Color In My Piano

Th 2013 July 25 @ 11:15
A Teacher’s Companion for All Methods, by Craig Sale and Judith Jain

This session was all about the essential role of preparation. Most method books do a great job with presentation, but not necessarily with preparation. Often, we as teachers end up being “turn the page and see what is next” teachers.” This session will discuss how we can easily prepare students for new concepts.

If we teach how children learn best, we will not encounter missing knowledge in students later. How students learn best through concrete experiences through the senses. We begin with the sound, proceed to the feel, then the sign, an lastly the name. Aural, kinesthetic, and then visual. Always proceed from the “known” to the “unknown.”

Mr. Sale demonstrated this with a student by playing two different kinds of sounds (legato and staccato) and asking the student to describe what they heard. Then, they experienced making those sounds, seeing the symbol, and then learning the name.
Continue reading “NCKP 2013 (9) – A Teacher’s Companion for All Methods, by Craig Sale and Judith Jain” →

Th 2013 July 25 @ 10am – Panel Discussion: A Conversion with Pedagogy Leaders from Around the World, moderated by Andrew Hisey.

Panel members included Elissa Milne, Gulimina Mahamuti, Ratko Delorko, Irina Voro, Seung-Ji Ryu, Janet Lopinski, Claudia Deltragia, and one other speaker from Argentina (who was not listed in the program).

What is the status of pedagogy around the world?

Australia is an exam culture – students and parents expect to take exams. When the exam board makes a change, teachers pay attention. The board recently made some changes to promote contemporary music, so teachers are using a lot of contemporary music. Australia is moving to a repertoire rich teaching approach rather than teaching only competition pieces all year. Australia is a country of innovators and they don’t respect authority very much.
Continue reading “NCKP 2013 (8) – Panel Discussion with Pedagogy Leaders from Around the World” →

Thursday, 2013 July 25 – Keynote Address: Franz Liszt as the Culteral Ambassador of the 19th Century, by Alan Walker

Franz Liszt was a pianist, composer, organizer of events, and also cultural ambassador for his country. As a pianist, he created the recital. As a conductor, he create a series of gestures and body movements still used today. As a teacher, he created the master class. As a composer, he created new forms. And he truly was an ambassador of his time.

Being an ambassador is not easy. An ambassador is someone who thinks twice before saying nothing!

If he had not been a musician, Liszt could have been the first diplomat of Europe. Continue reading “NCKP 2013 (7) – Keynote Address: Franz Liszt as the Culteral Ambassador of the 19th Century, by Alan Walker” →

Wednesday – Holistic Learning: Integrating the Mind, Body, and Spirit of the Music you are Teaching or Learning, by Immanuela Gruenberg

We all are efficient in practice when there is a deadline looming. How can we be that efficient all the time?

Holistic learning means treating the mind, body, and spirit as interdependent even from the beginning.

Most Common Mistakes:

#1. Students learn from the bottom up – from the details first instead of the big picture. That means you don’t know where you are going. You must need to know the clear goal in order to make a specific plan. Continue reading “NCKP 2013 (6) – Holistic Learning by Immanuela Gruenberg” →

Wednesday – The Technique Behind Intermediate Repertoire: Laying the Groundwork, Nancy Bachus

Nancy Bachus covered a variety of technique concepts and how to teach them in her session.

Physical Aspects of Technique:
Position of the body – shoulders down and relaxed; Forearms level with the keyboard, Feet flat and planted.

Hands and fingers – natural curve, strong nail joint (Schnabel quote). Lay arm flat, bring the fingers back. Hang fingers on edge of wood before keyboard.

Hand needs an arch. It connects the fingers with the thumb.
Continue reading “NCKP 2013 (5) – The Technique Behind Intermediate Repertoire, by Nancy Bachus” →

Wednesday – Developing a Curriculum for the Intermediate Transfer Student by Jane Magrath

There is so much to choose from – How do we choose curriculum?

“Curriculum” comes from the Latin for “a course for racing.”

Objectives:
Teach what you know. If you don’t do jazz, let the student get a jazz teacher!
We can’t do everything at once. Start with what you teach well.
The idea of leveling is so important. The levels are just a frame of reference – not a definite order.

Finding a student level:
Step 1: Ask the student to sight read only one or two lines of three pieces from a leveled literature series. Help the student find the tempo and counting at the beginning. Test the student by switching books to other levels and evaluate. Find the student’s sight reading level.
Step 2: Assign literature for study that is about 2 levels higher than their reading level.
Continue reading “NCKP 2013 (4) – Developing a Curriculum for the Intermediate Transfer Student, by Jane Magrath” →

Wednesday – Conducting the Transfer Student Interview
Panel discussion with Linda Fields, Immanuela Gruenberg, David Husser, Gail Lew, Elissa Milne, and Arlene Steffen

Could the interview be this simple as two questions: Whise idea was this, and will you practice every day?

Types of transfer students: Those who are moving geographically; becoming dissatisfied with the current teaching; the teacher retires or passes away; or student takes a break for a number of months/years and wishes to begin again.

An interview involves meeting the student and the parent, and for them to try things out with the teacher as well. The “interview” is an awfully formal term – an “exploration” is perhaps a better word. Observe the interaction between student and parent.

How do you use the time during the interview? Before the interview, try to collect the information you can. Try to talk to the student and parent. Have the student play and sight read. Evaluate in potential of younger students – such as their ears or senses of rhythm. With older students, you evaluate knowledge, motivation, and playing. Observe student’s body in interaction with the instrument. Teachers should also observe visual processing, aural processing, etc. Test reading skills and aural abilities.
Continue reading “NCKP 2013 (3) – Conducting the Transfer Student Interview” →

W July 24 @ 3pm – The Beauty And The Beast In The Piano Studio, by Marvin Blickenstaff

Mr. Blickenstaff began by playing the beautiful Schumann Romance. Then he stated that beautiful music has the power to change human beings.

Marvin was almost a piano dropout in the 7th grade. He was bored and his mother decided to have him take from Fern Davidson – great teacher in Idaho. At her 100th birthday, over 900 people showed up at her birthday concert! Fern gave all of them the gift of beautiful music. Notice the phrase is not fast fingers, theoretical analysis, etc.. Beautiful music makes beautiful souls. Piano study is about increasing a sensitivity to the beautiful. Our lives are momentarily changed by beautiful sounds. The human being needs beauty.

We are here in the name of teaching beauty. It is the longest lasting gift we can give our students. It should be our focus. Continue reading “NCKP 2013 (2) – The Beauty And The Beast In The Piano Studio, by Marvin Blickenstaff” →

I am excited to be here at the 2013 NCKP! I am going to try to live blog some of my notes through-out the week, Natalie Wickham style. ;). Check back soon for updates.

W July 24 @ 2pm – Keynote Address: Service by Dr. Scott Price

Dr. Price began by showing video of one of his special needs students, Margaret, singing and playing the folk song “Oh Susannah.” It was a heartwarming video!

Dr. Price then asked: Is Margaret going to win competitions, scholarships, piano camps? No. But she can play folk songs and sing with family and friends. This video shows what we do every day as teachers: we serve.
Continue reading “NCKP 2013 (1) – Keynote Address: Service by Dr. Scott Price” →