Onward to the New Year

Reflecting on the past two years, my studio has grown from only two students (friends from a family at church), to starting 2013 off with 15 students acquired from many sources including referrals from other teachers and students, word of mouth, and meeting families through other activities.  Growing the numbers of students I have has been a gradual process, but I am glad it's come slowly.  There's been much to learn: policies to implement, priorities to place, diplomacy to develop.... And much of that learning has come by mistakes that have been made.  I've taken the last couple of weeks off, and look forward to starting back fresh again.  My greatest source of encouragement is still the blog posts I read from other teachers, much more experienced and skilled than I am, yet still facing the same difficulties.  I am looking forward to try reaching out to some "fringe" families this year, trying some new technology in my studio, and trying to be more silly ~ all ideas inspired by blog posts.  Wishing everyone out there a very Happy New Year and may many blessing lie ahead!

One Measure at a Time

I spent most of a student's lesson today on one measure - just eight little notes.  There was a dotted quarter note in the melody, and the student was very frustrated trying to practice it at home.  He couldn't practice it at home - he didn't know how to play the timing.  We had encountered the dotted q. a few times before, but against the left hand, it just wasn't making sense.  So we counted and played slowly and counted some more and repeated it and tried it all again.  By the end of the lesson, the student wanted to practice some more.  What seemed impossible became easy in just a few minutes.  It doesn't always happen in just a few minutes, but this can apply to so many struggles we encounter in life if we just spend some time and patience working it out!

Don't Toss the Books

With many students moving into new books this fall, I have noticed some of the students are so excited to be done with the old level they just want to throw the book away.  I've decided to encourage them to keep their old book by using it as sight reading material. They can go back early in the book to songs they haven't played for a while and hopefully be encouraged by how easy it is to sight read them now.  I am also trying to incorporate sight reading more often into weekly lessons to help them develop the ability to play the pieces straight through, keeping tempo even if they stumble a bit.  We recently had a syllabus adjudicator give a presentation and she told us rather than have a child stop at every mistake while sight reading and fix it, she would rather hear a few fumbles but see that they can play it straight through, as that's what sight readers are called on to do. They may take up to a minute or so to scan the piece first.  So sight reading is also a great application of theory - teaching them to recognize chord patterns and intervals, and notice dynamics and articulation from the start.  Now with a plan for sight reading, I'll be taking in every idea I can find to help them play songs by ear.  I've done this with one of my students.  She chose a hymn she is familiar with, and I helped her chord it.  We wrote down just the lyrics with the chord letters above.  She's doing well, and I hope to try something like that with more of my students.

Moving Soon...

This summer we made an offer on another house nearby and have spent the past 45 or so days "patiently" waiting for the deal to close.  Sometime in the next couple of days we will have keys and start our move.  One thing I am looking forward to is being able to set up my studio in a small room all by itself, so there will be no distractions of ringing phones, people walking through, etc.  I have been very anxious to get everything set up.  It's been especially hard the past couple of weeks as I packed almost all of my books away, so getting them organized in the new book shelves we bought will be such a joy.  I do feel as though I haven't been able to focus on my students nearly as much, but at the same time, it's been nice allowing the lessons to just be what they've needed to be without too much pre-planning and worrying about what does or doesn't get covered.  Hopefully I can strike a balance somewhere in between.  I should have things out an organized just in time to look over Christmas music.  They enjoyed that last year, and it will be fun to see what level of book they're ready for now!  (Wow, it's sure scary talking of Christmas already!)  So next time I post, it should be from a new home, and I my focus can get on to other things....

Defeat the Boss Incentive

I have the blessing of spending time with one of my young piano students this summer while my daughter babysits for him.  I have discovered he loves to play video games.  All day.  As motivation for him to learn his scales, I created the following project for him.  He can color in a circle each time he learns a new major scale, and defeat the boss however he wishes when he learns them all.  Now if he would just play piano with as much determination as he plays Kirby..... :)

More

In an effort to challenge my students, I am working on giving them more to play each lesson.  I'm not sure what an "average" student should take home, but I'm pretty sure my beginners have not been trying enough pieces each week.  I have also written out an outline of a practice plan for the students and parents to take home, showing them how their time can be spent  each week.  I'm giving my beginners at least two new pieces each week, one or two review pieces, and a "fun" piece.  I am trying to raise my expectations of the students, and hopefully will see them raise their own expectations of what they can do.  I hope they will realize "Yes, I can do more!"

