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.

We both could hear that Robert’s voice was also cutting through the texture in a way that sounded too immediate, modern and dynamic. When he equalized it, using an effect called RCA Victor 1947, it all came together. He then exported it as a wav file, and dragged it into iMovie, an easy-to-use Mac application.

Result: a film-poem in one evening. If only making art could be this easy and graceful every time.

During the following week, Robert discovered that there were free time-lapse applications available for the iPhone, and shot some footage from his office window high over the city, using an app called Gorillacam. As he wrote on his blog, www.robertpeake.com,  “Yesterday, with the help of an iPhone app, I propped my phone by the window for several hours and set it to take pictures six times per minute. I composited these images into video at 24 frames per second using Quicktime, then looped the clip back-and-forth, adjusted the colour, and added a panning and zooming effect using iMovie.”

Meanwhile, I was thinking about how best to reflect the images in sound. As I watched the flickering footage at the weekend, I realized that what one often hears accompanying time-lapse cityscapes are minimalistic, repetitive, fast-moving patterns. I wondered what it would be like to go for the polar opposite. I created a slow chord sequence aiming to mirror at once the golden light of the buildings, and the creepy effect of the looping footage.  When Robert read the poem simultaneously with the music, the rhythm of the chordal sequence tended to pull at the poem. However, when we recorded them on separate tracks, they worked beautifully when juxtaposed. Hey presto, another film-poem!

Click to watch “Upon Arrival”

So why am I recounting this on a music teachers’ blog? Well, it seems to me that there are new opportunities here for us to work creatively with students. Imagine a student shooting video footage on their phone during the week, bringing it to the lesson, and then using it as a basis for improvisation. Or, equally, bringing a poem to record on a separate track. It is so easy now to use these applications to create something convincing. This could then be posted on youtube or easily shared on Facebook with their friends. So much of what we do as musicians is temporary, created in a moment and then disappearing once more. Preserving these creative events can be immensely satisfying.

What kinds of creative collaboration inspire you? What kind of applications have you discovered to use with students?  I’d love to hear your experiences.

This list of recommended performances is included in my first newsletter of the year. I write a brief blurb about each concert, making reference to the style or genre and the performer, so that parents can decide if the performance is appropriate for their child. In the weeks leading up to a concert that I think is particularly of interest, I will often send out a reminder group email. This is very easy to do via the Music Teachers Helper email function. Using this function, I can also glance through my list of students and ‘tick the box’ of the students who I believe would most benefit from a particular performance. I also like to include YouTube links of the performer or repertoire in these emails.

As a follow up to these performances, I always discuss them with my students in the next lesson. If any students are interested, they are welcome to contribute a short review of the performance in my next newsletter. This helps students to think critically about the music they have heard and aids in developing a musical vocabulary to express their ideas.

If you have any further ideas on developing a concert attendance culture in your studio, please leave a comment below.

Image: nuchylee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1824

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.)

3) A checklist of composition devices was given to charge up the creative juices. About 5 minutes of lesson time was taken to prod students’ idea bank. We looked over a list of various moods that sparked the imagination engines. Most were inspired to borrow ideas from their current pieces which boosted their confidence as they were not starting with a blank slate. Additional ideas included varying the melody with neighbor tones, repeated notes, rhythmic changes and using standard LH patterns they encounter on a regular basis. Students were encouraged to keep it simple. However, they know I am a huge fan of intros and outros (codas), so most added them to please the teacher

4) Pianists (arrangers) were asked to return to the next lesson with a completed variation.

Action!

The following week was like Christmas as each student “unwrapped” his/her variation for me. Some were perfected and camera-ready, some even had more than one variation, while others needed last-minute tweaking to work out rhythm or harmony issues.

Recording each student usually took more than one “take” but they did seem relieved to know that only their hands would be filmed. They were all reminded to use their best hand position but  some were quite surprised with what they saw while watching their own video. (Note to self: pull out this camera more often–a picture can say so much more than words!)

Cut!

After accumulating the clips, they all headed to the editing table (iMovie). Every student who participated was included in the final cut, however there were so many that a ‘sequel’ was needed.

The Editor’s cut features the top twelve variations (yes, it was hard to choose!). It was just added to my Music Teachers Helper website, a great way to showcase the latest studio activities.

This is the first of MANY similar projects. It offered an opportunity to cover theory topics like the theme and variation form, primary chords, secondary chords, modality, composition techniques…the list goes on. The students enjoyed the creativity and seeing their names and hands “up in lights”–watch out Hollywood!

