS!

We've created both a practice incentive AND an outdoor summer camp.  You can purchase them separately or as a bundle.  We've put together the practice incentive, MUSICIANS IN TRAINING as a prelude to the camp with the idea that you and your students will train and "practice" the events all year and then "compete" during the summer FUN-LYMPICS! event.

By training and practicing, we mean that students will work on Note Identification, Rhythm, Intervallic Recognition, Musical Terminology, Notation, Accidentals and Creativity in Playing.  By working on these concepts for 10 or so months during lessons, they "qualify" for the FUN-LYMPICS competition during the summer.

The summer camp is designed to be an outdoor camp although many of the events can be done inside if necessary.  BUT, if you live in an area that's too hot during the summer or if you don't have the outdoor space necessary, the practice incentive, MUSICIANS IN TRAINING can also work perfectly as a summer camp - INDOORS!

Here's a look at each one:

MUSICIANS IN TRAINING:
If your students are anything like ours, they love playing music games!  This practice incentive is designed to have your students work as individuals and in teams to not only accumulate practice points, but to build their musicianship through Knowledge, Skill, Focus, Endurance and Creativity.

There are 8 sports that form the foundation for the "events" and we've included beautiful graphics for each of them.  Students compete in areas such as golf, gymnastics, track and field, swimming, etc. all with a musical twist.  There are 29 competitive events (translated as 29 games for your studio!), many that will take 5 minutes or less to complete and some that will be done over several weeks.

The incentive also includes a workbook that has your students practicing music notation in a fun way. Purchase of this incentive allows you to make unlimited copies!   We've also included a large bundle of flashcards - grand staff cards, 5 levels of rhythm cards, interval cards, terminology cards - symbols and definition cards - accidental cards, and musical alphabet cards for use with the events and for just general use in your studio or classroom!

We want to encourage you and your students to give back so we have also provided information regarding the Special Olympics and how this incentive can benefit others!

FUN-LYMPICS!
The big event!  We've put an athletic twist on our musical twist!  Dizzy, anyone?  This camp has students working to learn and "perfect" their abilities during the first few days of camp so that they are ready to "officially" compete on the last day of camp - a great day to invite parents and friends to come see the FUN-LYMPICS!

Each day of camp they practice all of the events - which also secretly practices their musical knowledge - trying to hone their skills as individuals and as a team.  The events include relays, water games, races, and more!  There are also a couple of crafts that will be used on the last day of camp at the FUN-LYMPICS! competition.

Fun-lympics follows the same eight sports as MUSICIANS IN TRAINING with 27 events.  We show you how to set up everything (the events, general decor and signage) and run each event and how to set up your FUN-LYMPICS! competition on the last day.  We even give you ideas for an Awards Ceremony!

So to summarize...If you purchase the bundle of both MUSICIANS IN TRAINING and FUN-LYMPICS, you will receive 56 games to use with the program and/or in your studio anytime, a practice incentive with a music notation workbook, loads of flashcard sets AND the possibility of two camps!  WOW!!!!

Both MUSICIANS IN TRAINING and FUN-LYMPICS! are now available for sale by clicking on the Birds of a Feather Tab OR the Camp and Resources Tab above OR click on the links below:

Musicians in Training

Fun-lympics

Fun-lympics/Musicians in Training Bundle
 

And just because we want to get you as excited as we are, we're including them both in the current SALE which runs now through the end of April!

Happy competing!