OMTA Conference Recap

This was my first year attending the Oregon Music Teachers Assoc. conference, which was held in Washington state this year.  What was most interesting to me even more than the various presentations was spending time with fellow teachers and watching how the group was governed and how members interacted with one another.  I am very thankful for the local group of teachers I am with.  We are a small group, made up of varying personalities, experience, and ability, but we work closely together and support one another however we can.  We are able to offer many opportunities to our students as we collaborate together.  I look forward to growing with the group, and offering what I can to it as I gain experience teaching.  As far as presentations I got to see, my favorite was Forrest Kinney's Pattern Play and Chord Play books.  He was a very engaging speaker and made his books come to life.  I tried Pattern Play with a few of my students already, especially the ones who are more tense at the piano.  I have one student who has a particularly hard time with sensing pulse.  I hope doing some of these improvisational exercises may help him become more steady over time.  The Chord Play is also a great series for the Intermediate or above player to help teach how to play with lead sheets/fake books, arrange hymn accompaniments, play with singers, etc.  I am starting one student on it slowly by having her play a hymn by ear, chord it, then incorporate some of the accompaniment techniques the book presents.  Overall I think I returned with a sense of being recharged, ready to make some changes and challenge my students!

Save!

The dreaded ring of the phone about 3 hours before a student's lesson...what will it be this time...?  Yes, it's an inconvenience to the teacher to receive a call so late, and of course it eats away at your monthly income, but what does it do to the student?  I could list a myriad of consequences, but I think we can draw the conclusion that students who come regularly to lessons progress much faster than students who become "hit and miss."  The reason this time was that the student's family had been busy with summer activities so he had not practiced his lesson that week.  I knew that starting a habit of skipping a lesson due to family busy-ness would be detrimental.  I explained briefly to the parent that I understood, every student has weeks like that, and that I always have activities we can do at the lesson: flash cards, review games, concept reinforcement, etc. etc.  The parent of course felt badly she had not kept up the home practice, but didn't realize that I could still work with her child.  I explained that they will forget concepts if too much time goes by, and encouraged her to stick with it, especially as he is just a beginner.  She agreed to bring him, and we had a wonderful lesson!  I feel like a piano student was saved and will continue on to play piano another day....!

Tricky Passages

A student was having a hard time with a particular series of notes in the left hand which included chromatic changes.  He had to pause and think for each change.  We studied the notes and played them all together like a blocked chord, then one after the other, then finally put the phrase together as it was written.  He was able to play it easily without any pauses.  Another student was having a difficult time playing the first the note of her left hand at the beginning of each measure.  We noticed that it started on the same note for 4 measures, then went down a step for 4 measures, then moved down chromatically.  Finding patterns that click can be a quick way to take care of some tricky passages. 

Technology

I had a student sit down at my piano today for his lesson and ask, "Is this always on?"  :)

Summer Plans

My hope is to continue teaching regularly through the summer.  I have only a handful of students, all beginners.  I don't want them to take a summer off and lose what they've learned (or lose them as a student!).  One family is taking a month long vacation, but will start again in August.  And I am hoping to do longer lessons with a couple of my advancing students.  I hope to take a bit of time to catch up on some things that get overlooked during the regular year, including composition and notation with one student, and playing lead sheets with another.  I've started on their theory for next year already so we can learn it gradually, and soon it will be time to pick out duets to polish for the Ensemble Festival in the fall.  Hopefully I can slow down for a bit though and look for what doors the student opens during the lesson!

Recital Reflections

My "year end" recital was about a week ago, taking place while I was recovering from a bad flu.  I had to cancel and rearrange lessons the prior week, so I wasn't even sure whether some of the pieces would be ready, especially the duets.  But everyone pulled through, worked hard, and every student did their very best that night.  I started the evening feeling confident, knowing the night was really about the student.  But I'm not sure how well I did making sure each student and family knew how much their child means to me.  I'm not an extremely "social" person, I don't mingle well, and nerves took over when I began the program.  I kept my comments to a minimum, when I perhaps should have said more.  I am not sure what I will do next year - perhaps plan my opening and closing statements more thoroughly, maybe add some sort of recognition of achievements made throughout the year (syllabus levels completed, songs memorized, etc.).  Something to make the students and families feel special.  My favorite part that night was watching my newest student, a 7-year old boy who only started in April, play at his first recital.  Nothing beat the joy in his face while he looked over at his mom - while he was playing his duet with me - and smiled big!  That's what recitals are all about.

