Hi there! In this blog post, I’ll briefly discuss both the usefulness and shortcomings of mnemonic devices (such as “FACE” and “All Cows Eat Grass”) when it comes to music reading and then share with you a new FREE printable, pictured above.
Continue reading “Just added: Grand Staff Reference Sheet – Naming Space Notes”
I’m pleased today to announce the release of a sequel — Set #2 of Composition & Improvisation Prompts for Piano! Below, I’ll tell you more about it and share a free sample page for you to try out with your students.
It was early on in my teaching career when I began helping my students compose their own pieces. It was fun, and I could see how my students were benefitting from experiencing the compositional process.
Still today, I enjoy being able to help students compose on demand throughout the year. I also love offering composition camps during the summer — it’s my favorite camp theme! (Some years we use this curriculum, and other years not).
Sometimes, students have a hard time getting started with a composition project. There are two main challenges I’ve observed in students:
Continue reading “Just Released: Composition & Improvisation Prompts for Piano, Set #2!”
I recently finished reading the book Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism, written by Dr. Barry M. Prizant. It took me only a few days to “read” (I listened to the audiobook version) the whole thing, because I was enjoying it so much.
My motivation for searching out this book arose from a desire to better understand my current piano students who have autism. This was the book I settled on after searching on Amazon.com for a book on the topic that had excellent reviews.
This book did not disappoint.
The author, Dr. Barry Prizant, has decades of experience working with individuals with autism and is a leading expert in the field. He is a scholar, researcher, consultant, and an adjunct faculty at Brown University.
As Dr. Prizant explains in the book, autism therapy typically tends to focus on behavioral therapy — which means, getting rid of behaviors such as difficulties interacting socially, sensory challenges, and repetitive behavior patterns. Dr. Prizant points the way to a different approach instead. His book promotes the seeking of understanding individuals and what might be underlying their behaviors.
Rather than seeking to eliminate so-called “autistic behaviors”, Dr. Prizant advocates asking “why”. WHY is the person behaving this way? How can I better understand what might be causing the individual’s behavior, and how can I change MY behavior to help him or her?
Continue reading “Book Review – Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism, by Barry M. Prizant, PhD”
Last month’s discussion forum brought out some great comments from you all! Most of you agreed that the teacher should play something on student recitals when possible, as long as the piece is not overly showy.
The dicussion topic for the January Forum:
Do you have any teaching goals for 2011? What changes or improvements would you like to make in your studio this year? What other goals do you have for yourself or your students?
The beginning of a new year is a great time to reassess and set attainable goals. Here are a few quick ideas just to get you brainstorming…
Good luck!
Photo Credit: somethingmarissa | CC 2.0
Discussion topic for the December Forum:
At studio recitals, should the teacher perform a piece? Will it inspire students and will families enjoy hearing the teacher play? Or will the students/families get the impression that the teacher is showing off and blowing the students’ performances out of the water? What is your take on this issue?
Please take a moment to share your thoughts in the comments below!
Photo Credit: HenryStradford | CC 2.0
I read something this week that mentioned in passing the benefit of engaging the emotions for learning. This idea really stuck with me, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. It makes perfect sense, but I just never thought about it much before. I think this idea is worth some consideration.
Neurologically, humans learn best when their emotions are engaged. Various research has been done that suggests the benefit of learning when the emotions are engaged (see “For Further Reading” below). An effective speaker will appeal to the listeners’ emotions in order to affect and influence them to agree with the points made, support the viewpoint, and maybe even motivate them to do something about it. Similarly, an effective teacher will connect with the students’ emotions to make the student interested in the topic and motivated to learn. When the emotions are engaged, the learning moment becomes both meaningful and memorable.
The art of music is very close to the heart and the emotions. We music teachers are very fortunate! And yet, how often do we encounter students who seldom practice? How about unmotivated students who quit after just a few years? And how often do we hear completely unemotional performances? These things do happen, unfortunately. We can help prevent this from happening. Perhaps through engaging the emotions we can help students connect with the music and be interested/motivated. Continue reading “Teaching Tip: Engaging the Emotions”
Here is the summary post for the July Monthly Forum: Discussing Method Books. Thanks to those of you who shared your thoughts!
Your Thoughts
Allow me to summarize some of the main points that were made in the comments:
Read all the comments for yourself here.
Your Favorites
You also shared some of your favorite piano methods in the comments. Here are the ones that were mentioned:
My Thoughts
My personal philosophy when it comes to piano methods is that there is no single piano method that is “the best” or that works for all students. Every student learns differently and every student has various goals, interests, and tastes in music. Therefore, the teacher must seek to find and use the piano method that will be best for each individual student. It is important for teachers to become familiar with the various piano methods available so that they can choose the proper method for each student.
Questions to Ask Yourself When Evaluating Piano Methods: Continue reading “SUMMARY | July Monthly Forum: Discussing Method Books”
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