Tag Archives: blogging

Two riveting comments on pay for practicing piano…

Posted on September 9, 2011 by

Powerful statements worth pondering: “I agree with you totally that it is abhorrent to pay children to practice, and I’m not sure I know quite why. It just seems that there are certain activities that should be done for their … Continue reading →

Posted in paying students to practice piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, slow mindful practicing, Teach Street, teaching piano, teaching piano to children, word press, wordpress.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Highlights of Rina’s fourth piano lesson, 8/25/11: Learning about Rhythm and tapping C’s and Ds to Marches (Videos in three parts)

Posted on August 25, 2011 by

Rina reached a learning landmark last week when she located “little houses” with two black key roofs across the keyboard. Irina Gorin, in her book, “Tales of a Musical Journey” cleverly marks out seven “neighborhoods” (aka “octaves”) that encompass small, … Continue reading →

Posted in "Tales of a Musical Journey" by Irina Gorin, Irina Gorin, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano playing and relaxation, piano teaching, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, playing piano, Prokofief "March", Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Tchaikovsky, teaching piano to children, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Piano Instruction: A Beautiful Mozart Minuet in F Major, K. 5 that enlists the dipping wrist (Videos)

Posted on July 28, 2011 by

I stumbled upon this musical gem when I purchased Mozart, 14 of his Easiest Pieces (Alfred, publisher) Not at all deceived by the description “easiest,” I read through the collection knowing the challenge of interpreting the master’s music with expression … Continue reading →

Posted in Mozart, Mozart MInuet in F K.5, music teachers association of california, musicology, New York City High School of Performing Arts, New York University, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano pedagogy, piano practicing, piano room, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Teach Street, teaching piano, teaching piano to children, Theory, uk-piano-forums, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Piano instruction: The Rhythm of lessons and learning

Posted on July 28, 2011 by

After decades of teaching, I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s a rhythm to learning that affects musical progress and a student’s sustained interest in taking piano lessons. On the teacher’s side: He/she invests time in lesson preparation and choice … Continue reading →

Posted in classissima.com, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano practicing, piano repertoire, Piano Street, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano teaching repertoire, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, word press, wordpress.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Skyped Piano Lessons: Using video supplements as reinforcement (Video sent to an 8-year old student)

Posted on July 22, 2011 by

Today I Skyped a third piano lesson between California and Oregon, and learned that the student I was mentoring was not 10-years old as I had thought all along, but only 8! Dad told me she had 10 months of … Continue reading →

Posted in keyboard technique, long distance piano teaching, mental imagery, mind body connection, MTAC, muscular memory, music, music and heart, music and the breath, music teachers associationo of California, music theory, music video, musical inspiration, musical phrasing, New York City, New York City High School of Performing Arts, New York University, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, pentachords, pentascales, phrasing at the piano, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano pedagogy, Piano Street, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano technique, piano warm-ups, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Skype, skyped piano lessons, Skyping piano lessons, slow piano practicing, Steinway M grand piano, Steinway studio upright, summer piano lessons, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, teaching piano, teaching piano scales, teaching scales, technique, Theory, uk-piano-forums, video uploading, videotaped replay, virtual piano lessons, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Piano Instruction: Debussy Arabesque No. 1 (Video)–and playing through the whole composition

Posted on July 20, 2011 by

I first came to know this piece when a fifth grader at P.S. 122 in the Bronx was selected to play it at our student assembly. The ebb and flowing beauty of this work was so poignant, that I stored … Continue reading →

Posted in Claude Debussy, Debussy, Debussy Arabesque No. 1 by Claude Debussy, ear training, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, Fresno California, Haddorff, Haddorff piano, Impressionist Music, long distance piano teaching, mental imagery, mind body connection, molasses, MTAC, music, music and heart, music and the breath, music history, music teachers association, music teachers association of california, music theory, musical inspiration, musical phrasing, New York City, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, phrasing at the piano, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano repertoire, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano technique, piano tutorial, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, public school 122, self-analysis, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, singing tone legato, slow piano practicing, Teach Street, teaching piano, technique, Theory, uk-piano-forums, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Skyped Piano Lesson in Progress: Practicing Mazurka by Maria Szymanowska (Videos)

Posted on July 17, 2011 by

My third SKYPED Piano Lesson is brought to you in living color. The adult student framed by an iMac, is one of my regulars up in El Cerrito (Bay area USA) and since I’m unable to travel to her home … Continue reading →

Posted in classissima, classissima.com, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Maria Szymanowska, Mazurka, Mazurka by Maria Szymanowska, New York City High School of Performing Arts, New York University, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano practicing, piano society, piano studio, piano teacher, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Skype, skyped piano lessons, Skyping piano lessons, slow piano practicing, Teach Street, teaching piano, uk-piano-forums, video performances, virtual piano lessons, virtual piano teaching, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Long Distance Internet-based Piano Teaching: a novel experience

Posted on July 11, 2011 by

I haven’t yet jumped onto the big Mac Screen in real-time, seated amidst two tripods and three pianos with a pair of earphones. Instead I took an assignment sharing videos back and forth with a piano student in another state. … Continue reading →

Posted in El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, Fresno, Fresno California, long distance piano teaching, MTAC, music teachers association of california, pianist, piano, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano studio, piano teacher, piano technique, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Skype, Skyping piano lessons, uk-piano-forums, virtual piano lessons, virtual piano teaching, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

More ideas about Piano Technique and Mental Imagery (Playing into a Bowl of Molasses)

Posted on July 9, 2011 by

Continuing my practice of videotaping my Thursday evening lesson, I reviewed the footage and discovered some catch words that helped me clarify ideas about technique and fluency. While it may sound a bit outlandish to think of the piano as … Continue reading →

Posted in blog, blogger, California, classissima, classissima.com, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Fresno California, molasses, MTAC, music and heart, music and the breath, music teachers association of california, New York City High School of Performing Arts, New York University, Oberlin Conservatory, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano pedagogy, piano practicing, piano scales, piano society, Piano Street, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano technique, piano tutorial, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, scale fingerings, scales, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway M grand piano, Steinway piano, Steinway studio upright, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, teaching piano, teaching piano scales, teaching scales, technique, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Junior Division E-Piano Competition in Minnesota: Fluid playing among the announced Finalists (Videos)

Posted on July 7, 2011 by

Update: First place winner: Aristo Sham (Hong Kong) For a list of 2nd, 3rd and 4th place winners go to http://www.piano-e-competition.com No 5th place was awarded. This sample of Aristo Sham performing Ginastera’s Three Danzas Argentinas is a testimony to … Continue reading →

Posted in blog, blogger, blogging, keyboard technique, music, music and heart, phrasing at the piano, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano lessons, playing piano, teaching piano, teaching piano to children, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments