Group Classes, Music Camps, Music History

4 New Composer Lapbooks

Joy Morin

Over the past week, I have added four new Great Composers & Their Music lapbook studies to the Color In My Piano shop!

The first one is John Cage.  I mentioned this lapbook before, when I blogged about my October Piano Party.  I think this composer study was my favorite one to teach so far!  It was so fun to teach students about Cage’s ingenuity as a composer.  As an extension, we explored the room to find “found instruments,” and experimented with prepared piano.  (No, I didn’t bring screws or bolts anywhere near my piano…but we did try laying pieces of felt and tinfoil on the strings/dampers to see what sounds we could create!).

Continue reading “4 New Composer Lapbooks” →

Conferences, Technique

OhioMTA 2012 Conference (5): A Strong & Versatile Technique Within Your Student’s Grasp, by Carol Leone

Joy Morin

The next session I attended was Dr. Pete Jutras’ presentation, “The Future of Pedagogy.”  I heard him give this presentation about a year ago at the NCKP – click here to read my notes.

After that, Dr. Carol Leone talked about “A Strong and Versatile Technique Within Your Student’s Grasp.”  I loved the way she broke down different aspects of technique into such simple, understandable terms!

She began her presentation by reminding us that technique should always be approached in the context of discussing sound and expression.  Rather than asking, “Given the movements I make, which sounds would result?” instead we should ask, “Given a desired sound concept, how should I move?”  The sound is our goal, and the ear is our guide.  The opposite (over-analyzation of our movements) often results in discomfort and non-musical playing.

Next, Dr. Leone discussed the various movements made by each part of the body, and in some cases gave us some simple exercises we could use with our students. Here are just a few of the things she talked about:

Fingers

  • Building the bridge – This is a coordination thing, not a strenghth thing.  Have students make a bird beak with their hand.
  • Avoiding finger “dents” — have students look for the “three bumps” of their knuckles.

Continue reading “OhioMTA 2012 Conference (5): A Strong & Versatile Technique Within Your Student’s Grasp, by Carol Leone” →

Conferences, Technique

OhioMTA 2012 Conference (4): Reduced Sized Keyboards, by Carol Leone & David Steinbuhler

Joy Morin

The next session of the OhioMTA conference that I attended was an absolutely fascinating session given by Dr. Carol Leone and David Steinbuhler, entitled: “Increasing Performance Potential: The Reduced Sized Piano Keyboard.”  I had heard of reduced sized keyboards before, but never really understood the reasoning behind it or the advantages.  I was so intrigued by what I learned!  Read on.

Dr. Leone began by discussed hand sizes.  When you think about it, the piano is an instrument designed for those with large hands.  100% of children across the globe are playing pianos that don’t fit their hands.  (For violin, there are 1/2 and 3/4-sized instruments for children.  For piano, we are one-size-fits-all.)

The piano did not always have the same key size that is standard today.  The harpsichord has much smaller keys, as do many fortepianos.  They also had a much lighter action.

Injuries at the piano are at an all-time high, largely because of the demands of Romantic/Modern/Contemporary repertoire (large chords, octaves, etc.).  Pianists with small hands are limited in the repertoire they can play, and are injured much more frequently than those with medium or large hands.  Most of the pianists with small hands are probably women — their hand size is on average 15% smaller then male hands.  It is not an exaggeration to say that only about 10% of hands actually fit to the conventional keyboard.   Continue reading “OhioMTA 2012 Conference (4): Reduced Sized Keyboards, by Carol Leone & David Steinbuhler” →

Conferences

OhioMTA 2012 Conference (3): Panel Discussion – Book: “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”

Joy Morin

The next session was a Round Table Discussion by a panel of four individuals: Pete Jutras, Tianshu Wang, Mary Craig Powell, and Nina Polonsky.  The topic was to discuss Amy Chua’s book, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” and discuss a healthy and effective approach to leading students to achieve their maximum potential.

Here are a few of the comments that struck me the most:

Pete Jutras discussed some of his positive reactions to the book as well as some negative ones.

  • Dr. Jutras observed that in Chua’s book, everything is about winning.  He posed the question: What is “winning” in music?  For the author, it is being #1 in a competition.  For Dr. Jutras, he feels it is students who will play their instrument long after they stop taking lessons.
  • This leads us to some other questions: Can every student be #1?  Does everybody have to play like a concert artists?  What does that do to music and music making and piano teaching?  Does music have to be this way?
  • Among his positive reactions to the book, Dr. Jutras mentioned Chua’s view that parents should not let their kids give up so easily.  American parents often ask their kids whether they want to take lessons, despite the fact that kids are often not mature enough to decide that.  Also, the Tiger Mom approach has no limits — it does not underestimate what kids can do.
  • Another is the idea that enjoyment of an activity occurs when you can do something well.  A sense of fun accompanies achievement.   Continue reading “OhioMTA 2012 Conference (3): Panel Discussion – Book: “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”” →
Conferences, Technique, Technology

OhioMTA 2012 Conference (2): Music Performance and Biofeedback, by Kathleen Riley

Joy Morin

The next session was called: Understanding the Physiology of Music Performance Through Biofeedback, by Kathleen Riley.

Kathleen Riley is a pioneer in using technology she refers to as “biofeedback” to monitor movement and muscles in order to help musicians eliminate pain, tension, or discomfort in their shoulders, arms, backs, etc.  She began her session with a quote:

“Technique is the knowledge o the most economical way to produce adequately what the mind conceives artistically.”  – E. Robert Schmitz, from the 1935 book The Capture of Inspiration.

