Piano Parents

Classical Music for Kids

2011-11-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

Often parents ask me for help in finding great classical music for kids, so today I'll share a few tips:

Find short, appealing selections. There is a lot of great classical music that lasts just 1-5 minutes. Keep listening activities short and sweet. Don't sit on the couch and expect your child to make it through Bach's B-minor mass.
Find classical music that has a good beat. A great example of this is Aaron Copland's "Hoe Down" (see track 12 from this Aaron Copland CD, conducted by Leonard Bernstein). My boys and I have enjoyed twirling, stomping, and dancing around the room with this playing at full volume many times.
Share what you love. Find a piece of classical music that you love, and share it, and maybe mention what you love about it or how it makes you feel. It's OK if you child doesn't love it, too. Just like sharing your favorite flavor of ice cream, just offer it, and be OK whatever their response is. It's fun to have meaningful conversations about the kinds of music we like and why we like it, and how it makes us feel.
For bedtime, my favorite music to have playing in my boys' room is Bach's Cello Suites. I love this music, and my boys love it, too. My oldest son said that this music was "his friend".

Please share your own ideas for great classical music for kids. I'd love to hear from you!

Happy listening!

To Inspire is Better than To Require

2011-10-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

Do I think that parents should require daily practicing if enrolled in piano lessons? My answer is yes. In my experience, it is rare for a child to have the discipline and initiative to maintain a daily practice routine without the help of a parent, even when they truly enjoy their lessons and enjoy playing the piano. Therefore, I strongly encourage parents to take responsibility for making sure that practicing happens every day. In a way, daily practicing falls in the same category as brushing teeth. Kids rarely would do it on their own, but because you know how important it is, it is required.

But, please do not stop at the level of merely requiring. Requiring is important, but even MORE important is to INSPIRE.

I'll share a personal story to illustrate the power of inspiring. When I was a freshman in high school, I decided to drop piano lessons. Not that I didn't enjoy playing the piano, I simply wasn't enjoying the music I was being assigned by my teacher, nor was I feeling challenged in the right ways. In short, I was not being inspired.

Then, at 16 years old, during my junior year of high school, something happened which changed everything for me. I was driving in my second-hand grey Chevy Cavalier, and I was listening to the classical station, as I often did. I still remember where I was on the streets of Carrollton, Texas when I heard for the first time in my life the opening of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. The music stirred something deep inside of me and awoke in me this amazingly powerful desire to be able to play that song someday. In that one moment, I realized how deeply I loved music, and what music had to offer me. Almost immediately after that experience, I asked my parents if I could start piano lessons again. I found an amazing teacher at a local university. I started practicing literally 4 hours a day, much to the agony of my older sister, whose bedroom was nearest to the piano, which is where I would start practicing at 6am sharp every day.

Now, that was my unique story, and I'm certainly not trying to suggest that you should all go sit your child down to listen to Tchaikovsky, expecting to see dramatic results. What I am suggesting is that "to inspire is better than to require". When a child is inspired, practicing has purpose, and they progress at a much faster rate than a child lacking inspiration. Without inspiration, you can still require, but it will feel like a drag, rather than a joy.

Finally, to the practical: How do you inspire a child? Here are a few ideas:

Listen to GREAT music together. It doesn't have to be classical--I think it is wonderful to expose children to great music in all genres. That's the wonderful thing about music--so many wonderful flavors and styles to explore. When choosing music, don't go for long 60-minute symphonies that are going to bore your child, find shorter pieces, or just listen to a part of a longer piece. (For example, just listen to the first 3 minutes of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1--the whole thing is very long, and for myself, I don't care much for some of the later parts!)
Watch great performances. Find performances on YouTube. Go to concerts. Again, be careful of bringing younger children to a long concert. Classical concerts are almost always geared to the attention span of an adult, so look for special concerts that are designed for kids--many symphony orchestras do an annual children's concert or event. I remember actually getting pretty bored sometimes when my parents brought me to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra as a child.
Find role models. It can be very helpful and inspiring for a child to see other older children, who are excelling at piano. The role model could also be the teacher, or you!
Use positive language and sincere praise. Remember that we want happy and positive associations with music and with piano, so always avoid scolding, criticizing, and power struggles. Look for things to praise, and tell your child what he is doing well.

Please share your own ideas by leaving a comment below!

Law of the Harvest

2011-07-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

I find it helpful to remember the Law of the Harvest in my teaching and in my life. The Law of the Harvest states that whatever I sow is what I am eventually going to reap. Plant a carrot seed, and I get a carrot. Plant a corn kernel, take care of it with water and sunshine, and, with patience, I’ll enjoy sweet, fresh corn. Plant nothing, and I harvest nothing. It’s all up to me.

