Were Your Summer Sessions a Success?

 I always look forward to summer break. It is a time when I see students raise their music skills one, or even two, grade levels. Non-readers become music reading machines, student compositions start flowing into the studio and jazz chord/scale, and theory books, get completed in a few short weeks. The children don't have competing school or sport activities, and they often return from family trips sharing stories about new bands they discovered, or live performances they attended. It is often the greatest season for private music teachers to see and hear student success. 

As I sit here writing I am a little sad because most of my kids go back to school next week. The summers seem to get shorter every year. I only had a few students finish music compositions and theory books, unlike former summers. And adult students who were set on joining a free slow jam in my home to learn folk tunes, or learn a new instrument during the summer, were never able to find the time. Still I did see successes in a handful of young students and that is enough to encourage me. A student who always rushes  has started using her metronome in her home rehearsals and she has learned to correct herself as she plays. Another student has almost completed all of her first cycle of scales by carefully working her scales at the beginning of each rehearsal. Another student checked out books on music composers at the local library to use as her summer reading for school and now has a deeper understanding about her music. And I am happy to say a young man has tackled his upper body, hand, and arm technique and now is sounding like a young professional at the keyboard. 

I have learned not to worry about students who choose to achieve at a slower pace than others. When I was younger I would push students so they could experience the same success as self driven students. But now I let each student blossom as they desire. No more begging, no more trying to over encourage, no more pressure on them, their parents, or me. Music lessons are a good indicator of how a child will perform in their chosen field as an adult. If a child comes to lessons every week without their books, they will forget their laptop when they go in to work. If they lie about their practice time or embellish their accomplishments, they will do the same as an adult. If a child procrastinates in music, they will procrastinate on the job. If the child needs someone to push them before they complete a music task, they will need someone to puch them as an adult. I have seen this pattern over decades of teaching. The only way a person will change as an adult, is if they want to change on their own. We can not change another person.  

This year I have started a new policy that all my students are aware of: if music is not memorized 15 days prior to an assessment, competition, or exam, the student will be pulled from the opportunity. Once music is memorized and played daily, the details in the performance can be polished and the piece becomes alive. Too many students have crammed their music at the last minute and given weak performances. The parents who are not musicians are often clueless. The judges and the teachers are not. If you are a teacher I know you agree that you can easily hear the sound of a piece that has been fully digested by a student. Judges will also make comments letting the student know that they could tell how hard the student worked to prepare the piece. So this year students will receive the best from Miss Dolly but no room to cram at the last minute. 

Are you entering the new school year with any fresh ideas or new studio rules for your students? 

Should I Keep That Student?

"How do I know when to remove a music student from my private teaching studio?" This is a question I have had colleagues ask me over the years. 

A teaching professional needs to have a clear vision of what they will, and won't, allow in their studio. Studio boundaries are important and will make it easier for an educator to expel a student when necessary. 

Along with personal boundaries, it is essential for an educator to consider the needs of all studio members when forming studio boundaries.

If a student is a personal threat to an instructor, removal from the studio is clear. However, a teacher will want to be aware that, even in private lesson studios, a student's actions can influence the morale, or spirit, of the music studio as a whole.

Consider the following scenarios:

Studio Recitals: Names have been printed in the recital program and confirmations have been given. Without contact, or reason, certain students don't attend the recital. How do the participating students feel when fellow music studio members listed in the program do not show up to support them? 

Professional Assessments: Most students in private studios are required to attend a certain number of professional assessments each year where they play before a judge. Seeing other students they recognize from their studio can be an encouragement. Now imagine that, without reason, a student who registered for the assessment, decides not to attend. How does that impact the attitude of the students who participate? Many of my students would start to ask questions and be concerned about a missing student who was scheduled for the opportunity.

Fun Studio Challenges: Teachers often invite their students to take part in studio opportunities. These can range from piano-thons to raise money for a cause, writing a poem about music for a contest, drawing artwork for a magazine cover, participating in a competition, writing a song, and other fun activities. If enough students from a studio do not take part, the opportunity may no longer be available to the students who want to put in the time and were looking forward to participation in the event.

Completing weekly assignments, and regular practice habits: This is perhaps the most obvious in regards to how it impacts the instructor, but many teachers don't realize how one student's practice habits can affect the studio at large. 

Students who adhere to their teacher's individualized lesson plans each week usually show consistent progress. Members of a music studio may all be at different ages and levels but, they are all seeing one another grow in their music skills and knowledge. 

Students like to brag about others in their studios. I often hear comments like, "I saw Julie playing at the church service." "I heard Marco won a scholarship." "I met Jim at the assessment and we live close to one another and are going to play video games together." "Nancy told the class at school that she earned her first Music Theory trophy!"  All of the above are just a few examples of how studio morale can be strengthened by students who actively participate together and continue to improve their skills through completion of assignments and regular practice habits.

Students who refuse to do their weekly assignments on a regular basis, can bring the studio morale down. Keeping a non-productive student, a student who disrespects the studio by refusing to do their assignments or participate in activities, may not be a wise choice. Social media and piano forums are riddled with private piano teacher burn-out stories everyday. These teachers have given more attention to non-committed students in hopes of turning them around (and therefore have less energy to give to more involved students). These teachers have tried everything in their wheelhouse to help these uninterested students and are exhausted and ready to leave their career in teaching. I have known private music teachers, much younger than my years, who left the profession because of one, or two, piano students who should have been dismissed from their studios. 

There are many ways that a disinterested student can overburden an instructor and bring down the energy of a private music studio. And there are teachers who base removal, or retention, of a student on their personal feelings toward the child. A teacher is not a failure because a child refuses to apply themselves. Looking at how a child's lack of interest might be harming the morale of another student and, perhaps, the studio as a whole is important in deciding whether to let a student remain in your studio. 

