Piano Perspectives

Scarlatti and Pickles and Peppers

2011-01-28T19:17:00.000-06:00

I just love when it nears MMTA Contest time and students are almost fully prepared. I can sit back and just enjoy their music! Thanks for all your hard work. Here are Ellen, performing Scarlatti Sonata in D Minor and Katie, performing Pickles and Peppers by Adaline Shepard.

Best (and WORST!) Ways of Practicing

2010-09-16T15:02:00.000-05:00

I'm indebted to Louise Mann for the following contributions, which I agree with wholeheartedly! Which camp are you in?

The Top 10 Best Ways to Practice
1. Play at a speed (tempo) that allows for accuracy and no fumbles, frustration, or stops and starts.
2. Step 1.
3. Continue to repeat Step 1.
4. Gradually increase tempo.
5. Note where, when and why mistakes occur and analyze for solution.
6. Cut out hard spots and work ‘em to death, then back up a bit and paste them back in.
7. Remember: 3 times in a row without a mistake. This can be done on a small section, larger section, or the whole piece.
8. Patience - practice right no matter what. Take plenty of patience pills (breathe!).
9. Start today, don’t delay! And plan fingerings early!
10. Engage the ear and brain!

The Top 10 Worst Ways to Practice
1. Start from the beginning and fumble through to the end.
2. Repeat Step 1.
3. Continue to repeat Step 1 while growing tired of making the same mistakes in the same places over and over again.
4. Make mistakes and correct/continue without making mental post-its of where or why they occurred.
5. Repeat Step 4, probably while repeating Steps 1, 2 and 3.
6. Practice the parts you can already play, and neglect the ones you can’t.
7. Repeat Step 6, probably while repeating Steps 1-5.
8. Too fast—too soon—too often. Get pulled over for speeding.
9. Ignore all those numbers above and below the notes.
10. Last minute cram-sessions.

Is your student practicing enough? See this Table of Practice Times:

1 60-minute Practice per Week = 2 Months Progress in 12 Months
1 30-minute Practice per Day = 6 Months Progress in 12 Months
1 45-minute Practice per Day = 12 Months Progress in 12 Months
1 60-minute Practice per Day = 15 Months Progress in 12 Months
1 90-minute Practice per Day = 24 Months Progress in 12 Months
2 Hours Practice per Day = 36 Months Progress in 12 Months

7 Deadly Practice Sins

2010-09-14T13:39:00.000-05:00

I was reading some other blogs and came across this great article. What are the 7 deadly practice sins?

1. No routine

2. Too isolated

3. Inadequate instrument

4. No Availability

5. No Structure

6. No goals

7. No support

Read the whole article here

By author Samantha Coates, of http://blitzbooks.com

How do you plan to practice this year?

2010-08-28T13:57:00.002-05:00

I've been lurking on the How To Practice website for a long time. Now Mike Saville has announced: It's here! The Complete Beginners Guide To Practice!

Go to the website link to find out how you can download a free copy. This guide is for anyone who plays (and practices!) the piano; students, parents, and teachers. I'm loving what I see here. More updates after I read the guide a little more.I've already talked to a few parents who are concerned that their students start practicing right this year. So I'm resurrecting a handout I did about 5 years ago and will post about this handout How To Begin A New Piece and How To Practice Every Day! in the near future. Stay tuned. Happy Practicing!

5000 Fingers Of Dr. T

2010-08-24T15:18:00.000-05:00

You really must see this!

Bart has only one enemy in the world: his piano teacher Dr. Terwilliker. Dr. T has a mad plan to force 500 young boys to practice at his magnificent piano 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Bart is the only hope to save these boys from being enslaved. Fantastic sets, screenplay, and even song lyrics were provided by Dr. Seuss. Features the only piano academy ever known to be equipped with cells and surrounded by an electric fence.

No electric fences in MY studio!

Music Ace Maestro

2010-08-10T16:55:00.000-05:00

Teachers, click on this link for a chance to win a FREE copy of Music Ace Maestro http://musicmattersblog.com/2010/08/05/win-a-free-copy-of-music-ace-maestro-worth-127-95/ Leave a comment over at Natalie Wickham's blog http://musicmattersblog.com for a chance to win. Thank you for your generosity, Harmonic Vision!

Practice Chains are Here!

2010-07-25T14:03:00.000-05:00

Students are well on their way to filling their practice chains. It took me a while to figure out how to hang them in the studio, but an over-the-door set of hooks did the trick. One bead on the practice chain equals one full day of practice. Either the repertoire or the fact they get to see their practice accumulate is really motivating students to practice during the summer. Yay, on both accounts.

. . . and more than a month later . . .

2010-07-10T23:27:00.000-05:00

Here we are, and it's post Honors Concert and post MMTA convention. I'm busily teaching summer students and we have only 3 weeks left in the teaching year of 2009-2010. I'm amazed that time just slips through my fingers like water through a sieve. I'm constantly confronted with the limits that time puts upon me. I'd just love to sit at the piano and sight read through every book in my studio, but that will never happen without the rest of my household falling down around me.

I've spent a lot of summer days with Camille, Narissa, Susan, and Merrily, deciding the pieces for the 2012 State Contest List. We've found some gems that we hope will go over well. Each year on the list I find so many pieces that are new to me. This year (2011 contest List) I've been enamored with Amy Beach's 'Barcarolle' and Moszkowski's 'Pantomime.' Up until I damaged my right wrist and thumb, that is . . . one day it just appeared. My small hands have always been a frustration for me. Since fracturing my right wrist a couple of years ago, I've had trouble reaching even an octave. After spending one evening playing pieces with a lot of RH octaves, this little pain in my thumb showed up, so I've got to let it rest for a while so it can heal.

Nothing profound, here, just enjoying summer and life with my family.

Celebrating My Students!

2010-05-28T22:24:00.014-05:00

Minnesota State Piano Contest Finalists 2010

Back Row: Katie, INB; Ellen, INA; Paige, JRB; Jackie, INB; Matthew, INB
From Row: Bryce, JRA; Megan, PRI; Nolan, JRA; Caroline, PRI; Jessie, JRB

MMTA Theory Certificates Earned

Matthew, Level 3
Emily, Level 1
Megan, Level 1
Jackie, Level 1

Piano Performance Trophy Winners 2010

These are students who proved they are developing into well rounded musicians by completing 10 items out of a list of 20. Front Row: Anna, Nolan, Bryce, Caroline, Megan, Ruchika Back Row: Justin, Ellen, Hannah, Matthew

Congratulations to all of you!

