A couple of months ago I had one adult piano student finally realize that an arrangement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata was too much for her, and after several weeks of struggling through it, she asked if maybe we should go back to basics and review some of her old lesson books. First, a little back story on this student: she had originally taken lessons several years back when she was stationed at a military base overseas. Her original teacher had the unorthodox philosophy of having her pick a song or piece that she really liked and wanted to learn, and he taught her music theory and notation through that, instead of teaching the latter separately and starting her on very simple pieces and songs, THEN progressing her steadily towards this piece. The problem with this is that her first teacher most likely glossed over several important points of music theory/notation as well as technique, causing her to be shaky on several aspects of basic piano playing. So by the time I picked her up as my student, she was struggling with playing what should've been familiar notes in an easier arrangement of Moonlight Sonata. Whereas a typical student who was learning this piece wouldn't be struggling with the same issues as she was. If anything, a student at that level would be more concerned with musical/expressive goals. Now I as a teacher 4-5 years ago would have just told her from our very first lesson that she needed to go back and relearn several basic ideas, notations, etc. and forget about this piece until she mastered x,y,z. I've learned that that approach doesn't go over too well with adult students, but it's necessary for child/teen students who need structure and an authority figure to set guidelines. With adults, they just hear someone telling them that they CAN'T do a piece or song they love, something that has inspired them to take music lessons in the first place, so it's almost like someone saying, "You're not good enough to take lessons." So I've learned that adult students need to figure this solution out for themselves and ask the teacher, "What should I learn or master first in order to play this piece?" I just wish every adult music student understood this from the very beginning of taking lessons! Students, please have realistic expectations, and if you have a piece in mind that you would eventually love to play, work with the teacher to set up short-term goals and benchmarks toward that long-term goal. Understand that your teacher has wisdom and expertise and can help guide you towards musical success, but only if you listen to them!
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Today on Thursday, August 16th, 2018, Aretha Franklin passed away from advanced pancreatic cancer. She is best known for singing Soul, but started singing Gospel at about the age of 9 at her father C.L. Franklin's church in Detroit. Aretha eventually transitioned to Rhythm and Blues, pioneered Soul in the 60s, and crossed over into Pop later on. She pumped out dozens of number one hits, including "RESPECT", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," and "I Say a Little Prayer," among others. Ms. Franklin of course influenced many female artists after her in the world of R&B. What I admire about her, besides her gorgeous, powerful voice, is her confident proficiency at the piano, as well as her ability to communicate her ideals about important, salient matters, like the civil rights and women's rights. She will be missed, but her legacy will live forever on through her music. RIP Aretha.
I've heard so many times before, from children, teens, and adults...."I had this piece/song down just yesterday. I KNOW I have this! It's just that I get nervous during my lesson." The first time I heard that, I was like, "Huh?!? You're saying I make you nervous or scared?" Now if you know me, I'm pretty much the least intimidating person on earth. I'm not big, I don't have a deep voice, and my personality is more....introverted or reserved. So what was going on? Then after talking with a few other teachers, they also said they experienced this strange phenomenon. No one seemed to have a good answer. Until I realized: maybe there is something about the teacher's role that might intimidate the student. After talking to a few of my current students about how they feel in these moments, they expressed that they sense the pressure is on to perform their assignments very well, almost perfect in the beginning of the lesson. That the teacher (me) has high expectations and that it almost feels like a performance, so that a little bit of "stage fright" sets in. And remembering back to my days as a student, I think I also went through this mentality. But I think what got me through it, especially during my OSU piano recital, was that I was practicing for my OWN benefit, and when I "performed" for my teacher/professor/mentor, they were there to HELP me better my craft in preparation for the REAL performance...which wasn't as bad as I was making it to be, because my friends and family were there to hear me and the story I was expressing through music. So I encourage all music students everywhere: "Do not be nervous or scared during your lesson time with your music teacher! Yes, they want you to do your best, but they don't have unrealistic expectations of perfection. They are not judging; they are listening and offering constructive criticism. It's ok to make mistakes, just do your best, and enjoy the music!
About two weeks ago, my one adult violin student, Nancy (yes, she gave me permission to use her name and other info) forgot her lesson book at my place when she left. I told her about forgetting her essential music, and she asked if I could drop it off at her work. Of course I said sure---she needs this book to practice her assignments for that week! Well it turned out that she OWNS this wonderful Asian restaurant, Aristo Bistro (which you should check out if you're ever in Westlake or west side of CLE), and to thank me for doing something so simple and expected, she treats me to FREE dinner, which included two main dishes, plus two types of rice....plus some cash. I tried to refuse all this, but she insisted, saying that in her native China, teachers are almost revered, and she considered me like her personal Confucius! That day I felt so appreciated as a teacher, and it opened my eyes to how blessed I am. The point I'm trying to make by telling this story, is this: fellow teachers, including private and public teachers of all subjects, tutors, mentors, and personal trainers, we may at times feel like none of our students, mentees, or clients appreciate us, but always know there is at least one person who thinks very highly of you and your expertise, so keep your head up and keep doing what you're doing! Also on the flip side: students, do something to show your teachers that you are grateful for them! Even if it's some small gesture, like a card or flowers or their favorite treat....just let them know that you've made a difference in their lives.