Turning the focus toward the spirit of the studio as a whole might be a better choice. Private music lessons may be one-on-one, but every student contributes to the overall spirit of your studio. Fortunately, most students are proud of their teacher and their private music studio. Make healthy boundaries for yourself and for the good health of your active music studio members.  

 

Early Preparation is the Key for High School Seniors

I tried a new approach with my seniors this year and am happy to report that they will have their thesis pieces ready to perform by December.  Unfortunately this isn't always the result. Last year, during the thesis juries, a few of the students were held back by their own instructors. It was obvious to all on the panel that the students did not apply themselves to preparing their pieces. Yes, they knew the notes and most of the correct rhythms, but the music had not developed to an acceptable level. One student was held back because she chose a duet partner who was far below her level simply because that person was her friend. That friend was not a good contributor to the final performance. As in athletics, musicians want to choose partners who are at their level of expertise. A hard lesson learned. 

Seniors are typically overwhelmed with too much on their plates. They have visited university campuses during their junior year and are now sending in college applications (typically due in October) to their selected schools. They are preparing for a performance thesis at the school of the arts which has changing requirements every year. Many are working jobs to save for college expenses. And some still want to stay active in after school activities that they have enjoyed in their earlier high school years. The last year of high school goes by quickly.

The senior year is the one that clearly separates those who will succeed from those who may struggle in life. Fortunately, most piano students who have continued with music at this level are highly disciplined. Some of my seniors come to their music lessons with planners and dates of progress they have determined for themselves - and they achieve those dates! They continue to practice on their instrument 1.5 - 2 hours every day. They know the field in which they want to major at college, and those who don't choose music as their major often are planning to minor in piano. As an aside, throughout my years of teaching I have also found that those students who choose to major in the field of Chemistry often double major in Music. 

So how did we get ahead in our preparations this year? 

Knowing the stresses my seniors would encounter, I introduced the students to their pieces before the end of the last school year. That meant that the students knew, and/or had, the music they would be performing for their 25-26 school year events before summer break started. The summer is always a challenging season to grow through musically because of family vacations and sleep-away camps. But even a few days of practice (as opposed to regular daily practice during the school year) set their mind to the task so they could succeed. 

Students started researching their composers and analyzing their music during the summer and it has given them more confidence as they are now in the polishing segment of their work where the pieces are memorized. In the past, the students did not select their repertoire until September, when school started. This resulted in a lot of frustration and poor performances on their juries. I am hoping that I will be able to convince other rising seniors to prepare in advance as this year's group. What a difference those two extra months of concentrated work on their pieces has made. 

Another Year of Student Auditions

Every year seems to get a little more challenging with age. Last year I was dealing eye problems during my student's music exams. The year before that I struggled to walk. This year my lumbar spine was damaged which made spending volunteer hours in support of my students a painful event today. I am grateful to my co-hall monitor and the volunteer teenagers that helped with running students up and down the stairs. (And oh those stairs!) 

I often wonder how my childhood piano teacher did it all. She taught until she was in her 100s, and lived to be 107. She chaired all of the Southeastern Michigan piano teacher festivals, in cooperation with Grinnell's piano, well into her later years. She handled the logistics of; hiring conductors, procuring duet scores for hundreds of students and adult professionals, securing rehearsal space, bringing one hundred pianos, and a couple dozen organs into rehearsal spaces and performance venues like Cobo Hall and Meadowbrook, hiring a composer to write a fanfare, and then hiring a brass ensemble to play the fanfare for each year, all to create one of the largest piano orchestras in the States, every year. And I struggled to go up and down the stairs and dealt with horrible back pain today just trying to calm and help children to their exam rooms for five hours. I'm a wimp.

I always breathe a sigh of relief after this day has ended. I think it is fair to say that teachers feel as much stress in preparing their students, as the students feel on the day of the event(s). But as much as teachers may struggle leading up to this day, it is so important for students. And that's why we support it (even through physical limitations and pain.) If a student should decide to pursue music as a career without these types of experiences, they would be disadvantaged. More importantly, music exams and assessment events prepare students, not only for future music events of a higher caliber but, for many of life's expectations in the work place. The dedication of building and rehearsing business presentations, board room meetings, and more, starts with the discipline of preparing music to bring in front of a judge for both performance and written exams. Self discipline, preparation, study, research, physical practice, memorization, confidence in one's hard work, these are just some of the strengths gained from private music study and music auditions at the pre-college level. 

The board members for both the NFMC's Junior Festival, and CMTA's Achievement Day, work very hard to make these events happen. Fortunately they are all twenty to thirty years younger than me with an abundance of physical and mental energy. But that doesn't mean the work is easy for them. I have both chaired and judged music assessments in younger years and these are not tasks to be taken on lightly.

The day is done. The teachers are relieved. The students are relieved. The parents are relieved. We are grateful to all the volunteers who made the event possible. And now we wait to hear the results. 

I am heading to bed much earlier tonight along with an ice pack and a muscle relaxer. Tomorrow starts preparations for the next event on this year's list. 

Self-discipline vs. Motivation

Motivation; The first time I heard that word, used generously, was when I taught classroom music in a school for gifted children in the 1980s. It was starting to be a "buzz" word in classroom education for slower learners. The school served children with learning disabilities and recognized that many children were not able to develop tools that are necessary for success in life. It became commonplace to hear statements like, Jimmy could not finish the task because he was not motivated.  It was a gentler way of speaking about a student's learning challenges. 

Self-discipline helps an individual achieve by building constructive habits that lead to success in sports, arts, science, religion, or any other field of choice. Motivation is feeling pressed to do a task because of one's emotions. A boy is motivated to attend soccer practice because he will feel embarrassed in front of his peers if he stays home to play video games. That boy is motivated. A young girl gets up at 4:00am every morning to catch the bus to go to the skating rink, and practice by herself, before she has to go to school. This girl has self-discipline. Let's take this to the adult level.

