Happy Monday, friends!
Just a quick note today to those of you planning to attend the 2018 MTNA National Conference.
My friend Amy Chaplin (PianoPantry.com) and I will be hanging out on Friday evening, March 16, 2018 at 8pm outside the Disney Coronado Springs Resort (the conference hotel), near the Laguna Bar outdoors. Continue reading “MTNA 2018 Meet-Up”
“To understand what something is, it must be understood what it is not.”
–Edwin E. Gordon
Back in the summer of 2015, as a huge fan of Irina Gorin’s YouTube channel, I attended Irina Gorin’s first ever piano teacher workshop held near her hometown in the Indianapolis area. Here is a photo of Irina and I during the workshop.
Over the past two years, I have been using Irina’s self-published method book, “Tales of a Musical Journey”, more and more with my students. As I have become more familiar with the books and am seeing its results in my students, it has become my favorite piano method book.
If you’ve watched any of Irina’s teaching videos on YouTube, you have seen for yourself how Irina successfully develops in her students a healthy physical approach the instrument as well as expressive and sensitive playing — even in her youngest beginner students. Irina’s books are the result of combining what she feels is the best of Russian piano pedagogy and the best of American piano pedagogy. This makes Irina’s method unique and quite different from typical American piano method books.
In this article, I’d like to share an overview of Irina’s method and the reasons why I like it so much. Continue reading “Review: Irina Gorin’s Tales of a Musical Journey”
“When taught to understand music, students learn music.”
–Edwin E. Gordon
Just a quick note today —
I just wanted apologize to anyone who has recently encountered the bug that was impacting the shopping cart on my website. I’m happy to say that I have finally solved the issue! Everything seems to be working properly in the Shop once again.
If you ever encounter any problems with my website, please don’t hesitate to send me an email.
Thanks, and happy weekend!
“Audiation is to music what thought is to language.”
— Edwin E. Gordon
Read more here: What is Audiation, Exactly?
I first encountered music learning theory as an undergraduate student in September of 2008, when Hope College (Holland, Michigan) hosted Dr. Edwin E. Gordon (1927-2015) for a five-day visit. I was fascinated by everything Gordon had to say and have carried his influence with me as I went on to complete a Masters degree and start an independent piano studio in following years. In the summers of 2016 and 2017 respectively, I completed the Piano certification and Early Childhood Music certification offered by the Gordon Institute for Music Learning (see GIML.org). The implications of Gordon’s work regarding how we can best teach music resonates with me, and so I continue to familiarize myself with his research and writings.
Music learning theory is a relatively new subject area within academia gaining increasing recognition and respect in recent decades. While music education and early childhood music communities currently are largely familiar with the concept, piano teachers as a whole are mostly unfamiliar with music learning theory.
To those new to music learning theory, its name might suggest that it is systematic way to teach music theory. In fact, music learning theory has little to do with music theory; nor is it a curriculum.
To those who happen to hold a strong association between the term “music learning theory” and Edwin E. Gordon, the term might seem synonymous with Gordon’s work. The subject area, however, is larger than one individual’s work — no matter how great his or her contributions. Gordon’s own Music Learning Theory (MLT) exists within the larger subject area known as music learning theory.
I’d like to make some clarifications about the subject of music learning theory. In this short article, I will define the subject of music learning theory and discuss possible benefits for piano teachers who choose to familiarize themselves with music learning theory.
Continue reading “What is “music learning theory”, exactly?”
Happy New Year, my friends!
Who’s planning to attend the 2018 MTNA Conference? This year, the location is Lake Buena Vista, Florida, at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, March 17-21, 2018. See the conference website here.
I’m planning to go and would love to meet up with you there! I planning to arrive a day early and perhaps explore Disney. I haven’t been to Disney before, so I am looking forward to seeing what it is all about. If you might be interested in joining up to explore Disney, please send me a message and let me know.
I hope the new year is treating you well thus far. Best wishes!
“Music Learning Theory is simply this:
What do you need to know in order to learn something else?”
–Edwin Gordon
Just a quick note today to let you know about a brand new Facebook group intended for piano teachers who are interested in learning more about Music Learning Theory (MLT) and explore how they can incorporate it into their teaching. Any teacher interested in MLT is welcome to join! The group is called “Edwin E. Gordon and Music Learning Theory for Piano Teachers.” The group is moderated by a few MLT piano teachers including Marilyn Lowe, the author of the Music Moves For Piano method.
If you’d like to join, visit the group here and then click the “Join Group” button to request to join the group.
Hope to see you inside the group!
“Just as speech developed before the written word, sound of music existed long before music notation was developed.”
—Edwin E. Gordon
Have you heard of “audiation” before, but perhaps weren’t exactly sure what it meant? Have you wondered: why do we need this new word? Why should audiation matter to us as musicians and music educators?
Audiation isn’t an idea that is going away anytime soon. We are going to continue hearing more about audiation within music education circles. As the term “audiation” is becoming more widely known and increasingly used, it would benefit us to ensure that we have a clear and accurate understanding of the term.
The term “audiation” was coined around 1976 by music professor, researcher, theorist, and author Dr. Edwin Gordon (1927-2015). Audiation is the central focus of a collection of theories about how music is learned, known as Music Learning Theory (MLT).
Audiation refers to a mental process that is both a natural and integral part of music making — and has been since the beginning of time — but has gone unnamed (at least, in the English language) until Gordon came along.
There is power to naming something. Giving something a name means acknowledging it. Continue reading “What is Audiation, Exactly?”
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