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Trying A New Approach to Sight-Reading

natalie — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:00:09 +0000

At a local music teachers association meeting several months ago, one of the other teachers brought a book called, Joining the Dots: A Fresh Approach to Piano Sight-Reading by Alan Bullard. I was immediately intrigued and ended up ordering the whole 5 volume set so that I could begin experimenting with some of my students!

I’ve just started using the books, so I can’t say much yet about their effectiveness, but I really love the approach of focusing on one key at a time, building an understanding of patterns within that key, doing a little bit of ear-training and improvisation, and playing a few simple duets with the student. The layout is so attractive and organized to make it easy to establish specific habits as you work with the student to learn and implement effective sight-reading approaches.

Even though (or maybe because!) sight-reading has always come easily to me, it seems like many of my students are challenged in this area. (I always posit that God gave me a studio full of play-it-by-ear students that I can’t relate to at all!) I’ve tried a few other approaches over the years that haven’t been especially successful, so I’m hoping this relatively new series is the magic cure. Haha. Actually, I think consistency is probably the biggest factor in becoming a better sight-reader, so I’m hoping to stay focused on it with these books and a few students and then re-evaluate after several months to see how it’s going.

Has anyone else used these books? Or have you used another series that you think works really well? I’m definitely open to ideas!

Music-Related Book Reviews

natalie — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:00:54 +0000

One of my favorite things to do is read a good book! Last year, I posted a list of recommended biographies, compiled from my own reading and recommendations from other Music Matters Blog readers. This year, I thought I would share several reviews of music-related books I read last year. I always want to read more books than I end up actually reading, but I would especially like to read more music and/or teaching related books this year. Does anyone have suggestions? What music and/or teaching related books have you read that you would recommend?

Here’s my list from last year:

Talent to Treasure: Building a Profitable Music Teaching Business
Marcia K. Washburn

A second-generation piano teacher with many years of experience, Marcia Washburn sets out to help aspiring music teachers get started on the right foot. Many of the tips and principles she shares are ones that I had to learn the hard way! Although every teacher will have different approaches to the way they run their studio and do their teaching, Marcia’s book is sure to help new teachers think about issues that are all-too-often completely overlooked.

She covers a wide variety of topics, including: evaluating your motive for launching a music teaching business, preparing for the practical side of running a studio, establishing appropriate policies and practices, learning how to communicate effectively, and some of the nuts and bolts of what and how to teach. This is a great starting point for a teacher, and even experienced teachers will probably take away a few new ideas, tips, or insights that will help them become better teachers and business owners. I know I sure did!

Journey of a Thousand Miles: My Story
Lang Lang with David Ritz

A fellow piano teacher recommended this autobiography of world famous pianist, Lang Lang, at a music teachers association meeting. It was a quick read, but wow was it fascinating! I had absolutely no idea the kind of dedication and work that lies behind some of the young prodigies that emerge on the world scene. According to Lang Lang, in China it is everything to be Number One. Propelled by his father’s obsessive drive and his mother’s enduring love, that’s the pianist that Lang Lang was destined to be ever since winning his first competition at the age of five: Number One.

As a piano teacher, it was interesting to read of the different personalities of Lang Lang’s teachers and how they impacted him – either positively or negatively. Even in the cruel, critical world of competitive piano playing, Lang Lang blossomed and enjoyed music the most when his teacher, while highly qualified, was encouraging and cared about him as a person. Even though Lang Lang suffered at times because of his father’s indefatigable pressure to be Number One, I appreciated his desire to honor him and reconcile their differences. He also acknowledges that he wouldn’t be who he is today were it not for his father. Lang Lang’s story paints a vivid picture of what it looks like to be wholly devoted to a cause. Even though I love playing the piano, I am mindful that ultimately my cause is Jesus Christ. I am inspired to make my devotion to Him more of a living reality every day.

