Tag: piano

Wisdom From J.R. Ewing of the TV Series, Dallas

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“Never pass up a good chance to shut up.”

 

Those are the words I heard J.R. Ewing say as I watched the TV series Dallas a few days ago in an episode from this past season. You just never know when you are going to hear a bit of wisdom like that! It was such an unexpected comment – he was speaking to his son about business negotiations – that I had to rewind it just to hear it again!

Of course I relate most things to music, music teaching, and/or parenting. I think the statement applies to all three, actually. Great musicians know that there is much beauty in well placed silence. Great music teachers know that deliberate moments of silence allow students time to understand more deeply, to explore, and to create. These same moments of silence are what give life to music and allow the notes to breathe. Great parents know that when we are silent we can hear our children speak – not merely by their words, but by their actions and by the way they respond to various situations.

So, kudos to the writer or writers responsible for this magnificent line! And now here is my chance to shut up.

 

Our First Piano Graduation of the School Year

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Yesterday I had my first student of this school year to graduate from her piano level. She just completed Faber’s My First Piano Adventures Level A! To celebrate the momentous occasion I taped the FINISH LINE pictured above from the piano to the wall. When she finished the last piece and a set of review questions, the student got to run across the finish line!   Of course that was very exciting for her and I must admit it was for me too! Now to really make sure that she understood just how big of an accomplishment completing her piano level was, I presented her with some gifts as well. She received a My First Piano Adventures Level A Christmas Book, A gift wrapped Wind Chime, and a bag of goodies! To top it all off and to create excitement among my other students and parents, I will be sending out a group e-mail to share the news with everyone. How do you celebrate piano graduations in your studio? I’d love to hear about it, so leave a comment if you’d like!

Capture Students’ Attention BEFORE They Enter The Door

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Imagine your student walking towards your studio, music bag in hand. She may be thinking about the super hard test she had at school today or the mountain of homework that is waiting for her to do after the piano lesson. All this can be very distracting and maybe a bit discouraging until… she makes it to your studio door and sees a welcome sign with her name on it just as she is about to enter! You can predict what will happen next – a big smile will appear on her face and she will enter the studio that much more excited about her lesson. Pictured above is the sign I put up for my students everyday during the first week of piano for the new school year. Each day I simply replaced the previous day’s names with the students for that day. OK – truth – I had my daughter do it for me!  It was definitely a hit with students and parents as well. An added benefit to this sign was having all the students for the day listed. Seeing other kids’ names lets students know that they are not the only ones taking piano lessons and that they are part of a music making community. For more about building community in your studio, see my post on how to Get Parents Geared Up For A New Piano Season.

 

Get Parents Geared Up For A New Piano Season!

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With the start of a new school year we usually focus on getting students geared up for a new piano season, but have you ever considered having a special kick off event just for parents? Part of my teaching philosophy is that the music studio should be a community of families who are committed to arts education. So, this year in addition to our normal events that involve students and their families I decided to have a Piano Parent Mtg. the week before lessons began.

This gave new and returning parents an opportunity to meet each other, ask questions, and share piano stories. I had a chance to give out helpful information for the year concerning upcoming event dates, fees, curriculum and all the things that we’d be doing in the studio this year.

We even had a chance to do some role plays about practicing at home. The parents seemed to really enjoy getting different ideas on how to handle practice issues at home.

And what would an event be without food? So of course we had refreshments. We even had door prizes for some products that were donated by local merchants as well as a drawing for FREE registration.

The evening went very well, and so far I’ve heard from more than one parent that their child was a little upset about not being invited to the meeting! What can I say, us parents deserve a little time with our friends too, right? Next year I’m going to call a Piano Parent Gathering instead of meeting.

How do you get parents geared up for the start of the new school year? I’d love to hear about it!