Rialto Ripples

2010-05-18T13:36:00.010-05:00

It has been a good, long time since I last blogged. Good reasons, though. I was finishing my last 6 months of a 4 year term as VP of Piano Contests for MMTA, AND working on a new website for MMTA AND working on the marketing committee for MMTA. Didn't leave much time to even breathe . . . All those projects are coming to a conclusion, and our studio recital was last night. Students played really well and I was so pleased. I ended the concert with "Rialto Ripples" by Gershwin.

George Gershwin was born Jacob Gershowitz. His parents emigrated from Russia to the U.S.A in 1891. He first discovered music at age 10 at a friend's violin recital in a school auditorium in the lower East Side of Manhattan. George’s early interests were not in music, but street sports. When a piano was brought into the Gershowitz home for brother Ira, George (age 12) was the one whose interest was sparked. After playing from memory a song he had heard on a neighbor's player piano, George’s parents invested in lessons. By age 15 Gershwin had quit school and landed a job as pianist and "song plugger" for a Tin Pan Alley music-publishing firm, Jerome H. Remick & Company, at a salary of $15 a week. To increase his income, Gershwin recorded piano rolls under various pen names. For his efforts he received $35 for six rolls. He was interested in both ‘serious’ and popular music, and composed in both styles. He was one of the first composers to combine jazz and classical music styles. "Rialto Ripples" is George Gershwin's first published instrumental, at age 19, and his only piano rag. Ripples follows a typical rag style, alternating the main melody with contrasting melodies. It's fun, it's delightful, it's a toe-tapper, and a smile-maker.

I have never had so much fun playing at one of my recitals!

Do You Ever Wonder?

2009-12-28T13:26:00.004-06:00

Do you ever wonder if your students are practicing over the break? That's my state of mind right now. One the one hand, I'm glad that my students are forming good habits, partially due to the incentives in place in the studio that I blogged about in October. I'm grateful for the beginning students who have finished a level of method books and always come prepared to their lesson. Additionally some beginners are almost ready to participate in the MMTA State Piano Contest in January, along with many middle school and high school students. JRB and above students have an opportunity for extra coaching on their contest piece on January 8 and I hope they all sign up for a time. Also coming up on January 22 and 23 is the Ribbon Festival, a recital for students at Wayzata Bay Mall, an opportunity to hone performance skills.

Still, I'm thinking of how to inspire them further - maybe some kind of practicing contest? I'm open to any ideas. If you're a teacher, what do you do to inspire students to greater growth in the months between January to May?

New Composer Bucks Incentive

2009-10-29T21:20:00.002-05:00

I restructured how my "composer bucks" incentive works a week ago. I borrowed an idea from another teacher and called them "Diligence Dollars" and put the categories right on the students' assignment sheets. Students can now earn $1 if all materials are brought to the lesson, $1 if all practice is recorded and signed, $1 for each completed assignment, $1 for practicing 5 days, $4 for practicing 7 days, $3 for learning a new piece on your own, and $5 for participating in a piano event.

The change seems to be going over well, judging by how diligent students were last week. It's so great that students are sightreading new pieces and going ahead in assignments and really thinking through them correctly. The best thing I've noticed this week is those converts to practicing at least 5 days and some 7 days. Love the change and improvement in their lessons because of it!

If you would like to see the new assignment sheet, go to my website mvpianostudio.com to the resources page and find the assingment sheets there for the past few years. Happy practicing!

pianomorning.com

2009-10-20T11:30:00.002-05:00

Found a new website that has piqued my interest: http://blog.pianomorning.com/

Pianomorning was created by composer Ann Buys and there are tons of theory worksheets and piano pieces free to download if you are a member. Coming up soon are original arrangements you can use in your studio for Christmas. Really worth checking out! There's a great giveaway for a free membership going on right now. To learn more, go to http://blog.pianomorning.com/

Happy teaching!

Fred Plays Today

2009-09-23T11:19:00.004-05:00

I came across this on the Piano Teachers Forum today (a Yahoo discussion group). Helen, from the UK, found this while cleaning out her studio.:

About Fred by Linda Fox

After getting a definition, from a pupil, of "unconscious" (ranging from the perfect "not aware" to "it's when you're lying in the street"), I ask the pupil if she knows that she has an unconscious of her own.

We quickly christen the unconscious "Fred" (except for one little girl whose Grandad is called Fred and who insists on calling her unconscious "Bob")

I explain that Fred can do a lot of things like breathing and walking, even though you can take charge of these yourself if you want to; Fred can even guide your footsteps. How often have you arrived at school (or wherever) without ever thinking of how to get there?

And Fred can play the piano. He learns very quickly. He learns even when you've only done it once, which means he may very likely learn it wrong. The trouble is, too many people let Fred do the playing when he hasn't really learnt it properly yet, and somehow they don't seem able to wrest the control back from him. Any mistake which keeps happening even though you know about it, is the result of Fred playing. When Lousie (my first Fred owner) plays the phrase instead, in other words when Louise is concentrating and controlling the playing, it will probably be right.

I can't teach Fred. Only Louise can do that. And you can't really play a piece without Fred's contribution at all, or it would be like sight reading every time. The problem is, many children teach the whole thing to Fred and then sit back and let him play every time from the on. It's like pressing "start" and having no further input. You can always recognise this:

They can't easily play hands separately
They're totally unable to start anywhere except back at the beginning.
Often they don't even recognise the beginning of, say, the ninth bar.
Any mistakes will ALWAYS be there and cannot be eradicated.

The mistakes are not only wrong notes. Rushing, dragging, playing wrong rhythms, playing through rests, wrong dynamics or articulation. These are all programmed into Fred's rendition.

Once the pupil has recognised this, and realises her power to discipline and control Fred, she can develop a very healthy working partnership with him, letting him cope with the straightforward left hand while she concentrates on the more wayward right, for instance.

Louise tends to blame Fred too easily, actually, but her exasperated cry of "oh Fred!!" when the mistake has happened yet again, is usually met with "well, sort him out then" or even "well, don't let Fred play that bit for a while".

She took grade 1 last term. "How was Fred?" I asked when she came out, much to the mystification of the other waiting candidates and teachers. "Oh, he popped up once or twice", she said cheerfully, "but I played most of it myself today".

====

I reckon most of us can recognise Fred's playing in our students. I thought it was such a good way to helping them to understand what's going on.

