Here is the 2nd question at the end of the Composition for Kids session. See the 1st question here. How do you get students to compose outside the key of C? When students come to a lesson with a piece […]
Question #2: Composing Outside C Major Read More »
I recently read an excellent article on “Teaching the Overstretched Student” in the July/August Clavier Companion. In the article, Sheila Vail and E. L. Lancaster both had good, practical advice for all teachers but I was struck by a couple
Teaching the Overstretched Student Read More »
Here is the first question that was asked after the lecture, Composition for Kids. When do you have your students begin to write down their compositions? Not too soon! Just as we teach our children to form sentences before they
Question #1: Students Writing Down Compositions Read More »
This is the final topic in Composition for Kids: Time Saving Ways to Encourage Composition in Your Studio. In this segment, I discuss what to do with the student who brings in an already completed piece. You know, the student who comes
Composition for Kids: Part 5 Budding Composers Read More »
Since I blogged about incentives, there has been quite a bit of discussion in emails, comments, and other forums about what kinds of things teachers use to award their students. Many teachers want to make sure that the awards incentivize
Buying Incentives and Gifts Read More »
Many teachers have asked where they can get the Composer Bucks or Music Money that I referenced in my post about my 2009 incentive. Here are a couple of resources: Free Music Money – Susan Paradis has a wonderful site
Free “Music Money” Read More »
I’m very excited about the incentive program I started for my students this year. My goal was to encourage them to actually “make music” this year instead of just playing the notes, rhythms, and details correctly. You know the difference!
Incentive for 2009 Read More »
Jason Sifford, a composer and contributor to the PianoTeaching.com forums, has started a new blog on piano pedagogy. The Piano Pedagogy Page promises “Extremely Random Thoughts on Teaching and Playing the Piano.” Random yes, but important nonetheless. His most recent
New Piano Pedagogy Blog Read More »
This is the third of the 3 points in Composition for Kids: Time Saving Ways to Encourage Composition in Your Studio. In this segment, we discuss why it is important to develop students’ ears and how to do this. If you
Composition for Kids: Part 4 Developing the Ear Read More »
There are two music notation programs by which all notation programs are measured: Finale and Sibelius. Of course, these two programs can do virtually anything imaginable in music notation, so no free program is going to compare. But, for students
Free Music Notation Programs Read More »
How to Revolutionize Rhythm in Your Studio
Learn how this rhythm curriculum gets rhythm IN students' bodies so it comes OUT in ALL their music! See why "It’s the best resource out there for teaching rhythms" and get your students "exponentially improving!"