"I want him to succeed"

That was a quote from one of my student's parents this afternoon.  She was apologizing for not staying on top of her son's practice time sooner -  really paying attention to what he was playing and making sure he worked through each lesson.  "Seven year olds should not come to piano lessons by themselves" was the mom's conclusion.   Then I had to apologize, as I had not communicated better nor expected more from parents.  She is right.  In order to succeed, a student really needs the parent playing an active role, at least in the first few months of lessons.  I think most post parents are willing to do this, realizing how much they're investing, but maybe they don't know how to, especially if they're not musically educated.  I am rethinking my studio policy, and considering requiring, to some extent, parents to over see home practice.  It's what to do for the student to succeed.  I am thankful for the wisdom of a parent!  This also came at a particularly discouraging time.  Two of my students had very bad attitudes at last week's lesson, and one family did not show up at all, and have not returned my phone calls.  I was seriously wondering why I am even teaching.  This week, the same two students had marvelous lessons, and I learned something from a mom.  (The other family still hasn't called back, but I have learned from them too: I need to change my payment policy!  If I collect at the beginning of the month, at least I won't have unpaid scheduled time.  The school of hard knocks....! )

Another Repertoire Gem

"Dream Echoes," by E.L. Lancaster in the Alfred Contest Winners Book 2. This is a very pretty piece that can be played freely, perfect for a young teen lady!  She's only starting her second year of piano, but has good control of moving around the keyboard and using the pedal.  She did a great job using expression.

Repertoire Gems

As I mentioned in my last post, I am looking for some exciting new solos to challenge my students with.  I hope to write down a few as they come along.  This week I had great success with "Dorian Tarantella" by Robert D. Vandall, found in the Myklas Contest Winners Book 2.  It contains lots of triads, broken and blocked, uses a full range of the keyboard, and is just a lot of fun to play!   My student was excited about it and wants to learn it for my studio recital at the end of the month.  Another student surprised me this week by bringing in a "fake book" she was working out of.  She managed to pick out the melody on her own and play all the chords in her left hand.  I haven't actually taught someone how to play this way yet.  I gave her some tips on playing chords in close position instead of always going to root position.  We'll see how it goes from here, but I was happy to see her applying what she knows to a new challenge!

Onward We Go!

Syllabus exams were last week, and I was pleased that all of my students easily passed.  The one critique the adjudicator had for me as a teacher was that the songs they played were too easy.  I have not been pushing my students the way need to be, and I am hoping to change that during my next year of teaching.  Even now as I consider new pieces for their repertoire, I think, wow, this stuff does look too easy, I can't believe I gave that to them!  I'm looking especially for pieces that contain a lot of expression and paint a picture.  Most of my students like "fast" music, so I'm looking for lively pieces that they can really pick up the tempo.  The greatest compliment I received from the adjudicator was that she appreciated the attitude of my students.  They all seemed happy  to be learning piano.  Even my student who told her he doesn't like piano was at least pleasant about it!  That was an encouragement to me to hear my students had a positive influence on someone else.

On Influence

I heard a message preached from the Bible tonight about how we regard our influence on others.  Do we esteem our influence highly and remain humble that we might have a genuine affect on others?  Or do we walk through life not really caring what others think, thus not having to really care about what we do?  Tempted as I am to shirk the responsibility and not admit that my life actually influences others, I realize that being a teacher has one of the greatest impacts on our students.  I've heard of students who tell their piano teacher things their parents don't even know.  All of this got me thinking about what influence each of my students has as a musician on others.... how does their music affect the listener.  I don't really mean the song itself, but what does it reflect about their character that sets an example others may follow.  Does their playing say "I love this ability God has given me," or "I could care less about developing this skill;" "A little more practice and I'll get this right," or "Who has time to play piano this week?!"  Does it say "I hope this music draws my listener closer to the Lord," or "When is this going to be over..?"  I hope to challenge some of my piano students, and perhaps some of the young people in our youth choir, to really consider the heart behind what their doing.  It's not always about playing great, but also remembering that others are watching us, and what we do reflects how important the Greatest One we're doing this all for really is to us.

