Our guest blogger is from Ashley. Ashley Danyew, Ph. D., is a church musician, music educator, writer, and creative entrepreneur. She writes a blog and teaches online courses for church musicians and music educators and maintains a private piano studio. She received a B.A. in Music from the University of Georgia and completed an M.M. and Ph. D. in Music Education at the Eastman School of Music. She also received the Certificate in Arts Leadership from Eastman's Institute for Music Leadership. She has been a great help to me specifically from her blogs geared towards music teachers.
1. Ask your Child to tell you one thing they learned after each lesson. This can be in the car on the way home, at dinner that night, or the next day when they sit down to practice. This is a great way to stay connected to the process and celebrate what they're learning. 2. During the first practice session following the lesson, spend a few minutes helping your child review each piece on their assignment sheet. This will help reinforce everything we worked on in the lesson. The bedtime of the week to practice? Right after their lesson. (I tell my students this practice session counts as a double!). 3. Encourage regular practicing throughout the week. Build at least 15-20 minutes into your child's schedule at least 4-5 days per week, even for beginning students. In fact, creating a practice routine from the very beginning will really set your child up for success. Practicing is a habit just like brushing your teeth! 4. Ask your child to play one or more of their pieces during the course of the week to show you their progress. Children love playing their favorite pieces and I've found they also love hearing which one is your favorite! 5. Record your child performing their favorite piece. Use your phone to capture a quick video or record an audio clip. Then, watch/listen to the performance together (and maybe share it with a long-distance relative!). 6. Ask your child to teach you one of their pieces! This is a fun way to mix up their practicing. You'll be able to see what they know and understand about the music in the way they teach, demonstrate, and explain it to you. Plus, children love a chance to be the teacher! 7. Encourage your child to improvise/make up their own pieces. Give them ideas for song material (pets, thunderstorm, clock ticking, birds singing, etc.) or challenge them to create a piece based a familiar text (nursery thyme or other children's poem). 8. If your child is willing and eager, create opportunities for them to perform for others. This isa great activity to do leading up to a recital. Gather friends and family (and/or stuffed animals!) for an informal recital in your home. 9. Create a repertoire box. As your child learns and completes new pieces, write down the titles on slips of paper and add them to the box (a tissue box words well). Once a week or at the end of each practice session, let your child choose a familiar piece from the box to review/play. 10. Do a rhythm or movement activity outside of your scheduled practice time. These activities can take place away from the keyboard and will help reinforce and further develop the skills learned in lessons. There are lots of ways to help your child succeed in piano lessons--these are just a few ideas The most important thing you can do is show your support and offer encouragement. Listen to them play and talk about what they're learning. Tell them which piece is your favorite and what you love about how they play it. Encourage them to take risks and try new things. Show them that music is something to be valued. www.ashleydanyew.com/posts/10-ways-to-help-your-child-practice
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Our guest blogger is Carol Matz. I met Carol though Social Media site called Linked IN. Carol has been a Piano Instructor in Florida for over 30 Years. Amongst her many other musical achievements, she is also a Composer and Arranger for Alfred's Music Publishing Company. For the past two and a half years, she has been creatively writing her own piano method called "Carol Matz's Interactive Piano Method." Her method contains lesson books with corresponding online activities, digital download and much more. In this post, Carol helps us interpret Educational Piano Music Levels.