A man is motivated to go into the office, to a mundane job, every day, because he doesn't want society to think of him as a bum. He is moved by his feelings. A young woman starts her own clothing design firm and with daily perseverance through many failures, and self-discipline, moves from a once-a-week small farmer's market tent to opening her own successful store in a popular town. She is self-disciplined.

Your grandparents called self-discipline, a good work ethic. What do you think of when you think about self-discipline? Some don't like the word and feel it is too harsh.

Like every teacher, I see self-disciplined children who do excel. But more frequently, I see children who will only do work if there is an emotional component; which means they don't progress as far in their education as they could. Only doing a task when one is triggered by fear, embarrassment, fun, companionship, peer pressure, or jealousy, is not a healthy path to success. Failure, in many areas, can start to set in if every task is approached only when the person relies on their feelings to motivate positive movement. 

When you practice self-discipline, good feelings come as you see yourself improving. Use self-discipline to bring honest feelings. Don't wait for your feelings to cause you to act. 

It is my opinion that the re-structuring of education, with motivation (doing work because of an emotional component) becoming more important than rewards of self-discipline, has produced lower standards in many fields of education. 

I have a theory as to why motivation continues to be stressed ahead of teaching self-discipline in education. 

We now have a generation of parents who were raised within an educational system that employed motivation strategies. (This is not the fault of today's parents.) These parents are now raising children using the tools they were taught which were motivational practices. 

Sometimes I see myself as a one-woman-band trying to guide students in how to succeed with self-discipline. I welcome any educator who wants to join me. 

What Went Wrong at the SCTMA Pre-College Auditions? (Music Teachers National Association)

South Carolina piano teachers noticed a change in the way music performance evaluations were conducted during the 23-24 Music Teachers National Association season in the State Pre-College auditions for South Carolina. And they were not happy.

I received texts and emails from other piano teachers after last season's State evaluations for piano students. I tried to determine:  What was happening? Why were we not seeing evaluations or ratings? Typically, teachers would receive their student assessments within a week of the event. But there was no communication from the state level for weeks. The district director could not find any answers either. Was it worth it to continue in this organization's events? 

Judges typically give very thorough evaluations that touch on many elements which help the teacher and encourage the student to improve their playing going forward. For the upper levels we found this to be generally true - when the evaluations did finally arrive. It seemed that the upper level judges were honestly evaluating students and also scouting for students who might attend their music college in the future.  These upper level judges also took extra time to talk with the students during their evaluations.

However, the lower level evaluation sheets were sparse. Sheets came back without any actual evaluations only single statements like, "Great Job, enjoyed your playing!" "You looked so professional, thanks for playing." These types of comments are nice to end an assessment with, but they are not evaluations and, they don't help anyone. The teachers began to question the competency of the judges being hired for the lower levels. These vague evaluations were also a concern for some of the parents who drove their children long distances for the state event.

There were issues with reported grades that were emailed to teachers, verses the actual grades received on the evaluation forms. Initially, this past season, teachers were only given the rating grade for their students without being able to see the evaluations. This has never happened before and there was concern that the evaluations had been lost. When the evaluations finally arrived weeks later, teachers found that the ratings were not consistent with the actual rating given by the judges. Imagine having to tell children they didn't actually receive the mark that had been reported.

Despite the disappointment of the 23-24 season we hope for the best as we enter this 24-25 season. I am satisfied that our district director brought these issues to light with the state, and possibly, national organization. And I trust that our concerns have been ironed out. MTNA has always been a well respected organization for music teachers and students and we are all hoping this past season is a one-off that South Carolina won't see again. 

Gifts for Students Poll: Yes or No

I have waited until the major holidays have passed before giving you the results from my December 2023 poll on "Gifts for Students: Yes or No." I didn't want to influence private music instructors, in either direction, during the gift giving season. 

This poll included teachers from the United States of America and Canada. Teachers that are local to me, and teachers from private piano teacher face book forums, were polled. I have listed some of the comments left by teachers in each corresponding section. There didn't seem to be a grey area in this poll. Teachers were either strongly for giving, or strongly against giving, anything to a student.

I requested that teachers, who chose to respond to the poll, give their location and their gender. They were also given space to leave a comment. Some of the comments were quite strong. The poll was taken near the Christmas holiday in 2023 and many teachers were feeling stretched from a very busy season. And knowing their responses would be anonymous, I believe the option to take this poll might have been therapeutic for some of these teachers. Teaching private music lessons can be alienating for some teachers. Teachers often work out of their homes or through a single teacher studio. Some may not have other teachers near with whom they feel safe enough to discuss their business frustrations.

If you were one of the teachers who participated in this poll, THANK YOU! Some of you have contacted me with your eagerness to read this poll's outcome. Thank you for your patience.

Women in Jazz Piano Listening List for a Gloomy Monday Morning

Here is a brief post to brighten up this very gloomy and rainy Monday morning in Charleston, South Carolina.  It is a short list and it comes with apologies to the many amazing female jazz artists around the globe whose names I have not included. 

Toshiko Akiyoshi

Geri Allen

Lil Hardin Armstrong

Carla Bley

Barbara Carroll

Alice Coltrane

Eliane Elias

Marian McPartland

Terry Pollard

Zoe Rahman

Diane Schuur

Helen Sung

Kate Williams

Mary Lou Williams

Katherine Windfield

In the above list you will find, not only fine pianists, but composers, arrangers and ensemble leaders. Enjoy finding their recordings, and listening to their styles. And, please leave names of your favorite female jazz pianists, that I have not listed, in the comments.  