Teaching How to Take Ownership

On a related note to the last post, as most of my students are learning piano and theory for the first time, I am trying to be careful about making sure they actually understand what is being introduced to them.  I know some things really can only be taught by rote, and it will come together for them later, but I am trying hard to connect the dots as soon as possible.  Maybe it's my personal love for theory: new doors opened for me when I began studying improvisation further and learned about chord substitutions and extended chords, which would have been gibberish if I didn't understand a few basic things.  So one thing I do appreciate about some students who don't "get" it is that I can try to figure out just what it is that might be the missing link of their understanding.  For example, this particular student was never taught pentascales (or if he was he's forgotten them all!), so it's very difficult for him to figure out simple major and minor chords.  He can play a full scale, but has difficult picking out just the first, third and fifth notes to form that triad.  So I am constantly reviewing a pentascale here and there during my new student's lessons.  They can figure out the chords, they know what "position" they need to be in, even if it changes throughout the song.  It's just such a simple skill that we can all benefit from.  Next, I've noticed my student doesn't connect scales with their key signatures. When he plays G, he doesn't know if it's an F sharp or G flat, and still can't identify it when its written.  So now I am teaching scales by having them say the letter names (G, A.....E, F#, G), and showing them a picture of the key signature.  I am slowly working on these things with my older student as well, but it will take time, as he knows many scales.  I've missed the opportunity to build on them one by one though.  How important that firm foundation really is....!  I desire above all that my students don't just play things by rote, but that they really do take ownership of the music itself, learn how to learn it, and desire complete freedom at the keyboard to pursue whatever they wish.

Take Ownership

Week after week, month after month, students are given their theory assignments.  I believe in slowly introducing new concepts, moving on as they are understood and demonstrated, reviewing whenever we can as we apply things we know to the songs we work on.  One of my oldest students is struggling from week to week, month after month, to understand and retain what we have learned.  He has had three teachers before me, so I attribute some of that to the difficulty, as he hasn't really had the chance to solidify what he's learned long enough with any one teacher.  But he is 15 years old, and certainly knows the difference between what he does and does not know.  If I assign him a Bflat scale to practice, he knows if he can start the scale out correctly or not, and knows how to figure out some way to remember.  But he isn't doing this.  He doesn't go home and study out the concept, ready to learn the next one.  He can play the scale, but only if I prod him to the starting key.  He knows the I-IV-V chords, but only if I remind him to count the first, fourth, and fifth notes.  It is time to take ownership of what you are being taught.  Do you know it or not?  If not, it is time take the initiative and do what it takes to get these things down.  I told him today I simply cannot take him further if he doesn't learn what he's been taught.  We will be stuck in the same cycle for another year.... (this is his third year of studying for level III syllabus).   I am tempted to doubt my own ability to teach, but I feel like this time I really have given everything I can, and I've presented things as many different ways as I can without causing anymore confusion.  It's simply gotten to the point that if the student isn't taking ownership of his ability, my teaching becomes useless.  I was a bit hard on him today, I am particularly close to this student and his family, and I really do care about his progress.  He's a great student, he has a wonderful attitude and does enjoy the lessons.  He just has to start putting forth the effort that's required on his part! 

A "New" Tool

I feel like I'm stepping out of the stone age, with everyone talking about the latest app they've downloaded, music labs they've set up, etc.  I'm excited about finally upgrading my Finale from the free version (which is great for students) to Print Music.  I enjoy arranging hymns (not that I'm any good at it), and the latest one I did had some time signature changes, so I downloaded the trail version.  I was hooked as soon I started entering my music.  There are more dynamic options, playback options (the Romantic style worked on this song), adding chords, 8va markings, as well as being able to change time & key signatures (now I'll have to work on modulating).  I even set up a coda!  There are tons of features I've yet to discover.  One of them I'm interested in is being able to extract snippets to create worksheets.  Also it includes a lite scanner.  I tried it on my first arrangement printed from my free Finale, but it left out most of the bar lines and was just kind of funky.  Otherwise, I know what I'll be doing in the next few weeks when exams, concerts, and recitals die down!

Another Note to Self

Giving candy after a lesson is good.  Holiday clearance sales are good.  Holiday candy on clearance sale is very good. 

