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Frequently Asked Questions

What does TCW stand for?
How do I place students in the theory books?
Why don't TCW games come laminated?
Where is the best place to laminate?
How do I pronounce the names of your theory books?
How do I organize students for group lessons?
How many students should I group together?
How long should group lessons last?
What games are especially good for teenagers?
What games are good for young students?
What games work well one-on-one?
What are some ideas for using Music Money?
How does the Kreative Keyboard Packet work?
Why do you start with 2-octave scales?

What does TCW stand for?

We were so busy developing materials that we never got around to naming ourselves. One night we found that Charlene's husband had run out of patience and had registered all of our software to "TCW Resources."

We asked him what the TCW stood for and his reply was, "Three Cranky Women"! We've enjoyed redefining this acronym ever since (three charming women, three creative women, three cute, cautious, capricious . . . ) well, you get the idea.

How do I place students in the theory books?

Give them a written or oral/aural pretest. If they know 70% of the material we usually send them on and depend on the teacher to fill in the 'holes'. Occasionally you get students who can really benefit from reviewing material they already know to become more fluent - especially if they are younger.

Why don't TCW games come laminated?

In order to keep costs more affordable to our teachers, we have them cut, but not laminated. We do recommend that card games be laminated to lengthen their life and durability.

Where is the best place to laminate?

We recommend small printing centers, or schools if you are lucky enough to be affiliated with one. We have found better prices in small family-run stores as opposed to large national chains. The printers usually charge by the foot.

We have also had customers purchase clear contact paper at any large store like Wal-mart, K-mart, Target, etc. To laminate the cards, you must apply the paper to both sides of the card. This method is a bit cheaper than the previous mentioned method, but also more time consuming. Some teachers tell us they don't laminate the cards. They choose to wear them out and then buy a new deck, claiming that in the end the cost and hastle of laminating make this a better plan. Most teachers laminate.

How do I pronounce the names of your theory books?

You'll find pronunciation guides and definitions inside the first page of each theory book!

How do I organize students for group lessons?

It is usually best to have students grouped by age and ability. We have found that elementary grades 1-2 and 3-5 can be grouped together as long as their theory and playing levels are comparable. Middle and junior high schoolers prefer to be kept together as much as possible, with a separate group for high schoolers. Generally speaking, teenagers feel insulted if they are grouped with elementary students.

How many students should I group together?

For one instructor, we have found that 7 students is manageable. More than that without an assistant can require more time spent on crowd control than music learning.

How long should group lessons last?

Generally, our group lessons last one hour. The first 10 minutes are spent on listening skills, then 20-30 minutes reviewing, teaching new concepts, and working in their theory workbooks, and the last 20-30 minutes are spent applying their knowledge by reinforcing games and activities. Some weeks the format will change to accommodate performing for one another.

What games are especially good for teenagers?

What games are good for young students?

What games work well one-on-one?

What are some ideas for using Music Money?

Music Money may be offered as a reward for whatever criteria the teacher specifies, including random rewards. Common criteria varies but could include being on time, bringing your materials, reinforcing hand position, participation, work completed, meeting a memorization goal, flashcards, meaningful repititions, etc.

The students may use the money to then purchase 'prizes' (penny candy, music CD's, notebooks, pens etc.) either weekly or monthly. We've found an auction at the end of term for teenagers in group class is very popular. Teens very competitively bid ridiculous amounts like $3000 for a 2 liter pop just so they can beat out their classmates!

How does the Kreative Keyboard Packet work?

There are three components. The Kreative Keyboard Collection Game Materials Booklet explains how to play the games. This little gem is indexed by level and by concept so you can easily find a reinforcing game for your lesson plan and your group profile. We find that it is very handy to have a second cloth Kreative Keyboard when running group games. It makes the logistics of running the game a lot easier.

The Game Materials Booklet is the third component and offers many game props Some teachers make these up as they go. Others make up all the materials and create a "game caddy" full of all the game materials and other things like candy, dice and bells ready to grab at a moment's notice.

Some of the games in this collection use colored markers. We've found that an inexpensive approach is to buy poker chips which come in red, blue, and white. You can have a white team and a blue team. The red chips can be used as 'hits'. These chips work well as noteheads on the staff side of the cloth keyboard. Round, flat candies work well, also, and then kids can eat their correct answer.

Why do you start with 2-octave scales?

To reinforce the fingering pattern of 123 1234 123 1234 (5). One octave scales can set in the student's mind that the pattern is 123 12345. This can create a difficult transition to fingering two or more octave scales.

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