Month: February 2010

improving as a teacher, Teaching Piano

Incorporating Improvisation | Part 5d in the series

Joy Morin

This is a continuation of the series on the topic: incorporating improvisation into private piano teaching.  I had originally planned to post all 4 steps into one post, but the post would be too lengthy.  So the topic “Incorporating Improvisation” is being divided into 4 separate posts:

  1. Develop Related Skills
  2. Create an atmosphere conducive to improvisation
  3. Use improvisation as a way to introduce new concepts
  4. Improvise using a combination of learned concepts

Today, we are discussing step 4: Improvise using a combination of learned concepts.

4. Improvise using a combination of learned concepts

As the student progresses in their piano study, the teacher can make the improvisational sessions more complex by encouraging the student to use a combination of previously-learned concepts.  The focus can then turn from simply utilizing something like dynamics and certain intervals to creating something more complex.  For example, an improvisation session goal might be:

  • Tell a story: climbing a mountain, going to school, riding a pony, etc.
  • Describe a thing or place: a thunderstorm, a clown, a desert, a detective
  • Communicate an emotion: anger, happiness, fear, curiosity

Once the goal has been set, the teacher and the student can discuss ways to create the sound they want.  For example, for an improvisation to sound like a thunderstorm, the student might suggest using staccato notes in the upper register of the piano to represent rain, and thick, loud chords in the lower register to represent thunder.

These improvisational activities may be especially helpful for a student who struggles to play expressively in their repertoire playing.  Always use descriptive language when describing the session’s goal to the student, so that it evokes imagery for the student and gets their creative juices flowing.

Coming up next, the conclustion of the series: The Benefits of Incorporating Improvisation into the piano lesson.

Be sure to check out the rest of the posts in the series:

Series: Incorporating Improvisation into the Piano Lesson

  1. Creativity in the Piano Lesson – Introductory musings.
  2. Top 3 Obstacles when Teaching Improvisation
  3. A Brief History of Improvisation
  4. The Value of Improvisation
  5. Incorporating Improvisation:
    1. part a
    2. part b
    3. part c
    4. part d (now viewing)
  6. NEXT: 3 Benefits of Incorporating Improvisation
improving as a teacher, Motivation, Music Camps, Performances

30 Theme Ideas for Music Studio Events

Joy Morin

Here’s a list of 30 theme ideas for music studio events!  Themes can be used as the studio theme for the school year, or for summer music camps, or for studio recitals. If used for the studio theme for the whole year, there are a number of ways the theme can be incorporated: the incentive program, group lesson activities, worksheets, games, food, decorations, dress, recital repertoire, etc., can all be coordinated to fit the theme.

  1. Medieval Times | castles, knights, princesses
  2. Fantasy | same as above, plus dragons, wizards, etc.
  3. Mystery |detective, private eye, clues, magnifying glass, footprints, fingerprints, evidence
  4. International / Around the World | choose a specific country, or give a survey of a few different countries  (Egypt, Africa, etc.) world music, cultures. For example……
  5. Fiesta | sombrero, maracas, dances
  6. Tropical | surfing, luau, grass skirts, steel drums, Caribbean/Hawaiian music, palm trees
  7. Winter | snow, icicles, skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, cold, mittens, scarves, snowmen
  8. Carnival / Circus | ringmaster, tightrope walker, elephant, tickets
  9. Art | colors, brushes, make connections between art and music. Activity: compose songs named after colors.
  10. Roller coster park | use this theme to study musical forms (e.g., ABA), or musical styles.
  11. Animal Planet | animals galore!  Activity: try matching animal characteristics to how different music sounds.
  12. The Great Outdoors / camping | campfire, singing, woods, lantern
  13. Under the Sea | ocean, waves, fish, jellyfish, dolphins, sharks, seaweed, treasure, sunken ship, scuba diver
  14. Barnyard | farm, farmer, animals, fields, crops, harvest, tractors, seeds
  15. Construction | bulldozers, dump trucks, CAUTION tape, hard hats, orange cones, STOP, GO, workers
  16. Jungle Safari | lions, giraffes, jeep, binoculars
  17. Wild West | cowboys, saloon, ghost town, cowboy hats/boots, bandanas, sheriff, horses, saddles, lasso
  18. Pirates | pirate ship, pirates, buried treasure, treasure maps, scavenger hunt
  19. Desert Oasis | cockroaches, oasis, palm trees, sand
  20. Olympic Games | fitness, games, exercise, practice
  21. Going Green | recycle, be efficient (with practice time)
  22. Splish Splash | water bottles, droplets, river, brook, ocean, puddle, rain, hydration, summer, squirt guns, pool
  23. Outer Space | stars, moon, sun, rocket ships, astronauts, aliens, ufo’s.  Natalie is doing a space theme in her studio this year and it looks fabulous!
  24. Futuristic / Time Travel | contemporary music, technology in music
  25. Race cars | finish line, car, tires, gasoline, checkered flag, trophy.  Activity: do timed worksheets for naming note on the staff.
  26. USA / Patriotic / Stars & Stripes | USA history, fireworks, wear red, white, and blue, or wear stars/stripes! Activity: learn about American composers.
  27. The magic of music | magician, magic tricks, deck of cards, top hat, magic wand, rabbit, gloves. Activity: discuss how music has the power to affect your emotions, change your mood, influence you to do something, etc.
  28. Blast from the Past | choose an era of music history: Classical, Romantic, Baroque, etc.  Dress old-fashioned, eat popular treats from back then, etc.
  29. The Great Composers | choose a specific set of composers, and focus on one each day/week/month.
  30. Musical Instruments | learn about the parts of the piano, or the instruments of the orchestra.  Discuss timbre, register, range, tuning, etc.