Note to Self: Amazon Saves Money

I haven't used Amazon much lately as the shopping cart didn't work with my browser.  I recently downloaded Firefox, and it's working again.  Not only have I enjoyed receiving free shipping (it's not hard to rack up $25 minimum orders), I also have discovered their 4-for-3 offer on qualifying books (also not hard to do).  I usually purchase books to peruse, keep a supply of beginning books on hand, or plan ahead for what my students will be needing.  It definitely adds up, so every way to save helps.  I also try to take advantage of 40% off discounts directly from publishers.  I charge the student regular price, but what I save goes right into keeping a repertoire library available for duets, special solos, etc.  My library is stocked pretty well, but can a piano teacher ever resist the urge to buy one more new collection....?!

Spontaneity

Some days I feel like I teach on "autopilot," going very methodically from one task to the next.  Other days, for what ever reason - whether the student just isn't responsive to the routine, or perhaps I'm more relaxed and paying closer attention to the student's direction - I take things as they come.  I enjoy lessons when something inspires me to get out the flashcards, a sight reading book, or do some improvising.  This week a student came for his second lesson, a very bright young man who enjoys playing the piano.  We spent several minutes being "chattering squirrels," I would play a pattern, he would copy it.   Then we switched, he played a pattern for me to copy, making each one harder and harder!  I don't expect every lesson to end up this way, but I hope to be on the look out for those opportunities with each student. 

(Re)Teaching in Control

Following up on my student who is very musically inclined, but who was getting very careless with basic things: he had a wonderful lesson today.  His father is picking up that he isn't practicing his actual lesson, which includes memorizing three songs for a syllabus exam next month.  I am very grateful for his intuitiveness as he is checking with his son to make sure he works on those songs as well as his own creations.  I could hear a huge difference today in the control he had playing them, and they're almost perfectly memorized.  I introduced some Czerny exercises, emphasizing the need for precise evenness with the 8th notes and carefully forming the phrases.  We also clapped some rhythms, showing his need for steadiness, then did a little sightreading to remind him the care he needs to take when figuring out a new piece.  I know things will not be fixed in one lesson, and I am facing challenges deciding what to assign him next.  I am also perplexed as to exactly how to proceed with him.  The Level 2 book he's starting seems so simplistic, but I don't want him to miss anything. I will spend some time later this spring experimenting with repertoire pieces that provide the right challenge.  We have an early summer studio recital in June, which will give him something to concentrate on.  He's done an excellent job with the Fearless Fortissimo series; would be fun to hear him choose a few to play together.  Again, I am grateful for involved parents.  Learning to communicate to them what this student needs will be an important part of his progress.  I also must remember that as the student needs to control his playing, I need to be in control of the lessons, and not allow him to stray too far from what must be mastered.

Fun with Yo Yos

I'm not talking about plastic balls on a string, but rather students who are up about piano lessons one minute, down the other.  I have one particular student who hits the extremes on both ends.  He either finds piano a waste of his time, or he truly adores it and has fun exploring new things and playing his favorites.  While I can't make everything about piano lessons "fun," I hope to stay flexible enough to make it worth it to him.  It is work sight reading a new song, practicing a tough measure over and over, stretching the hand into new positions.  I'm learning how to keep a balance of enjoyment and beneficial challenge to keep him growing. But hopefully we can get through to the reward at the end  - being able to play music that's beautiful. 

The Right Start

I discovered today that one of my piano students, though her songs were memorized, was still having trouble finding her starting hand position.  Usually, we practice the song from the music, then I take it away, so she already knows where to be.  When I started on a song without playing from the music first, she just couldn't remember.  Thankfully we still have another month before the song are played at her syllabus exam, and we talked about some strategies to get them down.  And it taught me to watch out with my other students to make sure they don't have the same trouble!

Ribbon Festival Recap

Another successful recital, though from a teacher's perspective, it was quite an undertaking.  Going from setting up, to hosting recitals, to teaching games to a room full of unfamiliar students...  I was almost too exhausted to enjoy my students performances.  I am writing this now mostly to remind myself not to volunteer to run so many activities!  I need at least one session of down time to actually take in what's going on around me, collect my thoughts, and be aware of what the student and their families are experiencing.  On the up side, my students had positive feedback, and one of my students was even chosen to play his composition at a statewide festival in May.   I hope the opportunity encourages him to continue being creative and sharing with others.  Now, it's onto my first year of putting students in syllabus exams....!

Nervous?

