Wow! Have you seen this video clip about British musical savant Derek Paravicini by Lesley Stahl, of CBS’ 60 Minutes? Talk about inspirational! In addition to watching and hearing from Derek and his parents, I really love listening to his teacher and seeing how he approached working with someone like Derek. (I think the book, […]
Teaching
Monday Mailbag – Choreography at the Piano
How can I help my students express with their bodies when they are playing? Many of them just SIT THERE and play. Even the students who play with all the expression (dynamics, phrases, articulation, etc.) feel intimidated when I ask them to move a little and not play like “robots.” Years ago, when I was […]
Pre-Piano Camp Program Now Available!
Our first six-week Pre-Piano Camp session just ended last week and I’m excited to report that it was a success! I learned a lot in the process and the students and I had a fabulous time. We launched into the session with specific objectives and a ton of activity ideas to help communicate and reinforce […]
Monday Mailbag – Studio Bookkeeping Software
I’m currently in a class called Group Piano and Technology, for my masters program. We’re reviewing everything technology-related to teaching piano. I know that you use Music Teacher’s Helper and I was wondering if there are any other similar programs out there that compare. That was the only program of its kind that we discussed […]
Another Fun Pre-Piano Camp Game!
As I mentioned last week, in A Peek Into Our Pre-Piano Camp, we’ve been having a blast at this fun piano camp this year! We just finished our final week yesterday, so I’m busy getting all the files and links ready so that I can make them available for any other teachers who want to […]
Monday Mailbag – Dealing with Pain
I have a question brought up by one of my students. She asked me if my back ever hurt after practicing for a long time. I told her yes, and then began to wonder if there was anything I could suggest for her to do to help it not hurt (and for me too!). I […]