My Life with the Great Pianists
Franz Mohr with Edith Schaeffer

This book is a natural appeal for pianists, but I think it would be equally inspirational for anyone who is devoted to maximizing their impact in their given field for the glory of Jesus Christ. Some of the finer details about pianos and tuning may be lost on the non-musical reader, but the real message from this concert technician is how one person, by being skillful in their field, can gain an audience with many to make an eternal investment in their lives. I was reminded often of Proverbs 22:29, “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” I loved the little anecdotes from Mr. Mohr’s interaction with pianists Horowitz, Rubinstein, Cliburn, Gould, and others, and I came away from the book with an even greater appreciation for the beauty of this instrument – the piano – that occupies so much of my life!

>>You can see a complete list of books I read last year in my Year of Reading in Review post on the Pajama School blog.>>

Store

natalie — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:12:36 +0000

One of the most exciting aspects of teaching music is the almost limitless opportunity it provides for creativity in implementing and reinforcing concepts. Each of the products available through the Music Matters Blog Store has been custom-designed and used with great success with students of all ages. Many teachers around the world are experiencing the same results as they implement the practice incentives, piano camps, and games in their own studios. Because I believe strongly in the freedom of every teacher to develop and implement creative teaching approaches that will serve the needs of their individual studios, any teacher is welcome to adapt the available materials as necessary to serve that purpose. As you can see from the Testimonials page many teachers use these practice incentive themes and ideas as a springboard to develop new ideas to use with their students. You are welcome to do this, and I greatly appreciate those who give credit to the source of their ideas and provide links back to this site!

Practice Incentive Programs

One of the most significant ideas I ever implemented in my studio was designing a year-long practice incentive program and then building everything in the studio around that theme for the year. Once the program is set in motion, lesson planning for the year is a breeze because we already have a framework to work within as students select goals and work toward mastering specific level-appropriate skills. You can find out more about how I develop these incentives by reading my blog post: 4 Components of a Good Practice Incentive. Each of the following practice incentive programs is a downloadable zip file that contains all the documents, files, pictures, and information you need to implement the program successfully in your studio. My hope is that teachers and students alike will find these practice incentive programs a helpful tool for developing enthusiasm and excellence in their music lessons!

Climbing the Ladder to Success

Up, up, and away! In this fun practice incentive, students hone their sight-reading skills as they tackle piece after piece to advance to the next rung of the ladder. Students are given a 4-step outline for learning each piece and must demonstrate excellence in order to move on. Along the way there are numerous opportunities to earn Diligence Dollars, which can be accumulated all year long and turned in for an incredible prize at the end of the year! (See this post for more information)

$20.00

Let's Have a Ball!

A musical ball, that is! This exciting practice incentive is especially designed to promote camaraderie and help students become “well-rounded” musicians. Different aspects of the theme will have them developing brains, brawn, and beauty. Throughout the year students can earn rubber bouncy balls for completing various assignments and practicing consistently. Balls can then be traded in for entry slips into a drawing that is held at each of the themed musical balls throughout the year. You will be amazed at how much your students will learn to enjoy performing using this approach! (See this post for more information)

$20.00

Go for the Gold!

The Olympic spirit of both team cooperation and competition is in full force with this energetic practice incentive! Students are assigned to a team color at the beginning of the year and have the opportunity to earn lots of points each week that contribute to their individual and team scores, all in the hopes of propelling their team toward the GOLD! Designed to focus specifically on three areas - written theory, sight-reading, and ear-playing - this format capitalizes on the strengths of each student while motivating them to work diligently to develop their weaknesses for short designated sessions. (See this post for more information)

$20.00

Mastering the Mystery of Music

Calling all super sleuths to the scene! The suspense is high in this captivating practice incentive. Weekly mastery challenges selected by the student will be the key to cracking the code and unlocking the mystery. Categories like “staff scout,” “terminology trainer,” and “rhythm recon” will have students enthusiastically advancing in their musical studies, eager to receive the next clue and earn a listing in the official studio Agency Directory! (See this post for more information)

$20.00

Exploring a Galaxy of Music

Blast off into an exciting year of lessons! This “out-of-this-world” practice incentive will have students eagerly striving toward new heights in their musical studies. Mission details are custom-designed by the teacher each week, with the student choosing his own “Stellar Student Selection” and “Cosmic Challenge” to accrue more points toward placing objects in his team's galaxy. Students take ownership for their progress by determining their own mission rating each week, and you'll find them jumping at any opportunity to earn extra points! (See this post for more information)

$20.00

Quest for Capital!

