Monthly Archives: January 2010

Monday Mailbag – Finding Time for Games

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I love all your games and ideas, but how do you incorporate games into your lessons? I feel like there’s hardly enough time to get through the books as is, especially when a recital or competition is coming up! Do you always fit a game in? Do you have 45-minute lessons?

First off, yes, I do teach 45-minute lessons almost exclusively. I also have a couple of 1-hour lessons for more advanced students. I made this transition several years ago and absolutely love it! We still run out of time to get everything in, but this allows for so much more freedom to focus intently on certain concepts or incorporate games without feeling rushed. I wrote a post a while back on How to Transition to Longer Lessons. This approach worked really well for my studio, but of course, you’ll want to think through your needs and what approach will work best for you and your families if this is a change that you want to make.

Another thing to keep in mind is that for the most part, I use games as an integral part of my teaching approach. Since I rarely use theory books with my students, I use games both to assess understanding of theory concepts and to teach or reinforce various concepts. A lot of times what I do is at the beginning of the week I think of a concept that I want to work on with all my students (i.e. scale patterns, key signatures, intervals, chords, etc.). Then I brainstorm and come up with a fun game centered on that concept.

Also, it’s not uncommon for me to not hear everything that a student has worked on within the week. If I anticipate that we will run out of time, I often ask if there is anything in particular that they want to play for me, or if there are any assignments that they’re having trouble with and want me to help them work through at their lesson. Anything that gets postponed to the following week gets a star by it to remind me to listen to that first at their next lesson.

Lastly, no, I don’t play a game at every lesson. Some students really thrive with the integration of games; others would just as soon focus on their repertoire. I try to be sensitive to the needs of each student and gauge what their interests and priorities are from week to week. If a student is really excited about a particular piece and wants to show me what they’ve accomplished, then we skip the game and “dig in”! Games are just one tool in a teacher’s toolbox and can be used with purpose to accomplish set objectives and meet the specific needs of the students.

This is a great topic (can you tell it’s one of my favorites? :-) ), so I’ll be posting some more specific ideas this week of games that I’ve been using with my students this year!

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!

Piano Camp Lesson Plans and Free Student Workbook!

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As long as I’m thinking about Piano Camp stuff, I thought I would run a special for anyone interested in purchasing the Lesson Plans for a fun week of Piano Camp! This is the one that I put together for last summer and my students and I had a great time! See lots of pictures here, here, here, here, and here. So, for the special…If you purchase the Lesson Plans by the end of January, I’ll send you a free 26-page student workbook that I compiled to go along with the outline for the week. Just go to the Resources Page and purchase the Piano Camp Lesson Plans. As soon as your order comes through, I’ll send the student workbook your way!

Also, for anyone who purchased the lesson plans last year during the promotion and received the student workbook, I’ve updated the cover for this year. If you want the updated cover, just send me an e-mail and I’ll send you the 2010 version.

Thinking about Piano Camp…

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Is anyone else starting to think about summer Piano Camp plans yet? Do you have any specific themes or ideas in mind? I’m tossing around the idea of maybe doing a theme with Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. I would pattern it similar to the Carnival of the Animals Piano Camp that I did several years ago. Ooh…actually, I just stumbled across a press release from last fall announcing that there is a new book in the Get to Know Classical Masterpieces Series, published by Schott, based on Handel’s Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks. Now that sounds like a good possibility, too. Ack! And they have Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons! Now I’m really torn! :-)

Any of these would make a good theme, I think. Maybe I should take a poll! What would you choose? I’ve embedded a poll in this post, so you can give me some input!

Which Piano Camp theme would you choose?
Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition
Handel’s Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks
Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons
pollcode.com free polls

More about the Mastering the Mystery of Music Practice Incentive

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I’ve received some questions about the latest practice incentive that I uploaded to the website, so I thought it would be helpful to give a few more details here for those interested in possibly using it in their studios. It’s called Mastering the Mystery of Music.