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?

The exact questions I ask differ, depending on the basic learning style of my student.  Sometimes we have to focus on feeling.  Sometimes it’s a color.  Sometimes it not thinking at all & just letting the sound happen.  But then, I ask questions of how we got there & we try to replicate it a minimum of 3 times (the amount of time it takes for the body to learn a new action).  But, while I am exacting (my students know that something they’ll hear from me time & again is “That was good, now give me more!”), I also always try to say things in a positive language.  This means that I focus on what we have and where we’re going, rather than what went wrong.  If we reinforce the correct physicalization in the voice, then ultimately the bad habits fall by the wayside without us having focused on them & given them more weight than they needed.

Because the voice is part of the automatic nervous system, what we think has a HUGE impact in how the sound is produced.  The other side of the “think positive” equation (besides creating a more supportive environment) is the fact that studies have shown the brain doesn’t “understand” a negative directive.  This means that when we tell our students “Don’t gasp,”  the brain hears “Gasp.”  The negative (don’t) is not computed at the same time as the directive.  So, I try to state the same thing in terms of what we DO want (a positive directive), such as “Inhale slowly, directly off of the sound so the muscles engage easily.”  Now, that takes a bit more time to say, but it’s clearly exactly what we want – if I had just said “Don’t gasp,” then I would also need to say what we do want.  We don’t care what we don’t want – it’s a waste of our time and energy.  State clearly what we want, figure out how best to get there, & think THOSE lovely thoughts.

Concern yourself with where you’re going & what you want (and how best to get there!).  Anything else is a waste of your time and energy.

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.

Think about some of the ways you feel (or used to feel), say, when you are about to perform or audition…faster heart rate, sweaty palms, shaky legs or hands, tension around the neck and throat, forgetting to breathe, feeling like you leave your body…I’m sure you have your own list.

Ok, so we all remember health class at some point when we learned (between dodging spit wads) about the fight or flight mechanism. Maybe you were feeling it in health class. Middle school is not the best of times, you know.

Back in the day, when we early humans learned that the sabre-tooth tiger could kill us, we figured out that we either needed to create a weapon to protect ourselves, or we needed to get the heck outa there. Fight or flight.

The thing is, our bodies interpret the performance situation in a similar manner…our brain automatically kicks into survival mode, and we have the overwhelming instinct to protect ourselves…or like I said, get the heck out.

Ok, now go into an audition or on a stage and be vulnerable and open.

Right? So here is the useful tool…When your heart starts to pound and you feel the adrenaline start to surge in your body, say THANK YOU. Seriously….thank you, body, for giving me the energy to do a great job.

When you define this state as a good and helpful one, which it is, then you won’t freak out and clamp down on it…which will obviously just make your performance tense, unsatisfying, and terrible.

When you define the adrenaline surge as good and helpful, you’ll relax, soften, breathe, and let the energy do great things for you.

This does take practice. And there are lots of other tools that are simple and help you do this. Over time it’s totally do-able and you’ll start to appreciate and enjoy your adrenaline.

What are some of the tools you’ve developed when the adrenaline surge happens? And what helpful tips do you teach your clients?

Happy Labor Day Weekend everyone!

There are many reasons to memorise music. Firstly, when music is known from memory students are usually able to perform with more freedom and fluency. Secondly, memorising the music is good performance practice (and traditionally, tradition is as good a justification as any!). Thirdly, it presents a good image for your audience. I personally think it is a gracious gesture to the composer and audience to show that you have put enough time and effort into a piece that you are able to present it from memory. And lastly, it’s a great workout for my students’ brains!

So how do I go about teaching memorisation? I integrate memory work in my studio from the early lessons, so that students never question why they need to do it, and they don’t doubt that they can do it. If you start early on, when students are learning short pieces that usually contain a lot of repetition, it isn’t as daunting for as being asked to memorise for the first time ever later in your musical career (I speak from experience here). I also make sure that students memorise as they learn, rather than leaving it all until the end of the piece. So they may memorise the first phrase or section of the music weeks before they have even started to learn the rest of the piece.

Before the memorisation process begins, I make sure that students can play the section of the music complete with every detail, consistently. As well as knowing the notes & rhythms, this also includes knowing correct fingering, phrasing, style, articulation and dynamics. This seems obvious to a teacher, but many students seem to think of these details as secondary. I always explain to my students that incorrect dynamics, phrasing, articulation or style sound as ‘wrong’ to me as incorrect pitches sound to them.

