Student Instructions - Keyboard Kids for Kindness Practice Challenge

 
Helen Smith Tarchalski

Helen Smith Tarchalski teaches in her independent studio in Maryland, on the faculty of Anne Arundel Community College, and at the U.S. Naval Academy. She is a graduate of Peabody Conservatory and holds the MTNA Master Teacher Certificate. Her students have been featured performers with the National Philharmonic Orchestra and at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Terrace Theater. She has authored articles and entries for textbooks, has performed and presented workshops and master classes throughout the U.S., and serves as a clinician for Frederick Harris Music.

 

Keyboard Kids Editor, Helen Smith Tarchalski
March/April 2009, Vol. 1 #2

 

Letter to Teachers

Many famous musicians play concerts and sell CDs to help raise money for their favorite charities.

Why not put your piano studies to work helping one of your favorite charities? Please join us in the Keyboard Kids for Kindness Practice Challenge. Use these step-by-step instructions to make piano practicing count even more toward making the world a better place!

  1. With a parent’s assistance, choose a charity that you would like to help.
  2. Download and print copies of the Sponsor Letter, Chart A, Chart B, and Final Report.
  3. With a parent’s help, decide on a unit of practice time and a suggested unit of sponsorship. Tell your sponsors your goals for daily or weekly practice, and ask what they would like to pledge for each unit achieved.
    Examples:
    • Each 20 minutes of practicing = $ .50 donation pledge
    • Each 60 minutes of practicing = $1.00 donation pledge
    • Meeting daily practice goal = $ .50 donation pledge
  4. Learn as much as you can about how your favorite charity works so that you can answer your sponsors’ questions.
  5. Use the Sponsor Introduction Letter to help you talk to your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, parents’ friends... anyone you and your parents think might want to help with this project! Ask them to sponsor your practice time with personal donations to your favorite charity.
  6. Use Chart A to keep track of your sponsors’ names and pledges.
  7. Use Chart B to log your practice hours for six weeks.
  8. At the end of six weeks, print enough copies of Chart B for each of your sponsors, your teacher, one to send to Clavier Companion, and one to keep.
  9. Add up the results and provide a copy to each of your sponsors by Nov 1, 2009.
  10. Complete and sign the Final Report Form. Print a copy to keep and copy to submit.
  11. We will print the results of our Keyboard Kids for Kindness Practice Challenge in a future issue of Keyboard Kids’ Companion and send a surprise to the top three practicers! Submit copies of your completed Final Report and Chart B by November 30, 2009. You may scan them and e-mail keyboardkids@claviercompanion.com, OR you may mail them to:

    Helen Smith Tarchalski
    Anne Arundel Community College
    Cade School of Arts and Sciences Room 113
    101 College Parkway
    Arnold, Maryland 21012-1895

Good luck!

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