Hi, my friends! I'm absolutely thrilled that lessons are about to begin again. I've seen lots and lots of you this summer, which has been wonderful!
I just wanted to do a short post with some news for the coming few weeks. You'll be hearing from me no later than next week about your preferred time for lessons. If you have a time in mind already, please feel free to call me. First priority goes to summer students, but I always do my best to accommodate sports and other activities as best I can. Our regular weekly schedule will begin Tuesday, September 4th.
There will be no rate increase this year, so tuition payments will remain the same. I'll be sending home a summary of your deposit account at the beginning of the year so that each family can bring their account back to the $40 mark by the end of September.
I'm also busy revamping our token system to make it more task and less time-oriented. I think these changes will help students achieve a more focused and productive practice time.
I can't wait to learn with all of you during the coming year!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
A Blast from the Past
This blast from the past isn't the fluorescent pink off-the-shoulder tank top I owned in the 1980's (which is back by the way! I know you guys don't believe me when I tell you I had your outfits in 1987!) This blast from the past is a little more distant ... like the early 1700's.
In 1700 the harpsichord was the king of the keyboard instruments, and many of the famous Baroque composers we study in our lessons (like Bach, Scarlatti, and Handel) composed their music on the harpsichord to be played by other harpsichordists.
Our main objective in playing music like this is to be true to the spirit of the composer even though we're playing a very different instrument in a very different time. Our modern piano makes sound in a completely different way than the harpsichord did (by striking strings with hammers instead of plucking strings.) Our modern pianos have cast iron guts and metal strings and they're big and loud, resonant, and mellow when compared to the harpsichord. Just for reference, compare the two performances of the same piece below, one on the harpsichord and one on a modern piano (a digital piano actually, but YouTube can't have everything.)
In 1700 the harpsichord was the king of the keyboard instruments, and many of the famous Baroque composers we study in our lessons (like Bach, Scarlatti, and Handel) composed their music on the harpsichord to be played by other harpsichordists.
Our main objective in playing music like this is to be true to the spirit of the composer even though we're playing a very different instrument in a very different time. Our modern piano makes sound in a completely different way than the harpsichord did (by striking strings with hammers instead of plucking strings.) Our modern pianos have cast iron guts and metal strings and they're big and loud, resonant, and mellow when compared to the harpsichord. Just for reference, compare the two performances of the same piece below, one on the harpsichord and one on a modern piano (a digital piano actually, but YouTube can't have everything.)
When working with differences so great, what can young piano players do to imitate the Baroque style? Here are a few pointers to remember:
1) Use a lighter touch.
2) Forget about the pedal!
3) Don't play too legato, especially on longer notes.
4) Play both hands at a roughly equal volume.
Of course, there's much more to being an effective performer of Baroque music than these four items, but that's where your teacher comes in. So try some old school music. It's the ultimate in smart music, and it has amazing challenges that are rewarding and unique.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Oh, What Those Lifts Can Do!
I'll admit I'm almost too fond of the Romantics for my own good, sometimes neglecting the playing and teaching of Baroque composers and pieces. I can't help myself; I love a good drama, and the Romantic composers were masters emotional conveyance.
I think this love of Romantic piano pieces is why I spend so much time trying to teach my students expressive technique; why I break every method book piece into phrases and make them mark the peak of every phrase and float off each long note as they look at me with a look of (sometimes) complete disbelief. (After all, they did all the notes and counting right. Right? And it's just a simple piece, after all.)
I recently stumbled across this expressively played version of Brahms' Intermezzo Opus 118, and I think it embodies much of what I love about Romantic music. Best of all, Kissin is a great example of the flowing technique I'm trying to teach. Look at what his lifts can do!
Beautiful wrist and arm technique is an amazing vehicle for expressive playing, and I'll continue to break those simple pieces apart. They're great teaching tools, and even a simple song can be played beautifully, right? Right!
I think this love of Romantic piano pieces is why I spend so much time trying to teach my students expressive technique; why I break every method book piece into phrases and make them mark the peak of every phrase and float off each long note as they look at me with a look of (sometimes) complete disbelief. (After all, they did all the notes and counting right. Right? And it's just a simple piece, after all.)
I recently stumbled across this expressively played version of Brahms' Intermezzo Opus 118, and I think it embodies much of what I love about Romantic music. Best of all, Kissin is a great example of the flowing technique I'm trying to teach. Look at what his lifts can do!
Beautiful wrist and arm technique is an amazing vehicle for expressive playing, and I'll continue to break those simple pieces apart. They're great teaching tools, and even a simple song can be played beautifully, right? Right!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
End of School Update
Hi, my friends! School wraps up this week, and so does our regular schedule. It has been an absolute pleasure teaching this school year. I can't think of a single student who hasn't worked hard and make significant progress. I'm so proud of you all!
Please bring your calendars this week so we can work out summer lesson times that work for you. I'll be teaching all summer (with the exception of an as-yet unplanned trip to my family's farm), so I'm happy to schedule around your vacations and activities. Tuition will be payable weekly at $17 per half-hour or $25.50 per 45-minute slot. Discounted sibling rates will be $15.50 and $22.75. As usual, I'm offering a six-week introductory course for new students that can be scheduled at your family's convenience. The cost for the course (six 30-minute sessions) is $123.00 including all materials.