In my teaching, this means that I have to plan carefully in advance what results I want to “harvest” from my students. If I want to enjoy a good harvest, I have to plant the right seeds months ahead of time. If I want a student to play with excellent technique, I have to train correct habits from the very beginning, starting at the first lesson. Failing to teach and expect the correct technique from the beginning, rather simply hoping that eventually they’ll “catch on”, is kind of like planting an apple seed and watching it grow, all the while hoping that you just might someday get a plum. All the wishing in the world cannot make it happen.

If I want my students to actually love music and music making, I have to plant these seeds early on, too. I must regularly share my own love and passion for music and playing piano, and teach with a compassionate, caring touch. This way my harvest can include students who want to make music for a lifetime, not just until the practice timer goes off. If I want my high school students to have a good ear, I should start having them dictate little melodies early on, while they are still in elementary school. I even like to teach the Law of the Harvest to my students, so they can understand that how they learn and practice a piece from the very first week will effect in a large way how they perform it months later. If they plant the seeds of sloppy fingerings and inattention to detail early on, they will harvest a sloppy performance. On the other hand, if they plant the seeds of careful learning with full attention to detail, they will harvest a polished and confident performance they can be truly proud of.

The Law of the Harvest applies equally well to our relationships with others. If I want to enjoy the respect of others, I need to plant the seeds of always acting with integrity and treating others with respect. If I want others to speak well of me, I must speak well of others. If I want friendship, I need to be a friend. In my own little family of 4, I have found that the single best way to feel more loved is to start giving more love away. It always comes back to me, without fail. That’s the Law of the Harvest.

Getting It Wrong On Purpose

2011-03-26T20:53:00.000-07:00

This week a parent emailed and asked me about what to do when her child is doing something wrong on purpose because they think it is funny.

Here was my reply:
Yes, this happens sometimes. Kids enjoy being “tricksters” sometimes and will purposefully get something wrong. If you fight it, sometimes it just gets worse, because they are enjoying “tricking” you. I think the key to handling a situation like this is to not get in a conflict about it. Rather, just “go with it” by calmly reflecting what they are doing. Smile knowingly and say, “Oh, you are trying to trick me, now!” or thoughtfully observe: “Hmm, you are getting it wrong on purpose, aren’t you?” Go ahead and let them do it “wrong” and just keep reflecting. "Wow, you just keep doing it wrong again and again." Often, if the child sees that you aren’t going to get flustered or thrown off by their tricks, soon they’ll decide on their own to go back to doing the game the “right way”. If you try to make them do it right, however, it will feed the desire to go back to tricking you. Remember, that which feels like a power struggle to you may feel like a game to your child.

If reflecting doesn’t work, I would just leave it. Say something like, “Hmm, I see that you just want to be tricky today, so let’s try this game another time, OK?” A little practice game is never worth getting in a power struggle over.

Please share your own ideas, comments, or questions. I'd love to hear from you!

Perfect Practice Rule #2

2010-11-05T08:01:00.000-07:00

(...please see my blog from last week if you missed rule #1)

I heard a saying once that has stuck with me: "An amateur practices until he plays it right. An expert practices until he can't play it wrong."

Sometimes I explain this concept a different way for my students. I ask them to imagine a student practicing a line of music over and over again and when they finally play it correctly they think, "Phew! I got it right!" and then they immediately move on to the next line. The problem with this is that they played it incorrectly perhaps 5 times, and correctly only once. So, the next time you get to that line, which way are the fingers more likely to remember, the incorrect way or the correct way? The incorrect way, of course!

As parents and teachers, we need to help students recognize that practice does not end when you play it correctly--that's when practice begins. When you can play it correctly once, you need to keep playing it correctly again and again, until your fingers know the correct way so well, they cannot play it wrong.

Perfect Practice Rule #2: Practice BEGINS the first time you play it right.

Happy Practicing!

Does Practice Make Perfect?

2010-10-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

You've all heard the saying "practice makes perfect". The problem with this statement is that HOW you practice makes all the difference. So often I find out that my students are not practicing effectively, and therefore their practice is not leading towards perfection at all. In fact, poor practicing can actually have a negative effect by reinforcing incorrect notes and bad posture. I really think the saying should be revised: "Perfect practice makes perfect".

How do you achieve "perfect practice"?

Over the next few weeks I am going to offer a few rules that I have found lead to "perfect practice". This week we will begin with:

Perfect Practice Rule #1: Don't practice mistakes

Please don't misunderstand this rule. Mistakes are allowed and even expected. The trick is simply not to practice them. When you play the same mistake two, then three, then four times in a row, you are well on your way to becoming an EXPERT at your mistake. Keep it up and you can guarantee that you will make that same mistake every time.

