During my after dinner jam session tonight, "Maggie Gaga" asks me to teach her to play "Ra ra, ah ah ah-" She catches on pretty quick because she loves A minor (the key in the book, not sure if it's the real key). However she needs to be patient to listen first and play after. A good lesson for ready play. We're still working on that.
My Lady Gaga Piano Play Along and CD from Hal Leonard arrived today, and I played my best to follow along with Bad Romance, Born This Way, and Love Game. The best part about the CD is the orchestra track with or without the keyboard demo, you just play and try to keep up. My daughter and her friend were pretty excited and they kept me motivated to play on, and when I stopped cuz I got lost on the roadmap, they said, "C mon, why did you stop! Keeping going!" (Funny, who's the mom here eh?)
She asks me, who's playing piano on the CD? For lack of a better explanation I just tell her it's Lady Gaga without the singing. Next came the track for The Edge of Glory. What a beautiful song, but I didn't know it at all, but the girls are singing their hearts out. Wow, I just looked it up on youtube and came across this really awesome clip by a classical player.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aFnalWhHvk
They're listening to music all day long, probably Hot 89.9 and whatever the nanny plays on the radio, but it's music of our time. I used to play all the Baby Mozart CD's for her wakeup, lullaby, playtime collections, you name it. She could even recognize certain Mozart sonatas that were played on her baby brother's baby mobile machine. But What I learned today is the best way to get her to the piano is to just play something she likes, obviously Lady Gaga!
Who do you think is the most talented music composer or performer of our time? This is 2000-something I'm talking about, not Bach or Beethoven or Mozart. Stefani Joane Angelina Germanotta (aka Lady Gaga) comes to my mind. She writes her own words and music, and her fashion style, music performance, costumes and stage presence is so fascinating altogether. Or perhaps Hans Zimmer who writes all the big movie scores (Batman Dark Knight); or JohnWilliams who wrote all the music for Star Wars and more.
I am a new Suzuki Piano Teacher with many years of experience teaching classical piano at the beginners and intermediate levels to children of all ages. I am creating this blog to capture some of my rough notes from teacher training, pedagogy books, workshops and experiences from my own studio. The earlier entries are taken from the lesson notes for the pre-Twinkle level class I had taught outside the formal Suzuki method. Your comments and feedback are most helpful. Enjoy!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Friday, August 3, 2012
Piano Studio Policy and Brochure
My piano sudio bochure is colour printed double-sided on tri-folded 8.5 x 11 inches paper. I would like to share the content but the formatting certainly looks better in Word. There is a very short blurb on my studio policy as well.
MUSIC STUDIO
Programs available:
• Suzuki Method piano
• Private lessons in piano for beginners to advanced levels, children and teens.
• Group lessons for young children ages 3 to 5
• Theory and Piano Pedagogy Exam Preparation
• Musicland Pre-Twinkle Camp (10 classes). Group classes for ages 3-5 will involve storytelling, magical characters, games, song and dance. Topics include keyboard geography, right and left hand independent playing, note reading, music listening and writing skills, music performance and beyond. Upon completion, students are ready for beginner’s piano, though it is not a prerequisite.
About the Teacher
I am a Registered Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) and Suzuki Piano Teacher, with over five years of experience and a Masters degree. I keep very busy as a mother of three kids while working full time as a professional Engineer and teaching piano part time.
Suzuki Book 1 (2011); RCM Piano Pedagogy Certificates for Teaching Elementary Piano (2005), Intermediate Piano (2006), Advanced Piano (in progress). Grade 10 RCM with First Class Honours (1994).
Studio Policy
Piano lessons are half hour each for $22 or one hour $40 for advanced students. Tuition fees are paid at quarterly terms; missed lessons for emergency only, call in advance. All lessons begin and end on time.
Suzuki Method
Dr. Suzuki formalized the Suzuki Method of Talent Education in Japan, for various musical instruments including violin and piano. Sometimes called the mother-tongue method, there is a strong emphasis on music listening and aural learning first; music reading comes later. The parent attends every music lesson with the child and oversees the practising at home. Most importantly is the unwavering belief that every child can learn to play beautiful music. Selected students will be encouraged to begin in the Suzuki method, and may later chose to continue with the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Classical Piano
The lessons for Beginners and Grades 1 to 10 will cover the following topics:
• Technique (major and minor scales, chords)
• Repertoire selections from Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Twentieth Century composers
• Duet-playing
• Ear-training (naming and singing intervals, melody playback)
• Music theory
Performances
• Monthly Masterclass
• Students will prepare for RCM grade level exams in the Spring (June), Summer (August) and Winter (January) sessions as required for advancement
• Students may perform at a Christmas, year end, or Suzuki graduation recital
• Students may compete in festival and various civic competitions
List of Books and Resources
• Musicland by Yellowcat Publishing
• Leila Fletcher Primer, black key method
• Bastien Piano Basics, five finger multi-key approach
• Russian School of Piano Playing, books 1 and 2
• Anna Magdelena Notebook by JS Bach
• Selections from Notebook for Nannerl by L Mozart
• Royal Conservatory of Music Levels 1 to 10
• Suzuki Book 1 and 2
MUSIC STUDIO
Programs available:
• Suzuki Method piano
• Private lessons in piano for beginners to advanced levels, children and teens.
