...another great quote!

"My idea is that there is music in the air, music all around us; the world is full of it, and you simply take as much as you require." -Edward Elgar


Such a wonderful concept. We are what we are, we are what we aspire to be. We are able to find the things that we "require" when we just stop and take a moment to breathe in the fresh air.

Quote of the Day

"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo

What does music do for you? How are YOU using music to give a voice to the things in your life that need to be expressed so deeply? Something to truly think about.

Kid-Friendly/Educational Websites

I thought I would use my post today as a resource for the parents of my piano students. In this day in age kids love being on the computer (or maybe even that is becoming outdated with the iPad!) I wanted to share some interactive and educational websites that my be of use to your child who is either wanting more music education in their life, or could use a nudge in certain aspects of their musical education (note reading, theory, etc.) 

Disclaimer: The order that I write about these websites have nothing to do with how I would rank them. These are also just my opinions about the sites- it is up to you to make good judgement in how you use them. I hope you and our children are able to take bits and pieces from each site and learn something new. Id' love to hear your thoughts!

www.classicsforkids.com/music

This is probably one of the first classical music sites I came across when I first started teaching, and I still enjoy visiting it. Students can learn about classical music, various instruments, listen to different styles of music, play theory and ear-training games and much more. There are also several games that will aide students in becoming better note and rhythm readers. Other games will allow them to learn about the masters in composition and even give them the opportunity to do some composing themselves!

www.kusc.org/kids

While this website does not appear to be as kid friendly as some of the websites I’ve posted, please remember the old saying to “never judge a book by its cover.” I would say that the website could be more beneficial with parental oversight and guidance. In fact, there are many family listening activities. This site is a great educational resources, and will aide students in learning about various styles of music and where that music came from. The interactive “tours” of the cities where great composers lived and worked is definitely time worth spent. Students will also have the opportunities to learn about some of the music literature, and the stories that lie behind them.

www.sphinxkids.org

This is an interactive website where students can learn about composers, the instruments of the orchestra, and various other musical concept. I am very fond of the fact that this website goes beyond the typical picture and short clip of the instrument. The emphasis is not only on learning what any given instrument is, but how it sounds in context, how it’s played, how it actually works. I would say the same thing about the composer section of the website. Students are not only learning what the composer looked liked and a short excerpt from their most famous piece. Instead they can choose to learn about composers based on the country they are from, style etc. I particularly enjoy that they have a section on minority composers. This website also includes various musical games. 

Studio Classes

This morning I met a piano teacher in the area who is relocating to the other side of the country. We talked about the possibility of me taking on some of her students. Of course, this would be GREAT for me! But even if that doesn't happen, it was so great to converse with an intelligent, kind, and creative teacher. I walked away with new ideas in only 45 minutes, and have started brainstorming others.

Giovanna told me of the studio classes she teaches. Basically, it's a separate class that piano students attend in order to learn musical concepts together: music theory, music history, rhythm, sight-reading, ear-training, etc. I'm thrilled to organize this for my current students, and have started thinking of ways to make this creative and fun.

Here's what I have so far:

Studio Classes

4-5 students around the same age

Creating a velcro rhythm board where students will not only read rhythms, but create them

Creating a large staff for note identification

Exploring percussion instruments 

Encouraging improvisation

Expose students to various types of music 

Allow students the opportunity to play for each other in a safe environment
Lessons in notation and composition
Worksheets on various musical concepts
Learning and practicing musical vocabulary through musical experiences and exploration
Fun...Fun... FUN!!!!

I will put the idea out there this week to the parents of my students. I am very much looking forward to having a class and giving my students this opportunity. I think they will enjoy doing something a bit different then their one-on-one lesson, and hopefully make some new piano friends in the process. I will keep posted!

breathing... in piano playing?!

Well, it sure has been a while! It seems I have neglected this page, and perhaps even that it got hacked into? In any case... here goes :)

The past few weeks I've been noticing habits that I have not taught my students, but believe they have picked up from me by modeling or me unconsciously doing. One of those things is breathing. 


When I discovered the importance of breathing in piano playing I became a much better player. For years I never understood why my teachers were telling me to breath with the music - I simply did NOT get it. There was even a long period of time where I found I was actually holding my breath. You can imagine what this did to my playing, and what it did to me physically, especially when playing more demanding pieces. When I finally came to understand it, many aspects of my playing became better: rhythm, the melodic line, the flow, musicality. It was truly an "aha" moment. It still is somewhat of an abstract concept, for me at least, but I do believe in it's importance.

Now, I've never actually taught my students to breathe with the music. Maybe it's because they are younger (mostly 6-9,) maybe because I subconsciously doubt their ability to truly understand it, or maybe I've just neglected it. However, I've been noticing my students using their breath to keep track of where they are, breathing at the end of phrases, waiting until they truly finish a piece to take a breath. Part of me is wondering whether I'm making a bigger deal out of this then I should, but it truly amazes me. When a 7 year old sits still at the end of her piece, slowly puts her hands down on her lap, and then takes a breath to "finish" the piece... I am amazed.

I think by modeling good playing, and good piano "etiquette" if you will, my students are picking up habits that will make them successful players. They may not be the next Mozart or Beethoven, but they are capable of being great players, even when playing simple songs. They are capable of breathing with the music, and living with the music, as long as we as teachers let them explore it on their own terms. It will come to them, and it has come to mine.

