The last day of the Christmas holidays in London was unexpectedly sunny, crisp and breezy. After the departure of some visitors, my husband Robert and I were about to go out for a walk and some tea and cake, when he suddenly pointed to a patch of light on the wall behind me. The reflections from the garden of waving branches and the wrought iron of a clothes post were casting flickering shadows onto the wall in an astonishing fashion, almost like a silent movie. Robert grabbed his iPhone and captured some video. “You could use that for a film-poem, “ I remarked, thinking about the beautiful short videos some friends had made recently.
When we got home from our walk, I began improvising to the footage on the piano, while Robert, listened and wrote. Within twenty minutes, we both had something. Remarkably, when Robert read his poem aloud, it was exactly the same length as the video footage. He recorded it, using the free application Audacity, and then I recorded my part onto a different track so that we could experiment with individual volume and color.
I’m not a recording engineer, but I know what works when I hear it. In this case, I knew we needed to take the ‘edge’ off the sound on both tracks. It took a little while to find the right effect for the piano part. It wasn’t until Robert added a little reverb that it harmonized with the imagery. It sounded as if it had been recorded many years ago in a dusty, cavernous ballet studio on a slightly tinny upright. Perfect. Read more…
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Posted in Composing & Arranging, Music & Technology, Performing
Many of my students are ‘first generation’ musicians, meaning that they come from families where no one learnt an instrument. Consequently, there usually isn’t a culture of concert attendance in their families. Access to live music is vital for inspiring students, reminding them of the results of countless hours of practice, teaching them performance etiquette and refreshing their interest and passion. Read more…
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Posted in Performing, Promoting Your Studio, Teaching Tips, Using Music Teacher's Helper
Based on a Novel Idea by Wendy Stevens.
In her recent website newsletter, Wendy Stevens described a holiday project she designed. She asked her piano students to learn the theme of the “Jingle Bell” chorus and create a variation. Each arranger was filmed debuting his/her arrangement and made into a lovely video.
Fortunately, Wendy shares her marvelous teaching ideas and inspirations on her unique website www.composecreate.com. Subscribing to her free newsletter provides me with numerous ideas and resources. I must give full credit to her for the subject of this blog and am so thankful to find her as a continual resource of inspiration.
The Plot
When preparing for the upcoming holiday recital, lesson time can be zapped by ironing out wrinkles in performance pieces or drilling the performance etiquette routine. Little time is left for covering new concepts or new pieces. This calls for an assignment that captures the students’ attention, challenges their creativity and that can be accomplished in a short amount of time.
The Production
The following steps were taken to prepare students:
1) A lead sheet featuring the melody and chord symbols was reviewed. Early level students were provided with a simple LH version.
2) For inspiration, students were asked to listen to Mozart’s Twelve Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” and follow along with the score. Next they watched the youtube video of Wendy’s students. (As I offer 30-minute lessons with a 30-minute lab time, this was assigned during the lab time and did not take away from lesson time.) Read more…
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Posted in Composing & Arranging, Music & Technology, Music Theory, Performing, Promoting Your Studio, Teaching Tips, Using Music Teacher's Helper
I care what you DO want.
Why do we spend so much time worrying about what we don’t want in life (& singing)? I learned SO much from my three days with Shirlee Emmons at an Arizona NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) workshop in 2007 that it is still influencing my thoughts of how I approach life and teaching. Her book Power Performance for Singers, co-written with sports psychologist Alma Thomas, focuses on how to think so that we perform better. Unfortunately, we lost Shirlee in 2010, but her thoughts and words are still a daily inspiration to many throughout the singing community.
One of the biggest thoughts I learned from Shirlee that I try to focus on, in singing, teaching & life in general, is that “We don’t care what we don’t want.” Basically, let’s not focus on what went wrong, let’s focus on what went right and how to repeat it. To that end, I ask questions of both myself and my students: What happened? What worked? What could you do to make it better? Where did the sound go? How did it feel? How did it sound? What were you thinking about? Read more…
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Posted in Performing, Practicing, Teaching Tips
I just finished producing a song interpretation workshop here in LA led by Tony-winner Betty Buckley.
I studied with Betty about ten years ago in NYC, and many of the tools I learned from her I use consistently as a performer.
I want to share with you lesson one from Betty’s workshop…redefining fear….I hope it will be helpful for you and your clients.