This is the one I used with my students last year. My goal in developing it was to challenge them to work toward mastery of different skills. The Assignment Book includes a set of Mastery Challenge worksheets that are separated into eight different categories: Staff Scout, Scale Sleuth, Rhythm Recon, Key Signature Specialist, Terminology Trainer, Chord Commander, and Arpeggio Agent.

Each category contains a list of 5-7 specific mastery challenges. The student chooses two mastery challenges each week and works toward having them mastered by the following week (along with whatever other repertoire assignments they are working on). If they are successful, then they are given the clue for that week. At the end of each session (there are six sessions throughout the year), they use the information from their clues to research and try to find out what the answer is.

The clues and answers all fall within a particular category, like: The Symphony Orchestra (where they are trying to figure out what the mystery instrument is), Great Pianists (where they are trying to figure out the identity of a particular pianist), God’s Mystery Revealed (where they are trying to identify what famous person said a series of quotes), Not-So-Famous Composers (where they are trying to identify the name of a composer), Folk Songs of the World (where they are trying to figure out the name of a specific folk song), and Ancient Instruments (where they are trying to figure out the name of an ancient instrument). After they’ve solved that mystery, they look back through their clues to figure out which one is the false clue.

Then, at a group class (aka Private Eye Workshop – or at the following lesson for those who can’t attend the workshop), I give them the code to crack the clue that’s hidden inside the false clue. The mystery word from the false clue is then entered into a blank on their Detective Worksheet so that by the end of the year they have discovered the sentence that reveals what The Mystery of Music is.

This particular Practice Incentive includes both print-ready and editable files for the Assignment Books so that you can either use it as-is or adapt it in any way for your own studio use. You can use the clues, mystery words, and Private Eye Workshop lesson plans that are included or you can re-create your own according to your studio goals and needs. Either way, I hope that your students have a blast being super sleuths and that it inspires them to work hard and “master the mystery of music”! :-)

New Piano Method by Helen Marlais

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In the last New Release Club shipment from FJH there was a flier announcing a new piano method by Helen Marlais that will be available in March, 2010. I am thrilled! Helen Marlais’ books are all fabulous and I can’t wait to see what this new method is like! The two cover illustrations portrayed on the flier are very attractive; I especially love that they include a whole group of kids sitting around the piano, participating in the musical experience. If you are interested in receiving a complimentary copy when it is released, just sign up on this page of the FJH website.

What I’m even more excited about, though, is that Dr. Marlais will be showcasing the method at its official launch at the MTNA conference in Albuquerque! She was in our local area a couple of years ago for a workshop and is an incredibly engaging and personable presenter. So, her workshop will definitely be at the top of my list!

Monday Mailbag – Introducing Baroque Music

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How do you introduce baroque period music or any music with counterpoint to a student for the first time?

What a great question! However, I’m afraid my answer will reveal my total lack of structure when it comes to intermediate level students, so I’m hoping that others will share their thoughts on how to approach teaching Baroque music. :-)

I hardly ever follow a systematic approach when working with intermediate – advanced students. I’m working on improving in this area, but at the same time I recognize that every student is different and has diverse interests and goals. I’m always on the lookout, though, for great materials that will capture students’ interest, introduce them to different styles, and help facilitate a good understanding of the various historical periods and composers. Here are a few of the books that I really love for Baroque emphasis:

Exploring Piano Classics by Nancy Bachus – This is a relatively new series and I’ve only used the first book so far with a student who is just getting into early-level Classics, but I absolutely love it! In fact, I just ordered another one for another student. The layout is clean, with wonderful illustrations and bullet points discussing historical information and brief  biographical sketches of the composers.

Spotlight on Baroque Style by Catherine Rollin – This is obviously not original Baroque music, but it is full of delightful pieces and performance notes that will introduce students to the different styles of the period.

The Baroque Spirit Books by Nancy Bachus – Chock-full of everything you could possibly want to know about the Baroque period, even discussing other cultural aspects beyond music, these books are wonderful for the student who really wants to learn more about music history!