I was reading this post by LaDona's Music Studio, http://ladonasmusicstudio.com/2012/03/14/double-the-nerves/
when some thoughts came to be about my own nerves.  My own children have played in recitals for many years now, and I have never felt extremely nervous about it.  I was concerned that they would embarass themselves, or become discouraged if something bad happened.  But they handled things quite maturely, so it was never a huge issue. 

But now that I'm a teacher, I find a whole new set of emotions emerging...!  Now I am finding that I am getting flustered as I prepare students for recitals, second guessing myself about which pieces we selected, wondering if I taught them everything I should have, wishing I had just a few more practices...  I think now the student's sucess or failure reflects more on ME.  When I was a parent, it was their teacher's "fault" if something went wrong... now I'm the one to blame!  Now, I know that the teacher really isn't at fault or needing to be blamed for anything.  There's responsibility on everyone's part, and sometimes now matter how well prepared, something can go wrong.  I know it's all part of the learning process and we grow from our mistakes.  I know that I have prepared each student the best that I can.  But the negative thoughts still find their way in. 

One thing that keeps me from listening to the destructive thinking is to remember that my attitude reflects on the student.  If I am confident, the student will be confident; if I am impatient and nervous, the student will be as well.  Also I plan far ahead as is reasonable to ensure the student feels comfortable with piece and knows it well.  I schedule as many practices as possible with duet partners.  And I remain as flexible as possible.  If something just isn't working, we can select a different song, or, in the recent case of a student trying to play two songs, we simply dropped the one he wasn't ready for.  Another example is showing a duet pair how to find a good place to restart their piece if they got so out of synch they couldn't go on.  They could start at a place near the end which they knew well and at least finish.  I want to my students to be confident, but also give them realistic expectations. 

With all that said, two more days until the biggest recital of the year.....!  All of my students have one more lesson to go, and I'm sure I'm more nervous than they are.  Maybe their confidence will rub off on me!  :)

Re-teaching a Student

I've had one particular student who has been learning very quickly and seems to be inclined to music perhaps above many of my other students.  While he used to go off and learn his assigned piece by the following week, he is now struggling with even simple pieces.  He is spending more of his time playing his own improvisations rather than practicing his lesson plan.  He is also losing learned technique, including hand position and timing.  I can see now where letting some of the "little" things go has compiled into a "big" thing now.  We have a big recital in less than two weeks, followed by syllabus exams 6 weeks after that.  Those 6 weeks will be spent redirecting, rehoning, and reiterating, to the parents as well, the need for practicing what's been given, and playing it how it's been taught.  The next couple of weeks for me will be spent researching refreshing ways to (re)teach and (re)motivate him!

Why Only One Post in February?

Only one post in February, and now it's March 1st and I have three posts!  I've wondered myself what was keeping me away last month.  At this time on Thursdays mornings the past few weeks, I was rehearsing with my duet partnet for a teacher's recital which was on Feb. 26.  Now that it's over, I have a few more chunks of time available.  In conjunction with the post about how important recitals are, I think they are equally important for a teacher to be participating in.  I'm very thankful for the opportunity, though it nearly drained me!  Most of my spare time was spent practicing or rehearsing.  I certainly can see where my weaknesses are, and thank my colleagues for their patience as I develop those areas.  I can also relate better to my students and what they go through in preparation for a public performance.  I will take a few weeks break, but in late spring will begin preparing for the September recital.  It won't be easy, but I believe I need to be an example to my students and be willing to work hard and grow as well.  And wow, there's a lot of room for improvement...!

Ribbon Festival & the Importance of Recitals

I wrote a lengthy paragraph on my second blog (Firm Foundation Piano Page - geared more for my students and their families), so I don't want to repeat myself again here.  But I want to express my appreciation as a teacher for the opportunity to have recitals for my students to participate in, which are so important for the growth and devlopment as a pianist.  Being a member of the OMTA, I can be a part of things on a much larger scale than I would ever be able to do on my own.  Our local chapter offers on the state level the Baroque Festival, Ensemble Festival, Syllabus exams, and the Ribbon Festival, exclusive to Newport.  About a dozen teachers (or less) participate, and well over 100 students perform throughout the day.  It really gets students excited about playing, and gets them thinking about what they'll do for the next year!  At this point I don't have an official policy on recital participation.  So far, everyone has been willing to participate.  I also host my own studio recital in June, which allows my students and families to get to know one another in a smaller setting.  Recitals are such a great excuse to partner up for duets, polish pieces they're practicing, explore new things to "wow" the audience, work on concert etiquette, etc. etc.  I know I am excited to see the joy each student has sharing the songs they've worked so hard on, and it's so fun being not only a parent now, but having my own students participating... wow! 