Bring the entrepreneurial spirit alive in your students with this highly educational and creativity-driven practice incentive! Each week students have the opportunity to invest in the stocks of their choice - improvisation, sight-playing, performance, and listening. With stock prices fluctuating from week to week based on how much is invested, you'll have students plotting out new strategies so that they can earn more capital. A list of Capital Improvement Projects will get the creative juices flowing, especially when students realize that they can make real money by selling their creative projects! Package includes: Assignment book files, instructions for teachers, wall decor templates, pictures, and over 50 printable pages of supporting materials for all the stocks! (See this post for more information)

$20.00

Piano Camp Materials

Piano Camp Lesson Plans

This is the daily outline for a week-long piano camp, with lots of hyperlinks to correlating resources and websites. If you're interested in planning a fun, memorable Piano Camp for your own studio, this will give you the information and tools you need. The outline is succinct and easy-to-follow. It can be implemented “as-is” or adapted to incorporate your own ideas. Here are some blog post links to give you a glimpse into this fun week! Preliminary Planning | Glimpse One | Glimpse Two | Glimpse Three | Glimpse Four | Glimpse Five

$12.00

Pre-Piano Camp Program Package

A six-week outline of lesson plans designed for children ages 4-5. The format is designed for a one-hour class that is held once a week. The activities, games, and lessons are suitable for anywhere from 2-12 children per class. Each week's lesson plan includes a focus on: rhythm and pulse, keyboard skills, memory work and choir (including hymn history stories), written theory, and music appreciation (including listening to music and stories about the lives of the great composers). Each class is divided into 10-minute segments that will keep young children fully engaged and eager to continue their musical studies! Includes a FREE 31-page student workbook that correlates with the lesson plans and provides each student with a fun keepsake from their musical adventure! (See this post for more information)

$20.00

Kick-it-up-a-Notch! A one-week intensive piano course

Specifically designed for middle school and high school students who are willing to devote one week to focusing intensely on improving their skills. Two or more students meet for a daily 2-hour class and are expected to practice approximately 1-hour between each session. Each day includes time segments for: Finding Focus, Ensemble Improvisation on a Psalm, The Language of Music, Technique Concepts, Technique Training, Ensemble Repertoire, The Heartbeat of Music, Solo Repertoire, and Today's Take-Away. Includes a 22-page lesson plan guide for teachers, a 134-page student workbook, and links to additional resources. (See this post for more information)

$20.00

Games

5 For Fun! Games and Activities for the Private Piano Lesson

Ever wish you could come up with a quick game off the top of your head to engage a student or help them better understand something? 5 For Fun! is a collection of easy (5-minute!) games and activities for the private piano lesson. From Keys on the Piano, to Notes on the Staff, to Intervals, to Chords, to Key Signatures, to Rhythm, plus an appendix with additional resources, you're sure to find just the perfect game to help introduce or reinforce music concepts to your students. Each page is laid out in a clean format, with a picture of the game, a list of supplies needed, step-by-step instructions for how it works, several ideas for variations, and a collection of links to related resources on the Internet. These are games and activities that have been favorites with my students over the years, so we hope that you love them, too! Package Includes: PDF eBook for on-screen viewing, paginated file for booklet printing, black and white paginated file, cover file, and instruction page.

$15.00

Books

The Pianists' Book of Musical Scales and Keys

A simple, but highly-practical resource for pianists of all ages and levels. Complete with a handy key signature chart and staff and keyboard diagrams for all major, natural minor, and harmonic minor scales, you can either print off each key as needed or produce an entire booklet at once. Files include two size options - 8.5x11" and a smaller booklet size of 5.5x8.5". This makes a wonderful gift for students!

