I’m actually more of a piano student, than teacher. (I’m a high school senior preparing to major in piano at college next year). However, my parents have given me the opportunity to teach my 12 year old sister to play, so that I get practice teaching and they don’t have to pay for lessons. My […]
Monday Mailbag
Summer Blogging
Some of you have asked what my blogging plans are for this summer. I’ve been trying to figure that out myself! Since many of us are on a lighter teaching schedule, I’ve decided it might be good to keep to a lighter blogging schedule as well. This week, I’ll be in Kansas City for our […]
Listening to Classical Music
Listening to good music is such a critical component of learning to become a good musician, but one that is often overlooked. That’s why I especially appreciated this question I received from another teacher: One of the things that I am facing with my piano students is that they lack an accurate concept of how […]
Monday Mailbag – Students and Pop Music
How “strict” are you about your students playing popular music from films, radio, etc. as notated? The piano arrangements are never really identical to the song the student knows, and they naturally play the rhythm they know. Lately I’ve been going through the notated rhythms with them correctly and then giving them permission to play […]
Monday Mailbag – Explaining Time Signatures
I am useless at explaining Cut Time. In fact time signatures in general. I was trying to explain this to a student today and just kept going round and round in circles with the poor girl getting more and more confused. I tried to explain that the bottom number refers to what kind of beat […]
4 Tips for Dealing with Unmotivated Students
Especially this time of year, it seems like a lot of motivation is fizzling out and everyone is ready for a break. I still have some students going strong, but there are definitely a handful that are squeaking by until summer break! That’s why I thought now would be a perfect time to address this […]