Method Books - Piano Adventures

Today I will write about the method book "Piano Adventures" which I have been using with my young beginner students.

I hope I don't sound bias, and I am open-minded when it comes to methodology, but I really LOVE these books! My students are engaged, excited about playing the piano, have opportunities to explore different aspects of playing piano, and are given the tools needed to compose, improvise and be creative. 

With "Piano Adventures," lessons are activity based. Students come with a task to be accomplished, whether it be to compose a song with the new notes they have learned, or improvise a melody given specific notes and wonderful and fun teacher accompaniment parts. They kids LOVE it. 

Here are some highlights of "Piano Adventures," that I love using, and my students enjoy participating in.

Exploration of the keyboard: Through all the lessons in these books, young students are able to explore the keyboard. Students don't start in the typical "C-position" while their teachers cross their fingers and hope for the best. Students truly learn the keyboard as a whole, rather than the ten notes that make up "C-position." Using visual aids and the imagination of the child, students are able to explore the high notes and play "mousie" sound and low notes while exploring "elephant" sounds. There is also something to be said about the fact that students are taught not to associate notes with finger numbers. Because they are exploring the keyboard, they come to understand that finger numbers are for the purpose of playing a passage with ease and comfort – they realize that finger numbers are NOT the notes.

Ear-Training: Although I'm still new with using this method, I don't believe it incorporates solfege (maybe in the later books?) However, students are given many opportunities to train their ear. With young students this could be listening to several patterns and determining whether the line is ascending or descending, whether the notes played are steps or skips. Students enjoy the challenge, and when their eyes are closed and they are doing their best to guess what the music is doing - their faces are priceless. 

Eye-Tracking: Another new concept to me, is pushing students to train their eyes as far as what the music is doing. Simliar to the ear-training aspect of this method, eye-training asks students to visually analyze the music: is the line ascending or descending? Are the notes stepping or skipping? Students are constantly training their eye to look ahead, to know what’s coming next. These might seem simple to advanced or professional pianists, but these are important factors in getting students to a proficient level of reading. 

Composition: Before I go into detail, I just went to say how PROUD students feel when they compose their own piece. Sure, they are given specific parameters in order to complete these mini-compositions, but it gives them ownership over their own playing and creativity.

Improvisation: Students are given many opportunities to explore improvisation given specific notes. For me this is huge. I grew up taking piano lessons and never once learning how to improvise, to this day I am still terrified of it. Because students are learning to be creative, and given the tools to be successful in improvisation in a safe setting, they actually end up enjoying, looking forward to it, and gaining confidence in their artistic capabilities that go beyond note-reading and playing songs.

Student Development: How are students developing? Of course this varies from student to student, but what I’ve seen much growth in my students using this method.

Students gain:

Confidence in note-reading and rhythm-reading
The skills needed to become proficient readers
Independence in navigating the keyboard
The big “T” word- Technique
A basic understanding of music theory and how it relates to piano playing
Knowledge of pianistic gestures and the use of phrasing
A deeper love and appreciation of music, and piano playing

Motivation to practice

Motivate: to stimulate towards action.

What makes us motivated? What does it take for one to have motivation? What drives us to be motivated?

 

 

I've been asking this question to myself for as long as I can rememebr. Through my years of playing the piano I've gone through many stages of motivation. There were many times were I did not want to practice at all but literally forced myself (or bribed myself?) to get to the piano, set a timer, and go. There were other times I couldn't wait to practice, I craved practice, it was a "natural high" to sit at the piano for hours and really work on technique/repertoire/etc. At this point in my life, things have changed yet again. I'm teaching K-6 music in a poverty stricken, high violence area. Yes, I'm teaching music, which is a blessing in and of itself with all the budget cuts and teacher layoffs, but my problems with teaching there have more to do with motivating my students rather than the content itself. I have lost some of my own motivation to practice the piano because I have "nothing" to practice for. I want my piano students to have a teacher who is "on her game," who actively plays with ensembles, who practices for the absolute joy of having the ability to make this gorgeous music in the first place.

 

 

In order to be highly motivated we must have goals, and have a high desire for whatever it is we are being motivated to do. I recently read Carol Dweck's "Mindset." A mindset is basically how you view yourself: your intelligence, talents, personality traits, etc. She writes about the growth mindset verses the fixed mindset. In fixed mindset, a person has beliefs about themself that he/she thinks cannot be changed. On the other hand, someone with a growth mindset, understands that while we are all individuals and may have been born with certain qualities or talents, these can all be developed over time. This is where motivation comes in. If we train ourselves to have a growth mindset, to believe that hardwork and dedication pays off, to believe that when we follow our dreams and our hearts (even through the hard times and probably many tears!) we can do whatever we set our minds to. We need to teach our students to have a growth mindset as well as modeling a growth mindset for them.

 

 

There have been countless times were I have been motivated to practice only to reach a certain goal (a jury, recitals, concerto etc.) Goals are most definitely important, there is no doubt about that. For me, I need to stop making goals that have dead-lines. I will motivate myself to practice because I want to be a better pianist, because I want to be a role-model for my students, because I believe that we can always grow and learn. I deserve to allow myself time alone with my instrument - time to think, reflect, play, feel, and give thanks.