 

The Best Of Both Worlds

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For years I have taught on a Baldwin Pianovelle Digital Piano. Of course I know the beauty of an acoustic piano, but I do like the advantages that digital pianos provide. Instant rhythm sections to play along with are a lifesaver for students and myself as well. It makes learning to keep a steady beat a lot easier and a lot more fun! And oh my the sound effects! I’ve used them to teach all kinds of concepts from “shooting” keys to learn the names of  notes to using “drips of water” to teach technique. All these things are great, but I am so happy to finally have an acoustic baby grand in the studio in addition to the digital! With this being the first week of lessons and everybody’s introduction to the new baby in the studio my students have not wanted to take their hands off the piano! Great start to a great school year! Hmmm… I feel a contest to name the New Baby Grand is in our future!

What’s fresh and new in your studio this year? I’d love to hear about it from the simplest addition to the biggest.

 

Tool To Help Students Considering Music As A Career

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Majoringinmusic.com offers articles, advice, and links on choosing a music school, majoring in music, and building a successful music career. Listed in the most recent issue of American Music Teacher Magazine, a publication of the Music Teacher’s National Association, the site has a wealth of useful information that teachers can use as they help students develop the technical skills necessary for further study. There are articles for parents and students with practical real world implications of a career in music from financing your education and your life to honing your skills as well.

I might even do a studio wide project on becoming a professional musician using this site.  Any ideas? Share them in a comment!

Book Review: Note By Note, A Celebration of the Piano Lesson by Tricia Tunstall

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If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration to start the school year, Tricia Tunstall’s book, Note By Note is a must read! This book is truly a celebration of the piano lesson – with all it’s joys and frustrations, twists, turns, and challenges. As I read the book  – in one day – I was uplifted, renewed, and validated as a piano teacher. Her chapter titles are succinct yet intriguing – “Beginnings”, “The Pull of Pop”, “The Lure of Elise”, “Emerging”, “Mastery”, “Recital”, and finally “My Last Piano Teacher”. In my opinion, this book is a love story that will capture the heart of  anyone who teaches piano, has taken piano lessons and refused to quit, has quit piano lessons and lived to regret it, and even those who always wished to have piano lessons.  My favorite quote about this book is from author Reeve Lindbergh who said,

“Note by Note is simply a joy of a book. Tricia Tunstall combines a lifetime’s love of music with respect and affection for the children who are her students. She writes with clarity, grace, and a delightful sense of humor. This will be every reader’s favorite piano lesson.”

Summer Piano Short: Cool Chords

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As promised, here is this week’s Summer Piano Short. This quick piano lesson online will show you how to get a bigger, cooler sound out of a major chord by making one simple addition. Click here to print a copy, and in case you missed the Arpeggio Summer Piano Short check that out as well. It will help you with this one.

This is the 4th and final post in the Summer Piano Short series, but  if you would like to see more Summer Piano Shorts, leave a comment below and I will look into my

BIG BOX of PIANO SECRETS and pull out a few more!

Great Book: Lang Lang – Journey of A Thousand Miles

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I just finished reading Journey of a Thousand Miles: My Story by Lang Lang with David Ritz. This book literally drew me in from the first to the very last page. I did not want to put it down. When I had to put it down, because life was calling, I wondered what would happen next in this great classical pianist’s story. There was not a moment of disappointment.

As I read of his struggles and the extreme sacrifices his parents made to help him master the piano and the passion he himself has for music I was inspired. Honestly, it made me want to rush to the piano and practice – sincerely practice. And that’s exactly what I did several times in between chapters.

“Hearing” Lang Lang tell his story of being a piano student in China was mind-boggling at times because it is so different from the way we do it in America. There is a different depth to the process of musical learning and commitment to the craft than what I have experienced. It makes me wonder what kind of musician I would be if I had grown up in China. Would I be happy? I’m not sure. Would I be exceptionally skillful? Maybe. Lang Lang points out some wonderful differences that Americans have culturally as well. The freedom to be yourself, to express yourself in unique ways is one thing that Lang Lang speaks of discovering once he came to America. I enjoyed reading between these two worlds through Lang Lang’s eyes.

One of my favorite quotes from the book:

“Remember, it is easy to be a pianist, all you have to do is move your fingers. But to be a great pianist you have to use your mind.”

I think this is a great read for every piano student, piano teacher, and piano parent.