Practice Makes....Progress

The legendary cellist, Pablo Casals, was asked why he still practiced when he was 90 years old. His response was, Because I believe I am making progress.

Growing up I always heard "Practice Makes Perfect" from adults. But I never knew how to get to perfect. When it was time to perform my music for others I was a nervous wreck. I was told that only perfect was acceptable, and I knew I wasn't there. I'm so happy that I haven't reached perfect because there is no opportunity for growth and new discoveries there.  

As musicians we want to express ourselves more clearly. Whether we are comforting our own soul, using our music as meditation, praising our personal God, or sharing music with others. Every time we practice our music, and even while performing for others, improvement and progress is made in our skill set. This gives us the ability to communicate more expressively.

One single music tone can be approached, played, and released in so many different ways. Therefore, there is no perfect, static, goal because music moves and breathes. I think that is what captures our hearts and minds when we rehearse or hear music. Each note is a momentary sound that can be expressed with many subtle variations within that movement of time. 

Communicating is our work. Making progress with your music means you are becoming a better communicator by gaining the skills to add more inflections to your personal sound. The beauty is that you can confidently communicate at the skill level where you are. A simple five finger position on the piano, with one hand, can create a musical line that moves others. 

We use the word practice for many professions: She practices dentistry, he practices medicine. These are also fields that are alive, growing and improving. Like music, when you spend time practicing, progress happens.

I will be the first to admit that I have overused the word perfect as a teacher and I am removing it from my teaching vocabulary. 

Progress is a direction forward. Perfect is a dead end with no more growth. As a musician we are working in a space that is alive and breathing and progressing forward. A musician's age is of no significance, and years of advanced skills on a musical instrument are only a reminder that there is so much more for us to discover in our practice and sharing sessions.    

Going forward, this studio will be saying, Practice Makes Progress. 

A Closer Look at Major and Minor Scale Finger Patterns for Piano

A Closer Look at Major and Minor Scale Finger Patterns for the Piano by Dolly L Paul _MA

 

Piano finger patterns used in major and minor scales are patterns that have been chosen because of their contribution to optimal playing. While playing scales, the hand needs to flow as smoothly and effortlessly as possible. 

 

The ideal pattern for any scale is, what I call, standard fingering. This pattern allows the player to use adjacent fingers, one through five, in a continuous flow with only one turn after the third finger of each hand in the span of an octave. We know this pattern as the 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 finger pattern ascending in the right hand, and the 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 pattern ascending in the left hand. However, when black keys need to be accessed, the flow of this pattern may not be optimal. Therefore, we must use alternate finger patterns for some piano scales. 

 

One of the rules we want to consider, when playing a scale, is to avoid playing a black key with the thumb. Using the thumb on a black key alters the weight and balance as the hand plays through adjacent keys. This does not support fluid scale passage playing.

 

A second rule we want to consider is using the same finger pattern in the minor key scales (natural, harmonic, and melodic) as we have used in that key’s relative major key. However, again we must keep in mind that a thumb does play on a black key, and this is the area where many novice players struggle with patterns.

 

The last, or third, finger pattern consideration comes into play when we have scales that contain many black keys. When the area of the keyboard where two black keys are positioned between C-D-E, the flow of the pattern favors fingers two and three for the black keys on both hands. And the area of the keyboard where three black keys are grouped together between notes F-G-A-B, favors fingers two, three, and four on the black keys. 

 

Scales that use standard fingering in both hands are:

 

            C major and its relative a minor forms 

            G major and its relative e minor forms

            D major

            A major

            E major

            c minor forms

            g minor forms

            d minor forms

 

b minor, D major’s relative minor key, uses standard fingering in the right hand, but must shift the left-hand fingering to the pattern 4-3-2-1-4-3-2-1 in all forms (harmonic, melodic, and natural.)

 

f# minor, A major’s relative minor key, offers a confusing finger pattern. Logically the left hand would follow the same finger pattern as the A major scale. This would allow us to use the same pattern for all three forms of the minor scale in the left hand 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3. Instead, the third rule is used: L.H. 4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4 all f# minor forms.

 

In the right hand of the f# minor scales, the fingering that would follow the A major pattern looks logical for the natural and harmonic forms and that fingering is used in those forms. However, in the f# melodic pattern ascending in the right hand, we would end up with a thumb on D#. To remedy this the fingering is altered from traditional patterns and the fourth finger is substituted to play the D# on the ascension of the scale with the thumb playing the E#. Then the third finger plays the top F# and the original pattern used in the natural and harmonic forms (which aligns with A major) returns on the descending scale pattern.

R.H. 3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3 harmonic and natural R.H. 3-4-1-2-3-4-1-3 melodic ascending 

 

c# minor, E major’s relative key, follows the same trail as F# minor. 

L.H. 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 for all C# minor forms (this follows the E major finger pattern)

R.H. 3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3 harmonic and natural R.H. 3-4-1-2-3-4-1-3 melodic ascending

 

B major uses standard fingering for the right hand. The left-hand pattern for B major must shift to 4-3-2-1-4-3-2-1 to avoid a thumb on a black key. (You may notice that B major and b minor keys use the same finger patterns in both hands. These keys are not relative to one another, they are parallel to one another.)

 

The g# minor right-hand pattern follows B major fingering for all forms starting on G#, 3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3. The left-hand pattern for the harmonic form and the ascending melodic form is 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 which differs from B major’s pattern. The natural pattern aligns with the B major finger pattern. Melodic ascending, natural descending:   L.H. 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3  

 

Gb major follows the third rule for both hands (the key of F# is enharmonic to Gb)

R.H. 2-3-4-1-2-3-1-2    L.H. 4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4

 

eb minor, Gb major’s relative key, follows Gb major’s pattern in the right and the left hands:

R.H. 3-1-2-3-4-1-2-3   L.H. 2-1-4-3-2-1-3-2  

 

Db major also follows the third rule in its scale finger pattern.