Succeeding with the Masters, Baroque Era by Helen Marlais – These books don’t contain as wide a variety since they just include three key composers of the Baroque period (Bach, Handel, and Scarlatti), but they include great practice tips (both written and verbal via an accompanying CD) that will help students grasp how to learn and play the pieces with appropriate interpretation.

A few general things that I am always discussing with students in relation to Baroque music:
* Instrument history – harpsichord as the forerunner to the piano
* Dynamic leveling – more of a terraced dynamic approach
* Technique – non-legato touch, contrasting articulation between different rhythmic values of notes
* Cultural Elements – architecture, clothing, etc.
* Compositional Techniques – polyphony vs. homophony; listening for the different voices

Baroque music can be very complex, but I love it! And I do what I can to help instill a love for it in my students as well!

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!

Re-igniting Enthusiasm – Congregate with Colleagues

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Okay, I think I’ve saved the best for the last! You must, must, must find a way to get together with other teachers on a somewhat regular basis. Virtually is good, but in person is the best! I am a member of several local music teachers associations, plus our state association, and Music Teachers National Association. I can say without hesitation that I would not be the teacher that I am today were it not for the investment of numerous other teachers in my life. It is impossible to quantify the benefit I have received from attending local workshops, serving on leadership boards, traveling to state and national conferences, and just visiting with colleagues about a host of teaching-related issues. They’ve given me advice, support, encouragement, ideas, and camaraderie that is invaluable!

It’s great to be able to connect with other teachers on-line via forums, blogs, and e-mail (and I’ve met some incredible teachers that way!), but I highly recommend becoming a member of your local association(s) and making plans to attend a state or national conference this year. In fact, I just completed my registration for the MTNA Conference in Albuquerque, NM March 20-24 a couple weeks ago and I think it would be a blast to plan a time to meet-up, get to know each other in person, and talk about all things teaching-related (well, maybe about other things, too…)! Anyone else already going? Anyone else thinking about going? Leave a comment or e-mail me if you’re interested in being part of a group meet-up and we can start working on the specific arrangements. (Or, for those of you on facebook, RSVP on the 2010 MTNA Conference event page and I’ll keep you in the loop as we make plans!) I still have to finalize my travel and lodging arrangements, but now that the registration is in, I’m thrilled and anticipating a fabulous time!

Hopefully this short series on re-igniting enthusiasm has been helpful. Please keep sharing your own thoughts or suggestions in this area. I know we can all use it!

Re-igniting Enthusiasm – Strategize and Systematize

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Most of us teach because we love playing music, we love working with students, and/or we just love teaching. Few of us run studios because we just love doing recordkeeping, filing taxes, and handling other aspects on the business-side of things. I will confess, however, that I love the challenge of strategizing and coming up with good systems to set in place to streamline business operations. If you have a good system in place, staying organized is easy! Here are a few organizational systems that help me maintain some semblance of sanity. :-)

1. Music Teacher’s Helper – If you’ve been reading here for any length of time at all, you know that I am a HUGE fan of Music Teacher’s Helper! Even though I haven’t even tapped into every feature that it offers, this has streamlined my bookkeeping and makes it a breeze. I love the way it keeps my finances organized and presents a professional image for my families since each of them have an account to receive automatic invoices, check records, pay on-line, and more. I’m in the highest cost bracket at $24.95/month, but it is so worth it for me!

2. Managing Receipts – This is a very simple binder system, but it’s essential for record-keeping and tax time! I have one binder for each of my businesses that serves to collect the receipts for the whole year according to the month in which the purchase was made. And then I archive the receipts for three years, so I have two other binders (again, one for each business) that each contain the monthly sheet protectors filled with receipts from the previous three years.

3. Student Worksheets – There are so many great resources on-line, but I needed a way to have just the right worksheet available at the tip of my fingers when I ascertained that it would be beneficial to a particular student. This binder system is what I developed for that purpose and it has served me well for several years now. I have a similar, but separate, binder set-up just for the sight-reading drills that we’re using this year.