The next step in the memorization process is to spend time with the score, away from the instrument. Analysis is vital. Students need to have a thorough understanding of the form of the piece. Look for repetition, sequences and other patterns. A good understand of harmony will help your fingers head to the correct chord shapes. Listening to recordings is also useful, as it teaches you ear what to expect next. Once your ear knows the music, the fingers will follow.

When it comes to physically sitting down and playing from memory, the result is influenced by solid preparation and student confidence. For students who struggle to believe that they can play a piece from memory, I usually just take the book away from them while they are playing and see how far they continue playing before they realise and stop. This is a great way to prove to students that they know more than they realise. Some students find it helpful to try to imagine the way the music looks on the page as they play. The need for this mental image diminishes as their confidence grows.

Before every attempt at playing from memory, spend a few minutes familiarizing yourself with the score. Not playing, just looking. Do this prior to performing from memory also. Think of it like looking at a map before you set out on a trip. You’re reminding yourself of the overall geography and general direction you need to head, the order of the towns along the way, rather than specific roads and details.

It would be remiss of me not to mention that you also need to prepare for the worst, because memory slips happen. All of my students choose ‘landmarks’ in pieces that they can begin from if a memory slip happens. So in a lesson if a student’s memory fails, I ask them to pick it up from the next landmark in the piece. This encourages them to think ahead in the music (rather than retreating to the previous landmark) and more often than not in the process of thinking ahead they remember where they were up to and can continue on without jumping to the next landmark.

My final tip is the one that I find the most fascinating. Once a piece is thoroughly learnt from memory, I ask students to write certain parts out for me. So I might ask them to write out the first and second subjects from a sonata they have memorized, or to write the final few bars. This seems to be particularly challenging at first for students, but it increases their confidence greatly if they can do it!

What are your best tips for helping students memorize music? Please leave them in the comments box below.

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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.

First of all, we’re going to kick off back to school week with a theme: “Bach to School!” Does that sound a little corny to you? It probably will to the students, too, but they’ll love the excitement and the fun. We’ll have posters, pictures, and hopefully, a Bach bust to display on the piano. We’ll be studying Bach for all of September. I’m planning to give each student a Bach piece, such as “Prelude in C” to work on and enjoy for the month. It will be a fun, new way to inspire and motivate my students this year.

Off the bench activities. I’m already working on some activities that my students can do away from the piano bench. It gives them a little break from the lesson, and also helps isolate musical concepts. For instance, I recently purchased a vinyl floor mat with a large grand staff printed on it. The students throw bean bags at it, and then tell me the name of the note they land on. This is a fun, simple way to reinforce note reading without having the added stress of playing the notes at the same time . I‘ve also found a few music teacher blogs that have great ideas that I’d like to try, such as rhythm pizza, from Susan Paradis, which reinforces rhythm concepts and lots of fun music worksheets and games too, from sites such as www.composecreate.com.

Music technology. Technology marches forward at an ever increasing pace, and as music teachers we need to keep up. That doesn’t mean we have to always have the latest, most expensive gadget, but we do need to be knowledgeable about what’s out there. My plan is to incorporate some music lab time for the students that desire it. I also plan on using youtube for demonstration and inspiration. (Have you seen this video?  It’s a tear jerker!) I also am looking for more simple games like this Note Trainer  for siblings to play while waiting for their turn.

Performance opportunities. This year, we’ll be trying something entirely new: a performance party. It’s sort of a low-key cross between a master’s class and a recital, but without the stress.  Each student gets to play something they enjoy, and we use the time to learn how to perform in public, how to respond positively to other students’ performances, and also just to have fun and get to know each other.  My students will be asked to perform the piano piece they wrote over the summer at Composition Camp as well as their favorite piece of music from the summer. Perhaps we will even play our Bach to School pieces, as well.

Recitals. I hate to admit it, but I haven’t held recitals in a long time. But now that I’m in the process of growing the studio, it’s time. Recitals are a great way for students to show off their skills, to grow musically, to gain composure and poise, and enjoy music in a new way. Recitals are great for parents too, because they can see the progress their child is making.

Learn a new piece of music. I need to challenge myself to learn something new! And while I’m at it, I hope to share my efforts – the good, bad, and the ugly- with my students. It will help them work through difficult music, too. By the way, visit http://imslp.org/wiki/ for a ton of free, public domain music to download and print.