$15.00

Music Manuscript Book

Whether you want to give your students a special, but practical gift, or use a manuscript book for their regular written assignments, you can get lots of use out of this versatile and attractive manuscript book! Download once and then use it as often as you like to print books for your students. (You can e-mail the whole file to a print shop and have them run as many copies as you need and bind them. The book is set up with margin spacing to allow for double-sided printing.)

$12.00

Want to earn extra money referring people to these studio resources? Earn $4 per practice incentive and $2-$5 for each additional resource by becoming a PayLoadz Affiliate and putting the link on your site! View all available affiliate products from Natalie's Piano Studio.

Monday Mailbag – How to Cure Students of the Incessant Compulsion to Repeat Measures Until All the Mistakes Are Fixed

natalie — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 11:00:15 +0000

What do you do with a student who replays measures again and again? I can see that he is thinking through each measure and wants to correct a rhythm or note mistake, but it’s as if he’s in his own world making it right. Help!

I assume you’re looking for an answer something other than “scream and pull my hair out”?!

This type of an approach is detrimental on so many counts. I can’t think of any reason why one should play a piece this way. In fact, here are the various approaches I can come up with for playing a piece of music:

First read-through. You are primarily sight-reading. The most important thing is to grasp the overall tenor and flow of the piece. Try to maintain a steady pulse and capture the mood.
Practice. Identify the most challenging spots, determine what elements contribute to the difficulty, and use specific strategies to make those areas musically and technically strong.
Performance. You have to make it sound like you know what you’re doing and convince the listener that you are doing it well. Whatever you do, don’t stop. Keep going and play convincingly.
Improvisation. Anything goes. Just play and have fun. Incorporate any mistakes into your piece and pretend like you meant to do that.

Perhaps try establishing a list like this for your student and have him decide how he wants to approach playing the piece. It sounds like he’s almost always in practice mode, but he’s doing it ineffectively because it’s not improving. Consider using resources like Philip Johnston’s books or The Piano Student’s Guide to Effective Practicing by Nancy O’Neill Breth to to help him acquire better practice tools.

It’s also probable that he doesn’t realize how bad it sounds when he plays with so much stopping, correcting, and repeating. Try either imitating him and having him listen to you, or audio/video record him and let him listen to it for himself. Using the Personal Performance Evaluation Free Worksheet might be a good way to facilitate this.

Any other suggestions? How do you work with students who are insistent on stopping and fixing mistakes while they are playing?

Remember, if you have a question you’d like to contribute to next week’s Monday Mailbag, leave it in the comments below or send me an e-mail sometime this week with Monday Mailbag in the subject line!

Monday Mailbag – Teaching Note Recognition

natalie — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:00:40 +0000

I need some new ideas for the same old problem…teaching note recognition. I am so tired of students asking, ” is it ‘every good boy does fine’ or ‘good boys deserve fudge always’? What works for you?

I have several Monday Mailbag questions dealing with teaching note recognition in my inbox right now, so I thought it would be a good topic to hit before we all start back up for the fall. Here are some of my favorite resources:

Notes in the Fast Lane – these wonderful worksheets by Susan Paradis have become a staple in my studio. If you haven’t used them yet, do yourself and your students a favor and print off the whole set, make several copies, stick them in sheet protectors, and start using them!

5 for Fun! – this booklet that I put together has a section of games devoted to note identification. I use these all the time in my studio to make the process more fun for my students, especially those who really struggle in this area.

Across the C’s – this unique approach to reading notes in different octaves and familiarizing the student with intervallic reading has done wonders for some of my students. It’s an easy concept to grasp, and even the young ones feel such a sense of accomplishment in being able to play notes all over the keyboard.

Custom-designed flashcards – a fast, fun way to give students exactly which notes you want them to work on. You can keep adding until they have a whole set of their own special custom drawn flashcards! They love it! In fact, here’s a quick snapshot of Emily with her special set of flash cards stored safely in the pocket of her overalls:

I use these in the lessons and also send them home with the student with ideas for games they can play on their own. Reinforcement is so essential to fully master note recognition. Also, I almost always incorporate them playing the corresponding key on the piano, not just saying the name. It takes significant effort for some students to grasp the concept that each line or space represents a particular key on the piano.

