How can colors be used to help students learn to read music?
May 2011; Vol. 3, No. 3
For centuries, music notation has been a “black and white” subject. To read this music, musicians have decoded black and white print and transferred it into colorful sound. Even when making notations in our printed music we have usually grabbed an ordinary pencil, thus adding...
Four Teachers and Facebook: Ideas for Improving Sight-Reading
September 2012; Vol. 4, No. 5
Earlier in the year, I established a private discussion group on Facebook with four teachers from around the country— Monica Allen, Laura Beauchamp-Williamson, Rebecca Pennington, and Scott Price. Our goal was to have some conversations about music reading which would lead to the sharing of ideas...
Music Reading
May 2012; Vol. 4, No. 3
Experience and research tells us that the more one reads a language the more fluency is gained. This is, of course, true of sight-reading as well. Making this happen with our students in an organized and motivating manner eludes many of us, myself included. This...
Boiling it Down: Recipes for Effective Teaching
January 2012; Vol. 4, No. 1
When I think back on the great teachers I have encountered in my life, I find that they all had one thing in common—the ability to boil things down to their essence. These teachers’ abilities to reveal the essence of the subject matter made my...
Spring 2021: Questions and Answers
Spring 2021; Vol. 13, No. 1
Q: I’ve enjoyed your Frances Clark Center webinars on preparation activities. I am unsure of what activities I should do with and without the keyboard and would appreciate some specific ideas and guidance. A: The key element in preparation activities is experience! Before encountering a new musical...