R.H. 2-3-1-2-3-4-1-2    L.H. 4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4

 

bb minor, Db major’s relative key, follow Db major’s finger pattern in all its minor forms starting on the Bb note:

R.H. 4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4    L.H.  2-1-3-2-1-4-3-2

 

Ab Major follows the third rule in the fingering pattern of the right hand. However, in the left hand the fingering pattern is shifted which offers more flow to the left-hand pattern. 

R.H.  3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3    L.H. 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3

 

f minor, Ab major’s relative key, uses the right-hand Ab scale pattern for all three minor forms: R.H. 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4. The left hand of f minor uses the standard finger pattern for all three forms.

 

Eb major uses an unfamiliar pattern in the right 3-1-2-3-4-1-2-3 and the left 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3. The bright spot with this scale pattern is when played in contrary motion (hands together) the finger patterns are symmetrical.

 

Bb major is another unfamiliar finger pattern in both hands. The right-hand finger pattern is 4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4. The left-hand finger pattern 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3. For some students it helps to remember that when the hands play in parallel motion, the R.H. finger 3 is on the note Bb, your left-hand finger 4 will be on Bb as well. Likewise, when your L.H. finger 4 is on Eb your R.H. finger 3 will be on Eb. Focusing on the finger 3-4 combinations can help you remember the finger patterns for this scale.

 

F major uses the standard finger pattern in the left hand. In the right hand the pattern shifts to 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 to avoid using a thumb on the scale tone Bb. (Although unrelated, some like to compare F major’s finger patterns to the B major patterns because they are opposites. In B major the right hand has standard fingering, and the left hand uses the 4-3-2-1-4-3-2-1.) 

 

All Rights Reserved by Dolly Paul and Low Country Studios, Ltd. Co. (c) June 2022

 

 

 

 

Incorporating Theory at All Levels Provides for Lifelong Playing

As a child I remember a classroom music teacher telling us that the musician's work was studying, practicing, performing, and sharing music. I heard that statement again in my undergraduate and graduate music education. The first part of that statement, studying, is the reason I have always made written music theory assignments a part of my students' lessons. Reading about music, thinking about what you just read, and understanding that element of music enough to be able to write it down, takes the application of music (playing on the instrument) to a higher level. 

I love the "aha moments" when students make the connection between what they have learned in a theory assignment to what they are playing on their instrument. It always leads to them being a better and more confident player.

I was surprised when I met private music instructors who did not include music theory, technic, and/or scales in their students' music lessons. And they were just as surprised that I chose to include these elements. 

The oddest parent to teacher experience I have ever had was with a child who came to me from a teacher who had moved on to another field. The parent was very upset that I gave homework to her daughter. She did not understand why the daughter had to do written work and practice on an instrument between lessons. The woman was well educated - but could not comprehend the need to do anything outside of the private music lesson time. She withdrew from my studio and found another teacher that would serve her request. The daughter was not challenged in any way, mentally or emotionally, and was a teenager who had been with the previous private music teacher for a number of years. Sadly, I found that students who had worked with this teacher played everything through rote learning: they could not read music at any level. Many had no knowledge of the key names on the instrument. It really blew my mind that parents had accepted this.

The revelation for me was the fact that there are teachers who charge more than the average fee for private lessons, yet don't provide a full music education...and people accept that. I discovered later on that this approach has actually become a standard method of teaching commercially. Because this method never gives the student reading skills, in order to play even the simplest music score on their instrument would require complete dependence on that teacher showing them how to play by rote. Then, unless the student had an above average memory, they would never be able to play this song again after moving on to a new piece. I see this as a cruel marketing angle - it is not giving a person a music education - and I was shocked to learn it is very common.

When we are young we learn how to spell words, the function of words in a sentence, and how to begin a sentence with a capitalized word and end a sentence with a period, etc. If we did not learn how to read and write, would our conversations be as rich? If we did not know how to put thoughts down on paper, what would life be like? Music is a language, and learning how to use that language from a written function in addition to a kinetic and applied function makes it a full rich skill and language that any private student should be able to access beyond their years of education and training.

An education in music theory needs to start at the first lesson. It can be approached simply and in small bites for the young or challenged learner. And it will allow the student to play independently years after ending their lessons, which is the hope for every student that comes to this studio.

Music Teacher or Music Coach?

Advancing music students often work with a private music teacher as well as a separate music coach.  However, most parents I've come into contact with don't understand the differences between these two positions, or the importance of each to their child's education. While school age children often work with one private instrument teacher who wears both hats, students attending music and arts public schools, and students on professional tracks, need both of these individuals.

Music students in larger cities, where the arts have always prospered, can easily tell you what the function of each music mentor is within their circle. When I worked with children performing in national tours I always knew who to consult for the child's lesson or coaching plans. And I knew my boundaries in my capacity as their teacher, or their coach, for that tour. If I ever slipped into the wrong role those little kids would let me know right away! These students clearly knew what they were supposed to gain from a music teacher and what they were supposed to gain from a music coach. 

Students from smaller towns, who play on progressive sports teams, can tell you very clearly the difference between their private trainer and their coach. I often use sports examples to explain the differences between music education providers to my students. But there are still some parents, and students, who consider anyone who works with them in music education as the child's music teacher. And when the roles become blurred a student's music education can go sideways. I know that many of you have heard a parent say, "Well I just assumed the public school teacher did the same thing so we stopped private lessons - I didn't know." Or had a parent who insisted that one (either the coach or the teacher) be subservient to the other. Not understanding the different roles and importance of each of these music mentors to their child's progress also confuses the student.  

