Professional Development « Music Teacher's Helper Blog

The War of Art: The Importance of Your Own Practice

November 18th, 2011 by Bella Payne

“The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield has become my bible. It was recommended to me by a friend 3 years ago and I have read it over and over again since. The author declares resistance to be the official enemy of all creative endeavors, and it is a demon that takes on many, many forms. Self-pity, television, relationship problems, a messy house, long to-do lists, volunteer committees, any kind of personal drama, etcetera, etcetera. You get the point. As music teachers, it can be difficult to make time for our own practice, but I am beginning to realize how essential this is.

When I started teaching, I told myself I would work really hard to get my teaching business going, and once that happened, I would begin making my own practice a priority again. That was 7 years ago. What happened? Life happened. It became difficult to not only find time, but also motivation for practice. There was always an excuse. The kicker came when I was asked by a student how long I practice each day. I was so embarrassed to say that I was so busy with the business that I probably only practiced a few hours a week. Yikes. What a bad example. Read more…

Listening to music on line.

September 1st, 2011 by Valerie Kampmeier

During the last decade, the music scene on the Internet has transformed. Now we can legally listen to just about anything we want to, whenever we want to, for a small fee, or we can choose the genre and stream our own personalized radio frequency (such as Pandora, in the States) for free.

Several years ago, when I moved to California, I began to subscribe to Rhapsody, which at the time cost around $15 a month. Previously I had been living in London, and a member of not just one, but three specialist music libraries with CDs available to borrow. Now this opportunity was not available to me, I was feeling deprived, not only personally but professionally, as I was not easily able to share the vast world of classical music with my students (apart from my own private collection). With Rhapsody, I was delighted to have the opportunity to listen to a wide variety of classical music again. It had some bugs, to be sure. Some days it would decide not to play, or not to sign me in, and it could be difficult to get online support. Then too, there was the problem of the catalog. Read more…

Review: Alfred Workshop/Premier Piano Course

August 21st, 2011 by Yiyi Ku

Recently I attended an Alfred Piano & Keyboard Workshop given by Dr. Gayle Kowalchyk, senior keyboard editor at Alfred Publishing. The workshop was organized and hosted by The Piano Warehouse San Marcos CA, and was well attended and received by enthusiastic piano teachers from southern California.

I always love to go to these publisher workshops. As an independent piano teacher in the 21st century, I feel it is very important to know the variety of method books and teaching resources that are available through many fine publishers of educational materials. While some methods are tried and true, and I certainly have my favorites that I stock up throughout the year, it is always refreshing to see what’s new. I also strongly believe in supporting living composers. By using a variety of books and music from different publishers featuring different contemporary composers, I know that come recital time, the students will all have different and interesting pieces to play, and the lessons are more fun for me as well, as I get to listen to a variety of pieces instead of the same things over and over!

Bach to School

August 9th, 2011 by Amanda Furbeck

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.

More on Lessons Jestons-Style

July 21st, 2011 by Dan Callaway

Many of us are expanding our teaching practice to include online video chat instruction. This is clearly evidenced by the number of recent posts about the topic here on the MTH Blog.

Here are a few things I’ve learned as a voice teacher using Skype with some of my clients that I hope will be helpful to any of you who are currently using this new technology or contemplating it…

I do have to say that nothing can replace being in the room with the client. You get a clear read on their sound, energy, and where they are mentally and emotionally. All of these factors help us as teachers to clue in to what the client needs the most.

For me, though, the Skype/online chat lesson offers a lot of advantages by virtue of its limitations.
Read more…

Going Without Goals: Utilizing Non-Structured Practice Time

July 20th, 2011 by Chris Foley

For the last few months of the school year, I’ve been pushing my students towards getting ever better results in festivals, auditons, recitals, and exams. I was proud of how well many of my students had done when the results started rolling in. Then last week I read Ed Pearlman’s Whose Side Are We On? and realized that students need time for the pendulum to swing the other way, for periods of exploration and discovery in addition to the quest for ever greater achievement.