4. Printed Music – When it comes to music books and sheet music, we’re all familiar with the Overflowing Piano Bench Syndrome and the impossible-to-keep-organized bookshelves, right? :-) These file cabinets have been incredible for keeping music organized! Plus, with items like this that students will be accessing, it’s important to have a system in place that makes sense to them and is easy for them to utilize as well.

Those are some of the key areas that I’ve worked on over the past several years. This year, I’m hoping to come up with a better system for listing music books that I need to purchase for students and a way to keep track of what books/pieces students have used/learned. Any suggestions?

Reigniting Enthusiasm – Cultivate Creativity

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What makes you really excited? Studying music history? Sight-reading new repertoire? Dreaming up game ideas? Improvising arrangements of familiar tunes by ear?

Capitalize on your own area of interest to build the enthusiasm of your students. Invest your excitement into putting together creative assignments for your students. For example, plan a group class around composers and have every student present a brief report on a composer of their choosing. Or host a “Sight-Reading Super Stars Challenge” and let students put star stickers on a chart on the wall for every piece they sight-read throughout one month. Or pull out a deck of flashcards and come up with a fun, short game that you can play for the first five minutes of every lesson one week. Or hold a Name that Tune challenge where you print up a list of possibilities and give it to the student for reference; then play various tunes and have them see if they can identify which one it is from the list on the sheet.

One of the most effective approaches I ever started was developing a year-long practice incentive theme for my entire studio. Our whole year is built around the theme and I build in enough structure so that it functions like a lesson plan for the whole year, commingled with enough flexibility to customize the assignments for each student and for any specific needs throughout the year. I was able to spend a bit of time organizing my files over Christmas break and have put together a Resources for Sale page that highlights outlines each of the practice incentives that I currently have available, including the newest one that I finally added – Mastering the Mystery of Music! I’ve included not only the ready-to-print files, but also the original Word Doc files that are fully editable so that you can use the basic idea but customize and adapt it for your studio. Plus, this program also includes lesson plans for 6 correlating group classes throughout the year, complete with objectives, games, resource links, and weekly clues. (This is the kind of thing that gets me really excited, and brainstorming up a new idea every year definitely re-ignites my enthusiasm! :-D )

Reigniting Enthusiasm – Examine your Expectations

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One of the driving motivations in life is to increase my knowledge and skills and strive for excellence in all that I do. While these qualities reflect some of my core values, I realized several years ago that I was running myself into the ground because I was expecting more of myself than I could actually handle. This was true in several areas of my life, but especially in teaching. My expectations drove our time during lessons and I was more intent on reaching those expectations than really being sensitive and flexible to the needs of each student. And then, when I didn’t meet those expectations, I would emotionally beat myself up for not being a good enough teacher.

I don’t even remember exactly how I came to the realization that I was doing this, but once I did and was able to let go of it, I experienced a freedom and confidence that I had never felt before! It was okay to not know all the answers, to not have concert-level performers, to not be an expert in jazz or composition. Each of us have different talents and areas of expertise as teachers and we will be most successful in our teaching when we are able to function according to those areas. This is something I discussed more thoroughly in a workshop I presented to a music teachers association recently titled, “How to Build Your Studio Identity,” but one of the underlying principles is that each of us have to build our studios according to our own philosophies, strengths, clientele, etc.

Don’t allow yourself to become enslaved to self-imposed expectations or pressure to be like other teachers. Think through your own particular needs and the needs of your studio and then focus on implementing one change at a time to improve your teaching and/or business practices. I am a huge advocate for learning from others and using great ideas that you find, but pick one idea that you think could really benefit your studio and then focus on that for a month. See how it goes, and then move on to another idea the following month. Definitely try new things, but don’t feel like you have to make drastic changes all at once! Take it one step at a time and enjoy yourself. Then your students will as well. :-)