I'm busy working on progress reports today, so these will go home this week as well. Please plan to return any materials you checked out this year unless otherwise approved by me.
Our composition books are currently being printed, and token prizes have been ordered. I had a few last minute orders to squeeze in, so items may not arrive this week, but I'll let you know when they come in.
That's it for news! Regular lessons begin again the first full week of September with scheduling priority given to students who take summer lessons. I can't wait to hear all about your summer adventures!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Slow Practice Isn't Just for Beginners
Common piano teacher scenario: A student comes to their lesson beaming with pride because they can play their brand new piece in a way that they think will make their teacher so excited! Despite being instructed to play slowly and deliberately with the hands separately, they play the whole song, hands together at a breakneck tempo and then look at me with a look of ardent expectation of the praise to come. Of course, praise comes for their hard work, but I always feel a dash of disappointment and frustration too.
Why? Because they've skipped some absolutely essential steps in the process of learning. Fingerings are usually a mess, counting is usually off, and the student has typically ignored every slur, staccato and dynamic marking in the piece. These essential details are so much more difficult to teach (and to learn) when a song is played too fast too soon.
Young piano players often associate speed and agility with accomplishment, and it's common for elementary school kids to strongly favor fast and action-packed pieces over slow and melodic ones without understanding that all pieces, whatever their final performance tempo, begin as slow and melodic pieces.
Take Martha Argerich's utterly amazing performance of Prokofiev's Concerto No. 3:
I can absolutely guarantee that Ms. Argerich put in hours upon hours of slow and hands alone practice in the preparation of this amazing performance. How can we tell? Because her technique, fingering, phrasing, and interpretation are immaculate. A piece that is practiced to quickly falls victim to sloppiness of all sorts that only slow practice can correct. A person must learn to walk before they can run.
So, if you really want to please this piano teacher, come back to your next lesson and play the most accurate, well-fingered and phrased right hand alone I've ever heard. I'll think I've died and gone to heaven.
Why? Because they've skipped some absolutely essential steps in the process of learning. Fingerings are usually a mess, counting is usually off, and the student has typically ignored every slur, staccato and dynamic marking in the piece. These essential details are so much more difficult to teach (and to learn) when a song is played too fast too soon.
Young piano players often associate speed and agility with accomplishment, and it's common for elementary school kids to strongly favor fast and action-packed pieces over slow and melodic ones without understanding that all pieces, whatever their final performance tempo, begin as slow and melodic pieces.
Take Martha Argerich's utterly amazing performance of Prokofiev's Concerto No. 3:
I can absolutely guarantee that Ms. Argerich put in hours upon hours of slow and hands alone practice in the preparation of this amazing performance. How can we tell? Because her technique, fingering, phrasing, and interpretation are immaculate. A piece that is practiced to quickly falls victim to sloppiness of all sorts that only slow practice can correct. A person must learn to walk before they can run.
So, if you really want to please this piano teacher, come back to your next lesson and play the most accurate, well-fingered and phrased right hand alone I've ever heard. I'll think I've died and gone to heaven.
Friday, May 18, 2012
The Pianist Who Made Me Love the Piano
My next post is a share, and I'd love to hear your responses to this question:
Who or what inspired you to learn to play the piano?
Love him or hate him (and most studied pianists do have an opinion one way or the other), few could point to a more popular contemporary performer than the late Vladimir Horowitz. His penchant for taking wild liberties in interpretation were unknown to me at age eight when I first heard his rendition of Scarlatti's Sonata in E Major on the Live in Moscow cassette my parents owned. This performance was never considered one of his best, (he was in his 80's at the time), but something about his romanticized and imperfect rendition of this baroque classic stuck with with me permanently.
I don't just love him because he looks vaguely like my great uncle Victor or because he had terrible performance anxiety (a trait that we share.) I love him because he planted a seed in me that has allowed me to perform some of this music my own way, which is a very special gift indeed.
Who or what inspired you to learn to play the piano?
Love him or hate him (and most studied pianists do have an opinion one way or the other), few could point to a more popular contemporary performer than the late Vladimir Horowitz. His penchant for taking wild liberties in interpretation were unknown to me at age eight when I first heard his rendition of Scarlatti's Sonata in E Major on the Live in Moscow cassette my parents owned. This performance was never considered one of his best, (he was in his 80's at the time), but something about his romanticized and imperfect rendition of this baroque classic stuck with with me permanently.
I don't just love him because he looks vaguely like my great uncle Victor or because he had terrible performance anxiety (a trait that we share.) I love him because he planted a seed in me that has allowed me to perform some of this music my own way, which is a very special gift indeed.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Strategies for Fighting Summer Learning Loss
Welcome to our new studio blog! I hope you'll find this a fun and effective way to stay informed about happenings in the studio. I'll also use this forum as a place to share articles of interest, photos from our studio events, and fun teaching tools.
For my first post, I'd like to talk a bit about an issue that's of interest to nearly all private music teachers, parents and students: Giving kids a break in the summer without losing all the musical gains they've made during the school year.