Helen (UK)

"UP NORTH"

2009-09-05T00:18:00.007-05:00

Doesn't every Minnesotan take a vacation "Up North?" We've been going to a resort near Hackensack, MN, for well over 50 years. I'm including a few photos taken this year at Sunset Bay Resort on Baby Lake.

Maple Grove Days

2009-07-14T23:54:00.006-05:00

We spent time last Saturday at the Maple Grove Arts Fair that's part of the summer celebration in Maple Grove. Two blocks of Main Street are blocked off and filled with white tents where merchants exhibit their artistic endeavors for sale. This year I saw a great picture to go in my studio, but couldn't afford the price - $395, so went away empty-handed.

My husband, on the other hand, found an ancient Chinese instrument that he can actually play, called a bawu. He's been fascinated with the various instruments that Ying Zhang makes by hand for several year. Zhang was apprenticed to a master in China at age 12 and learned to be a master musician himself. Several years ago we bought my son a Hulusi, an instrument that is basically a wood flut with 2 drones on either side of the main flute. Since then we've seen Zhang at the Renaissance Festival as well, and have bought several other instruments. Pictured below is my husband, Jeff, with his new instrument.

Memories and Fireworks

2009-07-07T21:48:00.002-05:00

We had a great 4th of July, spending it with my husband's brother, who lives in Iowa, and sister and family who lives in Owatonna. I was driving and just exiting onto 35W South when the memory of a horrible car accident came flooding in. My kids were age 5 and 2 and we were heading to the Minnesota Zoo to celebrate our 5 yr. old's birthday. Just as we were rounding the corner and ready to exit onto 35W a driver in the far left lane was distracted by some fencing that fell off a truck in front of her, lost control of her car and came heading straight across 3 lanes to hit our car on the left front fender. The impact sent our car spinning 360 degrees to the right; at the same time the impact sent her car flying in the air over our car. It must have been a sight to see for the onlookers! All of us walked away from the accident without a scratch. The worst thing for us was that my husband and I bumped heads in the front seat and ended up with headaches for a day or so. The only thing my kids remember from the accident is state troopers giving them teddy bears to hug. Our car was totaled, and we had just paid the final payment several months previous, so the settlement enabled us to buy a brand new car with a good down payment. It took me a day or so for everything to "sink in." It was the one time in my life that I felt the hand of God so securely in my life, so protected and loved. One inch could have made the difference between life and death for all of us. I came out of the experience knowing God had a purpose for our lives and would guide us all along the right path. What a glorious moment that was!

After dinner we stayed for a fireworks display in Owatonna, put on by the Lions. It was just magnificent and i snapped some pictures with my cell phone camera. I thought this one was pretty cool.

Fireworks . . . and dogs!

2009-07-04T12:47:00.004-05:00

My dog really doesn't handle any little pop from 4th of July fireworks very well. She'd rather sleep on the couch or my lap . . .

But sometimes she wakes up . . . and is gone like a flash if she hears fireworks go off in the street. I call her my "scarey cat."

Road Trip

2009-07-01T11:48:00.012-05:00

Looked at this truck for far too long! My driver: daughter, Alison.

Drove through Darwin, famous for the "Big Ball of Twine"

Music teachers gathered in Willmar for a seminar on
business plan (Monica Allen), marketing and professional
image (Jon Iverson), and building your first studio website
(my topic).

India's National Anthem

2009-06-28T18:21:00.003-05:00

My student Ruchika came in May with a request - to learn the national anthem of her country, India. At first only her mom could sing it and we had no music, so I began notating by hand and after many revisions came up with my own version on Sibelius. I think I can play this now from memory. I found a site that had sheet music for each of the national anthems, so I was able to understand it better, and transposed it to a key my student could easily sight read. She played it, along with a sonatina and a waltz, for a talent show they had at the Hindu temple in Maple Grove. Here's a link to a youtube video of her performance of the national anthem. Mom says the performance went great. Go Ruchika!

Curtain Rod

2009-06-27T12:29:00.010-05:00

Who knew that a shower tension curtain rod could be so useful? I've got to give credit for this idea to a Suzuki teacher in Baltimore, Maryland. She posted pictures of her students using the tension rod here but I just noticed a few days ago that the picture links aren't working, so I've included a before and after picture of my own. My 6 year old student, who has had about 8 lessons is really excited every week about what she can play, but finds holding her hands in the proper position difficult. Notice the 'before' and 'after' - a complete transformation! My student is playing out of the Phonics 4 Piano - Pianimals series, learning how to coordinate finger number with letter name. The series is published by Marie Price and Flo Arnold and sold through their website.

AFTER

So Thankful for Hard Working Students

2009-06-04T23:00:00.001-05:00

I just love it when my students grab onto an incentive idea and run with it. My last student of the day came to her lesson SO excited today! She had finished all the games in her current level of MusicLearningCommunity.com. Our agreement was that she would earn $100 composer bucks when she finished a level, and this totally inspired her to finish in 1 week. All of a sudden I saw a huge leap in her understanding and ability to sightread. How fun is it to teach a really motivated student?! I'm so grateful for this spurt in growth.

This year shines as one of my most successful teaching years. After 30+ years I'm finally doing something right! Back row from left: Ben, who is a senior next year and doing PSEO, Ellen, who is homeschooled and performed an almost perfect Level 6 Piano Exam (first piano exam she's done), Mary, who has a scholarship as a piano major at Northwestern College, studying with Dr. Barbara Rogers, and Jackie, who has done an incredible job of progressing in piano while taking many AP courses in high school; Middle Row: Jessica, who was a finalist in the State Piano Contest and plays with great enthusiasm, Hannah, who loves the arts and surprises me with her progress at every lesson, Hailey, who did a great job on 2 recital pieces, Bryce, who practices 7 days a week most weeks and has incredible fun and personality in his playing, Devin, who has come a long way in a short time as a beginner, Marah, who was so excited at her lesson today; Front Row: 6 yr. old twins Sydney and Alexis, who played our own arrangement of Twinkle, Twinkle after only 6 lessons. Wow! I love teaching these students and consider myself so blessed to have them in my life.

Minnesota State Honors Concert

2009-06-04T03:23:00.020-05:00

What do you think of the next President of MMTA, Sue Krebsbach, and President Elect, Kirsten Levorson? Are they jailed? Actually they are just selling tickets at the state Honors Concert at Northrop Auditorium, which took place Saturday, May 30.

