Category Archives: improving as a teacher

The January Forum: What are your teaching goals for 2011?

By joy (admin) | Published: 31 December 2010

Last month’s discussion forum brought out some great comments from you all! Most of you agreed that the teacher should play something on student recitals when possible, as long as the piece is not overly showy. The dicussion topic for the January Forum: Do you have any teaching goals for 2011? What changes or improvements [...]

Also posted in Forum Q&A's, studio business | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Teaching Tip: Engaging the Emotions

By joy (admin) | Published: 19 November 2010

A discussion about the effectiveness of engaging the student’s emotions to encourage learning in the piano lesson.

Also posted in motivation, private lessons | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

2011 MTNA Nat’l Conference: March 26-30

By joy (admin) | Published: 18 November 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDn6_UEnLGw&feature=player_embedded”>This

Fellow U.S. piano teachers – in case you haven’t seen it yet, registration is now open for the 2011 Music Teachers National Association’s National Conference which is taking place March 26-30 in Milwaukee!  Sign up before February 16 to receive the early bird rates.  Check out the conference website to view the schedule of sessions [...]

Also posted in conferences | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Teaching Tip: Count Like a Musician!

By joy (admin) | Published: 19 October 2010

At the 2010 Michigan Music Teachers Assocation conference this weekend, our conference clinician Martha Hilley had some wise words for us that I thought I’d share here: Always be a musician, even when you are counting aloud! As she led us through some various exercises during one of the sessions, Martha Hilley encouraged us to [...]

Also posted in inspiration, practicing, rhythm | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

9 Ideas for Motivating Piano Students

By joy (admin) | Published: 18 October 2010

We have all had students who are low on motivation at one point or another. It’s not always easy to keep students practicing week after week. To make matters more complicated, every student is different: something that motivates one student might not work for the next. This post contains 9 great suggestions for increasing motivation among your piano students.

Also posted in inspiration, motivation, studio business | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Go For the Sound

By joy (admin) | Published: 1 October 2010

Some teaching thoughts about keeping students focused on the sound they are creating, rather than becoming too sight-oriented with what’s written on the page. Music is, after all, an art form chiefly for the ears, so students should be learning to use their ears!

Also posted in interpretation | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Michigan Teachers: 2010 State Conference October 17-19

By joy (admin) | Published: 28 September 2010

For any fellow teachers in Michigan: The Michigan Music Teachers Association (MMTA) State Conference is to take place Sunday, October 17 – Tuesday, October 19 at the Detroit Novi Sheraton (21111 Haggerty Rd., Novi).  Click here to for more information (including a link to the conference schedule), and click here to register. Martha Hilley is this [...]

Also posted in resources / links, what I'm up to | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Developing a Good Sense of Rhythm

By joy (admin) | Published: 14 September 2010
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Developing a good sense of rhythm is one of the most challenging parts of being a piano teacher.  It’s not something that arrives overnight, and it’s something that must be maintained as the student advances to music with more advanced rhythms and time signatures.  It truly is something that must be developed. I’d like to [...]

Also posted in group classes, Preschool / Early Childhood Music, rhythm | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Leave It Behind and Just Play

By joy (admin) | Published: 9 September 2010

What happens when you have to give a performance but your mind is preoccupied with all sorts of crazy stuff going on in your life? In working with a vocalist whom I accompany for this week, we had a conversation about the necessity of leaving life’s problems outside the performance hall.  Of course, it’s easier [...]

Posted in improving as a teacher | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

An interview with fellow grad student Loretta Lanning

By joy (admin) | Published: 13 August 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAOtwydJEmg”>This

An video interview with fellow grad student Loretta Lanning, discussing her thoughts on “Piano Teaching as a Profession.” This video was recorded and edited using iMovie.

Also posted in resources / links, studio business, what I'm up to | Tagged , | Leave a comment

SUMMARY | July Monthly Forum: Discussing Method Books

By joy (admin) | Published: 9 August 2010

Read about what readers posted concerning their thoughts about various piano methods, and also check out the list of questions to ask yourself when evaluating piano methods to use with your students. This post serves as the summary of the July 2010 Monthly Forum topic: Discussing Method Books.

Also posted in Forum Q&A's, repertoire / methods, series | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Summer Piano Mini-Camp

By joy (admin) | Published: 13 July 2010

Last week, a colleague of mine and I held a summer piano mini-camp with the help of our piano professor.  Here’s what we did: We planned to hold the camp on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 12:30 – 2:30pm. Application forms were sent to all the piano teachers who are members of our local chapter [...]

Also posted in music camps, settings:, what I'm up to | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments
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