Fall- Back to Music classes

Fall is here sadly and not sadly because many good things come with the cooler weather.  Music lessons start up again.  My son starts trumpet in Band class today for his 2nd year.  And below you can see my favorite Kindermusik teacher who has openings in Marysville for her class.

Kindermusik teacher, Shelley Metcalf

Your little ones, ages 0-7, will love exploring the world of music and movement in Kindermusik.  in these classes taught by Chris Floyd and Shelley Metcalf your child will develop language skills, literacy, listening, and problem solving, and social skills.  Classes are held at the Marysville Library.  For information call 360-353-8400.

My piano studio starts next week with the best students ever!!

Monday Music Moment- My Story, part 2

Me and Reagan playing at church festival

My story- part 2

When I was seventeen, a junior in high school, my Dad presented the idea that I prepare myself to leave for college the next year.  I was mature, a little bored with high school, and bright.  It wasn’t a new idea.  My three sisters before me had done it, but I hadn’t really given it a thought as to my plan before.  It seemed like a good idea.  I took all the AP tests I could and college tests.  I had even to take an extra senior English class, zero period, in order to apply for college.  I was admitted for fall that spring at Brigham Young University, with out a diploma.  I never graduated from high school.  I don’t know if they allow that sort of thing now, but it worked for me. 

That was a busy year.  My piano lessons were intense preparing difficult pieces for competition.  I worked a little on the weekends at Pier One.  And, I was on the varsity volleyball team, which I loved.  My next favorite subject at school was French.  I really wanted to forward my progress in my speaking skills.  My parents were kind enough to send me to school in La Rochelle, France that summer before I left for the University.

Now that I have two children in college myself, I can look back and say how hard it is to decide on a major.  But now a days, to not waste time and precious money, it’s almost a given that you need to know what you want to major in the moment you step foot on campus.  I was a bit wishy washy.  I liked French a lot, and piano, and English, even history.  How could I combine all of them into one major? 

At my university, everyone that played the piano, played it well and better than me.  Ok, that’s a huge generality and not true.  But, that is how I felt.  Coming from my arena in Dallas, I was known as a talented pianist.  Going into the music department at BYU, made me feel like a schmuck.  I started off with piano lessons from a fellow professor.  He didn’t seem impressed with my playing- maybe that was my arrogant fault, to try and impress him.  Then, when other students played for each other, my pieces seemed like chop-sticks compared to theirs.  Looking back, I realized that I gave up too early and didn’t challenge myself.  But most of my willingness to not carry-on came from my high school feelings of burn out.  The spark of desire had gone out.  I quit piano, that year.

It wasn’t hard to quit.  To play, I had to physically go to the practice rooms on campus, wait for an open room, and practice.  I just avoided that part of campus.

Because I made that decision, the possibilities for a major and minor that I loved became less complicated.  In the international department, I found major that combined English, history, and Art History (a new found love from my freshman general ed. Courses).  For this major you had to choose a language minor.  Bingo…I had my French already in tact.  This was the perfect major for me.  I had officially turned my back on piano.  Burn out was complete at this point.

After my freshman year, I signed up to do a work study program in Europe through the university.  I would get credit for the work and more language experience. Win win.  For four months, I headed to Belgium to be a fille au pair (a nanny).  No not glorious work, nor did it pay well.  But I learned about life in another culture and mothering.  And I realized I missed the piano.  Where ever I went with the family, and there was a piano, I would play.  They were amazed that I had never told them I could play.  But, why should I have, they didn’t own a piano.  But, I was glad they enjoyed it.  I missed it.

When I returned to the university, I was too busy with an extra full schedule to fit piano in, even though I now wanted to play again.  I took the most credits possible in a semester.  Full credit semesters, along with the AP tests from high school, and school credits from two summers, I was able to graduate from BYU in three years.  During this time I had also met my husband and we were married a week after I graduated with a Bachelors in Arts in European History with an emphasis in Art History and a minor in French.  I was twenty and a typical liberal arts graduate with no skills to get a job.