Minnesota Music Teachers Association was organized on June 27, 1901 under the auspices of the Professional League of St. Paul, and is affiliated with the Music Teachers National Association. It was organized to "promote the true culture of music by the interchange of ideas, to advance the interest of musical art, and to foster professional fraternity." Active members were professional teachers of voice, musical instruments, or "any subject pertaining to the theory of music." In the season of 1928-1929 MMTA began sponsoring a concert by student winners chosen in a statewide competition. In 1936 the MMTA developed a program of ten-piano concerts, given by winners of regional piano tryouts. The Ten-Piano Concert evolved into twelve, then twenty pianos, and later became the State Honor Student Concert or Honors Concert.

Below: Views of Northrop Auditorium; 3 of my students who performed: Paige, Junior A; Emily, Junior B; Mary, Senior Young Artist. Not pictured: Matthew and Katie, both Intermediate A

Spring Recitals

2009-05-28T03:27:00.011-05:00

Last Monday and Tuesday my students performed in two studio recitals at Schmitt Music in Minnetonka. To the right is a photo of Bryce receiving his well-earned Piano Performance trophy for 2009. He raised his trophy in victory (and mom says he took it to school to show his class!) I love it that he's proud of his achievement. He's one of the hardest workers in the studio.

Below: 6 year old twins Alexis and Sydney play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star together at their first piano recital. More pictures to come!

Rules of Interpretation for Students (and Teachers!)

2009-05-23T13:34:00.015-05:00

One of my favorite pedagogical speakers is Marvin Blickenstaff. A few yearsago I attended a week long class at St. Thomas University in St. Paul and heard him speak many times. My favorite notes are these:

SHAPINGTHE SOUND - Rules of Thumb for the Student.

RHYTHM

Shorts go to long (crescendo)

Downbeats are magnetic -- the sound is drawn to them ?but ?

No two successive downbeats should be alike.

Upbeat figures are interesting and have great musical energy.

HARMONY

Stress the unusual; de-emphasize (relax) the predictable.

I6/4 chords are magnetic. (Think what a downbeat 1 6/4 must be!)

Harmonic considerations are more powerful than either rhythmic or melodic ones.

Look to harmony first when determining the sound.

MELODY

The last note of the group is the quietest.

High notes must be supported from below. Theimportant notes are the low ones -- they have energy and push.

Composers often place their musical goals on long notes. Go to the long notes, make them project.

Upbeat figures are interesting and unpredictable -- downbeats are the predictable result.

When in doubt, . . . swell (crescendo).

TEXTURE

Piano sound is most interesting when the hands are never the same volume.

When playing two or more notes within a hand simultaneously, make the volume different for each note.

PHRASING

Place the focus of your phrase as late as possible. ("The later, the better.")

Tradition says:

Out of 4, go for 3

In a two-measure phrase, focus on the downbeat of the second measure

The Question is more interesting than the Answer

Two-note phrases or relationships favor the first note.

GENERAL Variety is the spice of musical life. Vary the sound. Do not repeat a phrase exactly the same way.

Sad News

2009-04-30T01:12:00.001-05:00

Many in the Twin Cities area have heard about the disappearance and death of a young man named Jelani Brinson. Jelani, his brother Jamari and his sister Kai were all students at Fourth Baptist Christian School when I taught classroom music, choir, band, and German there between 1975 and 1985. My thoughts and prayers are with the family as they face this terrible loss. Kai was my piano student for several years during elementary school and I think that she and Jelani had their sunny personality in common. The most notable thing about Jelani was his "ear to ear" smile, and so many people will remember him for this. When I think about the tragedy of his death, I try to picture how safe and loved he is in the arms of his Savior. So many loved you, Jelani, and we all will truly miss the light you brought to our world.

My Newest (and youngest!) students

2009-02-27T17:39:00.002-06:00

I was so glad I could accommodate these little angels for lessons. Alexis and Sydney are joining the studio in March 2009. They're 6, and in kindergarten at Heritage Christian Academy. They will be my first kindergarten students in a long time and I'm super excited to use "My First Piano Adventure" to teach them. I look forward to many fun times together.

Recording CD's for Students

2009-01-21T02:35:00.000-06:00

Sooooo . . . I've started a huge project. Over Christmas vacation I found a great deal on a recorder I've been looking at for a while on Amazon.com, the H2 Zoom. This week I've finally got it figured out, and I spent time in every lesson today recording performances and saving them to a folder for each student. At the end of the year I'll burn all files a student has recorded onto a CD for a record of their year. I'm very happy with the quality of the sound we're getting with this recorder. It's very noticeable that students are much more serious about "doing it right" knowing that we are putting their performances on a cd. It's a miracle!

Practicing in Sections

2009-01-18T20:31:00.003-06:00

In 2 weeks, 20 of my students will be performing in our state piano contest. It's my hope they all pay attention to how they are practicing the last few weeks before contest. I've been recording them and trying to iron out those last few problems, writing post its and reviewing their challenges with them every week.

In this post I'm going to review the main points I seem to be going over and over, hoping they will sink in. When you approach a difficult piece the only way to do it is - Divide and Conquer!

Stopping mistakes before they start. When you practice in easily digestible sections from the very start, you are cutting your learning time in half by not making huge mistakes from the beginning.

Setting Daily Goals. Make a goal to focus on one problem section a day and get it down really well. Be reasonable with yourself and limit your focus to 1, 2, or 4 measures at a time. Play as many repetitions, slowly, with your best concentration, as the section needs to improve. Mindless repetition just for repetition's sake won't help you improve. Review what you've done the next day of practice and then move on to fix the next section that needs attention.

Three Times in a Row Perfectly. You will know each section well if you will make it a rule to play it 3 times in a row perfectly (including no pauses!). Remember, a pause is a mistake! Fix it right away, otherwise you will keep pausing at the same spot. Keep it smooth!

Sectional practice gives you safety spots, or good starting points. A safety spot will be your salvation in a performance if you somehow lose your way. Practice starting at the beginning of every main section. These are your "safety spots." The more difficult the piece, the more safety spots you need, even every 4 to 6 measures. If you can do this you know the piece very thoroughly.

Don't skip hands separately! If you can't play the piece or section hands separately, you don't know the piece well enough to perform it in a contest. Even up to the day of the performance, practice hands separately, LH first. It is common to think you know the piece, only to have the memory fade during a performance because you didn't know the LH well enough. Then practice hands together.