Those are the tried and true approaches I use with my students, but I would sure love to add some new ideas for the year ahead. Is there anything you have found particularly helpful in teaching note recognition to students? Any new resources you’ve come across lately? Do tell!

Kick-it-up-a-Notch! Kicks Off!

natalie — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:00:40 +0000

As I mentioned in my Summer Musings post, we gave piano camps a bit of a twist this year in my studio. I wanted to give my older students an opportunity to study music in a more intensive way than we are able to throughout the year. Thus was borne, “Kick-it-up-a-Notch!”

It has been a ton of work for both the students and me, but I think I speak for all of us in saying that it has been well worth it! They found out really quickly that when I said, “intensive,” I meant “intensive.” In order to participate, each student had to commit to practicing at least an hour between each session. This time is split each day between written theory homework, technique, and solo repertoire. I have been so impressed with their dedication and hard work!

Since it’s been so quiet on the blog this week, I thought you all might like to catch a glimpse into what we’ve been doing:

The essential planning supplies: hot tea, notebook and pen, books for research, iPod Touch with everything else!

The first group of the day includes these four. Naomi and Amanda practice one of their duets while Joey and James do some analysis of their piece.

During the second group of the day, Suzie and Hannah discuss the duet that they’re working on.

Noelle and Abigail have fun sight-reading and perfecting their duets!

A snapshot of one of the students’ notebooks from our discussion on “Principles of Notation.” Surprisingly enough, this has been one of the favorite segments so far for several of the students.

Today is the final day for these two groups, so I’m hoping to share more from our experiences in the coming days!

Clavier Companion Goes Digital

natalie — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 11:00:42 +0000

I really love magazines. Not to say that I’m always good about reading through them, but sometimes it’s nice to tackle a two-page article instead of sitting down with a whole book. Without a doubt, my two favorite industry magazines are Clavier Companion and American Music Teacher. They are always full of insight and inspiration – so valuable for growth as a music teacher!

Clavier Companion recently announced the launch of a digital edition that “contains all of the articles in the current print issue, with many enhancements, including

Audio and video files in selected articles
Live links in articles and advertisements
The ability to search the entire edition
Add bookmarks, print pages, save to your computer, and e-mail articles
Active table of contents

The digital edition is very easy to navigate and is handy for reference or something to read quickly while I’m sitting at the computer. As much as I love technology, though, I still can’t give up my printed books and magazines. There’s nothing quite like flipping through pages, underlining inspirational quotes, and jotting notes in the margins.

Boil ‘em Cabbage Down is a Hit!

natalie — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:00:35 +0000

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned my group class collaborative experiment. As you’ll notice in the video clip below, we didn’t get everything polished, but we did have a ton of fun! We only had a few minutes for this activity, so it was all sight-reading and playing by ear for the students. They all responded really favorably, though, to making music together on their different instruments. We had a cellist, a guitarist, a drummer, a trumpeter, a xylophonist, a keyboardist, and several pianists. It’s definitely something I would recommend doing, and hopefully we’ll do it again, too!

2011 MTNA Conference – Monday Morning: Faber Showcase

natalie — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:59:22 +0000

This morning we launched off first thing with a showcase presented by Randall and Nancy Faber. They began with an overview of the changes in the 2nd edition of the Piano Adventures Level 1 books (look for the words “2nd Edition” printed on the upper left hand corner of the books). We worked through the book page-by-page with them pointing out changes and explaining some of the pedagogical ideas behind the changes.

According to linguistics studies, we have to hear a word over 30 times before it becomes a part of our vocabulary. It’s no surprise, then, that students have difficulty learning and remembering note names! The Faber’s recommend using lots of different approaches to help students retain this information.

Students learn the most by imitation. If the teacher models the sounds and the gestures, the students will follow.

