July 2018: Closer Look: Book Review
July 2018; Vol. 10, No. 4
by Ann DuHamel Adaptive Strategies for Small-Handed Pianists is a revolutionary, pioneering work that addresses small-handedness in an extraordinarily comprehensive manner. The book, by Lora Deahl and Brenda Wristen, examines the many facets of pianism affected by small-handedness, and it provides numerous excellent suggestions on...
July 2018: Questions and Answers
July 2018; Vol. 10, No. 4
For this issue, Sam Holland invited Jennifer Snow, Executive Director of the Frances Clark Center, to answer the following questions: What is the value of professional development for piano teachers? Why is it important? Central to inspired teaching is inspired learning. Engaged teachers are eternal...
Consonance vs. Dissonance: Inborn or Cultural?
July 2018; Vol. 10, No. 4
For many years, I have taken issue with the notion (held by some) that consonance—the absence of musical tension—equates to combinations of pleasant and agreeable musical sounds, while dissonance—the presence of musical tension—equates to combinations of unpleasant and disagreeable musical sounds. It is a distinction with which I strongly disagree because I am...
Toward Integrated Teaching
July 2018; Vol. 10, No. 4
Would you teach your students to play only the first six notes of each major scale? Of course not! Good teachers introduce a complete concept, often from multiple perspectives. They may emphasize the building blocks of scales, key signatures, logical fingering, good practice habits, and healthy technique. Outstanding teaching is whole teaching. An integrated...
DIGITAL-ONLY CONTENT: 20 Reasons Students Don’t Practice, Part One
September 2017; Vol. 9, No. 5
Here are the reasons.Click at the bottom of the page for Bonnie’s superb ideas for engaging students! They didn’t sign up to practice. They don’t think you care. They don’t believe they can succeed. They don’t know what to do. They don’t know where to start....
DIGITAL-ONLY CONTENT: 20 Reasons Students Don’t Practice, Part Two
September 2017; Vol. 9, No. 5
Bonnie Blanchard set out to discover the reasons students don’t practice in the last article. Here are some of her remedies!
Expanding Your Vocabulary of Chords
July 2017; Vol. 9, No. 4
Do you think Johann Pachelbel knew how popular his Canon in D would become? When I discovered the same chord progression in a few familiar songs, my search for more examples began. As you play this chord progression are there songs that come to your mind? Example...
Teaching with Backing Tracks
July 2017; Vol. 9, No. 4
Backing tracks (pre-recorded or automated instrumental accompaniments) are inherently motivational. Why? Because playing with a snazzy drum groove is simply more compelling than practicing with a metronome. Here are suggestions for integrating backing tracks into your curriculum to enhance technique, timing, and creativity—all at the same time....
William Gillock: A Centennial Retrospective
July 2017; Vol. 9, No. 4
“To provide a musically thrilling experience.”–Willam Gillock, on the purpose of student piano literature I often ask my piano pedagogy students to take a few moments to reflect on their motivations for being a music major. After all, studying music is challenging and time consuming, and there’s no...
How to Get Paid on Time
July 2017; Vol. 9, No. 4
If you have successfully moved from a per-lesson payment system to a tuition-based structure,1 you may still be left with the challenge of parents paying on time. There are many ways to tackle this issue, so choose what works best for your business. Prepay in...
Reflections on Music’s Life Lessons
July 2017; Vol. 9, No. 4
I imagine that, in one way or another, you are caught up in the drama of politics these days. My feelings have been impassioned and vocal around the proposed elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)....
The Art of Practicing: Broad Principles
July 2017; Vol. 9, No. 4
Have you ever thought that, from a young student’s viewpoint, practicing is counterintuitive? Think about other skills you learned as a child: tying your shoes, for example. An adult shows you how to do it (I used the “Bunny Rabbit Ears” method with my nephews), you...
Piano Teaching Programs Reviewed: ArtistWorks and Meludia
July 2017; Vol. 9, No. 4
ArtistWorks OVERVIEW: Equipment needed: Computer, phone, or tablet with video recording capability; internet connection. Mac and Windows are supported. Pricing: Packages are $105 for 3 months, $179 for 6 months, and $279 for 12 months. Video lectures/ lessons, backing tracks, video exchanges and submissions, and theory courses vary according to package....
Who Will Save the Guitar?
July 2017; Vol. 9, No. 4
In recent years, there’s been a lot of discussion about the state of the piano teaching industry. We know that piano sales have declined dramatically, but has there been a decline in the number of people studying piano? In the absence of thorough data, we...
My Meeting With the Man in the Ebony and Ivory Tower
January 2018; Vol. 10, No. 1
The following account may be fiction. It may be true. It may be both. I had been a piano teacher and performer for nearly a decade. At the age of twenty-eight, I was plagued by a persistent “hollow” feeling, especially after giving yet another mediocre...