“All learning begins with the ear, not the eye, and learning music, of course, is no exception.”
— Edwin Gordon
Tag: mlt
Piano Teachers as Music Educators
We’ve accomplished so much in the realm piano pedagogy over the decades. So many fine teachers, fine books, and fine pedagogical piano literature.
The music education community can tout similar advancements, and yet we piano teachers tend to know so little of them. We know little of the theories and recent research regarding music learning, and of the approaches music educators use in the school systems. Does anyone else find it odd?
There seems to be a certain degree of separation between the worlds of piano pedagogy and music education. We don’t interact much. We took separate courses while in college. We have separate professional organizations.
Do we piano pedagogues consider ourselves under the same umbrella as music educators?
Group Class Ventures with Music Learning Theory (MLT)
Since taking the Piano Certification Course through the Gordon Institute for Music Learning (GIML) last August, I have been slowly but surely working towards integrating Music Learning Theory (MLT) principles into my teaching approach.
Much of this integration is subtle at this point and yet, it is having a definite impact on my students.
I’ve also had the opportunity to experiment more directly with an MLT-based teaching approach in a couple of new group music classes I’ve been offering over the past few months.
The first opportunity arose when one of my piano parents asked if I might consider doing some kind of group music class with her two piano students as well as three of her other children who take lessons in guitar, flute, and violin. She was interested in her kids receiving additional help with rhythm, theory, and more, to support their private lessons. I told her more about the GIML training I received and how I felt it would be ideal for her kids and that I would be thrilled to have the opportunity to experiment more with this approach. So, now I’m teaching a weekly 30-minute group music class (not geared towards piano playing) with 5 siblings between the ages of 7 and 12. Afterwards, I give the two piano students their private lessons.
The second opportunity arose when a local violin teacher reached out to me asking about lessons for her 4-year-old son. Ultimately, we settled on having a weekly 30-minute group class with her son as well as her two other young children. The five of us are exploring music together using the Music Play early childhood music curriculum as the basis.
So far with both classes, I’ve been loosely following the lesson plan outline that Marilyn Lowe suggests in her Keyboard Games (KG) books (see image below). I’m pulling songs and rhythm chants from her KG books, Music Play, and the ECMC Songs and Chants Without Words, Book One.
Continue reading “Group Class Ventures with Music Learning Theory (MLT)”
2016 GIML Training (3): Wrap-Up Post
[See previous post: 2016 GIML Training (2): A Great First Week]
On Saturday, I returned from a fruitful and enjoyable two-week stay in Brookline, Massachusetts, receiving Piano Certification training through the Gordon Institute for Music Learning. I am still processing everything I learned, but am excited to begin sharing about the experience with you all.
As I mentioned in the last post, we were in class from 9:00am-4:30pm each day. It was like being back in school!
Our teachers for this course were Marilyn Lowe, Jennifer Fisher, and intern Janna Olson.
Marilyn is the author of the Music Moves for Piano method, the only piano method to-date that is based on Edwin Gordon’s work.
We spent class time listening to lectures, discussing learning theories, and participating in movement and singing activities.
In the evenings, we studied and read from Dr. Gordon’s tome, “Learning Sequences in Music.” Eating cannoli made the studying even sweeter.
Each day, we were assigned to compose a melody in a particular mode (major, harmonic minor, dorian, phrygian, etc.). The following day, we shared our melodies with the group.
Between the two weeks of training, we found time to explore Boston.
Here we are exploring the Harvard campus in Cambridge.
And here is a group of us enjoying dinner at a classmate’s home nearby. (Thanks for hosting, Rachel!)
Here I am with Marilyn, after receiving certification.
And here I am with my travel buddy, Amy Chaplin of PianoPantry.com.
By the way, Amy and I used Airbnb.com to find a place to stay during the course. This was our first experience using Airbnb, and I can happily say it was a positive one. We stayed in a third story of an old Victorian home. Our apartment was absolutely perfect for us. I definitely intend to use airbnb for future trips.
Here is a group photo of our entire class.
In upcoming weeks and months, I look forward to incorporating what I learned into my teaching. Stay tuned for more on this.
In the meantime, be sure to check out the blog post that Amy just posted with her own summary of our experience in Boston.
Happy weekend, friends!
Update: Read more about Music Learning Theory (MLT) here.
2016 GIML Training (2): A Great First Week
[See previous post: 2016 GIML Training (1): The Adventure Begins]
I’ve had a great first week in Boston for the Piano Certification Course training sponsored by the Gordon Institute of Music Learning (GIML).
Here is a photo of Amy and I standing in front of Brookline Music School, which is hosting the training.
Continue reading “2016 GIML Training (2): A Great First Week”