“Today I have a piece that I think you’re really going to like.” I was looking at my 11-year-old piano student, who was stuck in a bit of a rut. His home situation had recently become a bit rough, he was having trouble in school, and he really needed a win. I placed Dragon Dreams in front of him. This piece already has a really colorful, enticing cover, but this student really loves fantasy and had recently read “Voyage of the Dawn Treader”, where one of the main characters briefly turns to a dragon.
He didn’t act excited at first glance, but I could see the slight shift in his body language that told me he secretly was. Then, when he learned the piece in two weeks (a new record for him), I knew it was a winner! These sorts of stories are why finding Music Kids Love® is so important to their learning and motivation!
Why Piano Music about Mythical Creatures?
Kids love mythical creatures! Honestly, a lot of us adults do too – I enjoy pretending to look for fairies in the garden as much as my kid does! If you know your student loves reading adventure or fantasy, the likelihood is that they’ve come across a few mythical creatures and would love playing a piece that emulates them.
These pieces also give students a wonderful opportunity to work on communicating with their music. It’s much easier to play forte when you’re imagining the footsteps of a giant troll, or to play delicately if you’re a fairy lightly dancing across flower pedals.
Piano music about mythical creatures also gives students a way to learn how to play one piece many ways.
- How would the piece sound differently if the dragon were nice?
- What if the mermaids are deceptive, and trying to lure in sailors vs. being beautiful and kindly?
- How would it sound if the leprechauns were under a “sleepy” from the fairies while they were jumping?
It’s so easy to use your imagination when you’re playing music about mythical creatures, because the mythical creatures themselves already require a bit of imagination. And playing music creatively requires that imagination.
How Can I Use These Pieces?
Easy Mythical Creatures piece comes with a coloring page that students can use. Here’s a review from a teacher about how she used the coloring sheet in lessons:
I had a 5 year old come in this week and just completely shut down. He didn’t want to leave mom’s side, he refused to do any of our usual activities or even approach the piano, and he didn’t really want to talk to me. This was extremely unusual – I’ve been teaching him for months and he’s always been so engaged/enthusiastic.
We were totally stuck, and on a whim I gave him the Mermaid Wishes coloring sheet and I played for him while he colored. Afterwards we talked about the different things we imagined while listening to the music and he warmed right up. He was so excited to describe the mermaid swimming through the water and the different sea critters he saw.
Here are some other ways to use the Mythical Creatures pieces to excite and motivate students:
- Use them in the 30/40 piece challenge. Students can begin to lose momentum at this time of year, and giving them a series of pieces like these can help re-ignite that momentum!
- Use them as sight reading pieces for slightly older students
- Have students color the pictures before they start the piece and do a gallery wall in your studio showcasing them
- Use the corresponding Music Achievement Cards so students can feel proud of their progress! Read more about how to use the achievement cards here.
Which ComposeCreate Pieces are about Mythical Creatures?
The Student Solutions Catalog has an entire page dedicated to the Mythical Creatures series (page 79 if you already have the catalog)! If you haven’t already done so, be sure to download the catalog here. It’s a free resource that hundreds of teachers have downloaded to make finding music for students efficient and easy! You can also find all of the available Mythical Creatures pieces below.
The catalog is very user-friendly, and every picture if clickable. Even the table of contents is clickable, so finding your way around and pulling up the pieces on the website takes just seconds. Find music based on a theme (like playing thirds or bass clef practice), you can search for pieces for specific holidays, themes, and more. There are many, many ways to use this catalog – you can find some wonderful ideas here.
Download the FREE Student Solutions Catalog here!
Mythical Creatures Pieces Available:
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Elves Immortal$10.99 -
Sneaky Gnomes$10.99 -
Troll Trouble$10.99 -
Fairy Dust$10.99 -
Leprechaun Leaps$10.99 -
Dragon Dreams$10.99 -
Mermaid Wishes$10.99 -
Unicorn Gliding$10.99
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