It’s group lesson week in my studio… our last group week before Christmas! A couple of my groups have been working on chord analysis skills this semester, and so this month I thought it would be fun for us to do a little Christmas-themed review. Many familiar Christmas carols can be played with only a few simple diatonic chords, so they’re perfect for … Continue reading
There are certain necessary parts of music study that can be just plain not fun for young students. Like counting aloud while playing. Or practicing with a metronome. YUK. From a student perspective, those chores are hard and frustrating (if you’ve resorted to using such forms of torture, it probably means something is going wrong in a piece, or at the very least, not coming easily … Continue reading
I’m excited to introduce a new series of posts coming to the Pianimation blog this fall and winter! Sensory Spotlight articles will highlight creative, hands-on ways to teach musical concepts to active learners, using a variety of fun props, teaching aids and movements. I’ve been busy capturing snapshots and video of some of my students in action this fall, and am looking forward to giving … Continue reading