Start slowly, then build tempo. When learning, the perfect tempo for you is the tempo at which you can play with NO pauses or mistakes. Above all, get the fingering first, along with playing the notes and rhythms correctly. You are not playing correctly if you have a sloppy fingering that doesn't work well. You will pay for sloppy fingering in time you'll have to spend later to unlearn it and then relearn the correct way. Your teacher coaches you on fingering; her advice simply is the best way for your hands to move fluently around the keyboard.

Gifts for Your Musical Child

2008-12-02T15:12:00.003-06:00

Ideas for musical gifts for your budding musician:

A metronome
Music Note Flash Cards
Music Theory or History workbooks (great to do in the car), Music puzzle books
Pocket Music Dictionary
Tickets to a concert
Fun Sheet Music
CDs of their favorite composer or style
An itunes gift card
A new Steinway (haha!)

Gifts your musical child can give:

A CD of the student performing
A coupon to a free concert where the student is performing (maybe your living room!)
Student can donate a performance to a nursing home
Perform Christmas music at a holiday party or at school
Create a youtube performance
A coupon for a free lesson from the student to another family member

More on Music Advocacy

2008-08-30T20:30:00.004-05:00

I've been researching a lot about how music adds to the quality of my life and the lives of my students. Here's a list of some fabulous websites that say it far better than I ever could. I hope you have time to check some of these out. If you're a parent, you can take satisfaction on what you are providing for your child, if you are a student you can be so proud of what music is bringing to your life, now and in the future, and if you are a teacher, you can take away inspiration and excitement for the coming teaching year and knowledge of the nobility of our profession:

http://www.music-for-all.org/blog/index.html

http://www.music-for-all.org/

http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/

http://www.supportmusic.com/

http://www.amc-music.com/

http://nsbma.org/NSBAnew/Pages/Advocacy.html

http://www.kingmusic1.com/artspres.htm

http://www.schoolmusictoday.com/advocacy/topteneveryone.html

http://www.flmusiced.org/fmeafsma/advocacy/index.html

http://www.artistshousemusic.org/articles/music+advocacy+what+counts+is+the+seed

The Worth of Music for You and Your Child

2008-08-17T20:24:00.000-05:00

Music Advocacy is on the minds of all sectors of music teaching these days. Private music teachers know what music education contributes to our society, in particular, how it impacts your child. In the blog archives, one of my first posts was about all the life lessons we can learn from studying music. Here's an article that lists and explains the skills our children gain from music study.

Seven Important Skills Your Child Learns By Studying Music

Just an amazing list of how music makes a difference in childrens lives.

Comprehending. Learning to perceive and derive meaning from musical sounds -- for example, to identify a musical theme -- sharpens your child's ability to comprehend abstractions.
Solving Problems. The ability to understand a problem and reach an appropriate solution is one of the most important skills your child can learn. Learning the basics of musical language, such as harmony, or interpreting a work through performance teaches this skill.
Reasoning Logically. Applying particular lessons to other problems and solutions requires sound reasoning. When your child leans to analyze a musical work from a cultural, structural, or historical perspective, or to improvise within a certain musical style, both indicative and deductive reasoning grow stronger.
Making Value Judgments. Learning to comprehend, consider, and evaluate in music can help your child make informed decisions in other aspects of life. Discriminating between great and lesser works or justifying musical choices in compositions can teach your child how to make and uphold value judgments.
Using Symbols. The ability to use symbols distinguishes the human race among all forms of life. Learning to read, write, and interpret musical notation provides access to a non-verbal world of thought and strengthens the use of other symbols systems as well, such as mathematics or language.
Conceptualizing. Your child learns to classify and generalize by learning to identify different types and styles of music, to recognize how different cultures use music for personal expression, and to recognize common elements in different works.
Communicating. Perhaps the greatest gift of music is its ability to cultivate our feelings and thoughts through non-verbal means. Being able to express these feelings and thoughts, and to respond to them in others, is part of every successful program of music study and indispensable in your child's total development.

Courtesy of The Foundation for the Advancement of Education in Music

What I've been up to . . .

2008-07-31T18:37:00.001-05:00

It's been a busy summer and I've been up to my ears in plans for fall lessons along with teaching summer lessons and taking weekly lessons myself. I'm looking forward into settling into a fall schedule and back to a routine. As I'm posting, I'm sitting at Baby Lake, our annual vacation place, looking at the beautifully calm lake, and being grateful for this time of quiet reflection before diving into the fall and winter routine. I have Dr. Marianne Bryan lined up to give a masterclass in small groups to my students the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. She was very ill at this time last year and couldn't come in November. I'm so glad she came through with flying colors and is back to a rigorous teaching schedule. I've grown to love her first as my teacher, then we became friends, and colleagues in our positions for Minnesota Music Teacher's Association. Knowing her has added a special dimension to my life - I am a better person having her in my life, and am so excited for my students to be able to play for her in November. Can't Wait!

2008-07-08T23:02:00.001-05:00

I've had this in my files for a long time and I just came across it today again:

Giving 100%
What Makes 100%? What does it mean to give 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving 100%? We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give 100%. What makes up 100% in life? Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26,

Then:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But, A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

So one can conclude with mathematical certainty that while hard work and Knowledge will get you close, attitude will get you there.

6 ways to get a fresh start with summer piano assignments . . .

2008-06-24T12:13:00.002-05:00

The summer has begun, and I'm thinking a lot about what each individual student will be able to accomplish in the next year. I'm trying to give each one a nudge to take them to the next level. Each student will have their own ndividualized assignment and goals. Here are some things I try to incorporate into summer lessons - let's look forward to greater achievement!

1. Next level. I'm encouraging students to be able to reach to the next level in the difficulty of music they are able to play. The best way to do this is to prepare for MMTA Piano Exams. Piano Exams incorporate keyboard skills (scales, cadences, chords and inversions, arpeggios); memorized pieces from various historical periods; sight reading; and oral questions about the music and composers they've played. These are comprehensive - they cover just about every musical area. In doing so, they push a student towards greater achievement as they advance to each new level.

2. Explore a new style. Learning another style can open your musical horizons. In the field of piano alone there are plenty of styles to explore beyond classical, including ragtime, American jazz, contemporary, new age, and popular.

3. Take a theory course. Learning the fundamentals of musical theory can be a fun and stress-free way to deepen your practice during the year. The more you understand how music is put together, the better you will practice. Understanding the music you play makes everything more fun to play.

4. Learn the music you've been dying to learn all year. Summer is a great time to do your own exploration for the repertoire that you're dying to play.

5. Perfect your technique. Without the pressure of upcoming concerts, summer is a fine time to go that extra mile and get a proper handle on your technical facility. Good technique is the basis of expert playing with artistry and solves problems before they begin.

