It's hard to believe how far "Liz" has come in her musical journey. With a half year's exposure to the piano, she composes, transposes, and approaches her practicing draped in the singing tone. In a repertoire-based phase of learning (with a primer method book tossed asunder) the student is embedded in relaxation techniques, with supple… Continue reading A nine-year-old Piano student at the six-month juncture of study
The earliest dip into piano study includes many ingredients some of which are overlooked or minimized. When mentoring a young child of 6 or 7, or a beginning adult student, sensitivity to tone/touch seems very basic to making music, yet it's underplayed. While assigning finger numbers to notes and absorbing letter names are fundamental to… Continue reading The earliest steps in piano learning
Creative explorations are intrinsic to musical growth at all stages of learning, so piano teachers should encourage students to compose at every opportunity. Liz rose to the occasion and shared her first creation that followed a lesson segment that focused on echo phrases. She had watched a you tube video of duo pianists, Arie Vardi… Continue reading Liz, age 8, composes a piece at her third piano lesson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTcRB02EVHU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF5sg3LsTe0 Eight-year old Claudia surprised me today when she brought a melody she had composed. Her new book, Faber Adventures, Lesson Book One inspired her to create a piece beginning with notes on the first four lines of the treble staff. Together, we explored the first phrase of her music, worked on fingering, rhythm… Continue reading Composing activity during a piano lesson: Claudia, age 8, surprises me with her new creation (Video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFObHOAwNV0 Over a period of three weeks, seven year old Fritz, who'd been taking piano lessons for about 7 months, composed a piece that he titled, "Finding Gold." The student has been using Faber Primer Piano Adventures, with my inserted modifications. He warmed up this past Monday with Lesson Book p. 24, C-D-E-F-G March transposed… Continue reading Piano Lesson: Fritz, Age 7, performs his composed piece, “FINDING GOLD” (Video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vobA3Wb8nOY I thought I'd surprise myself with a Moonbeams reunion. "Hebrew Melody and Variations" is performed first, followed by the title piece, "Moonbeams." The remaining 8 selections vary in mood, character, and tonality. RELATED: https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/the-piano-teacher-as-composer-using-my-moonbeams-collection-as-an-example/ https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/03/27/piano-students-as-composers-stimulating-a-creative-teaching-environment/
Music Theory doesn't have to be drudgery If I turn the clock back to my early days as a piano student, I can say without a doubt that I absolutely HATED “Music Theory” or anything remotely related to it. And I can clearly thank my very pedantic teacher, Mrs. Schwed for this aversion. She made… Continue reading Music Theory and Piano Study: It doesn’t have to be drudgery
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