With the push to put the arts into STEM, many communities are seeing the advent of public secondary schools labelled "Arts and/or Music Schools."  While attending a secondary public education in an arts school, a child will continue growing with a private music teacher while the public school teacher becomes the student's music coach. [It is rare to see the student's public school music teacher as their private music teacher and, for ethics reasons, most teachers keep these boundaries clear. But in instances where a student's family may be struggling financially, a public school teacher can also step in as a student's private music teacher.]

So, what is the difference between a music teacher and a music coach?

A teacher is the term for anyone who provides one-on-one music instruction of any kind - instrumental, theoretical, historical, compositional, arranging, et cetera. A teacher is the full-service educator. A teacher builds a student's musical knowledge (theoretical) as well as their playing (applied) abilities. A teacher practices with the student at lessons to help the student understand instruction on how to practice. They develop lesson plans for a student's progressive progress as a musician. They teach a student how to; interpret different periods of music or different composers, how to read music, develop technic on their instrument, performance practices, theory, and some will also offer music history supplements. Lesson assignments will include exercises, practice guidelines, written or reading homework, repertoire selections to build skills, and repertoire selections for upcoming auditions and performances. A private music teacher will find or create performance opportunities for the student. 

A music coach will not teach a student pieces from scratch. Unlike a teacher, where there are regular standing appointments for instruction, a coach often offers appointments as needed. A coach may guide a student with personal artistic choices as they work on a piece of music - and offer guidance on the music the student has already learned with their private teacher at the coaching session. 

A primary or secondary music school teacher often has to wear both hats (teacher and coach) due to the fact that there are families that cannot afford private instrument lessons. Public music school teachers are often found in the roles of: instrument division heads, ensemble directors, band directors, choir directors, theory division heads, and history division heads. In more prestigious arts schools, the public teacher takes the role of a music coach for the student while the student continues to study privately with their own music teacher.  

I have known instances where teachers have unfortunately convinced their professional track students that they don't need a coach and the student no longer seeks out a coach for performance preparations. This is not beneficial for the student and you can see the decline in the student's performance when this happens. I have also known of coaches who bring technic into sessions and start teaching the student. Technic is not an area of coaching. This can confuse a student and/or cause physical injury to a student who has developed under a different playing technic. The best situations I have seen have arisen from teachers and coaches that work together for the benefit of the student, respecting one another's boundaries. This type of teamwork has created some of the most successful performers. 

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Composers for Piano of Asian Heritage

Happy day 9 of the Chinese Lunar New Year!

The Francis Clark Center presented Piano Music by Composers of Asian Heritage this morning. Each composer shared their process and their music that is suitable for early to advanced levels. Here is a brief look at each composer along with information on how to access their music. 

Naoko Ikeda, lives in Sapporo Japan. Her music is published through Willis Music Company. Her complete catalogue is available at the Hal Leonard website. Naoko incorporates the Japanese Scale in her compositions. The melodies are lovely and captivating. One piece I will be ordering for my studio is "Shooting Stars in Summer" from Celestial Dreams. This piece is also available in the RCM (Royal Academy of Music) Level 8 Piano Repertoire. It is a mid-intermediate selection.

Li-ly Chang grew up in Taiwan and now resides in the U.S. Li-ly uses mixed styles of pentatonic, quartile, quintal chords, some jazz and blues flavors, and paints a story with her music. A complete list of Li-Ly Chang's music can be found at Lily Chang Piano. Her late beginner-early intermediate level pieces "Snow Play" and "Grasshopper's Waltz" are fun pieces I hope to incorporate in my studio. 

Chee-Hwa Tan is Malaysian Chinese and now resides in Colorado. Many of her works can be found on Piano Safari. Chee-Hwa's pieces have a strong pedagogical focus and will be fun to learn. Her pieces start from Early Elementary.

Alexina Louie is Canadian Chinese. She uses contemporary composition styles and experiments with pedal resonance in her works. These pieces are wonderful choices for students who are interested in learning about, and performing in, contemporary styles. Alexina's music is available at the Canadian Music Center and Alfred Music. You can visit her personal website Alexina Louie

Learning to Improvise with Basic Jazz Chords and their Scales

One of the first questions students ask me is, "How do I know what notes to use for improvising?" 

Every chord that you see on your lead sheet has come from a scale. We are going to start today by looking at five basic scales you can use to improvise within chord areas on your lead sheets. These five scales are a good start for beginners. As you gain experience you will learn more chords, and more scale choices for each chord. Your teacher has probably started you on a lead sheet that contains the following basic chord forms. We will use the key of C as our example.

Now that you know each chord's name, let's look at the spelling of each of the above chords:

Now refer back to the chord name in the first chart, this is also the scale name we will use. Here is the pattern for each scale in whole steps (W) and half steps (H):

Now we will use those patterns in the key of C so you can see how to use the patterns with any other key:

Within the rhythm of the chord on your lead sheet, you can practice playing the solid chord, in any inversion in your left hand, and improvising over that chord using the corresponding scale notes in your right hand. Take your time. Enjoy the process. 

Reasons for Recitals

Happy 2022! I am moving into this new year like a turtle. And, I have decided that is okay! 

There has been a lot of discussion on private music instructor boards as to why we give recitals. And in this post, I want to highlight some of the reasons I believe group performances are important for students. But first I want to give a broad view of the contrasting opinions about recitals, or public performances, I have read from other private music teachers. 

Some believe recitals are important for students and offer online and in-person opportunities when possible at their own expense. Some teachers have a belief that it is too much work for the teacher and an archaic practice: They believe students should find their own performance platforms as part of the learning experience. Other teachers believe it is an expense that should be payed for by parents, instead of instructors, through the sale of tickets. And there are many other thoughts and opinions from teachers from around the world. Every teacher has a solid reason for the way they decide to, or decide not to, offer recital opportunities for their students. I am an advocate for live performances arranged by the studio instructor. I believe there are important benefits that are provided to students from participation in live performances.