What’s the difference between Late Elementary and Early Intermediate? While leveling varies from publisher to publisher, there are certain basic parameters that apply to the various levels of educational composers’ and arrangers’ works. This handy chart shows the main components and concepts included in each level. However, of course, there is often overlap. None of this should be viewed on a strict basis, but instead used as a guideline for what materials you might choose for various students, based on what they’ve learned in their piano studies. Early Elementary • Uses notes on the staff from Bass C to G-above-Middle C • Avoids eighth notes • Sharps and flats written as accidentals (no key signature) Elementary • Notes on the staff might extend from Bass G to Treble G • Introduces simple eighth-note rhythms • Root position triads might be used, along with intervals up to the 5th • Sharps and flats largely written as accidentals (might include Key of G) • Simple “down-up” pedal might be used Late Elementary • Introduces ledger-line notes (up to 2 lines) between the staves • Use of single eighth notes and eighth rests, as well as dotted-quarter notes • No more than 1 sharp or 1 flat in the key signature • Harmonic-interval playing extended to 6ths • I, IV, and V7 chords may be used (in the keys of C, F, and G) • Use of pedal changes (“connected” or “legato” pedal) Early Intermediate • Notes extend no more than 3 ledger lines above/below the staves • Triplets and swing rhythm introduced • Cut time and 6/8 time introduced • Key signatures usually include no more than 2 sharps or 1 flat • Harmonic-interval playing extended to include the 7th Intermediate • Increased use of ledger-line notes • Introduces sixteenth-note rhythms, including the dotted-eighth • Features inverted triads and playing octaves • Key signatures might include up to 3 or 4 sharps or flats ...and those mysterious pop-music labels of “Big Note” and “Easy Piano?” • Big Note = Late Elementary to Early Intermediate • Easy Piano = Intermediate Someone once said that Repetition is the key to learning. What is Repetition? Repetition has been defined as the action of repeating something that has already been said or written. It has also been defined as the recurrence of an action or event or a thing repeated. As far as learning any kind of instrument, repetition is vitally important. The reason it is so important is because repetition will help you to remember what you learned.
I love Piano Method Books that are filled with Reviews. It helps my students tremendously. Without the constant reviews, I believe they would most likely forget most of the things that I teach them. Piano is a skill. In order to really develop the skills and to progress, it is vital to practice and review. Someone once said, "Skill is achieved through practice. Work Hard and Dedicate Yourself to being Better Every Single Day." What are some fun ways to incorporate Repetition into piano lessons? 1. Use Music Flashcards *I love Music Flashcards. You can practice with your child even if you have never taken a single music lesson. All you need to do is be able to read the answer on the back of the flashcard. 2. Use Music Apps *These days, there is an app for almost anything and everything. There are several music apps there that review music notes, symbols, chords and etc. Many of these apps are actually music games. My students love to use music apps in the studio or in the comfort of their own homes. 3. Old Fashioned Review *Use the Music Book, and read important information. Go back and review what the Teacher taught. 4. Play Old Songs *It's important to keep your old songs alive! I try to encourage my students to play some of their old songs every once in a while. Our guest blogger is Rosalee Massie from Massie Integrative Piano Studio in Springfield, Ohio. Rosalee is a dear friend who also loves music. She has been teaching piano for over two decades to students of all ages. She teaches children of all levels beginners to advanced. She also teaches all kinds of students including those with learning disabilities such as, ADHD, Asperger's, and Cerebral Palsy. This article that she wrote will inform us on the benefits that music has on premature babies. Did you know that music can help babies who are born prematurely? Studies have shown that preemies who listen to music are known to spend less time in the NICU/hospital that those who do not. Babies born before 37 weeks are usually subject to many struggles such as abnormal breathing patterns, decreased body fat muscle tissue, and feeding issues. Recordings of people singing as well as live singing help to relax the baby, but live singing shows better results. Music promotes healthy sucking. Some therapists drum gently with their finger, keeping a steady rhythm, which in turn stimulates the baby's heartbeat, promoting healthier sucking patterns. It helps the baby with breathing, sucking, and swallowing needed to feed, which in turn promotes weight gain and better health. Soothing music, especial music that sounds like the mother's womb, can help drown out other noises in the NICU, helping the baby to sleep better. Not only that, music has been used as a sedative, many times preventing the medical professionals from needing to give morphine! Lullabies can be very soothing, and singing them can decrease the baby's heart rate and promote relaxation. This promotes higher levels of oxygen for longer periods of time. Even without music therapist, singing from parents or playing music can help the baby's growth and good health, which is the ultimate goal. Source: Flowers, Jeanie. Music and Your Child: One Mom's Experience. National Resource Center for Blind Musicians, 2003. Available at http://www.blindmusicstudent.org/Articles/rachel_jeanie_article.htm Music Therapy. Wikipedia Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_therapy Why should my child continue to take piano lessons in the summer? Shouldn't the students get a break?
