In an ideal world every student that walks through the music room door would be enthusiastic to learn, ready to fully listen, and engage 100% with the lesson. Sometimes though, they arrive after a full day of school or work and might be tired out or have had a bad day. Even though you try…
Many years ago when I was studying for a teaching diploma I read a really useful book by Susan Hallam and one part of it must have struck a chord with me (no pun intended!). I got the same book out for one of my own diploma students a few years after and realised I…
Life seems to go on without effort when I am filled with music George Eliot Hands up if you enjoy reading! As a student (which seems a long time ago now), I have happy memories of curling up on the sofa with a Victorian novel and a cup of tea, followed by penning an essay…
Play is not a break from learning. It is endless, delightful, deep, engaging, practical learning. It’s the doorway into the child’s heart! Vince Gowmon Imagine there are two music rooms! In the first one Mrs Andante is teaching little Sophie the piano. They have just played some scales, with the teacher testing each one in…
A common question from parents is ‘how long should my child practice for?’. This is an interesting topic and one that can spark much debate between teachers, parents and students. Personally, I have never been a fan of clock watching while practising. The student can feel obligated to sit at the piano (or whatever instrument…
If you always do what is easy and choose the path of least resistance, you never step outside your comfort zone. Great things don’t come from comfort zones Roy Bennett Some time ago I went rock climbing for the first time. I’m not great with heights so it was quite a big deal for me….
Hands up if you look up performances on places like YouTube when learning a new music piece? Back in the olden days when I was having music lessons, there was no such thing as YouTube. Internet was through the phone line (showing my age now!) and deathly slow. Lecturers at university actually suggested taking a…
Teach the student first, the music second and the piano third Frances Clark At first glance you might look at this quote and think, ‘hang on, my job is to teach the piano, so why is it not top of the list?!’. But actually it highlights the importance of thinking about the individual when teaching….
You find yourself in the hallway of a house. The only way out is to use your music theory knowledge! My students love a puzzle or challenge so one of the first games I created was an escape game. It was a huge hit so I knew I was onto something that was highly motivating…
It’s never too late to learn. Hands up if you agree! This quote could apply to any subject but is definitely true when it comes to learning music. As C.S. Lewis once said, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream”. I have lots of lovely adult students…
“A student is almost always feeling motivated to practice, if he leaves his lesson feeling capable” Frances Clark Have you ever noticed a connection between how much practice a student does at home and how well their previous lesson went? One of my least favourite subjects at school was maths. I definitely leaned towards the…
As a teacher the drag and drop notes are incredible! I love how I can tailor it to the range of notes a beginner knows, or focus on a particular set of notes that are recent and relevant. Music Teacher Picture the scene … it’s Ancient Egypt and Pharaoh Fred is ruling the land! He…
