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Music for Little Mozarts: Notespeller & Sight-Play Book 4: Piano Book

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Music for Little Mozarts: Notespeller & Sight-Play Book 4 Cover Image

Music for Little Mozarts: Notespeller & Sight-Play Book 4: Piano Book

Written Activities and Playing Examples to Reinforce Note-Reading

By Christine H. Barden, Gayle Kowalchyk, and E. L. Lancaster

Level: 4

Item: 00-45127

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Description
The Notespeller & Sight-Play Book 4 reinforces note-reading skills based on the concepts introduced in the Music Lesson Book 4. Each page has two activities---a written activity and a playing example. The written activity reinforces notes on the keyboard and staff through coloring, circling, drawing, or matching. The sight-play examples help students relate notes and musical concepts to performance on the keyboard, move out of fixed hand positions, and identify melodic and rhythm patterns.

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Additional Details
Series: Music for Little Mozarts
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 32
ISBN10: 1-4706-3242-X
ISBN13: 978-1-4706-3242-7
UPC: 038081515267
SKU: 00-45127

More about this title

About the Authors

Christine H. Barden
Christine H. Barden is recognized internationally as a leading figure in early childhood music education. She co-authored Alfred's Music for Little Mozarts preschool piano method and currently maintains a private piano teaching practice in Reno, Nevada, where she works with accomplished students in piano, composition, and Music for Little Mozarts classes.

Her musical training includes a degree in piano performance from San Francisco State University, where she studied under Vladimir Brenner, a pianist with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. She spent four years in Europe studying, performing, and teaching, and became one of the first American educators to train with Yamaha Music Foundation instructors in Japan. Over 17 years with Yamaha, she held positions including Director of Curriculum and National Chief Instructor for the Yamaha Music Education System.

As a sought-after clinician, Christine has led workshops for piano teachers at conferences across the United States, England, Norway, and Singapore. Her published compositions through Alfred include the Music for Little Mozarts curriculum and numerous piano solos, notably "Etude Toccata," which was selected as a National Federation of Music Clubs Junior Festival piece.
Gayle Kowalchyk
Dr. Gayle Kowalchyk is a piano educator and pedagogy specialist at California State University, Northridge, where she teaches class piano, individual piano, and piano pedagogy. She earned her bachelor's degree in piano performance from Ohio University and her master's degree in piano performance and pedagogy from Northwestern University. She completed her Ed.D. in piano pedagogy at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Throughout her career, Dr. Kowalchyk has held faculty positions at Eastern Illinois University, Oklahoma Baptist University, and the University of Oklahoma. At Eastern Illinois, she coordinated the class piano program, directed the piano preparatory program, and taught graduate level piano pedagogy. She spent summers from 1979 to 1982 teaching class piano and piano ensemble at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan. With her husband, Dr. E. L. Lancaster, she has co-authored over 300 educational piano publications, including Alfred's Premier Piano Course and Music for Little Mozarts.

A sought-after clinician and adjudicator, Dr. Kowalchyk regularly presents at major conferences including the Music Teachers National Association convention, Music Educators National Conference, National Group Piano Symposium, National Piano Teachers Institute, and the World Piano Pedagogy Conference. She and her husband operated an independent piano studio in Norman, Oklahoma from 1981 to 1996, teaching students across all age levels. Based in the Los Angeles area today, she continues to teach piano and serves as a clinician for Alfred Music.
E. L. Lancaster
E. L. Lancaster served as Executive Editor for Piano at Alfred Music and currently teaches piano as an adjunct faculty member at California State University, Northridge. He earned degrees from Murray State University and the University of Illinois, culminating in a Ph.D. from Northwestern University.

At the University of Oklahoma, Dr. Lancaster spent nearly two decades as Professor of Music, where he established the master's and doctoral programs in piano pedagogy in 1980 and mentored more than fifty doctoral candidates. He received multiple teaching honors including the Regents Award for Superior Teaching (1984), the Associated Distinguished Lectureship (1987), and the David Ross Boyd Professorship (1991). His contributions to piano education earned him recognition as a Signature Sinfonian by Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia in 2013, and Murray State University presented him with its Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2014.

Beyond his university work, Dr. Lancaster has held significant leadership roles within the Music Teachers National Association, serving as National Chairman of Group Piano and National Conference Chair in 2020. He also operated an independent piano studio in Norman, Oklahoma with his wife, Dr. Gayle Kowalchyk, and directed a Piano Pedagogy Laboratory Program that combined group and private instruction for pre-college students.

Why we love this

This workbook maintains the playful, approachable spirit of the Music for Little Mozarts method while strategically building independent reading skills. The two-part structure on each page reinforces concepts immediately through both written work and keyboard application, so students see the connection between notation and sound right away.

What to expect

Notespeller & Sight-Play Book 4 feels like a friendly conversation between written work and keyboard exploration. Each page invites discovery through coloring and matching activities, then lets students hear their understanding come alive through short, satisfying melodic examples that build confidence without overwhelming.

Who it's for

This book is designed for pianists progressing through Book 4 of the Music for Little Mozarts course, typically ages 4-7. It works best for students ready to move beyond rote learning and take ownership of their note-reading, supported by a teacher or parent guide.

How to get the most out of it

  • Before assigning sight-play examples, walk through the written activity together so students see how the note identification translates to what they'll play.
  • Encourage students to identify melodic and rhythmic patterns within each example before playing, building analytical habits alongside fluency.
  • Use the sight-play pieces to gently expand hand position work; pause and celebrate when students successfully navigate notes outside their fixed starting position.
  • Have students point to notes on the staff while saying the letter names aloud, then play; this multi-sensory approach locks in recognition faster.

How to use it

Assign pages alongside corresponding lessons in the Music Lesson Book 4 to reinforce that week's concepts before moving forward. This workbook works best as a between-lesson assignment, giving students a chance to solidify reading and hand position work at their own pace at home or during studio time.

Skills your students will build

  • Note identification on treble staff and keyboard
  • Sight-reading short melodic phrases
  • Hand position flexibility and independence from fixed positions
  • Recognition of melodic and rhythmic patterns
  • Reinforcement of concepts taught in the corresponding lesson book

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