6. Learn to sight read better. Take the time to learn how to sight read something new every single day.

Diversion for the Weekend

2008-06-21T13:35:00.001-05:00

Hope the weather's beautiful where you are. If not, try a little "piano hangman" http://www.ptg.org/hangman/hangman.php It could end up testing how well you know music terminology or anything piano related. Courtesy of the Piano Technicians Guild website. Check it out!

Piano tunes in the key of a 101-year-old's life - She's played for seniors since she was 84

2008-06-19T23:29:00.000-05:00

Piano tunes in the key of a 101-year-old's life She's played for seniors since she was 84

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
BY SUSAN L. OPPAT
The Ann Arbor News

Agnes Warren has played the piano since she was a child and has a repertoire of thousands of songs.They're all stored safely in her memory, dating back to before she was born - more than 101 years ago.The fact that her music selection goes back so far is important to the seniors at The Oaks adult daycare center in Ann Arbor, where many find it easier to remember the words of a 60-year-old song than what they had for lunch that day.Warren, of Ann Arbor, was 84 when she started volunteering through the Catholic Social Services Retired and Senior Volunteer Program to play at The Oaks and several senior residences around Ann Arbor.She'll be honored on June 19 as the oldest active volunteer in RSVP, a 600-volunteer program.Warren's hands are now gnarled, her left thumb bent outward at a nearly 90-degree angle. The joints in her fingers look like swollen knots on her tiny hands.She rests one hand on her daughter's arm when she walks, mostly because she can't really see where she's going.But she's still engaged in what she can do for others.Every Wednesday, Warren plays at The Oaks at the Ann Arbor Church of Christ. She pops in at other local senior residences like Lurie Terrace, Hillside Terrace and University Living every month or so.On a recent day, Warren - at 4 feet, 7 inches and decked out in peach slacks and matching peach, pink and purple blouse - plunked down at the piano for nine members at The Oaks. The big-screen TV was off, the piano front-and-center.With no sheet music, Warren swung into a 25-minute set, sliding effortlessly from key to key and song to song. She moved from up tempo to jazzy, swept into swing, threw in a little boogie woogie, slid back in time to ragtime, then further back to the gay '90s - the 1890s.Her playlist included "It Had to be You,'' "Stormy Weather,'' "Danny Boy,'' "Amazing Grace,'' and even a favorite of one Oaks member - "How Much is That Doggie in the Window.'' Her music got some of the seniors on their feet to dance with each other or staff - even if the dancing was simply swaying back and forth or swinging their hands to the beat."It means a great deal to them,'' Oaks program assistant Judy Kopa said. "It brings back memories.''Adds site director Greg Perkins, "Working here, you deal with a different reality, and that reality can change second by second.'' With the music, he said, "They go back in time.''Warren was born in Scotland and is the last surviving of nine siblings. Her family immigrated when she was 3, and she was raised in Montrose, near Flint.She started playing the piano as a child, studying to be a concert pianist in music conservatories in Flint. She learned to memorize the music from a teacher who wouldn't let students who needed sheet music perform in recitals."It doesn't look good, having music on the piano,'' she said.

Warren played in her teens at silent movie theaters in Montrose, where she chose her own music to accompany the films and expanded her repertoire. Her father wanted her to study for a music career in France, but then she met Eric Warren at a dance."When I met him,'' she recalled, "I didn't think about the piano.''They married in 1929 and had six children."I didn't miss the piano. I had one in my home, so I had my piano, and him too,'' she said. "I had it all.''The couple moved to Ann Arbor when Eric got a job in radio repairs, and he eventually opened his own radio and television repair and sales shop downtown.Warren kept a hand in her music, playing at places like the Grotto and the Liberty Cocktail Bar. Eric died of a heart attack in 1961. Warren now lives with her daughter, Yvonne Gillies, who moved in with her after a divorce. Warren had a health scare when she turned 101 in December and came down with pneumonia. She had to get a pacemaker - but got back to volunteer work as soon as she could."I like to play for them,'' Warren said. "It gives me a lift. It would be very dull if I couldn't play the piano.''

2008-06-11T23:35:00.001-05:00

A lot has been happening lately and now I'm finally settling into a reasonable summer schedule. The busiest 2 weeks of May - and I came down with a horrible case of the flu. Wouldn't you know that I got sick on the morning of our Honors Concert at Northrop Auditorium on May 31st? I'm so grateful for dedicated volunteers, who took over completely and ran a very successful concert. So the VP doesn't really need to be there . . . hmm, I'll file that bit of info away for later use!

I was well enough to attend our MN State MTA Convention. I profited from many great sessions and was refreshed by conversations with colleagues for 2 days. I'm looking forward to a great summer of music making with my students. New families are signing on for summer lessons and I've chosen to use some different materials to review with beginners and transfer students that I hope will really let their musical talents shine. I have the opportunity to start a group of 5 year olds with the very fun (and brand new) My First Piano Adventure, specially created by Nancy and Randall Faber for the 5 and 6 year old beginner. I'd like to do this in a 45 minute class. So far we have 2 students who are interested and room for 2 more in the class. Rates for the 8 week class will be reduced depending on how many are in the class.

Another project I'd like to offer are recreational lessons for adults. If you are a parent of a student who is enrolled in my studio, I will offer you a free 8 week program. I'm doing this on a trial basis, so I'm only opening it to current studio parents. If you are interested, please email me mvahl@msn.com and we'll come up with a class time. The class will be for beginners only. Of course, I'm always willing to take on adult private students at regular rates for the summer, or permanently.

What Teachers Make

2008-05-31T01:40:00.001-05:00

The following article can be found on many music websites. I've been thinking a lot about how privileged independent music teachers are to be able to earn a living for our families doing something that we love AND something that makes a difference in the lives that we touch.

WHAT TEACHERS MAKE

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?" Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...) "Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor. I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental... You want to know what I make?" (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.) I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them criticize. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions. I teach them to write and then I make them write. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in math. I make my students from other countries learn everything they need To know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity. I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe. I make my students stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag because we live in the United States of America. Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life. (Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.) "Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant... You want to know what I make? I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make?"

Performance Tips for Recitals

2008-05-25T12:24:00.000-05:00

1 Try not to be too confident, angry, sad or too happy.

2 Try not to think things like "I couldn't practice very well because..." "The audience is too noisy" "The recital hall is too dark" "It sounded so much better at home" "Cold weather made my fingers so stiff" Instead, think about what is going on in your music, every measure until the end.