I landed a job with Microsoft that year, 1989.  It wasn’t glamorous.  In fact, it was bottom of the rung, selling external CD-ROM drives through cold calls to executives.  For my left brain this was boring work and I didn’t dig computers.  Besides, I was pregnant and wanted to stay home with my child.  After I quit, Microsoft went public and even the peons were wealthy.  Oh well.

We moved to Utah so my husband could go to school.  I stayed home and did odd jobs to help out with the budget.  I tried babysitting, working at a bank while my husband was studying at home, working at UPS at night; any situation so my children didn’t have to go to daycare.

I had started to play the piano again, a little.  I scraped up a little money to buy a spinet piano.  I love antiques and this cute piano was one hundred years old and come over on a ship from Europe.  Little did I know that a piano never sounds the same once it travels over water.  I didn’t care.  There was a piano in my home again.

A friend heard me playing in my apartment.  She asked if I would teach her five year old AND she offered to watch my two babies while I taught hers.  Having never thought of teaching before, I decided it would be an adventure.  I didn’t know how to teach piano.  But, really how do we learn to teach anything.  It’s really like an acorn seed.  The outcome is there all the time, we just have to put the effort forth and it will come. 

There wasn’t internet yet, so I went to the library and got a few books.  But, there wasn’t much help out then.  So I winged it.  It went fine.  Besides, even without a degree in music, I’d had so much experience playing, I felt confident in my teaching.

Shortly after that first year of teaching, I had my third baby and we moved into a new house.  A few weeks before the move and the baby, I had been in a local music store and saw an advertisement for a week long piano teaching seminar.  I signed up knowing it was during a crazy time.  So, I called my mom to come help.  Thanks, Mom.

That week was amazing for my growth as a piano teacher.  The seminar was taught by two women who had developed a new way to teach- group piano lessons.  It meant the teacher needed more than one piano, obviously, and it enhanced the teaching process.  Some students thrive off peer pressure and seeing how they can excel.  Others don’t want a private lesson and be alone with an adult (I call it the ‘helicopter complex’.  They feel too “hovered” upon).  We have centers that the children move around to during the lesson.  This means they are more active than in a traditional private lesson. (link)  However, it is best for the parent to determine the needs of the child and which environment fits the student’s learning process appropriately.

Now, these ladies were not only there to teach us their revolutionary method, but to sell us something.  Surprise, surprise- four digital pianos and their teaching material for $20,000.  I was too shocked to even consider it after just buying a new home.  But, my thrifty spending wheels got spinning.  At this time, digital pianos with MIDI in them were fairly new to the general public. Doing my homework, I found another supplier and bought a brand new Roland KR-570 that is still the Daddy of all digital pianos.  It has weighted keys, 16 track recording, over 300 sounds and effects, games for teaching, and computer hook-ups.  It truly is like a computer and a piano put together.  And, the crowning glory is that students can practice with head-phones two at a time, or teacher and student together! Ta-da!

This piano was to become the keystone of my studio.  I did pay a pretty penny for it, but no where close to the above price tag.  Then I bought three used full sized electric keyboards (nowhere near the same thing as a digital piano) and started my group piano studio.  I had twenty students in a snap.  That was 16 years ago.  I still prefer group teaching for the first 3-4 years of lessons for a student, then we usually switch to private lessons.  However, right now, I have 3 students that are early advanced and are still in group lessons together.  It’s a beautiful thing.

Monday Music Moment- My Piano Story, part 1

Me- accompanying for a play

My Piano story

              My parents didn’t play any musical instruments but we always had records playing in our home on our large Hifi that took up one wall of the living room.  Phantom of the Opera, Andy Williams, Ella Fitzgerald were what my parents listened to.  My older sisters were listening to Bread, Karen Carpenter, and 3 Dog Night. Because of my family, I’ve always had a broad listening repertoire.

            I started piano when I was six.  My oldest sister, Cindy, tried to teach me piano.  She was a very social fourteen year-old, so this must have been slightly painful for her.  She was patient with me, though.  We tried our homemade lessons for a year. 