Larry Bird once said, "A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents and works his tail off to develop them into skills..." I believe that learning to play the piano is learning to develop a skill. When you are trying to develop a skill, it requires a great amount of practice. It requires a incredible desire to improve by working hard. Many people are naturally gifted with music. However, this does not mean that those same gifted people do not have to put in any hard work. A great musician will recognize the need to develop these skills with hard work and diligent practice. Here are some advantages to taking summer lessons and disadvantages to not take summer lessons. Advantages: TO TAKE? 1. Students can greatly improve in the summer. This is due to the fact that they will have more time to practice. They are usually ready to take on harder songs and to be challenged. 2. Taking lessons in the summer is less pressure and more relaxed. This is also because students do not have to focus on school work. They can put more focus and energy into their piano lessons. 3. Students not only improve but also keep the skills they learned throughout the year. Disadvantes: NOT TO TAKE? 1. Why do students not take piano? The biggest reason is due to business. For some, summer is an extremely busy time filled with vacations, small trips, and many other fun activities. 2. During a long break, it is common for students to forget the basics. 3. If students forget basics, students must then re-learn. What can students do on their own instead of taking summer lessons? 1. They can keep their old songs alive. Every student has some favorites that they like more than the others. Encourage these students to keep them alive by playing a different old song every week that they have already mastered. 2. They can try to learn new songs. If the student has been diligent, they should be able to figure out some new songs on their own depending on the level of difficulty. The never ending question for many musicians is, "Should I play my piece Accurately and Slowly? or Should I play my piece Quickly, and Sloppy?"
My question is, "Why does something have to suffer?" If it is possible, I always strive for excellence in both areas. However in most cases, I believe that many musicians place speed as a higher priority than accuracy. Personally, I would rather have someone complain about the speed of my performance than the overall quality of my performance. If we must choose one or the other I always say, "Never Sacrifice Accuracy for Speed!" What should some of our priorities be as musicians? 1. First of all, I believe accuracy is extremely important. If we do not play or sing the correct pitches or notes, we will no longer be able to recognize a song. No musician is perfect. However, we should always strive for 100% accuracy. 2.Secondly, I believe rhythm is vitally important. Someone once said, "Rhythm is 90% of the Interpretation." 3. Next, Dynamics should also be a big priority. A variety of dynamics in a songs adds color and life to the music. Without the use of good dynamics, music can get boring. 4. Next, Articulation is key. It helps along with the dynamics to portray a mood. 5. Last, but not least, Speed is important. Different speeds portray different emotions. It can also work along with dynamics and articulation to portray a mood. However, I believe for a good musician speed can be adjusted. Our guest blogger is Rosalee Massie from Massie Piano Studio in Springlfield, Ohio. I met Rosalee through social media on Linked In. Rosalee has been teaching piano ranging in levels from beginners to advanced. She teaches all ages including children with learning disablilities. She has a Master's of Arts in Music with Piano Concentration from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. In this post Rosalee answers the question, "At What Age Should Piano Lessons Begin?"
Parents often ask me how old a child should be before beginning piano lessons. Children should begin lessons as early as possible as they have such an amazing power or retention. But, in reality, it depends on the child. A good indication that a child might be ready is if they are showing an interest in playing the piano or are asking for lessons. However, starting a child too soon may cause them to lose interest. Over the years, I have taught children at the age five; and, while some have been fine, others were just not ready. There were a few that stopped lessons and picked it up a year later, and did very well. In fact, two of them are constantly practicing, making up tunes and playing by ear-I should know because they are my children! It is also important to keep in mind very young children can be restless, and a thirty-minute lesson might be somewhat challenging. The daily practice can be a challenge as well, so when they do start lessons, keep practice times at around fifteen minutes and slowly increase it to thirty minutes. But above all, make sure to make it fun and keep it interesting. How about older students? Well, any age is a good age to start! I have several adult students, and they love learning! Many times it has been a lifetime dream for them, so they are very dedicated to their lessons. One student recently told me that is is sometimes hard for her to find time to practice but her passion and love for piano keeps her motivated! And then there is my oldest student who is 73; so while there is at time when it might be too early to start lessons, it is never too late! ~Rosalee Massie Vince Lombardi once said, "Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect."
Practice is vitally important to achieve excellence as a musician. It's also important how you practice. How you practice the piano translates into how you will perform a piece. Without proper practice, there will be little improvement. Here are some practical tips to help you practice the piano. 10 Tips for Practicing the Piano
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September 2020
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