Bring on the Stopwatch!

One of my younger students has a fairly short attention span.  He's bright and learning quickly, but he doesn't care to sit and do what he's told to do for very long unless his interest is piqued.  We finished up going through our assigned songs, ran quickly through a new one, and had nearly half the lesson left to go.  So my box of flash cards and the stopwatch around my neck came out.  First we timed how long he could go through the 10 notes, then we timed how many notes he could name in a minute.  This was the first time I'd done that with him, and he actually took a breath in the middle of it and said, "This is fun!"  Hooray!  I am definitely seeing the value of being flexible in my teaching, and of keeping various activities around.  I'll be searching for more challenges like this to add to my "bag of tricks!"

Fearless Fortissimo

http://www.teachpianotoday.com/piano-music-for-boys/
I'd like to share this link and give a brief review of The Adventures of Fearless Fortissimo (Piano Music For Boys).  I have one ambitious student (boy) who gets quite bored with standard literature.  These progressive pieces have been an enjoyable change for him.  He started out with an elementary piece, and worked out most of the intermediate piece on his own.  He loves playing chords with melody, and having the chance to move up and down the keyboard.  It's been great how the music has unlocked his curiosity and inspired him to discover more on his own.  The arrangments start out with early elementary, which would be appropriate for a student in about a Level One method book, followed by an elementary level, and finally an intermediate level that produces a full sound, but is easier to learn than it may look.  Each piece has a different character.  I would love to get through the series and hear the story this student can tell with these compositions!

Teach Me a Song

I know many teachers get asked this by those who don't play piano, Can you teach me a song?  I know many teachers would answer with no.  They've learned by experience that there is too much to know about piano to successfully play a song without some prior knowledge.  But I jumped in anyway.  I created a chord diagram on my computer, placing dots on the correct keys for each chord.  (She has taught herself guitar, so is she has used chord charts of sorts.) We went over the notes to the melody, and touched on the rhythm of a familiar song.  It won't be easy, but if she applies herself and takes it a section at a time, she'll succeed.  And the great thing, it inspired her to go ahead and sign up for lessons to learn how to play like she really wants to.  I'm looking forward to helping her reach her goals!

Practice Incentive Revisited

I still really want to do a practice incentive, but an elaborate theme is out.  I don't have the energy to keep track of it.  I also don't want my students competing against each other.  Some will clearly come out on top, some could possibly give up.  So why not meet an individual goal instead.  Each student can set their own reasonable plan.  I'm keeping it simple, just a weekly total of practicing. They're already working to memorize songs and master their theory for exams in April.   If they meet their goal, they work towards the prize.  If they don't, they have to work harder the next week to catch up.  But it's their own goal, they committed to it.  They don't have to catch up with anyone but themselves.  And if it works, we can set a higher bar for the next incentive. 

Another New

For several years now I've been part of a hand bell choir.  We've had adult choirs, children's choirs, youth choirs, blended choirs.  Now we get to try something new.  A beginning choir.... with me directing it!  I've learned a lot about teaching music over the past couple of years, but this will be a real test, teaching an entire group of young students, dealing with behaviour, having the energy to stay on top of it all....  I guess it goes back to the old addage, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.  And more organized.  I think I need to carry a filing cabinet on my back now.  But wow, what an opportunity, to take a group of people who may barely know a quarter note from a crescendo and teach them how to play a song from start to finish...  whew!

New Student Results

The meeting went well today, I am very excited to begin teaching a new student!  She is very enthusiastic and has her parents' support.  I decided on the Faber Primer & Theory books, as I had extra copies on hand, and also I hope to try out their new sight reading book which can be started about half way through the lesson book.  She seems to have a diligent spirit and understands she must practice to improve.  I put that a little more directly to her as an individual student this time, asking her how much time she thought she could practice in a week.  She asked if a half hour a day was enough!  :)  (If I could get some of my students to practice 1/3 of that I'd be happy... they'd be happier too!)  Mom chimed in offering a particular time in the evening she would have available.  I look forward to seeing what the future holds for this sweet young lady.

New Year, New Student!