Interspersed with the presentation with numerous video clips of Nancy teaching students. It’s always so inspiring to see her working with the students! A couple weeks ago, I mentioned that I’m not a huge fan of the emphasis on passing songs and using stickers to indicate that a song is completed. Nancy’s approach helps crystallize why I feel this way – it’s not just about learning all the right notes and rhythm and then moving on; it’s about making music, exploring different ideas, creating beautiful sounds at the piano.

Visit the Piano Adventures website for a complete overview of the changes in the 2nd Edition. I was surprised and pleased at the numerous changes and additions that have been made. Here’s a quick rundown of the general revisions:
Enhanced Reading Strategies – more emphasis on memorizing the line and space notes on each staff.
New Progress Chart – rather than a table of contents page, this helps teachers plan lessons and track student progress more effectively.
Integration Between Lesson and Theory Books – the Faber’s briefly went through the theory books to point out some changes
New Pieces/New Musical Twists – it seems like there is a better reinforcement of concepts, particularly including several pieces that highlight the various intervals as they are learned.
Improvisation Activities – so fun! Lots of creative ideas that students can explore their pieces and musical sounds beyond what’s printed on the page.
Challenge Section – an introduction to several scales. The Faber’s add that students should be encouraged to go back and transpose their favorite pieces to other keys.

I am thrilled about the latest book available from the Faber’s – a Primer Level Sightreading Book! Randall asks why a student would want to play through 96 pages of sightreading material? Because they are curious. And after they learn the piece, they are instructed to cross it out. Also, there is a stamp on each page that says, “Don’t practice this!” The counter-intuitive, seemingly forbidden approaches excite students and help them stay focused, which is the biggest challenge when working on sightreading with students.

A primer level teacher book is also in the works and will be available soon! Preview copies are available at their book, and interested teachers can place a pre-order. The presentation concluded a performance by Randall and Nancy of “Take the ‘A’ Train,” a piece in their BigTime Jazz & Blues Level 4 book.

Review and Giveaway of Blue and Purple by Dror Perl

natalie — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:00:35 +0000

To be honest, I wasn’t that thrilled about reviewing these two books because I thought they might be kind of, well…weird. They are written by a contemporary composer and are simply called, “Blue” and “Purple.” The subtitles were even more scary, “Contemporary Music with a Harmonic Twist” and “Jazz and Blues,” respectively.

I’m not much of a fan of the dissonant, atonal music that often characterizes 21st Century compositions. And I’m quite picky about what Jazz or Blues music I like. But when self-published composer Dror Perl asked if I would review them for him, I acquiesced. And I’m so glad I did! What a pleasant surprise as I sat down to run through the pieces last night and found myself actually enjoying them. They are best suited to an intermediate student, but even a more advanced student, I think, would benefit from exploring some of the compositions.

When discussing why he wrote the books, Dror Perl says, “I wrote the music in this series for my students out of the need for music that would help teach chords and harmony, improve sight reading, and refine technique, yet still be fun and interesting for them and me. My aim was to create music that would keep my students excited about piano and that would help our lessons become richer.”

The Blue book was my favorite of the two, and I particularly liked the haunting melody of the closing piece, “The blue city.” All of the compositions provide a great opportunity for harmonic awareness and beautiful melodic voicing. It would also be a nice introduction to 20th-21st Century music for an advancing student.

The Purple book is full of mostly-fast, mostly-swing-rhythm pieces that are sure to grab the interest of those students inclined toward Jazz music (and that seems to be a large number of my students!). The compositions fall well under the fingers and make for fairly quick learning. They are the kind of pieces that are helpful to hear ahead of time, so I recommend letting students listen to samples on the website or learning them yourself so that you can demonstrate them to your students.

Now, for the great news: Dror Perl has offered to giveaway one copy of the Purple book to a Music Matters Blog reader! Just leave a comment below and I’ll use a random number generator to draw a winner next Thursday, March 3, at noon (CST). I think you and your students will have fun with these!