This blog presents a series of teaching ideas for War Dance by Kabalevsky (from his collection 30 Children’s Pieces Op.27)… … and with a title like this there is plenty of scope for the imagination! So what springs to mind when you think of the title ‘War Dance’? Totem poles. Feather headbands. Open, dusty plains. Buffalo. […]
Do some of your students struggle to find their motivation? Can lesson after lesson go past without any worthwhile practice happening? In the worst case scenario, do some students stop having lessons completely? So often learning the piano starts so well; beaming and joyful students with heaps of motivation and so eager and willing to […]
How long have you been teaching the piano? If it is three or more years you’ve probably got a good sense of how fluid or stable your pupil numbers are. I wonder if you have noted any changes or trends in the number of adults starting lessons for example? Last week I looked at […]
Are less children and adults starting to learn the piano these days? It’s a question that I have been asked on several occasions and up till now I’ve always had to say that I don’t honestly know. The recent decline in A level and GCSE Music in the UK is well documented with […]
We piano teachers, we’re all the same. We love our printable resources! So for this month’s ‘Teaching Ideas’ video, I thought I’d design a student workbook to accompany the piece I’ve chosen to present to you: Louise Chamberlain’s Watermark, currently on the Grade 2 LCM Exams piano syllabus. WATERMARK BY LOUISE CHAMBERLAIN Did you know […]
Can you sing the opening motif of Beethoven’s 5th symphony? Or for something a little lighter what about Karen Carpenter singing I’m On The Top Of The World or Queen strutting their stuff with Bohemian Rhapsody? Whatever you chose there’s a good chance that you sang it at the right pitch. Does that mean you […]
I love teaching piano pieces with imaginative titles or back-stories! And today we’re flying off inside an enchanted trunk (suitcase)… If you’re curious, I invite you to grab a coffee and watch this 25 minute video where I walk (or should that be fly) you through 5 teaching points for Yvonne Adair’s imaginative little piece […]
At what age did you start learning the piano? MY STORY My lessons began aged 8 when one of the teachers at my school remarked to my parents that: ‘Sally sings loudly in assembly – maybe she should learn an instrument?’ Once lessons began I made quite swift progress through the grades arriving at […]
Have you ever been curious about how other piano teachers go about teaching repertoire? During my early days as a teacher I struggled to teach repertoire in colourful and creative ways. Finding ways to present pieces to students in musically meaningful ways didn’t always come easily. Ultimately, it was my observation of other teachers’ ideas […]
Are you a teacher who is ready to move on? ‘”Anyone can teach the piano in the UK.” When I tell people this they are amazed: “What? Anyone?” Then I have to go through the explanation that piano teaching is unregulated, teachers don’t need to have any qualifications and people are often asked to teach […]