Music performance is a living art form that happens in the present and can never be reproduced identically. Music has historically brought people together to experience a live art form. So much of what we experience as art today is preserved. What I mean by that is most music is pre-recorded for distribution; mp3s, videos, etc. Those are wonderful ways of sharing music, but the music is not alive in those forms. Live music is art in the now that can not be replicated. It combines with the  sense of place - people, smells, temperature, lighting, architecture of the room, attitude of the audience, attitude of the musicians, etc.   That unpredictable set of circumstances joins with the live music performance creating the art form in that singular moment. That is the beauty of live music, and that is one of the most important reasons why we study and perform live music for others.

Performing live music builds community. The students, who may never see any other students from a music studio, come together for a common purpose. The students meet, the families meet, and together with the instructor a new community is built. Young students are able to hear older students who may be at their same level. The realization that age and background has no place in art is often a boon to children and adult students alike. Anyone can be a beginner at any age, and any one can be more accomplished at any age. This gives a new feeling of support to each student, and the families also feel a bond with other musical families.

Affirmations of goals met. When a student practices, does the work, shows up, and plays for others, that is a measurable goal that is important for the student, families, and community who can see and affirm that the musician is growing and becoming more proficient at their art.

Education for the outsider. Over the years I have had people approach me who have "wandered" into a recital. Most have never heard a live student recital and they share how they become involved with each performer as they watch and listen. They begin to feel like they are a part of the collective and experience the energy of the room as each student's personality is revealed in their performance.

Student recitals/concerts are very important because they: provide a living art form, build community, provide for goal setting and affirmations, educate outsiders. 

Keep encouraging your students toward live opportunities! 

The Season of Music

We had a great time together on December 5th sharing music that first time performers bravely shared with family and friends. Adults and Children joined in to share Holiday Favorites and more. Congratulations to these musicians! And a special thanks to Annie O Love's Cafe of Sweet Abundance for allowing us to occupy her fun space for this event.

How Long Should It Take To Get Through A Method Book?

A question I am often asked by young teachers is, "How long should it take my students to get through each method book?" The short answer is 3 - 9 months. The long answer is, it depends on the family. (You thought I was going to say it depends on the student.)

The average student needs parental help to schedule, maintain, and support  their music practice and scholastic homework through the age of eleven years. This is the same for after school athletic activities. 

It is interesting to note that athletic coaches realized (about 35 years ago) that parents were no longer encouraging dance and sports routine practice between lessons. Dance studios and soccer coaches took the lead in restructuring private coaching sessions and team classes as a requirement on more than one day a week to be accepted as a student. 

Private Music Studios in Today's Climate

The daily email blasts from professional music organizations and music teaching studio employers, regarding the pandemic, is enough to keep any instructor scratching their head.

Everyone wants to know when in-person lessons will truly be safe again. Teachers are doing their best to make informed choices with guidelines set forth by the organizations that insure them and/or, the businesses that employ them. It can be overwhelming - especially for beginning teachers. Fortunately, there are a number of private music teacher boards that have popped up during the pandemic and have been a welcome help in sorting out the guidelines and regulations. The biggest message to teachers from all of the organizations around the World is this, "Don't let business owners, students, or parents bully you." Parents are beyond stressed and businesses want people coming through their doors. You have to remember that they are under a lot of pressure, too. 

You are responsible to all of your students, their families, yourself, and your family: Keep that in mind when deciding what the best choice is for your studio size and student load.

I have put all of the information that is current to me into bullet points for my colleagues. Keep in mind that all of this can change tomorrow. Keep in mind that there are teachers who flirt with regulations and will not be following the guidelines. And, keep in mind that it is wise to do your own research to decide what is comfortable for your studio's wellness. 

Guidelines and regulations for going back to in-person lessons in a public studio (This is for a multi-room facility where you may work for another party as an employee, or on a teaching commission):

• The teacher will be in a studio large enough to accommodate two people (student and teacher), and two separate instruments, with a distance of 7 feet between the student and teacher. 
• The scheduling gap time between students, for air circulation and disinfecting of common surfaces, is now 15 minutes. You will need to re-arrange your students' lesson times if you were on a 30 minute block schedule.
• In the case of smaller instruments, teachers may alternate between two studios to avoid the 15 minute gap. When doing this, the studio that is empty needs to remain empty with the door open for circulation. 
• Each studio room should have a filtration or air flow system out of the room.
• The choice to wear, or not wear, a mask is under the supervision of the local government: Where there is no local government mandate, the business owner, and the private instructor, will set the guideline. 
• The choice to request proof of vaccination for students 12 years of age and older is at the discretion of the public business owner and/or the instructor. Students younger than 12 years of age may be asked to present a negative covid test before each lesson.
• Wind, Brass, and Voice instruments are heavily cautioned. Voice is completely restricted by the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and the American Choral Directors Society. Wind and Brass may continue with full instrument coverage and plexiglas separation between teacher and student. Again keeping the 7 feet separation.
• No other siblings, students, or guardians should be in the room. The space is limited to two persons.
• If a student becomes ill and tests positive within two days following a lesson, all students with following lesson times on that same day need to be contacted for testing and possible quarantine. Individuals can spread the infection up to two days before showing symptoms. The teacher will need to be tested and quarantine. (This may be problematic if the parent does not consider contacting the business or the instructor.)

Single, In Home, Teaching Studios:

All of the Comments and Guidelines for public studios apply.

