June C. Montgomery

The Piano Camp books are designed to provide material for a 2-hour camp over 5 sessions. I didn't give a very high rating to the Primer level, but I like this one better. First, I think it provides a very good bridge between the 1st and 2nd years of study, reviewing note reading, basic rhythms, intervals up through 5ths, easy symbols, and it introduces sharps and flats. I particularly like the music appreciation aspect - there's a page on a different composer for each day of the camp. My negative feelings about it are that it still uses that position approach to reading, and the whole camp is a sit-still experience. That's easier for kids who are a year older, but I still think that a summer piano camp screams for active games. I think this book could be useful if it were supplemented with move-around activities, and actually, you probably would need them to fill up a 2-hour camp.… (plus d'informations)

I bought this to look over, thinking that I'd use it for a week-long Pre-Piano camp this summer. But, I've decided not to use it. I'll probably end up using it as a supplemental book for a beginning student, and actually, I think it would be very good for that purpose. The Primer level covers finger numbers, white key names, simple note values, 4/4 and 3/4 time, forte, piano, and an introduction to the staff. It is designed to provide material for a 5-day music camp, with sessions lasting 2 hours. Actually, I'm pretty doubtful that the material is enough to occupy a group for 2 hours, even with a snack time. There are games for each session as well as a music appreciation page for each section. I like the music appreciation aspect very much, but I thought the games were mostly too inactive and too short - and there weren't enough of them. Nearly everything involves sitting at the piano or sitting still at a board game or worksheet. My kids need to move. I'll be doing things like white key relay races outside... (Hmmm...maybe I should publish my lesson plans.) I also don't care for the way these books set up the C Position, Middle C Position approach to reading, one that I avoid. It's also worth noting that children need to have some reading skills for this book, so if your beginning students tend to be kindergarten or first-graders this might not be your best choice. I've decided to use the Noona Mainstreams Primer A and Primer Games A for my camp, with a lot of supplemental activities. These books are old and hard to find, but very good, and they lend themselves very well to a group.… (plus d'informations)