Beginner Piano Lessons

I'm getting geared up to kick off a new piano teaching year that is soon approaching. One of my favorite quotes:

Nothing separates the generations more than music. By the time a child is eight or nine, he has developed a passion for his own music that is even stronger than his passions for procrastination and weird clothes.

Bill Cosby

With notes off to the parents, cleaning up my studio and organizing teaching approaches, I came across an assessment sheet:

Beginning Assessment for Children

1. Go over policies with children and adults – this includes timing, semester concepts, practicing, etc. (5 minutes)

2. Questions for children: (5 minutes)

– What types of music do you listen to / like?
– Who are your favorite artists?
– What types of instruments are you familiar with?
– What have you learned about music in school / from others?

3. How my studio works – general overview, my philosophies / expectations

4. Musical Assessment (5 minutes on each)

– Piano – copying rhythms / song / identifying patterns
– Keyboard – copying rhythms / patterns / how to get noise out of the keys

(Note to parents: This assessment allows 2 evaluations to be made – The first is to see if they are drawn to the instrument they want to take. By seeing how they respond to the instruments, they can open a space of exploration for their instrument. The second is to see how well they grasp onto musical concepts. This will allow me to customize the curriculum for their needs).

5. Questions after assessment:

– What instrument did you feel the most drawn to?
– What do you recognize about each instrument?
– Which one would you want to learn songs on?

After this assessment, child and parents will be able to decide on an instrument, time, etc. or will be able to determine if there is enough interest. If unsure about the instrument / desire, take some time before deciding to commit to lessons.

I discovered a cute program where you can take a video and upload your own text. I so much enjoyed watching this delightful little girl play the piano with all her heart and soul! Have a look:
http://ladydpiano.blogspot.com/2008/04/lightly-row.html

My Cousin sent me a video of Ethan on the Tonight Show.
Did you happen to see it? Little Ethan was a charmer, for sure and quite a talented young man at that!


For those who are beginners at the piano and would like to have something to play by tonight, then take a look at
Boston by Augustana Piano Lesson



There are three valuable music resources to help you play by ear. I highly recommend these products if you're just starting out as a beginner piano player. For sure, some learn from books, some from dvds and others prefer cds.
Overall, just mess around and move those fingers!


Learn to Play the Piano By Ear

How To Harmonize The Melody


Audio Chords Series



http://www.LadyDpiano.com