Let me start by saying that I would prefer *not* to take the summers off. I find that a little bit of scheduling in the summer goes a long way in keeping my personal sanity (and pocketbook) in the black. As a mom, I also understand that kids who work very hard and are very scheduled during the school year need and deserve some summer freedom. So where is the balance and how do we find it?
Learning loss is a big issue for public school teachers as well as private tutors and music teachers. After students have taken a whole summer off, we nearly always spend the first month to six weeks revisiting the concepts we studied last year, correcting bad technical habits formed through unsupervised playing, and just getting back into the swing of regular practice.
Here a few suggestions you might consider for giving kids a break while maintaining learning:
1) Reduce the number of lessons you take in the summer, but don't eliminate lessons altogether. Coming to lessons every other week or a few times throughout the summer will allow students some breathing room while maintaining some of the skills learned during the school year.
2) Consider taking fewer lessons of a longer duration. One hour-long lesson in June, July, and August allows us to focus on technical and theory skills that I might not have had time to work on during our regular time slot. This extra time is always well spent, and knowing your teacher expects you to have even a few fun pieces ready to play keeps the brain from going into vacation mode quite so thoroughly.
3) Maintain some kind of practice schedule, even if it is reduced. Of course kids should have time for fun in the summer, but if your kids are like mine, too much freedom is a little overwhelming. Just like math and reading skills, piano playing and music reading must be maintained. Plunking through some old pieces is probably not enough. Younger students in particular will lose note reading skills fairly quickly when not exercising them. Practicing with correct technique and hand position on new pieces is the only way to truly prevent skill loss.
4) Don't expect your student to learn five new or challenging pieces to play for me in the fall. Knowing how bright the kids in my studio are, many of them probably could learn the basics on this many pieces successfully. What most kids can't do is self-monitor details like counting, hand position, phrasing, and technique, and unmonitored learning can actually reinforce errors. It's much harder to unlearn sloppy hand position and technique than it is to teach them correctly in the first place.
If you absolutely can't work even a few lessons into your schedule, try to maintain a practice schedule that includes pieces the student knows well, a few sightreading pieces of their own level, and careful monitoring to prevent sloppy playing. Repetitive practice of old material can get boring (thus my encouragement to take a few lessons during the summer), but it's better than nothing at all.
In the long run, students who don't take summers off completely and use this extra time for fun, laid-back, and stress-free lessons lose less learning, advance instead of regress, and show less frustration when lessons begin in the fall. Everybody wins!
For my first post, I'd like to talk a bit about an issue that's of interest to nearly all private music teachers, parents and students: Giving kids a break in the summer without losing all the musical gains they've made during the school year.
Let me start by saying that I would prefer *not* to take the summers off. I find that a little bit of scheduling in the summer goes a long way in keeping my personal sanity (and pocketbook) in the black. As a mom, I also understand that kids who work very hard and are very scheduled during the school year need and deserve some summer freedom. So where is the balance and how do we find it?
Learning loss is a big issue for public school teachers as well as private tutors and music teachers. After students have taken a whole summer off, we nearly always spend the first month to six weeks revisiting the concepts we studied last year, correcting bad technical habits formed through unsupervised playing, and just getting back into the swing of regular practice.
Here a few suggestions you might consider for giving kids a break while maintaining learning:
1) Reduce the number of lessons you take in the summer, but don't eliminate lessons altogether. Coming to lessons every other week or a few times throughout the summer will allow students some breathing room while maintaining some of the skills learned during the school year.
2) Consider taking fewer lessons of a longer duration. One hour-long lesson in June, July, and August allows us to focus on technical and theory skills that I might not have had time to work on during our regular time slot. This extra time is always well spent, and knowing your teacher expects you to have even a few fun pieces ready to play keeps the brain from going into vacation mode quite so thoroughly.
3) Maintain some kind of practice schedule, even if it is reduced. Of course kids should have time for fun in the summer, but if your kids are like mine, too much freedom is a little overwhelming. Just like math and reading skills, piano playing and music reading must be maintained. Plunking through some old pieces is probably not enough. Younger students in particular will lose note reading skills fairly quickly when not exercising them. Practicing with correct technique and hand position on new pieces is the only way to truly prevent skill loss.
4) Don't expect your student to learn five new or challenging pieces to play for me in the fall. Knowing how bright the kids in my studio are, many of them probably could learn the basics on this many pieces successfully. What most kids can't do is self-monitor details like counting, hand position, phrasing, and technique, and unmonitored learning can actually reinforce errors. It's much harder to unlearn sloppy hand position and technique than it is to teach them correctly in the first place.
If you absolutely can't work even a few lessons into your schedule, try to maintain a practice schedule that includes pieces the student knows well, a few sightreading pieces of their own level, and careful monitoring to prevent sloppy playing. Repetitive practice of old material can get boring (thus my encouragement to take a few lessons during the summer), but it's better than nothing at all.
In the long run, students who don't take summers off completely and use this extra time for fun, laid-back, and stress-free lessons lose less learning, advance instead of regress, and show less frustration when lessons begin in the fall. Everybody wins!
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