3 Perfect practice or performance rarely happens. Just do your best and keep going no matter what.

4 Practice with ONE HAND WITHOUT PEDAL everyday. It is one of the shortest ways to find a problem spot (memory slips, mental block, etc.) of the piece.

5 ?Dangerous? parts should be recognized and practiced thoroughly every day.

6 Practice without the pedal.

7 Practice also with both hands SLOWLY without pedal everyday.

8 Shortly before the performance, at least a week before, record your performance with no stops.

9 Recordings also help detect any dangerous parts. Listen to the tape, check everything for accuracy.

10 Ask your parents or a friend to listen to your piece(s) before a recital. (Say "please"...and "thank you") This will help you to play under pressure and also help you find your tricky parts of the piece.

11 Try to play with a radio or tape in the background so you can "tune it out". This can help with concentration during the recital.

12 Be sure to practice your bow and SMILE! (Bow your head and upper body while you silently say ?I LOVE MY SHOES!? (I took this tip from Carol Noona.)

13 Be as healthy as possible on the day of the recital - Be sure to wash your hands before you play. (BUT NOT RIGHT BEFORE YOU PLAY!) Sticky, slippery fingers can cause problems - Try to get enough rest the night before.

The absolute all-time best advice is . . . Just do your best and be sure to SMILE!

Another recital

2008-05-24T10:03:00.001-05:00

Our 2nd recital on Thursday, May 22, was a wonderful time of celebration of the students (and parents!) accomplishment. I appreciate so much the part of the "lesson triangle" that is accomplished away from my studio - the parents and the students. You can really see how the diligence in practice paid off! Two middle school age girls played Timothy Brown's arrangement of Swan Lake in the newly published In Recital with Duets. and I thought the sound was just gorgeous. We had senior high students who played Bach, Chopin, Mozart, Beethoven, and early intermediate students who played pieces by Melody Bober, Ronald Bennett, Christopher Norton, Nancy Faber, plus beginning students who started between one and three months ago. I truly appreciate all of their hard work that makes a program like this possible. At both recitals all the moms got a long stemmed rose for each piano student in their family that I've taught. Many moms remarked how nice that little gesture was. I read somewhere recently that the success of a music student directly relates to their mom's encouragement. I think it was nice for them to be acknowledged in this way. Many students worked diligently to receive their awards - trophies, certificates and ribbons for piano exams, theory exams, and state contest finalist certificates.

Note: A special thank you to the parents who went out of their way to encourage me! I am truly grateful.

Recitals

2008-05-21T12:06:00.002-05:00

Last night we had our first of two spring recitals. I always think it's so enjoyable to sit back and just listen to what my students have accomplished during the year. For refreshments I decided to go on the easy side and bought chocolate chunk brownies and put my own fudge frosting on them. I also included mini-eclairs and mini cream puffs, plus cheesecake squares from Sam's Club. I found that if I left these frozen until right before the recital, then put them out on a plate, they were perfectly thawed when it came time to eat. For drinks I bought small pop cans in a variety of kinds at Cub. The food worked out great, the students played great and I think everyone was happy. I handed out trophies for 4 jr-sr high students. Trophies are based on accomplishing 8 items out of 20 suggestions on my trophy list, so it represents a significant amount of work. I've structured the trophy ideas so a student of any age and progress can attain a trophy in 1 school year if they work at it. It's always very interesting to me that the students who earn trophies are also those who earn other awards: state contest finalists, National Guild awards, theory exams and piano exams.

Is Your Piece A Perfect 10?

2008-05-16T09:14:00.003-05:00

I once had a student who was a very good figure skater got the idea for a "perfect 10" piece:

1 Correct Notes = 1 point
2 Correct Fingering = 1 point
3 Correct Rhythm = 1 point
4 Accurate & Steady tempo = 1 point
5 Dynamics = 1 point
6 Articulation & Phrasing = 1 point
7 Know the musical terms = 1 point
8 Know the key of the piece = 1 point
9 Know the form of the piece = 1 point
10 Memorized = 1 point

The Meanest Mother

2008-05-11T16:29:00.000-05:00

I heard this the first time from my pastor in my teen years. I appreciated it even then.

The Meanest Mother In The World
Copyright 1967 by Bobbie Pingaro

I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs or toast. When others had cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different than the other kids' also.

But at least, I wasn't alone in my sufferings. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.

My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were on a chain gang. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She insisted if we said we'd be gone an hour, that we be gone one hour or less--not one hour and one minute. I am nearly ashamed to admit it, but she actually struck us. Not once, but each time we had a mind of our own and did as we pleased. That poor belt was used more on our seats than it was to hold up Daddy's pants. Can you imagine someone actually hitting a child just because he disobeyed? Now you can begin to see how mean she really was.

We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath. The other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of insults because she made our clothes herself, just to save money. Why, oh why, did we have to have a mother who made us feel different from our friends?

The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at eight the next morning. We couldn't sleep till noon like our friends. So while they slept-my mother actually had the nerve to break the child-labor law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, learn to cook and all sorts of cruel things. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.

She always insisted upon us telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, even if it killed us- and it nearly did.

By the time we were teen-agers, she was much wiser, and our life became even more unbearable. None of this tooting the horn of a car for us to come running. She embarrassed us to no end by making our dates and friends come to the door to get us. If I spent the night with a girlfriend, can you imagine she checked on me to see if I were really there. I never had the chance to elope to Mexico. That is if I'd had a boyfriend to elope with. I forgot to mention, while my friends were dating at the mature age of 12 and 13, my old fashioned mother refused to let me date until the age of 15 and 16. Fifteen, that is, if you dated only to go to a school function. And that was maybe twice a year.

Through the years, things didn't improve a bit. We could not lie in bed, "sick" like our friends did, and miss school. If our friends had a toe ache, a hang nail or serious ailment, they could stay home from school. Our marks in school had to be up to par. Our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother being as different as she was, would settle for nothing less than ugly black marks.

As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us was put to shame. We were graduated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a drop-out.

My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four children, a couple of us attained some higher education. None of us have ever been arrested, divorced or beaten his mate. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of this country. And whom do we have to blame for the terrible way we turned out? You're right, our mean mother. Look at the things we missed. We never got to march in a protest parade, nor to take part in a riot, burn draft cards, and a million and one other things that our friends did. She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults.

