Over the past few weeks, I’ve come across some great posts and resources related to teaching piano. Here are a few of them:
* Toilet Paper Dynamics: Jason Sifford, a composer and piano teacher has written a great post that encourages further exploration on the topic of dynamic playing which Mary Jane Cope has written about here: Encouraging Dynamic Playing. Here’s an excerpt from his post:
I think it’s important to realize that dynamics are not volume indications, and they’re not about contrast. They’re about character. Forte means more than just turning the volume knob up to 8, it implies some kind of feeling or emotion. If we look “forte” up in an Italian dictionary, we find words like “strong,” “heavy,” and “large.” If we look up “piano,” we find words like “carefully,” and “smooth.”
* The February issue of the MTNA ejournal is now available. Articles include:
“The Musicians Guide to the Brain: How to Use Brain Science in the Study of Music”
“A Study in the Relationship Between Selected Characteristics of Private Music Students and Success in Private Music Lessons: Implications for Private Music Teachers”
“Discovering the Thumb: Empowering the Hand’s Moveable Flying Buttress”
* Joy, from Color in My Piano, has posted a free printable game, Adventures in Music which can be adapted for any kind of music curriculum you use.
* The February issue of the Piano Explorer had a great article about Debussy and some of his music. The online resource page for this issue has some good information and performance links for the pieces mentioned in the article.