Central to the idea of exploration at an instrument is the notion of practicing as pure play, as opposed to practice as rehearsing, working, or merely repeating. All students (and professonals too!) need some emotional distance from their goals once in a while in order to fully take the time to pursue where their imagination is taking them. Children already know this innately – are we doing our best to enable this wonderful human quality?

Here are four things that teachers and parents can do to re-start student creativity:

Set Your Studio Apart

July 14th, 2011 by Leila Viss

Recently, 3 home-schooled siblings began lessons with me (yay–that means they can arrive before the bewitching hour of 3:00pm!) With good reason, their mother was definitely concerned about her large monthly investment. With past piano teachers, communication of what and how to practice was frustrating for her children. Once they started with me, it was reassuring to hear that my detailed lesson notes, emailed after each lesson “set me apart” from other teachers.

Wow–that phrase “set me apart” got me thinking about my teaching style and how my studio may differ from others. Below is a list of the dominant traits that have risen to the top to make mY brand of teaching unique.

PhilosophY

This statement was crafted years ago but is frequently revisited to help me stay focused on what’s important and what’s not:

Students at any age will be encouraged to develop independence at the piano so that music can be enjoyed on the bench for a lifetime.

This mission statement determines what organizations to join, if/when I may enter students in competitions, what materials to use, and most importantly what students will “fit” within my style of teaching.

PsychologY

I play all of these roles but enjoy some more than others: hostess, entertainer, policy enforcer, accountant, administrator, disciplinarian, cheerleader, coach, musician, teacher, bar tender, bill collector, confidant, therapist and friend.

In general, I often ask myself–is this a bench or a couch? I count it a privilege and honor to “be there” when needed.

Read more…

The Value of a Private Music Lesson

July 8th, 2011 by Amanda Furbeck

Photo by imelenchon; www.morguefile.com

When I first started teaching piano, I worked in a music store as an independent contractor. The store handled the students, the payments, and ordered whatever supplies I needed. I got a nice paycheck without having to deal with the business end of teaching. It was a good arrangement for a beginner teacher, and they frequently asked me to take on more and more students. I was thrilled.

Endorsements and the Music Teacher

May 28th, 2011 by Brittany Frompovich

Many of us associate famous musicians with their instrument and the instrument’s builder. That powerful imagery has become a marketing tool that has beneficially served both the artist and the instrument builder.

But as a teacher, we have the power to influence a great number of people as well.

For years, I played Ibanez Soundgear basses, Ovation acoustic electric guitars, and Les Paul style guitars. After a year or two, my beginner students would start moving on from their starter instruments. There was an unusually high percentage of Ibanez Soundgear basses and Ovation acoustic electrics in the mix of new purchases.

Later on, I acquired a Gibson SG and switched to playing Spector and LightWave basses. Not surprisingly, the next batch of students tended to gravitate to SG style guitars (made by a wide variety of builders…Samick, Epiphone, and even Ibanez) and a few Spector basses entered the mix.
Read more…

The Teacher Is Always Learning

May 20th, 2011 by Dan Callaway

I recently met up with a colleague of mine, Joanna Cazden, (www.VoiceofYourLife.com) who is a speech pathologist (as well as an accomplished musician and voice teacher…and author of a very helpful book, How To Take Care of Your Voice )

We often work in tandem when I have a client who is dealing with vocal damage or other issues with their physiology. Her knowledge of the voice and experience as a teacher is tremendously helpful in my own teaching practice.

Our conversation reminded me of some very simple principles that we as teachers can easily forget…it also highlighted a lot of things my gut has been telling me during lessons…sometimes I listen to it..sometimes I don’t.

Here are a few things that stuck with me the most… Read more…

Music Teacher's Helper Blog

Music Teachers Blog

The War of Art: The Importance of Your Own Practice

Listening to music on line.

Review: Alfred Workshop/Premier Piano Course

Bach to School

More on Lessons Jestons-Style

Going Without Goals: Utilizing Non-Structured Practice Time

Set Your Studio Apart

The Value of a Private Music Lesson

Endorsements and the Music Teacher

The Teacher Is Always Learning

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