The first Piano Teaching Idea Share of 2023 is here! This is Idea Share #8, and has ideas that are as inspiring as they are creative! ComposeCreate piano teachers from all around the world gave us insights into their teaching and studio, and we loved reading every one of the comments!
What’s a Piano Teaching Idea Share?
If this is your first time hearing about our Idea Share, here’s a quick rundown of how it works:
At each webinar, we ask teachers to share answers to questions from which every piano teacher could benefit. After we’ve received answers from both webinar sessions, we put them all into a free downloadable PDF so that you have access to the wisdom and insights of the entire ComposeCreate piano teaching community!
Idea Shares 1-7 can be found here – all with great ideas:
- Piano Teaching Idea Share #1- Encouraging books, creative ideas, injecting energy, online games
- Piano Teaching Idea Share #2 – How teachers are lightening their load
- Rhythm Idea Share #3 – Teaching rhythm
- Piano Teaching Idea Share #4 – Gadgets and gizmos, lifesaving ideas, marketing ideas
- Piano Teaching Idea Share #5 – Taking care of yourself and Energizing Ideas
- Piano Teaching Idea Share #6 – What are you excited about and Best Marketing Tips
- Piano Teaching Idea Share #7 – Student holiday gift suggestions and Making the holidays less stressful
Here were the questions for this Idea Share and some of my favorite responses:
1. Are you doing anything new this year?
- Kelly: Studio-wide composing challenge – all the students create an original composition based off a prompt I give them, and then they record their compositions on a YouTube playlist and give prizes for the top winners. Did it once last year and was huge success.
- Keera: I did a bingo over the holiday break that challenged kids to do different activities and practice. They really liked it and I’m working on creating a bingo for February.
- Cheryl: This year I’m adding an extra recital to the year, which will only be ensemble (duet/trios/etc.) pieces. Each student has at least one piece with another student, and a duet with me.
2. Have you done a Composer of the Month in your studio?
- Debbie: Over the summer each student studied a particular composer using various types of learning. They learned one or two pieces by their composer and in September we had a piano party where the students presented information about their composer and played their pieces for parents and students. Food and running around outside afterwards. Lots of fun!
- Leigh: My students in 2nd grade and up do an extra 30-minute music lab so I love having composer things to share with them!
- Francee: In 2021, we worked in quarters and coupled composer studies with a music theme. For example, first quarter was entitled “Winter Wonderland,” and we did winter-themed music and composers whose last name started with W.
For summer, our unit was entitled “Sounds of Summer” and we focused on things associated with summer and composers whose last names began with S (including Wendy Stevens!).
In 2022, we did a “Musical World Tour.” We focused on 9 different countries, spending about a month on each one, and played songs by famous composers from those countries. When we got to November/December, we were studying Germany and focused on learning Christmas songs by German composers.
Thank you to everyone who attended the webinar and submitted answers! We are so thankful for your ideas and willingness to share. These Idea Shares are downloaded by hundreds of other ComposeCreate teachers, and we all benefit and do better together! Let us know in the comments if you have any other ideas to add!
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Usually each semester I have a challenge all the kids are working on. This January I made it more personal and set concrete individual goals with each student. They are short term goals that they can achieve before summer comes. This week as we head into March I’m starting my second round of goal setting with them. Right now I’m working on a way to creatively let them “see” their progress. I have an idea, but am always welcome to suggestions!
I love these “idea shares”! Thanks!
This term (term 1 in Australia) I’m trying a studio-wide rote piece.
I’m using a piece from Blitz Rote Repertoire.
There are 3 written levels of each piece.
– Level 1 is learned, and memorised, by copying and listening. (music memorisation)
– Levels 2 and 3 are learned by comparing what is already known from level 1 to the written music of level 2, and then level 3. There are SLIGHT differences that the students can work out by comparing the new level to the known level, which encourages notation reading. (notation reading)
– Level 3 is then played with a backing track (ensemble playing)
– Students develop their own version of the piece (level 4), by changing up the rhythm, tonality, style, key, register, adding intro / coda, etc (create, compose, self-expression).
– These final versions will be performed for the other students in my studio, and their class friends, at a lunchtime concert (performance).
One idea to hit up all sorts of skills we want our students to experience and learn!
Hope this is inspiring for someone else.
This year I added a composer of the month and sent it with reminders of upcoming events in my studio. It went out in digital form the first of each month as my studio newsletter. I tried to feature composers from each musical era and pair it with a listening focus that was seasonal for that month.
Parents loved it and enjoyed learning about the composers themselves…very well received!
Dara H., Houston, TX