Some of us have already made new years resolutions. Some of us haven't. For those of you who haven't made resolutions, or have fallen off the horse from you previously made ones, why not give learning an instrument a try? There are many benefits to learning music, and we will go through a few major points. First, it's intellectually stimulating. There are countless studies that show the brain's neural pathways are enhanced when participating in music. Second, it's cathartic and stress-relieving. Ask any musician what they do when they're feeling bummed, angry, depressed or stressed out---they play music! Third, you can find opportunities to play with other musicians. Your music adventure doesn't have to limited to simply taking lessons. You can find community bands and orchestras to play in, or play duets with your teacher, or team up with other music students in small ensembles! Fourth, it's a life-long activity and process, that can continue well into your advanced years. I've already taught several seniors music lessons, and I applaud those students for sticking with it all this time! So whatever instrument you pick, you will be picking up on all these pros/benefits and more. So what are you waiting for?!?
With May here, wedding season is in full swing, and many excited couples are in the midst of planning for their special day. Several things are heavily planned to the T, from wedding cake, to dresses and suits, color scheme, to seating arrangements. One thing that should not be overlooked or glossed over, is the music, especially for the ceremony itself. You want a diversified musician who has experience with traditional as well as modern pieces and songs for your wedding. Simply hiring a DJ for all of the festivities isn't going to cut it. If you hire me as your wedding musician, you'll get not only someone with experience in different styles/genres, but also is flexible and can adjust easily to your needs and desires, to set the perfect acoustic ambiance for your special day of love.
“Ah! Spring is in the air!” With April almost over, and May coming up, with warm weather and thunderstorms popping up, spring really is finally here. So, I was inspired to do a quick gathering of seasonally appropriate pieces and songs to get you excited for those gorgeous blossoms and happy chirping of the birds. Parents, ask your child’s teacher to start teaching him or her these musical gems. Teachers, it’s not too early to introduce these to your pupils, even if it means getting an easier arrangement and/or transcription! Fellow performers, even if a piece is not for your primary instrument, you can always find a transcription suited for your instrument(s). 1) Vivaldi’s Concerto No. 1 in E Major, Op. 8, RV 269,”La Primavera” (Spring), from the “The Four Seasons” 2) Haydn’s Spring section in the Oratorio, “The Seasons”, Hob. XXI:3 3) Beethoven’s Violin Sonata, Op. 24, No. 5, “Spring” 4) Schubert’s “Faith in Spring”, Op. 20, No. 2 & “Dream of Spring”, Op. 89, No. 11 5) Schumann’s Symphony No. 1 in Bb, Op. 38, “Spring” & “Spring Song” from “Album for the Young” 6) Mendelssohn’s “Spring Song”, Op. 62, No. 6, from “Songs Without Words” Book 5 7) Strauss’ “Voices of Spring” Waltz, Op. 410 8) Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” 9) Copland’s Appalachian Spring If anyone out there has a favorite spring-related piece and/or song, feel free to comment below! When students first begin to take music lessons, it’s only natural that they really don’t have a whole lot to practice. For example, they could just be learning simple rhythms of quarter and half notes paired with only three to four pitches, with songs lasting a whopping fifteen seconds. However as they start to progress and their songs/ pieces become longer and more complex, they might find it hard to practice in a more efficient method. Most likely, students will want to practice the whole song over and over again and quickly tire of the process, causing their practice schedule to be spotty and short-lived. Others will progress in certain spots or aspects and will want to only practice those areas, completely ignoring the rest.
There are a few key ways to effectively utilize what little practice time students have today. Here are a few you can try with your child (or yourself!): (1) If already playing pieces with both hands, take hands apart and practice each hand separately. This really works if the student has just recently started learning to play with both hands. Caution must be taken not to play the simpler hand’s part (usually left hand) with a much faster tempo than what the other hand is ready for. When both hands are combined again, it should be a tempo that the student can handle. (2) The last part of the previous point leads to this: play at a slower tempo. Sometimes this will have to be very slow and tedious, and most younger students will want to simply rush through everything, but it allows the student to securely understand the music and what their fingers have to do. (3) Identify the hardest sections and focus on them. They can be as small as two to three beats, or as long as three measures. It really depends on the complexity of the music. Don’t focus on the easy parts, or parts you’ve already mastered. Sure, it might be a confidence boost, but it’s taking away time from the parts that really do need more work. It’s that simple! (4) Study the music—don’t just play through it! Students should look for clear patterns, any group of notes and rhythms that happen to pop up in different parts of the piece. This helps in two ways: first, the student isn’t as psychologically burdened by the immensity of the music—they now know it may only be eight measures that look and sound different, that are only repeated later on and modified slightly at the end. Second, they also know they can practice these first few measures and only practice the slight changes later on in the music. Students can understand patterns as early as preschool, so this should be talked about as early as possible. (5) Put it all together! Now that certain trouble-making sections are tamed, students will need to make sure they can easily transition between these and other parts. If it was smaller-scale, it might mean linking measures. A major connection issue is always going from page to page, so be sure that is secure. To recap, these are the biggest common practice techniques: practice hands separated, slowly and carefully. Focus on the hardest sections, and take time to study the music for patterns and see the overall structure. Wrap it all up by putting everything back together. There are also plenty of other techniques that can be individualized to the student’s needs and learning styles. So stay tuned- for more to come! |
About this blogHello world, this is your friendly musician friend and teacher, Joseph! This is where I share my thoughts and feelings about anything and everything music-related. Enjoy! Archives
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