It's a very exciting thing to get a call from a prospective student.  There are many piano teachers in the local area who have lost students, and few who have gained many back.  I'm not sure why: the economy, losing interest in learning an instrument, too many activities to juggle, interest in instruments besides piano (guitar seems to be on the rise around here).  This is my first new student since last April.  It was almost like starting over again, just preparing what to do for our first meeting!  I had to review some ideas, and dig up the forms I need to fill out and give to parents.   I was also a bit surprised how difficult it was for me to decide what method book to offer.  I have a few to choose from, and ultimately will decide based on how ready she is,what prior musical experience she has, and what seems to fit her personality best.  (I am also happy to finally write "she," lol.  All but one of my students are "he's" right now!)  And I have found a repertoire series I think I like.  Students are required to memorize orginally composed music from various eras for their annual exams (which is another topic altogether, but I highly encourage all my students to participate).  I have perused the Alfred Masterworks Classics Series, Level 1-2 and Level 3.  Each book has enough to last the student for a couple of years, and they cost under $10.  The music is interesting and varied.  So when they are ready, I will add that to the method book, perhaps eventually dropping the methd books altogether by level 3 or so.  I hope to generate interest in a very straightforward theory series by Kjos publishers (Keith Snell).  They can start the preparatory book at Level 2.  It isn't full of illustrations or games though, so it may not work for everyone.  Another frustrating aspect to choosing curriculum is the fact that we have no local music store to pick up a copy here and there.  I have to order online, or make a trip to a town an hour away, so I usually wait until I need enough books to make it worth it.  So when a new student does come along, I have to scramble to make sure I have something on hand for them.  I may consider stock piling my favorite preparatory books, once I decide on them!  (I do like Faber Accelerated for older beginners. I am also looking into Helen Marlais' series.)  So now I wait anxiously for our first meeting on Thursday!  :)

Practice Incentive

Struggling with students not practicing is nothing new to the piano teacher.  Even my students who love to play are not actually playing their lesson assignments.  They continue to progress though over students who don't play anything at all through the week.  I read a recent blog that suggested that practicing just 20 minutes a day will make you a better pianist at the end of a year.  I'm challenging my beginning students with practicing even just 10 minutes a day... it's better than nothing at all.  And if students who love to "doodle" at the piano just add 10 minutes of practice their lesson, those songs will improve.  How nice they will see it is to move on to new things! 

The next idea I am struggling with is whether or not to add a practice incentive.  I don't like dangling a prize to get a student to do something.  The reward is, yes, being able to do that (or know that) now.  But, kids do seem to respond when there's something motivating them.  I have a rather elaborate idea, but I don't want it to overwhelm my students and become the focus, or discourage them if they don't live up to it.  So I am praying a while longer to see where the Lord leads.  I do have one student who I promised a piece of ice cream cake to if he learned his five finger positions!  So.... off to deliberate again....

New Year, New Goals

Time to get organized!  I spent New Year's weekend looking over what's coming next for my students.  We have an exciting recital, "The Ribbon Festval," in March, in which students can play a solo of their choice, a duet, as well as enter art work and a TShirt contest!  I selected duet partners and pieces based mainly on convenience this year and got them all started on thier piece to give us plenty of time to polish and practice together.  They can select their solo over the next few weeks as they find a song that stands out to them. 

The next "big" event is the OMTA syllabus examination the end of April.  Students are quizzed over theory and must perform three memorized pieces for an adjudicator.  This I'm a bit more nervous about.  The repertoire must meet certain criteria and I hope my students will all be able to have them down over the next few months.  This is my first time entering students, so I am trying to find a balance between preparedness and paranoia!  I would rather have my five students prepared a bit early - we can always change something later - than to have them not prepared in time at all.  So I am introducing all the pieces I suggest to them now, starting with the more difficult pieces, and will go from there. 

Being a new year, the tradition is to set a new goal.  With goals now set for the students, someone has asked what will you do - or quit doing - in your studio in the new year.  This year I hope to quit doubting myself.  As a new teacher, I wonder if I really have what it takes.  I'm not sure what the criteria really is for "it"....!  My students seem to like me, they keep progressing in their abilities, and the parents keep paying me.  When I started homeschooling my children, I feared my abilities then too, and took it "one year at a time".... that was 13 years ago!  So prayerfully  I will look back one day too, and say, "Whew, I did it!"  And when April is done and my students complete their exams, I can say, "Whew, you did it!" to them!