I am delighted to announce that I have created a Facebook group for Music Mind Games where teachers, parents and students can share ideas, photos, videos, and ask questions related to Music Mind Games. I would like to invite each of you newsletter subscribers to join! Teachers who have taken teacher training workshops can ask each other questions like "Can someone remind me how many rhythm playing cards to deal for Tokyo Draw?"*. Or a teacher or parent may write, "I watched the Five Hiding video with rhythm playing cards. Has anyone adapted it to practice naming notes using grand staff cards? If so, please tell."*

I've met many creative teachers who have great ideas for using Music Mind Games. This is your chance to share with others on a broad scope. We can also post details on upcoming workshops, teachers can find other teachers who are using Music Mind Games in their area and ... well, you get the idea. I'm a new member to Facebook myself so if you haven't joined and are thinking about it, here's your nudge. Search: Music Mind Games

*Answers: 5; choose a scale, e.g. G major: all G's are worth 1 magic note, A's are worth 2 magic notes, and so on with low score being best.

I have recently uploaded a slightly different version of the blue jello word cards. My students said, "Can you make the mouse look more like he's really resting?" I've added beach towels and umbrellas. For example, for the whole rest there are four mice resting (four beat rest) on one towel (one symbol). The umbrellas and towels use the rhythm rainbow colors used in the Handbook which will help make it easier to recognize the different values the drawings represent. The half size mouse (eighth rest) and quarter size mouse (sixteenth rest) help all ages of students understand the proportional values. I have also updated the note graphics of "berrygoose". The new cards are: cover card, #1, #5, #6, #7, #8, #17, #31, #32, #35, and #38.

It is very easy to acquire the new blue jello word cards if you have already purchased a previous edition. Free updates of downloadable products are always available on the Music Mind Games website.

• Log into your account at musicmindgames.com
• Click on the “My Account” link on the left
• Click on the “Files” tab
• There should be a link to the .zip file that you originally purchased
• If you simply re-download the .zip file, you will have the new files

 If you don't have your set yet, blue jello word cards are available in letter and A4 size for only $4.99.

John is 6 1/2 and has been my student since he was 22 months. He has grown up playing Music Mind Games. Soon after the family got a new dog, his mom wrote me this email:

John found Bailey resting on the floor, with her head between her paws and commented, "Look, she's doing cucumber!"  Another theory story: I was working on a logic exercise with John that read "Naomi is the mother of Lois and Nora is the mother of Naomi. What is the relationship betweem Nora and Lois?" Without missing a beat, John called out, "A third!"

I have now been using Music Mind Games for about 2 years and it works like a dream for me. The kids love it and I love it too!! It is so great to actually have fun teaching, so you can go home feeling fulfilled and happy about your wor

k. I use it with kids of all ages, though most of my teaching is with little kids, ages 2-8. It is such a great tool for them and they really love learning this way; holding the materials and learning while playing.

I have also done a small experiment lately. For a couple of years I have

been teaching 3 nuns the bassoon (I am a bassoonist) and I had been having some trouble figuring out how to teach them all the theory stuff. One of them only spoke Spanish and I speak only Danish and English, so even teaching the bassoon was a challenge. Anyway, for some reason I had a set of rhythm playing cards in my bag one day, so I thought, “Well, it can´t do any harm”, so I tried teaching her the rhythms using the cards. We played War and within 20 minutes she had the whole idea of what note is long and what note is short.

What happened next was that one of the older (which means one that had been in the monastary longer) arrived. Her eyes became big as teacups, because nuns are not supposed to play cards!!!! BUT she saw what the younger nun had learned, and a couple of days later I got a phone-call (yes, they use cell-phones!) asking if I wanted to teach all the novices (the younger nuns) music theory. I said yes, but only if I can use Music Mind Games. So now, once a month, I teach 12 nuns music theory using Music Mind Games, and you will not believe how much fun we have; I will leave it up to you to create the pictures in your own minds! The nuns are aged 19-27, so this just goes to show how great this system works, even with adults. There are no limitations, only possibilities!!

Have fun and enjoy!! Annemette from Denmark (shown here with Anders at their Unit 1 training in Holstebro in June 2009)

We have a new computer game called Fine on our website. Right now it's only for notes, but we plan to add rests. If you would like to help test it, please feel free to log on and play. It's only accessible through this link: http://www.musicmindgames.com/finegame. Feel free to forward the link to your students to try, too. Please send me your feedback!