            Then it came time for formal lessons.  I don’t really remember my first piano teacher and her methods, but I can recall the room she taught in.  Her studio was a converted porch on the back of her house.  I had a thirty minute private lesson then another student came and we would have fifteen minutes of theory together.  I really liked having another kid around.  I can still see the green, turf-like carpet and orange chairs we sat by next to the large porch windows.

            After a couple years with her, we moved to another state and I had ordinary private lessons.  I don’t remember much about them.  Mostly I was bored.

            When I was eleven, we moved again, to the state that boasts some amazing piano schools and teachers, Texas.  I had three memorable teachers here.  The first teacher used ordinary methods- a private lesson, then a monthly theory class with three to four students.  We met in her small living room and her family often tip-toed by the doorway and waved when they went by. She was into what I call “alternative” performance.  The “alternative” part came at recitals.  She would invite different piano colleagues to perform “creative” music on the piano by dropping paper clips, erasers, feathers and other odds and ends onto the strings of a grand piano.  Sometimes, the colleagues would play a classical song and embellish a trio or stanza with forks on a high string or rubber balls on a bass string.  It was heady stuff for the early 1980’s.

            My classical training progressed nicely.  I played sonatinas, quadrilles, minuets, and was moving into advanced romantic era pieces.  At twelve, I needed a different approach.

            Barbara Brashear was a real classical pianist.  Her studio- another add-on type structure to the back of the house- had a sitting area and a large grand piano filling one space.  On the opposite side of the room was a wall full of awards and pictures of Mrs. Brashear standing in front of a grand piano shaking hands with a judge or her standing with roses in her arms accepting a medal. Underneath this display were rows of crates full of dusty albums, cassette tapes, and recording equipment.  Sometimes she would record my playing, just to humble me.  My favorite part of the lesson is when I would get it right.  Mrs. Brashear always sat toward the back of the room- to hear the vibration waves at the “sweet” spot.  When I performed a section especially well with feeling and musicality, she would pump her long, crane-like legs up and down and say “yes”, “yes”, “yes”.  At my tender age, I didn’t know what to think.  Instead of questioning her, I played to please her. 

Mrs. Brashear primed me to start judication- which is piano language for competing on the piano.  Yes, people do compete to one-up each other on the piano.  For me it was very stressful.  I did get very nervous. My legs got the shakes and my hands sweaty.  The fear of forgetting passages loomed.  But, I always did well.  I have many ribbons and, one time, I was a finalist for the Junior Van Cliburn competition.

            She lived in an area of Dallas called Lover’s Lane.  It was about 30 minutes from my house, without traffic.  Bless my mom for driving me for one or two lessons a week.  My practicing time was ramping up also.  No measly 30 minute practice would do, I had chose to practice one or two hours a day for optimum results.  In middle school and high school, I kept this up with honors classes, school sports, and I worked a little bit after school.  And you thought I was joking about being type A. Hah!

            My sophomore year of high school, my mother was pooped out I’m sure.  She called up to North Texas University to find a graduate, living in Dallas, and that would do in-home lessons.  Elizabeth fit the bill.  She had just graduated and wanted advanced students. 

            She wasn’t as serious as Mrs. Brashear. I desperately needed things to lighten up.  I was in serious danger of burn-out.  My parents were talking music conservatory school.  A professional singer at church had asked me to tour with her.  I just didn’t know if I wanted to dedicate my life to just one interest.  I had always loved my well-rounded upbringing, and now it was being funneled down to one thing.  The piano. 

            

Tuesday Music Video

Post by Giulliano Chiampi.











I've always told my piano students that playing the piano is truly a body workout.  Now they can believe me!

Tuesday Video Moment

What a GRAND sound?!  Don't you think?  This is beautiful.

In harmony,

Leslie

How to enforce your student's piano practice?

Gigi recently went the way of most 14-16 year olds that play piano.  She ‘thinks’ she wants to quit and not play piano anymore.  I smile because I know she’ll regret this later.  Gigi plays very well, but of late hasn’t been putting her full effort into her lessons and practice.  Of course, most kids her age fall into a pattern of busy after school sports, activities, homework, texting, and FRIENDS!  Where does practice fit in?  Well, as I was talking to Boss Moss about our course of directions with her, I remembered what Linda Eyre wrote about her kids and piano practice at their home.