Using this as a background, I am trying to raise my three children. I stand a little taller and I am filled with pride when my children call me mean. Because, you see, I thank God, He gave me the meanest mother in the whole world.

Repertoire Practice Log

2008-05-10T12:19:00.001-05:00

This week I dragged out this repertoire practice chart that I often use for intermediate to advanced students. It's fabulous how one week of half speed practice can whip their rough spots into shape. At first, no one thinks they can play at a speed of 60 per quarter or below. (My teacher said to me once that in her doctoral studies her professor made everyone play their pieces at 40 to the q.) After we've done it together at that speed (60-65) 3 times I ask the student what they think now. They always say, "It's easier." Seems like a lightbulb comes on. I can't claim this idea, though. I got it in a handout on teaching intermediate students from Mary Beth Shaffer. Thanks to her, my students will be much better prepared for their recitals in two weeks. (BTW, it works with younger students, too.)

REPERTOIRE PRACTICE LOG

	M	T	W	TH	F	SA	SU	TOTAL
1/2 speed met.=
3/4 speed met.=
Practice Spots
A tempo met.=
Other

Super Parents!

2008-05-06T18:20:00.000-05:00

I heard the nicest comment from a parent today! "Every penny I have spent has paid off. Emily used to not want to practice, and now I can't get her to stop!" (. . . and the student says all she wants to do when she gets home from school is practice . . . hmm, I think I can handle that! mv) Shelli R., Brooklyn Park

Symphony of Support for Pushing the Piano

2008-05-01T08:27:00.001-05:00

SYMPHONY OF SUPPORT FOR PUSHING THE PIANO
I came across these interesting letters to Dear Abby, first published in the Los Angeles Times:

DEAR ABBY: Your advice to force children to practice was right on the mark. Most children hate to practice, and our son and daughter were no exception. My husband got tired of all the fighting and crying, and said, "Let them quit ! it's too much of a hassle." I said: "Over my dead body!" After that, there were very few arguments. Today, our daughter, Marylou Churchill, sits principal second violin in the Boston Symphony, and our son, Paul, studied cello at Juilliard and toured with the Mantovani Orchestra.
-MARIAN SPEAKER San Mateo, California

DEAR MARIAN: Congratulations. Read on for more letters from parents who refused to cave in when their children wanted to quit:

DEAR ABBY: I?m a mother who forced her children to practice. Why not? It was for their own good. We force our children to take baths, brush their teeth, eat their vegetables, turn off the TV and do their homework, don?t we? My son wanted to quit piano when he was 10. I said ?No way ? you are not quitting!? I knew that my judgement was better than a child?s. Today he is a conductor and professor at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
-EILEEN GIOVANAZZI La Mesa, Calif.

DEAR ABBY: I grew up in a music family. Our parents had a very effective way to get my brother and me to practice. We were told, ?Either you do the dishes ? or practice.? So my brother and I practiced a lot. I?ve been playing the piano for 35 years, and today my brother is an accomplished guitarist.
-MARK ALLEN DONITCH San Rafael, Calif.

DEAR ABBY: When our children first began taking piano lessons, I was told, ?The measure of the child?s success is directly related to the determination of the mother.? It?s true. I was the one who drove our three children to their music lessons for eights years and insisted they practice. When they wanted to quit, I not only paid them to practice, I gave them a cash bonus for every outstanding lesson. (Very few children are self-motivated.) It got them over the hump, and eventually they learned to appreciate music. In retrospect, it was well worth the struggle.
PROUD MOM IN TUCSON, Ariz.

DEAR ABBY: I am a girl in the seventh grade. I?ve been taking piano since the first grade. I?ve never liked practicing and never will. There were lots of fights about practicing and I always ended up crying. My mother threatened to stop the lessons, but I?m glad she never did. I still hate to practice, but I love to play.
-A GIRL IN SPRINGFIELD, Va.

DEAR ABBY: Years ago we lived across the street from a music-loving Italian family in London, Ontario. There were four sons and one daughter. I can still see the mother chasing her kids with a hickory stick trying to get them to go take their music lessons. Their last name was Lombardo, which may ring a bell with your older readers.
R.J. CALHOUN Clearwater, Fla.

Ten Musical Commandments

2008-04-30T12:20:00.007-05:00

by Fanny Waterman

Keep your back straight and your fingers rounded.
Practice regularly every day.
Before you start playing any unfamiliar music, clap the rhythm, counting the beats aloud.
Choose fingering most suited to your hand, write it on the music and keep to it.
Hands separate before hands together.
Practice slowly before playing up to speed.
When practicing, correct any mistake immediately and play the passage several times correctly before going on or back.
Play any piece with precise rhythm throughout before introducing any rubato or rhythmic freedom.
Follow all of the composer's markings.
Listen to every sound you make on the piano.

Promoting a love of music for a lifetime

2008-04-24T21:24:00.001-05:00

A focus of my studio is to impart a love for learning and music enjoyment for a lifetime, so I was happy I came across this list on the MTNA website:

Ten Essential Skills for Promoting a Lifelong Love of Music and Music Making

* Ability to internalize basic rhythms and pulse.
* Ability to read - music literacy.
* Ability to perform with physical ease and technical efficiency.
* Ability to hear the notes on the page ? ear training.
* Ability to work creatively - improvise, compose, harmonize and play by ear.
* Ability to understand basic elements of theory, form, harmony, etc.
* Ability to respond to the interpretive elements of the composition in order to express the emotional character of the music.
* Ability to conceptualize and transfer musical ideas.
* Ability to work independently and problem solve.
* Ability to perform comfortably individually and with others in a variety of settings.

What a high school pianist should know

2008-04-20T23:14:00.004-05:00

The top 10 things high school pianists should know:

Major and minor scales
Key signatures, triads, and 7th chords
Proper pedal technique
Technical skills . . . wrist staccato, proper phrasing, flexibility
Etudes and study pieces
Music for each of the 5 periods of music history: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, and 20th Century.
Theory and harmony skills
Memory of repertoire
Knowledge of music terms
How to play musically

Perfect Practice Poem

2008-04-18T14:39:00.002-05:00

Sitting on the piano bench,
Staring at the keyboard.
Gingerly placing fingers on the keys
Right hand playing softly at first, then louder as the notes sound
Left hand hopelessly lost among the bass notes.
Try again---slowly.
H a n d s a p a r t , then hands together.
Repeat again. This time a little faster. Yet again, and faster.

After all, "practice makes perfect"

NO!!!

Perfect practice makes perfect.

---Lorna Nolin

ABAC First Place, Poetry