Comments on: “Get It Going!” Improvisation Mini-Series http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/get-it-going-improvisation-mini-series/ Tips and Resources for Private Music Teachers and Performers everywhere! Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:51:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Boosting Your Creative Energy « Music Teacher’s Helper Blog http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/get-it-going-improvisation-mini-series/comment-page-1/#comment-122574 Boosting Your Creative Energy « Music Teacher’s Helper Blog Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:47:21 +0000 http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/?p=682#comment-122574 [...] Music Teacher magazine. There are also some great articles on improvisation in the blog archives here [...] [...] Music Teacher magazine. There are also some great articles on improvisation in the blog archives here [...]

]]> By: Piano Teacher NJ http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/get-it-going-improvisation-mini-series/comment-page-1/#comment-120390 Piano Teacher NJ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:20:57 +0000 http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/?p=682#comment-120390 Great concept, Christine. I'll use it with my students. I've developed a ringed flash card system for the younger students and I love your concept for more musically mature students in my classes. Great concept, Christine. I’ll use it with my students. I’ve developed a ringed flash card system for the younger students and I love your concept for more musically mature students in my classes.

]]> By: Suzanne G http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/get-it-going-improvisation-mini-series/comment-page-1/#comment-116862 Suzanne G Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:33:09 +0000 http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/?p=682#comment-116862 What a great idea. Children love being given some boundaries and guidelines and just take off from there!! What a great idea. Children love being given some boundaries and guidelines and just take off from there!!

]]> By: Mel Stallwood http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/get-it-going-improvisation-mini-series/comment-page-1/#comment-111705 Mel Stallwood Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:50:19 +0000 http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/?p=682#comment-111705 My wife and I live and teach in a lovely area of the North Pennines which couldn't be described as cosmopolitan but nevertheless has its challenges. Many of the families who have brought along their children for music lessons (over the last 20 years or so) are either hill farmers or other professional families and they often bring 2 or 3 of their children along at once so they can go off somewhere to do a bit of shopping. As we only have one small room (as examiners will testify) and no waiting area it can be a problem keeping the siblings that are waiting for their one to one lesson amused. Crayons, books and paper don't always seem to do the trick anymore with modern children and because they are sat at my computer desk anyway (and as young people today seem to live, eat and breathe modern technology) I began to allow them access to free music games and puzzles I had downloaded from the web. I could now teach in relative peace. I was building websites as a hobby and I had also started producing my own simple music quizzes on the computer as there never seemed to be enough time in a 30 minute lesson to cover much theory. I began using my websites in conjunction with assigning theory homework and also so that youngsters could upload their performances, compositions and vocal recordings. This proved a roaring success and everyone seems to love this facility. My theory site (up to grade 5) acts as a supplement to the exam handbooks because of the way it is structured, but the inclusion of aural training, flash-cards, knowledge of the orchestra, composers, memory aids, music glossary, print-outs, quizzes and puzzles of course, helps to broaden the learning spectrum a bit more and their are many links to sites giving more specialised information. Incidently, I have produced a downloadable version of the whole thing which can be used offline in a stand-alone program (there is a small fee for this though). It is called the One-2-Five music theory E-tutor. I hope some of you may like to try it out for yourselves. I have also written an e-book called 'The Piano Teacher - a brief survival guide for the beginner' which contains all the tips, tricks and invaluable information I have painstakingly gleaned over more than 30 years of teaching. This information should prove very useful for the newly qualified or more experienced music teacher. LCM printed this article in the 'Forte' magazine a couple of years ago and the feedback we received was very encouraging. My wife and I live and teach in a lovely area of the North Pennines which couldn’t be described as cosmopolitan but nevertheless has its challenges. Many of the families who have brought along their children for music lessons (over the last 20 years or so) are either hill farmers or other professional families and they often bring 2 or 3 of their children along at once so they can go off somewhere to do a bit of shopping. As we only have one small room (as examiners will testify) and no waiting area it can be a problem keeping the siblings that are waiting for their one to one lesson amused. Crayons, books and paper don’t always seem to do the trick anymore with modern children and because they are sat at my computer desk anyway (and as young people today seem to live, eat and breathe modern technology) I began to allow them access to free music games and puzzles I had downloaded from the web. I could now teach in relative peace.

I was building websites as a hobby and I had also started producing my own simple music quizzes on the computer as there never seemed to be enough time in a 30 minute lesson to cover much theory. I began using my websites in conjunction with assigning theory homework and also so that youngsters could upload their performances, compositions and vocal recordings. This proved a roaring success and everyone seems to love this facility. My theory site (up to grade 5) acts as a supplement to the exam handbooks because of the way it is structured, but the inclusion of aural training, flash-cards, knowledge of the orchestra, composers, memory aids, music glossary, print-outs, quizzes and puzzles of course, helps to broaden the learning spectrum a bit more and their are many links to sites giving more specialised information. Incidently, I have produced a downloadable version of the whole thing which can be used offline in a stand-alone program (there is a small fee for this though). It is called the One-2-Five music theory E-tutor. I hope some of you may like to try it out for yourselves.

I have also written an e-book called ‘The Piano Teacher – a brief survival guide for the beginner’ which contains all the tips, tricks and invaluable information I have painstakingly gleaned over more than 30 years of teaching. This information should prove very useful for the newly qualified or more experienced music teacher. LCM printed this article in the ‘Forte’ magazine a couple of years ago and the feedback we received was very encouraging.

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