• Group lessons for young children ages 3 to 5
• Theory and Piano Pedagogy Exam Preparation
• Musicland Pre-Twinkle Camp (10 classes). Group classes for ages 3-5 will involve storytelling, magical characters, games, song and dance. Topics include keyboard geography, right and left hand independent playing, note reading, music listening and writing skills, music performance and beyond. Upon completion, students are ready for beginner’s piano, though it is not a prerequisite.
About the Teacher
I am a Registered Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) and Suzuki Piano Teacher, with over five years of experience and a Masters degree. I keep very busy as a mother of three kids while working full time as a professional Engineer and teaching piano part time.
Suzuki Book 1 (2011); RCM Piano Pedagogy Certificates for Teaching Elementary Piano (2005), Intermediate Piano (2006), Advanced Piano (in progress). Grade 10 RCM with First Class Honours (1994).
Studio Policy
Piano lessons are half hour each for $22 or one hour $40 for advanced students. Tuition fees are paid at quarterly terms; missed lessons for emergency only, call in advance. All lessons begin and end on time.
Suzuki Method
Dr. Suzuki formalized the Suzuki Method of Talent Education in Japan, for various musical instruments including violin and piano. Sometimes called the mother-tongue method, there is a strong emphasis on music listening and aural learning first; music reading comes later. The parent attends every music lesson with the child and oversees the practising at home. Most importantly is the unwavering belief that every child can learn to play beautiful music. Selected students will be encouraged to begin in the Suzuki method, and may later chose to continue with the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Classical Piano
The lessons for Beginners and Grades 1 to 10 will cover the following topics:
• Technique (major and minor scales, chords)
• Repertoire selections from Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Twentieth Century composers
• Duet-playing
• Ear-training (naming and singing intervals, melody playback)
• Music theory
Performances
• Monthly Masterclass
• Students will prepare for RCM grade level exams in the Spring (June), Summer (August) and Winter (January) sessions as required for advancement
• Students may perform at a Christmas, year end, or Suzuki graduation recital
• Students may compete in festival and various civic competitions
List of Books and Resources
• Musicland by Yellowcat Publishing
• Leila Fletcher Primer, black key method
• Bastien Piano Basics, five finger multi-key approach
• Russian School of Piano Playing, books 1 and 2
• Anna Magdelena Notebook by JS Bach
• Selections from Notebook for Nannerl by L Mozart
• Royal Conservatory of Music Levels 1 to 10
• Suzuki Book 1 and 2
Studio Letter for Music Camp
It's camp season all summer, but I'm running a compact 5 lesson version of the Musicland Adventure Camp in September. I'll be moving away in mid October but the new parent I talked to really wanted her kids to try out music for a bit so I'm running this last class in Ottawa, for now! Here's a copy of my letter
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Dear Parents
Looking forward to teaching your kids in the upcoming session of Musicland Adventure Camp (Suzuki Piano Pre-Twinkle) starting September 2011!
This GROUP class will involve storytelling, magical characters, interactive games and activities to introduce kids to playing piano at the introductory level. Topics include keyboard geography, right and left hand independent playing, note reading, music writing skills, music performance. By course completion, the goals include playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in Suzuki variations, early keyboard skills, pre-staff music reading, solfege pattern recognition, melody playback by ear and more! The target age is 3 – 6; parents will be encouraged to attend all the lessons.
The group class will be held on Saturdays at 9:30AM for one hour on the following dates Sept 8, 15, 22, 29 and Oct 6, 2012.
Cost is $100 each student for 5 lessons with a $30 registration fee per family. The material fee is regularly $25 each (music books, materials and a Suzuki Piano Book 1 CD). However since there are things your kids can share, how about $30 even. Tax Receipts will be sent out by the end of the year for the Children's Activity Tax Credit (Ontario) and the Children's Art Tax Credit (Canada). Please make a check payable on the date of the first lesson for $260 total for the two kids.
Please see the attached brochure for more information about my studio and policy, and please sign and return the Student Information forms. See you!
Sincerely,
Royal Conservatory of Music, ARCT Beginners and Intermediate
Suzuki Piano Teacher http://suzukiassociation.org/people/deborah-tang
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