The book Teaching Your Children Joy by Linda and Richard Eyre is what I used as a reference while I raised my family in the 1990’s. It still applies today and more so with the trials parents have with so many good choices of activities for their children, but what is the BEST choice of time spent for their future. This is what they did about piano or instrument practicing issues:

            “My mother taught piano and violin for almost 60 years….I remembering longing to be a normal child who could just get up, eat breakfast, go to school, and then come home afterward and watch “Leave it to Beaver”.  There was none of that for us!..... I can still remember mother standing over me with a clenched fist, watching the tears of frustration roll down my cheeks, and saying, “Someday you’ll thank me for this”.  She was right! I thank her in my heart almost daily when I think of the fun I’d be missing if she hadn’t made me become a musician…

            Now I face the same dilemma with my own children…I remembered what had taken the sting out of practicing for me.  From the time we were eight, our parents expected us to earn our own money for treats, movies, and clothes…They paid us to practice.  The pay was meager, but if we had a perfect practice record at the end of the week, our money was doubled!”

I don’t pay my children to practice like the Eyre’s do.  But, I’ve tried to teach my children to love it by the ‘fruits’ of how they feel after getting a song down or that they understand music when most the world doesn’t.  We make music part of their ‘chore’ chart.  It’s expected, just like taking out the trash.  Life is daily.  Music is daily.

What do you do to help your children practice?

In harmony,

Leslie

Monday Music Moment

simplymusicwise.blogspot.com

With all the hubbub of Christmas and the Nativity, I wasn't able to post pictures of the Winter recital. This duo here have played with our studio for several years.  They are a joy to teach and always do their best to practice, even with their busy schedules.

Here is my son, Pierce, playing his song.  This was his first jazz song, which he played really well.

It truly was a magical event- especially our surprise students that play by ear!!

If you have any pictures you'd like me to post, email them to me.

In harmony,

Leslie

Music Moment Monday

I used to have a piano teacher that was into 'alternative' playing.  Remember I am a child of the 80's.  This was the cool thing for piano teachers to do: she dropped nails, paper clips, feathers- all sorts of household goods into her grand piano to see how it would sound.

I think Piano Guys have perfected the experiment beyond what my piano teacher did.  Don't you agree.

And, piano students out there- watch to the end- you can now buy sheet music!  Hooray!

In harmony,
Leslie

Music Moment Monday- Get your Christmas books now!

Christmas is must have music.  So my new beginners need to have their own books.  

And, parents of beginners will want to hear Christmas music from their new students....because it's so darn stinkin' cute- little fingers on keys, simple tunes, and sometimes a tongue comin' out of their mouth at the 'hard to play' parts! 

Ah, the magic of the season!  Let it ring! Here are a few new beginner books to choose from.

In harmony,

Leslie 

Tuesday Music Video- The Piano Guys on the Great Wall of China

Back in May, I and some of my kids were privileged to meet in person the piano guy from The Piano Guys and hear his concert.  What a thrill that was!  He was so personable and even said my fingers looked just like his "E.T." fingers----it's a certain 'look' that advanced players get to their hands and bony fingers.  However, he had about an inch of length on my hands.  Which is amazing since I have large hands.

This summer he must have traveled to China to shoot this video.  This is so cool.  Back in 1980 when I went to China, there were large sections of the Great Wall that were in ruins.  It looks like they have repaired those now.

Hope you enjoy this video.... it is Epic!

In harmony,

Leslie

Music Moment- What method book do I use?

I have been using the Hal Leonard piano method books for 18 years.  I've tried other methods but I always go back to these, and they are winners.  Their "sister" method is Faber Piano Adventures which goes hand-in-hand with the Hal Leonard books.  Students really excel with these methods much more than others.  And, as a bonus, the songs are easy on the ears (if you know what I mean!)

