Our Creator Spotlight this month is on Alissa Fisette. Alissa (Liss) lives on Vancouver Island in British Colombia, Canada, and is the latest creator to join My Music Resource. Her fantastic games and activities are already proving popular with music teachers. Find out more about Alissa’s musical background, resources and tips for creating successful teaching resources in the interview below.
Liss, thank you for being under the spotlight this month. Can you tell us a bit more about your background and how you became a music teacher?
I came to piano a bit late as a child – I started at 11. It was love at first note! I couldn’t even sleep after my first lesson. I advanced quickly because I was good at reading music and sight reading. Then, when I was 16 my teacher asked me to start teaching some beginners. That was it for me. I have been teaching ever since, except for a gap working towards my Bachelor of Music. I currently teach about 35 students of all ages in my home studio.
In your experience, what’s the secret to creating successful music teaching resources?
I believe that learning should be fun, and that when it is fun it happens faster.
About 11 years ago, I started searching for online printables and games. This opened a whole new world for me and my students, and gave me a lot of insight into what I liked and did not like. For example, I realized I prefer worksheets and theory books that are made into a game or an interesting challenge. A year ago I took a course and started creating my own resources. I like things to be visually appealing and colourful, and games where you never know who is going to win! Most of all, I like games that can be played quickly when you are pressed for time.
Do you have any favourite teaching resources for lessons?
My students and I have various games that we love to play. Right now, everyone is stuck on Hearts on Parade and Love Bug Intervals (see below). Another favourite, which I’ve just published, is Plant vs Keys: A Half vs Whole Step game.
I test all of my games in my studio before selling them to make sure that they are student approved!
Finally, what piece of advice would you give to other teachers who would like to create their own resources?
For teachers who want to get into creating resources, I highly recommend finding a course or a mentor. Figuring out all the nuances of copyrights and publishing on your own is daunting! I also suggest looking at a lot of different resources to see what successful creators are producing. Most of all, if you think it is something you would enjoy then go for it – it’s totally worth it!
Click here to access Lissa Joy Music Resources store.