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Posted in Performing, Teaching Tips
When reading through other blog posts on MTH this month I notice that the focus is on ‘back to school’ for most of the writers. Down here in the Southern Hemisphere we’re in the second half of the teaching year and my students are currently in the thick of the eisteddfod/competition season and are looking ahead to the end of year exam sessions in a few months time. Consequently, the focus in my studio over the past month has been memorisation. Read more…
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Posted in Performing, Practicing, Teaching Tips
My students tell me they aren’t ready. And I admit that I’m really not ready, either. But back to school is coming fast. For some areas, school has already begun. Our local schools, however, have a few more weeks of freedom, and I have a few more weeks to get myself ready. Even though I don’t really want to see the end of summer, I do love the excitement of new books, new backpacks, and especially, new pencils. Don’t you? I’m like a piano teacher in a music store when I walk through the back to school aisle.
This year in the studio, we’re going to break out of our lesson book rut and make lessons more exciting and fun. I’ve been evaluating my teaching skills, my studio space, and the materials that I’ve been using. Since I want to grow my studio by at least 15 students, I know I need to step it up and make my studio a place where students want to be. Here are some of the changes that I’m making this school year.
Enthusiasm. Over the past year, I’ve really seen how enthusiasm on my part goes a long way to motivate and excite my students. So I’m going to work towards being more enthusiastic during lessons – from the time I greet my students at the door until the the time they leave. It also means keeping the studio space fun and exciting, too.
Read more…
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Posted in Music & Technology, Performing, Professional Development, Studio Management, Teaching Tips
Why should I exercise and eat a healthy diet?
Health matters. As a singer, the body IS the instrument. If the muscles are weak, if energy is low, then the voice doesn’t have a chance.
Increasingly, I have found myself telling my students that taking the time to exercise is as important as practice time. In fact, I’ve told them that if they only have 10 minutes a day, they should spend that time working out rather than practicing.
Take time for cardio. Work the abs. Even more, work the BACK strength. Especially in singing, the abs should be strong, but if the back muscles are weak, the abs collapse from lack of resistance. Strong leg muscles support the torso, creating a balanced body. A balanced body frees up the abdominal muscles to support the breath. Strong intercostal and oblique rib muscles, created through twisting exercises, allow for increased control of the descent of the diaphragm.
I have heard many excuses (including from myself): Read more…
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Posted in Performing, Practicing, Teaching Tips
I am currently in rehearsals for a show at Laguna Playhouse called I Left My Heart: A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett.
The show charts the course of Tony Bennett’s career, and we get to sing some of the most beloved tunes in the American Songbook.
Working on these arrangements (by the brilliant Vince DiMura) and listening to how Mr. Bennett interpreted them over the years, I’m so struck by how much joy, heart, and honesty he gives every note and word.
It seems that he literally luxuriates in the music.
Got me thinking about how we as teachers have an opportunity in every lesson to share with our students the sheer joy of music making.
When we do, we encourage them to explore their own love and passion for music as well…and hopefully they will pass that gift to audiences in their performances.
We are lucky ducks, we music teachers…we spend our days in the beauty of music and sharing that with our students…easy to forget what a great gift that is.
So, let’s all remember what a incredible job we have…and let’s not ever squash the pure joy that comes from making good music…in ourselves or our students.
Now check out this video of Mr. Bennett!
Tony Bennett Fly Me To the Moon
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Posted in Performing, Teaching Tips
The Search
This month I am closing my West Coast Vocal Studio and heading to the East Coast. As I prepared to do this, I wanted to assist my students in the process of selecting a new teacher. I hope the letter below is helpful to some of you!
Hello Dear Singers and Families,
Well it is that time! As we begin to prepare our move and I close my west coast studio, it is now time to refer you to other teachers.
I am copying all of you on this list of teachers, and recommending one for each of you to try first. I have taken into account the following aspects of both you and the teachers I am recommending, including :
1. Personality
2. Skill level
3. Strengths and weaknesses
4. I encourage you to give the teacher I chose for you a try first, and if you are not comfortable, try another.
It is fine to “date” multiple teachers for a few lessons while you determine your new path, but not to be “engaged” to more than one- that is not acceptable private teacher behavior.
1. Be up front that you are shopping for a new teacher, tell them I recommended you if I did, and try them a few times.
2. When you have settled on the teacher you think is the best fit for you, then tell them you have decided.
3. This “dating process” is a two way street. If the teacher feels they cannot help you or your personalities do not fit, they can say “no thanks” as well. Do not take this personally, as it is part of the matching up process! You want your teacher to be at their best, and you want to be at your best, and if your personalities and skills don’t mesh, learning may be a struggle. Read more…
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Posted in Financial Business, Music & Technology, Performing, Practicing, Promoting Your Studio, Studio Management, Teaching Tips
