Easter Holiday Ideas.

The 2 week Easter holidays are a great chance to keep up your piano skills and catch up on your practice. For those eager to gain points in the Points Mean Prizes scheme you could perform at your own family concert and gain some extra points! Plan a programme of your favourite 3- 5 pieces ( if you play another instrument as well as the piano you could play that as well. If you have a family member who plays an instrument you could share it with them). Design and write the programme, play to your audience and remember to bow when they clap. Come back next term with your programme and tell me all about it. Another way to gain extra points is to complete 2 Listening Forms. Choose something from YouTube or Spotify to listen to (there are some ideas on a previous post) and fill in one of the Listening Forms. Bring it to me next term:

Music Listening       Your name...................

Beginners to g3 level.

 

Title:

Composer:

Instruments you can hear:

 

This piece is performed by:

Choir    Orchestra    Soloist    Band   

Other.................................

The tempo is:

Fast    Medium    Slow    Getting faster    Getting slower

The dynamic is:

Piano    Mezzo forte    Forte    Crescendo   Diminuendo

The style is:

Classical    Pop    Jazz    Rock and roll    Opera    Other...........................

This music made me feel:

Music Listening          Your name.............

Grade 4 + pupils

Title:

Composer:

Date of composition:

What instruments do you hear?

 

Who is performing the piece?

 

Describe the mood of the piece:

Is it major or minor?

What is the tempo?

What is the dynamic?

How would you describe the style?

 

What words would you use to describe it?

 

 

How did it make you feel?

 

 

Music Education Expo at the Barbican next Thursday and Friday.

If you are involved in music education in any way the Music Education Expo at the Barbican next Thursday and Friday is a must! Free prof dev with lots of trade stands, giveaways , performances, workshops and talks by eminent musicians and educators.

I will be speaking, with my business partner John, as team Yohondo, on Practical Psychology for Piano Teachers : http://musiceducationexpo.shdlr.com/conferences/talk/11263

We will share useful and practical ideas for understanding and motivating piano pupils, ideas that work for all ages, stages and lesson circumstances. We can't wait!

Free flashcards for beginners to grade 3 level pupils.

Learning to recognise and name the notes is vital. These free flash cards will help:

http://www.composecreate.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/giant-flashcards1.pdf

Pieces that piano pupils have listened to so far.

Here are some of the pieces that piano pupils have listened to so far this term. You could listen to them via YouTube and complete a listening sheet during the half term break:

Happy by Pharrell Williams

Wedding Day at Troldhagen by Grieg

Sabre Dance by Kachaturian

Clowning around by Kabalevsky

Horn concerto by Mozart

Celebration by Kool and the gang

Fanfare for the common man by Copland

Cello suite in C by Bach

Canon by Pachelbel

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

Hungarian Rhapsody no.2 Liszt.

Points Mean Prizes Update.

Points mean prizes is going really well! Pupils ( adults as well as children) are enjoying being rewarded for their efforts and their skills, and good piano practice habits are being built. Just a quick plea to parents to remind and encourage practice, and to sign when 5 days or more has been done. You could email me if you forget.

I was delighted to award the first certificates for 20 points and 2 prizes for 25 points

this week. These pupils practise for 5 or 6 days each week, regularly complete listening sheets, memorise their pieces and read their practice diaries diligently. Well done Joely, Charlie, Amelia and Oliver! I look forward to awarding many more after the half term break!

Parents Practice Guide-for beginner pianists and their parents.

Establishing a pleasant and successful piano,practice routine is not easy but this link gives some good tips:

http://www.teachpianotoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Parents-Practice-Guide.pdf

Steps to help beginner pianists memorise their pieces.

My Points Mean Prizes scheme gives you 2 Bonus Points when you can play a piece from memory. Memorising becomes easier if you can sing and clap the piece, if you can explain all the signs and terms on the music, if you know what key or keys it is in, and what is happening when. Also if you practise pieces in sections, hands separately and slowly.

When you have learnt a piece and want to memorise it, try these steps:

1. Play the piece or the section with the music in front of you.

2. Play the piece with the music open at the side of you so that you can refer to it if you need to.

3. Play the piece with the music at the side of you but shut. Only open it if you get really stuck.

4. By now you're probably getting really good at memorising your piece so try it eyes shut- yes, eyes shut!

5. The final way which you may want to try, is a technique that athletes use- visualisation. Sit quietly with your eyes shut. Can you visualise your fingers playing the piece, playing the correct keys with the right fingers all the way through the section or piece? If you can then you are well on the way to memorising your piece.