• Only the student should enter the home of the instructor. Siblings and parents/guardians are expected to wait outside, or in their vehicle.
• Students are not allowed early entry. Instruct parents to park and wait with their child in their vehicle if they arrive early. (Texting the student when you are prepared for them is recommended.)
• If the student appears ill or feverish they must not be admitted. Teachers  may need to meet students outside to assess each student before bringing the student inside. (For homes with a covered porch, a waiting area can be set up outside of the home on the porch.)
• When a student's time is complete the student leaves the instructor's residence and waits outside for their parent/guardian to pick them up. 
• The instructor will schedule a 15 minute block between students to clean common surfaces and air out the studio room. 
• In transferring back to in person sessions it will become evident that there is less time for in person lessons than online lessons. Most 30 minute in-person lessons average 20 minutes of work. The remaining time is used for removing shoes and jackets, arranging books and supplies, washing hands, using the restroom, settling in, etc.  
• You will need to close the student's lesson up to 5 minutes earlier to allow them to gather their belongings, put on shoes or jackets, etc., for timely exit so preparations can be made for the next student.
• Remind parents to have their children use the restroom before arriving at your home studio to avoid extra time in disinfecting the restroom between students.
• Payments should be taken through electronic means. Encourage parents to speak with you through emails or texts to allow for as much lesson time as possible for their child.  

Private music teachers in the U.S. appear to be the most unsure of the regulations that guide their profession at this time. Private music teachers from other countries are showing a more clear and more unified understanding of what their countries have directed. (This may also be due to the fact that other countries have heavier licensing and education requirements for private music teachers than the U.S.)

Everyone's decision process will be different. I am online to stay for a few reasons; 

• I have had at least one student every month who has been exposed or has been ill. (If I had been teaching in-person I would have had to go through a number of quarantines myself and all of my local  students would have been exposed.) 
• I have students that live too far outside of the area for in-person lessons. 
• Expanding 30-6o minute blocks to teaching blocks with an additional 15 minute "clearing block", just won't work for many of my students who already have to shuffle times between extra curricular activities. 

Having said why I am staying online, and knowing that I will always have online students, I still really miss seeing my younger students in person. Like most of you, I keep watching the information that is coming out from specialists that our professional organizations consult, every day. And I know that tomorrow everything can change again. 

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Stay centered and keep in touch. I would be interested in knowing if you have; discontinued teaching and are considering returning at a later time, are staying online, or have found a safe way to return to in person teaching. Send your comments and questions to: LowCountryStudios@yahoo.com.

Here is more info from Guitar Center and Music & Arts:

At the Guitar Center Company, we are learning and doing our part together to protect our Associates, customers, and communities from the spread of COVID-19.

 

If you have felt scared, angry, overwhelmed, confused, or all of the above as a result of the virus, you are not alone. Your health and safety are our top priority, and we want to equip you with tools and resources to help keep you informed.

 

How Do Viruses Spread Between People?

 

Viruses rely on living things to survive, and their goal is to spread. While they can live a very brief time on surfaces without living cells, they will die quickly if they do not have a live host to latch onto.

 

Imagine a house guest that comes over uninvited, never leaves, dirties up your house, and gets really comfy on your clean furniture. That is what the virus does to your cells.

Once a virus is in a host cell, its mission is to reproduce as much as possible until the living host’s immune system kicks in and stops it. When you are sick, your body goes through a cycle of symptoms that get progressively worse before (hopefully) getting better. That is because when a virus invades, it easily spreads, causing anything from minor colds to serious diseases. When finally stopped, it—along with its copies—packs its bags and moves to attack another unsuspecting host.

 

Viruses travel from one live host cell to another through infectious droplets (from sneezing, coughing, or talking) on surfaces or in the air. When someone encounters the droplets, they can get infected. If that happens, the virus can easily pass from one person to the next through close proximity or being indoors with other people.

 

After the first sign of symptoms, viruses can be contagious for up to two weeks. They can also start to spread before people realize they are sick. For those who are asymptomatic, they never develop any symptoms of illness and are often unaware that they are carrying a contagious virus. And, for those with weakened immune systems, they can spread viruses for even longer because they may not have the capacity to fight the virus in the same way as someone with a stronger immune system.

What is a Variant?

 

Delta or Lambda – what does it mean? There are times during virus reproduction when the copy made is not a perfect replicate. This is normal and expected virus behavior. What happens, though, is that the virus changes and then proceeds to make additional copies of this now “new” virus. The changed virus is what is referred to as a variant, and in the case of the Delta variant, it is more infectious than other coronavirus strains, spreading faster with the potential for differing symptoms.

 

6 Ways to Protect Your Loved Ones from Viruses

 

Viruses can be devastating for communities, and deadly. It is up to us to do what we can to protect those around us and prevent viruses from creating a destructive, domino effect or outbreak, as in the case of COVID-19.

 

Here are a few measures that each of us can start or continue doing:

 

1. Get vaccinated – Get a COVID-19 vaccine to help protect you and others.
2. Wash your hands – Throughout the day, frequently wash your hands with soap and water – 20 seconds is the magic number. If soap and water is not available, hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol is the next best option.
3. Don’t touch your face – Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, especially with unwashed hands or after touching surfaces.
4. Clean and disinfect – Using a disinfectant, clean high traffic surfaces such as countertops, doorknobs, tables or desks, faucets, handles, etc.
5. Keep a distance – Maintain social distancing while in public and avoid close contact with those who are sick.
6. Wear a mask – It is the easiest thing we can do to ensure that our communities are safe.

Why Are Vaccines Important?

 

In a vaccinated community, a virus has little to no chance of survival. Vaccines have played a significant role in eliminating deadly and highly contagious viral infections, such as measles and polio. They not only stop them from spreading but can prevent the replication that causes variants. When you get vaccinated, you are protecting yourself, your family, and everyone else.

*Not everyone can be vaccinated, age, and medical history, may prohibit vaccination. If you are well and can vaccinate but still have questions, talk with your physician about your concerns.