Music Moment Monday

Beginner Group Class

Piano is well underway, and already we have learned so much.  Beginners have settled well into their class routine and enjoy their peers in class.  In the above picture, we are having theory time learning about  Left Hand and Right Hand on the piano and which fingers to play.  We are crossing the brain lobes with lots of information; so, in order to help those brain cells grow with our new music information we do jumping and running exercises during class while we shout out music terms.  So much fun!

Fall Piano 2013



All right folks!  Sign ups have started for piano for the fall.  Please call or email me or even leave a comment here for your 1st and 2nd choice of days and times.  It's going to be a great fall.  We might even have day time slots for homeschoolers so tell your friends!

Reagan in Africa

Reagan is in Kenya doing fine.  She says the kids there are wonderful and silly.  If you weren't able to go to the Wholives.org benefit concert in April, here are 2 videos worth watching.  I wish I could put the whole evening up there- but that would be long!!  Ha!  Enjoy.





In harmony,

Leslie

Piano Recital Spring 2013

More video from the Recital.  C.J. play "Kansas City 1928" by Faber

Piano Guys- $5 on Amazon

Piano Recital- Duet

This is 2 of my boys- I love that I have so many boys in the studio.  Brandon and C.J. rocked this song, St. Louis Blues!

Piano Recital

photo by Rocio Montero

Piano recitals can be exhilarating or boring.  I have to humbly reply that this one was the latter and it was fantastic.  I felt electricity in the air- there was a freshness about all the students performances and an added measure of maturity in their playing. 

In this photo, I am playing with an ensemble- meaning 4 people playing at once.  I stepped for a student who hadn't been able to practice with us for a while.  They all did great.  My son, Pierce, is even in there on the left (with the 'high waters'- he won't stop growing). 

My students should be very proud of the hard work last night.  The solos were amazing, the duets were stellar, and hardly anyone messed up!  And, some came with solos memorized without telling me!!

Thanks for another great year.  This wraps up 18 years of teaching piano.

In harmony,
Leslie

Jon Schmidt- from the Piano Guys

We had an amazing chance to see Jon Schmidt from the Piano Guys play and speak tonight.  He is a gentle, soft-spoken soul, who has a big spirit, obviously he speaks through his music.

He played 4 songs: his version of All Creatures of our God and King, Waterfall  and a tribute to his sister (all his own composition), All of Me, and an amazing arrangement of Onward Christian Soldiers!

It was an uplifting evening.  The best part was when my 11 year old son (who's taken piano for only 3 years) told me he wanted to meet him.  We waited an hour to meet him and Mr. Schmidt was so gracious.  He let Pierce measure hand spans.  Jon Schmidt's fingers were about 1/2" longer than mine, and I have very long fingers.  He also fist bumped me because I'm a piano teacher!!

AWESOME Night! My kids were so excited to meet him.  This is what leaving a legacy is about- giving your kids something to dream about.

Thanks for coming with us Laurie, it was fun.

** if you want to watch a great evening of tv, watch the Piano Guys on PBS this week.  It's really an emotional performance.



New Ebook- Teach Group Piano and Love It

picture by E. Montero

Here is the code to read my Ebook: Teach Group Piano and Love it!

Please let me know what you think about it!  I'd love your comments.

This is so exciting for me!  I've been working on this for over a year.  (Doesn't everyone say that?) Well, actually my ebook took me very little time to write, like 2 weeks.  It was editing it, and trying to read up on how to publish an ebook that took me forever.  One of my challenges is the computer- and I just couldn't figure out how to put up an ebook for free that looked professional.

So this is what I came up with: first, this cute picture to the right... did you see that adorable picture?  Those are 2 students at the studio!  I love this picture - it says it all about group piano.  Students helping students- like a one room school house.  I'm in love with those kiddos.

Once I got my picture the way I wanted, I attached it to my google docs ebook.  That's my way of having a free ebook.  I hope that it looks professional enough, because that's all I could come up with that didn't cost out of pocket money for me.

Please, feel free to go ahead and click on my ebook.  In over to your right, yep, in the corner here. It's got a nice cozy place on the home page, just waiting for people to read it.

Hope you like it?!  Do you have any suggestions?