Introduce new, back to school music. I’ve been thinking about what areas my students need to improve on, and where they need to grow musically.  I’m looking for pieces that are easy to master but focus on a specific skill in order to give the students a great taste of success with something new or challenging.

Back to school is also a good time to start any new policies, procedures, or even price changes. I’ll be starting a budget plan for students this fall, so students pay the same amount each month no matter how many lessons happen that month. I’m also going to update all my students’ contact info, find out what motivates them, and what they’d like to see more of in the studio. Together, we’ll set some musical goals that we can all achieve. I’m excited to move forward with my studio business this year. I’m even more excited to spend time with my students, helping them move forward in their skills, appreciation, and love for music.  And hopefully,  J.S.Bach will help us get this school year off to the right start!

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):

• “I’m too tired to exercise.” My response: Take 30 minutes of sleep time and exercise.  You’ll have more energy than if you sleep an extra hour.
• “I can’t do the workout I want.” My response: Start slow.  The Wii Fit Plus is a GREAT place to begin.  Try an easy yoga workout for stability and stretching.  Then, as you get stronger, continue to challenge yourself in your workout.  Don’t get complacent.
• “I don’t have the time.” My response: Take the time.  If you truly want to be a singer, you need to exercise and have a strong body. How much TV do you watch? Do you get up & move around during the commercials? How much time do you spend on Facebook?  Take 20-30 minutes DAILY for cardio. Yes, it’ll come from somewhere else, but how much do you want it?
• “Exercise doesn’t really make a difference.” My response: Yes. It does. Your body is your instrument. EVERYTHING you do to your body, you do to your voice.  Singers are athletes as much as those who participate in sports. A singer must be able to control the muscles in the body in the same way an elite athlete can – the smallest bit counts.

Second, what you EAT matters.  The days of “the fat lady” singers have come to an end. The best singers in the business exercise on a daily basis. Because we use our epigastric muscles so much in breath support, singers are more likely to have acid reflux caused by weakening of the esophageal sphincter (we’re pressing on it every time we engage our support muscles).  Acid reflux is a contributing factor in MANY voice disorders. Laryngeal Pharyngeal Reflux Disease (LPRD) frequently has NO felt symptoms and is only diagnosable via videostroboscopy. Yet, LPRD can take out your range and drastically decrease your vocal stamina, while increasing your susceptibility to vocal disorders.  The timing of your food, what kinds of food, and the amount of food can affect reflux.  Also, those who carry more weight have more “stuff” pressing on the esophageal sphincter, increasing the probability of reflux.

GET HEALTHY.  I have previously written on my journey with vocal disorders. I am now 21.8 pounds lighter, exercising DAILY (30+ minutes) and I am singing better than I have in years.  My voice is 100% reliable, even when I’ve had too little sleep, and I am able to warm up very quickly. I am doing my best to practice what I preach and be an example for my students.

Here is my challenge: 30-days, 900 minutes of exercise.  That’s 30 minutes a day.  Who’s up for it?

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

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.

As you search for your new teacher do not hesitate to try teachers I may not have knowledge of or recommended, but as you select try to:
1. Be certain that they are educated and have experience in the area you want to work on/improve/excel in. Ask to see their resume, if you can’t find it online, ask where they have performed, directed, taught. What was their favorite experience in these areas? Why? What was their least favorite?
2. Make sure that you feel good around them. If you are not relaxed, it can be hard to learn voice – remember you are your instrument- your body is your flute, and it must be able to relax to produce beautiful sound.
3. Be honest about your practice habits and the teacher’s expectations of same. Discuss this issue.
4. Do not go into anyone’s home or studio who does not come highly recommended to you by someone whose opinion you trust. Take a friend or family member with you the first time. They will be able to help you assess your feelings from that first lesson. How did you sound? What were the highs and lows? Did they catch the area you feel you need to strengthen?

As you process down your “dating” path, assess your goals, and discuss these you’re your prospective new teacher.
1. Discuss your goals
2. Can they help you achieve your goals?
3. Once you trust the teacher, that teacher may help you figure out if you have the right goal, but that should not be debated during this early stage.

This is an exciting and scary process, much like my move across the country, but remember you might be about to meet the teacher who will transform your life! Good luck in your search!

Please let me know how you assist your students when you must part ways for any reason!