Please share any additional ideas you have, or any resources you’ve found to be helpful for planning a themed event for your music studio!

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/peasap/ / CC BY 2.0
Words of Wisdom

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

Joy Morin

“One man gets nothing but discord out of a piano; another gets harmony. No one claims the piano is at fault.”

— Author Unknown

Every Wednesday brings Words of Wisdom here at the Color in my Piano blog in the form of a musical quote or joke, intended to bring inspiration or humor to the middle of your week. Have suggestions? Send an email off to admin[at]colorinmypiano.com.

Resources

Great deals on Henle Editions this month

Joy Morin

Just wanted to pass on this info I received in an email this week:

Henle is a great edition especially for Bach and Beethoven.

Personally, I plan stock up on their wonderful vinyl covers to protect my books. I also want to try out this book of various classical pieces which looks like a great value for intermediate level students.  🙂

improving as a teacher, Printables, Teaching Piano

Incorporating Improvisation | Part 5c in the series

Joy Morin

This is a continuation of the series on the topic: incorporating improvisation into private piano teaching.  I had originally planned to post all 4 steps into one post, but the post would be too lengthy.  So the topic “Incorporating Improvisation” is being divided into 4 separate posts:

  1. Develop Related Skills
  2. Create an atmosphere conducive to improvisation
  3. Use improvisation as a way to introduce new concepts
  4. Improvise using a combination of learned concepts

Today, we are discussing step 3: Use improvisation as a way to introduce new concepts.

3. Use improvisation as a creative way to introduce new concepts.

The point is, improvisation is not a separate identify from repertoire learning, theory, ear training, or technique.   Connections should be made between what is being learned in the method books to what they are improvising.  Improvisation then becomes a useful tool in the lesson for learning and reinforcing concepts being taught, and thus building the connection between theory and practice.

For example, let’s say that I have a student in the Alfred method book, and we just finished learning about the difference between 2nds and 3rds.  We taught about the difference between the two, and even sight-read through a few pieces that utilize 2nds and 3rds.  Now it is time to improvise using 2nds and 3rds!  We could create two short improvisations based on only 2nds and only 3rds (this would be the goal of the session), and then we could try making an improvisation that uses both.  If the student is able to improvise using 2nds and 3rds as instructed, then I know that the student truly understands what 2nds and 3rds are and what the difference between them is.

With a more advanced student, we could improvise ABA form or even sonata-allegro form, if they are working on repertoire in those forms.  Other concepts for more advanced students could include ostinato, motive, sequence, sixteenth notes, etc.  For a listing of more ideas, see the Concepts to Introduce Using Improvisation pdf available on the Printables > Other Resources page.

  Concepts to Introduce Using Improvisation (53.5 KiB, 17,185 hits)

Coming up next: part 5d of Incorporating Improvisation into the piano lesson.

Be sure to check out the rest of the posts in the series:

Series: Incorporating Improvisation into the Piano Lesson

  1. Creativity in the Piano Lesson – Introductory musings.
  2. Top 3 Obstacles when Teaching Improvisation
  3. A Brief History of Improvisation
  4. The Value of Improvisation
  5. Incorporating Improvisation:
    1. part a
    2. part b
    3. part c (now viewing)
    4. NEXT: part d
  6. 3 Benefits of Incorporating Improvisation (coming soon)