I’d like to get up several more posts today about the MTNA convention in Atlanta since I’m headed out of town for the week tomorrow! These are short general summaries of some of the seminars I attended. I’m keeping them short because MTNA will offer the recordings for sale, and it doesn’t seem like a …
(Click here to see all of my posts from the 2009 MTNA National Convention.)From a distance: Practical Teaching via the InternetPresented by Kathleen Maskell, MusicWorks Studio, Tewksbury, MA andPaul Sheftel, The Julliard School, New York Paul Sheftel, who teaches pedagogy at Julliard and has written loads of great material for piano students, revealed to us …
MTNA Nat’l Conference – Teaching via the Internet Read More »
(Click here to see all of my posts on the 2009 MTNA National Convention.) Sorry for the blurry picture! That’s Catherine Rollin and the big screen which displayed her hands close up as she played. She presented a seminar today called Technique and Artistry: You Can’t Have One Without The Other. If you are familiar …
MTNA Nat’l Conference – Catherine Rollin on Technique Read More »
(Click here to see all of my posts on the 2009 MTNA National Convention.) Three of the best things about attending conventions like this one are the opportunity to meet the people who create teaching materials, the free stuff, and the products available at discounts from exhibitors. Today, I met Dennis Alexander (pictured at left) …
I’m here in Atlanta at the MTNA national convention! I’ll be posting summaries on the seminars I attend. (Click here to see all of my posts on the MTNA National Convention.) Because I believe that there will be recordings made available for purchase, I’ll try not to be too detailed. If you do buy recordings, …
MTNA National Conference – Sunday Keynote Address Read More »
We have lived in our new house for a year now, and my piano had its second tuning today. It’s so nice to have it sounding tip-top again! Before we moved, I interviewed my former piano technician about piano care. Thanks to piano technician David Rountree of Savannah, GA for these great tips! …
Once I’m 100% sure that a student can reliably find whole steps and half steps from any key on the keyboard, we proceed to step two of the “learning major pentascales” process. On their assignment page, I write this formula: S-W-W-H-W1 -2 -3 -4 -5 The letters stand for Start-Whole-Whole-Half-Whole. Of course, when I’m doing …
I start off by explaining half steps and whole steps. Several years ago, I took a twin bedsheet and drew a keyboard on it with permanent marker, making the keys big enough to step on. It only covers the range of a 10th, but it’s enough for what I need. We start off by walking …
I am not a Suzuki teacher, but this quote sums up how I feel exactly. I want to make good citizens. If a child hears fine music from the day of his birth and learns to play it himself, he develops sensitivity, discipline and endurance. He gets a beautiful heart.—Shin’ichi Suzuki
