I have been thinking a little more about curriculum. My younger students typically work through a method book with additional repertoire and activities added. My older students choose several pieces to work on through the semester/year, discuss theory/musical concepts in their pieces, work through a theory book, and typically do scales or other technical exercises. […]
Resources
Piano Teaching Tips
One of the most helpful aspects of the Alfred Ledger Lines blog is the Piano Teaching Tips that they post periodically featuring one of their composers giving a little “masterclass” of sorts on how to play one of their pieces. The most recent one is a post by E.L. Lancaster highlighting Midnight Adventure, an etude […]
Evernote: A Fabulous Free App for Lesson Planning
Ever since I started teaching almost 15 years ago I feel like I’ve been searching for ways to organize and streamline lesson planning. From endless lists, to spreadsheets, to binders, to paper files, I’ve tried dozens of different ideas. None of them have accomplished what I really want in the way of planning repertoire and […]
Bring the Sounds of Africa to Your Music Lessons: Guest Post by Alan Grainger
As a music teacher, you’re always looking for ways to brighten up the music room and bring something new to your lessons. We think we’ve found the perfect instrument. African drums much like the djembe are the perfect way to spice up your music lessons, and really engage with your students. Not only are they […]
Theta Music Winter Competition 2013 Starts Today
Theta Music, one of the best sites for on-line music theory games is commencing their 3rd Annual Ear Training and Music Theory Competition today! This is a great way for teachers and students to have some fun while building their skills. It’s a one-day competition, so sign up and start playing now for your chance […]
How to Explain and Teach Cross Rhythms
I have several students working on more complex rhythms this year, including a variety of cross rhythms. This requires such an incredible amount of hand independence, and is often very difficult for students to grasp, so I was doing some research to find more resources on the topic. I came across a fabulous blog post […]