Let's clap our hands to the rhythm of our names. "Mar-y" "Ver-on-i-ca", rhythms are all around us!

Composers need an idea for beginning their composition. Then they can take that idea and make it sound special by writing it upside down, or backwards or high or lower. The sounds then are all related to the first idea, but they are different and unique.

Listen to the sounds around us. Right now there is a quiet clock ticking and a loud school buzzer ringing in the neighbor's yard. We notice sounds because some are loud and some are quiet. When we sing or when we play the piano or any instrument it is always much more interesting if we have dynamics. They can show how we are feeling and help others notice our performance.

You can remember what you ate for breakfast! You can remember what Aunt Mary looks like! It's a good idea to train your mind to remember your music. You actually train your mind, your ear and also your fingers. All of these things work together to help you remember repertoire for your performance. Congratulations on managing so many things at once.

Fingers are amazing! Our five fingers are all different lengths so how do we play the piano with uneven fingers? We round our hand as if we are putting our hand over our knee. Try it - you'll see that now all your fingers are the same length. Take your hand away from your bent knee and put them on the table. All your fingers are round and ready to play the piano. Your fingers are stronger when they are round and can play faster when they are round. Have you ever tried to run with your knees straight? Your fingers will move very fast when they are rounded.

Some sounds are happy and some are thoughtful and even sad. All sounds help express how the composer is feeling or show what the composer is thinking. We can enjoy different tonalities, making them beautiful and meaningful for our listeners.

Fast and slow. Music has a variety of speeds. Just as cars drive slowly in a school area and fast on the super highway, we can play with different tempi too. A fast exciting piece is so thrilling; a slow colorful piece can be so comforting.