Jenny B Peters Music
Creativity for AllIs Flexible Fiddling for You?
Try a Kid-Tested Program that Takes the Guesswork Away
Do you want happy and engaged students?
Are you frustrated that there’s not enough time to teach improvisation and composition? And no matter how hard you try to meet state and national standards you can’t seem to fit it all in? You’ve gotten the degree, you watched the TED talk, and still… you don’t know where to start.
Do you want happy and engaged students? Students who want to practice? Students who want to be in rehearsal and make your job easier? Students who know how to compose and improvise?
Of course…
Because you know it will help them stay engaged with music. And you know it will meet one of the core National Arts Standards that you don’t have the time or the know-how to teach.
Try a Kid Tested Program That Works Great
You can use the “Flexible Fiddling” curriculum from Jenny B. Peters Music. Everything is spelled out and kid-tested. Your students will love it.
Orchestra students will learn how to play fiddle tunes authentically. But they won’t just learn the tunes.
They’ll create bass lines, accompaniments, and play the melody. With these skills, your students rise to “accomplished” rank on the following National Music Standard.
MU:Cr1.1.E.IIa Compose and improvise ideas for arrangements, sections, and short compositions for specific purposes that reflect characteristic(s) of music from a variety of cultures studied in rehearsal.
They’ll have the material to create their own arrangements! They’ll tell their friends that orchestra is cool, making your job of recruitment and retention easier. They’ll reach out to younger friends and show them how to play the cool music they learned in orchestra.
And they’ll have fun!
Hire Jenny as a Guest Conductor and Clinician
Jenny is composer, clinician, and educator with 25+ years of experience in the classroom.
I’m Intrigued. Yet I Have Some Concerns
- It’s too much work to incorporate another music method into our busy schedule. I have to get my students ready for contests and concerts. There’s not enough time as it is!
- Studying “Flexible Fiddling” will take away from other important skills. My students have so much they need to learn.
- Teaching improvisation is chaotic. It’s not something you can do in an orchestra.
Are you still thinking about it?
It’s Too Much Work
You say it takes too much time to incorporate another method into our busy schedule. You have to get my students ready for contests and for concerts. There’s not enough time as it is!
Flexible Fiddling is a group of tunes you can use a little bit at a time. There are backing tracks, videos and lesson plans. So, you can incorporate the material into a daily rehearsal in 5- minute increments.
Or, you can hire Jenny to come out to your school to introduce your students to Flexible Fiddling. Then, all you have to do is help tune and watch the magic begin!
The Bluegrass music sounds really different from our orchestra music. It was “fiddly” and it was faster. It was more rhythmic and energetic. I liked how it was so upbeat. It sounds really cool!”
“It feels upbeat and swingy. And we’re able to do more with the song than just play the notes. It’s really cool how all the instruments fit like pieces of a puzzle.”
My Students Already Have So Much They Need to Learn.
You’re worried about losing valuable time. Don’t worry. Flexible Fiddling will enhance your students’ musical abilities and engagement.
At my school, my students were tired and ready to hang it up at the end of the school year. I introduced playing “Boil ‘Em Cabbage” Bluegrass Style to my 4th Graders on the last day. They wanted their lessons to continue into the summer!
The middle school students were able to adjust their dynamic levels in Holfeldt’s Toccatina. Because they know the cellos and violas had to be heard when they had the melody. The violins were playing a backup part. From their experience in Bluegrass, the students had the language and skills to make dynamic adjustments. And that was in ALL their repertoire.
It’s Too Chaotic
It sounds good. And I don’t think I can do this in an orchestra rehearsal.
Flexible Fiddling is not chaotic. And the students learn to improvise. You teach them the elements of each folk tune. The students improvise as a group over small sections of the tune. They do this with backing tracks, so they feel empowered to try something new. Since everyone is doing it, no one is listening to them mess up. They are willing to take risks. And you don’t lose control of your class.
“I liked the swing and the improv. In the music, I liked how everyone caught on and played. When you improvise you play what you feel like playing, not what is on the page. It’s a different kind of focus.”
Hire Jenny as a Guest Conductor and Clinician
Jenny is composer, clinician, and educator with 25+ years of experience in the classroom.
They sounded great! We Loved the fiddle pieces!
Flexible FiddlingﾠTakes the Guesswork Away!
Flexible Fiddling is a unique program that takes all the guesswork away for the teacher. You will have no more fear about teaching creativity. There are:
- Step-by-step instructions and guides for the teacher
- Building Blocks and Orchestra Arrangement pages for the students
- Backing tracks to keep your group together as they try new things.
You do not need to leave your comfort zone. And you get to teach folk styles in an authentic manner. With the back-beats felt on two and four, the music relates to the music your students listen to. It is inclusive of the African-American rhythmic tradition. And it appeals to all students. Flexible Fiddling is a backdoor to increased engagement in the orchestra classroom!
Jenny B Peters Music - Contact Me
I’d love to hear from you – How can I help you?
Do you have a question about music lessons, creativity, Bluegrass, or orchestra work? You can fill out the form below. I'll respond with an email or phone call. Or, you can call me at 847-826-9661.