Dr. Riley discussed relaxation and the music — and the fact that although no muscle is ever completely relaxed, there is a resting point.  She discussed that we need to examine how much tension we really need when we play.  How can we release unneeded tension and follow-through on our movements?   Continue reading “OhioMTA 2012 Conference (2): Music Performance and Biofeedback, by Kathleen Riley” →

Conferences, Technique

OhioMTA 2012 Conference (1): Experiential Anatomy by Lynn Singleton

Joy Morin

Over the weekend, I attended the 2012 OhioMTA Conference in Columbus, Ohio.  It was a great conference, far exceeding my (already high) expectations!  We heard some top-notch presenters and performers and I learned so much.  I plan to briefly summarize some of the sessions for you over the next few days!

The theme of the conference was “The Healthy Musician: Teaching, Performing, Living.”  Here is some info about the first session I attended.

Experiential Anatomy: Using Mind-Body Methods To Increase Awareness for Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Overall Wellness in Musicians, by Lynn Singleton, NCTM.

Lynn began by sharing her own experience with feeling discomfort at the piano, and how she was able to solve her problems away from the piano.  Injury prevention and overall wellness requires a willingness to take self-responsibility.  Our body at the instrument can only be as good as our body away from our instrument!

Lynn discussed the advantages of “experiential anatomy,” which is basically about increasing body awareness so that we can more correctly use our bodies.  Tension arises from many sources: emotional/mental (like stress, fear, lack of self-esteem), physical (habitual movements, injury, compensation for pain), and social/environmental sources (posture in the work environment while using things like computers, cell phones, etc.).  Mind-Body Methods can help us get past obstacles and improve kinesthetic sense.  Continue reading “OhioMTA 2012 Conference (1): Experiential Anatomy by Lynn Singleton” →

Words of Wisdom

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

Joy Morin

“Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn. They teach you there’s a boundary line to music. But, man, there’s no boundary line to art.”

— Charlie Parker

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 me a message here.

repertoire / methods, Reviews

9 First Classical Anthologies for Piano Students

Joy Morin

With my piano students, I love to introduce classical music as soon as possible.  It gives them a head-start in getting used to the contrapuntal reading that classical music requires, as well as the kinds of technical and musical challenges that classical music requires.  Early exposure also means that they in most cases they grow to love and appreciate the music!

Anthologies are perfect for students who are just being introduced to classical music.  They allow you to expose students a variety of styles and composers at a great value.  Even if the student does not study all of the pieces in the anthology, they can use the others for sight-reading practice or play them just-for-fun later in their piano study.

In most cases, I give my students their first classical anthology soon after they complete the Primer and Level 1 of their method book.  I have tried out a variety of different anthologies in order to determine which ones work best for students at that early level.  It is nice to have a few options to chose from, so that your students are not all playing the same repertoire.

Below is a list of some excellent anthologies I have evaluated for their suitability as an early elementary level student’s first introduction to classical music.  I’ve also included comments about each book’s value, length, variety of selections, clarity of the score, quality of the editing, etc.  I hope you can find my list and comments useful!

Preparatory Piano Literature, from the Developing Artist Original Keyboard Classics series, ed. by Nancy Faber, Randall Faber, and Jeanne Hansen (Hal Leonard).

Contains 12 selections, and comes with a CD.  The scores are clean and clear, and the editing is good.  This is an excellent book to use as a student’s first classical anthology.  It includes two pieces with teacher duets, which is a nice bonus.  My students have enjoyed learning those duets, and I’ve often had older siblings accompany them instead of me.

After completing this books, students can continue to books 1, 2, 3, and 4 — or jump over into the set of Piano Sonatina books, Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4.  I love the 20th/21st century selections included in the Piano Literature books (there is not much in the Prep level, but there is more in the upper levels) — in particular, I love Hansi Alt’s “On the Ocean Floor” from Level 1.   Continue reading “9 First Classical Anthologies for Piano Students” →

Giveaways

Rhythm Cat Giveaway Winners

Joy Morin

Below are the 20 randomly-chosen winners of the Rhythm Cat Pro giveaway:

  • #14: Rebecca
  • #1: Karla Connor
  • #6: Kylie
  • #19: Jill
  • #27: Victoria
  • #16: Mary Oosterbaan
  • #25: April
  • #31: Susan
  • #15: Laura
  • #10: Sarah Garrard
  • #12: Anna Fagan
  • #9: Natalie Beebe
  • #34: Harriet
  • #2: Jennifer Creekmore
  • #28: Isis
  • #30: Christie
  • #20: Melody
  • #35: Miriam
  • #7: Shauna Leavitt
  • #33: Diane Conway

Winners, please watch your inbox  — I’ll send out the emails with the promo codes later on today!

If you didn’t win, you can still purchase the Rhythm Cat app here.  It’s worth it!

Giveaways

Giveaway Reminder

Joy Morin

Happy Halloween!

This is me in my costume.  🙂  ————>

Just a quick reminder:

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you may want to enter the current giveaway for the Rhythm Cat app!  Today is the last day to enter — the winner will be announced tomorrow.  Click here for details.

I hope you are all having a good week!  Thoughts and prayers go to those affected by Hurricane Sandy.