When practicing, your goal should be 100% accuracy. If this isn't happening, break things into smaller chunks and slow down to the point that you can play it PERFECTLY, with comfort, ease and artistry. Then, continuing with 100% accuracy as your goal, do it again and again until your "perfection" becomes an unbreakable habit.

Perfect practice makes perfect.

Happy practicing!

Getting Them to the Bench

2010-10-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

Need some fresh ideas for getting your child to the bench for practice time? Read on!

Consistent Daily Practice Routine: Have an established daily practice time, like right after breakfast. Stick to this time. Generally, the more consistent you are, the more willingly your child will follow the routine, and the less resistance you will encounter.
Providing Company: Try using inviting words with a cheerful tone: "Let's go to the piano for music time!" Many kids will go to the piano more willingly if you provide some company during their practice time. Some like you sitting right next to them on the bench, others will just want your presence in the room (you can just enjoy a peaceful moment reading a book).
Avoid the "banishment" approach: "Go out there and practice right NOW!" We don't want practicing to feel like punishment or a time-out.
Give a Treat: Generally, I am not a fan of giving tangible treats or rewards because I want kids to learn to love music for its own sake. However, I think an occasional special treat or reward can provide an excellent boost to motivation. Instead of waiting until the end of practice to get a treat, why not give the reward at the beginning? You could say to your child, "I have 3 chocolate chips for anyone who knows how to cheerfully come to the piano for practice time!" Enjoy the treat together--you probably deserve 3 yourself--and then dive into practicing.
Avoid harsh or negative tones. Remember, we don't want kids to associate practicing with anger or negativity.
Make your child feel like the Expert. The following technique works well with younger kids. Sit down at the bench and begin playing one of the songs your child is working on. Make a lot of very obvious mistakes, then pretend to get stumped. Say something like, "Wow, I really need someone to show me how to do this. I can't remember how this song goes." Most kids will very willingly come and set you straight.

Your comments, stories, and feedback are always welcome and appreciated.

Happy practicing!

Escape! Another Practice Game

2010-10-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

Here's another practice game to try that I call "Escape!" It's simply another way to add fun and motivation to your daily practicing.

Find a small animal figurine or action figure that can balance on one of the black keys of the piano (or you can always use a penny or a button and just use imagination). Tell your child, "This sheep [or soldier or princess] was captured by an evil king." Place the figure on one of the black keys near the highest (or lowest) end of the piano. Say, "Every time you play this measure [or line/section] with no missed notes you can move the sheep one black key closer to the edge of the piano keys. If you miss a note, the sheep will move backwards, deeper into jail. When the sheep makes it to the edge of the piano, it escapes! And you win!"

Determine your initial placement of the figure based on how many repetitions you think the child can succeed at. Place the figure closer to the edge to make it easier. If the game proves too difficult, you can also eliminate the rule about moving backwards, or create a "wall" that blocks any negative movement past a certain point. Remember that you want the child to feel challenged, but not overwhelmed. Keep the spirit of the game fun and lighthearted. Add humor and imagination as you feel inspired.

Happy practicing!

P.S. The idea for this game came from a great blog for piano teachers:
Music Matters

The Welcome Mistake

2010-09-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

I'm back after a wonderful summer of piano camps and family time!

Today I bring you an insightful quote by Haim Ginott, noted child psychologist and child therapist:

"The major obstacle to learning is fear: fear of failure, fear of criticism, fear of appearing stupid. An effective teacher [or parent] makes it possible for each child to err with impunity. To remove fear is to invite attempt. To welcome mistakes is to encourage learning."

As you are getting back into a fall practice routine with you child, please remember to make mistakes a welcome occurance during practice time. This doesn't mean that you have to ignore mistakes or cheer them on with false praise. They just happen, and you deal with them. It's nothing personal. Mistakes are simply to notice, like you would notice a crumb on the counter that needs to be wiped. Mistakes are part of the learning process, and if welcomed can even enhance the learning process. Remove fear and you welcome learning.

Happy practicing!

The Perils and Promise of Praise

2010-06-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

Haven't we always been taught that kids should be praised? We want to build their self-esteem, so we tell them they are smart and talented, and we tell them this as often as we can. If this sounds like you, you're not alone: one survey found that 85% of American parents believe that it is important to tell their children they are smart. (I used to be part of the 85%, too!)

The sobering news from a growing body of research is that we need to beware of generic praise for being smart or talented and focus our praise instead on their effort and hard work.

When we praise a child for being smart, the child gets the message that being smart is what matters most, and that intelligence is fixed--they either have it or they don't, and therefore it's not in their control. The child may feel good for that moment, but later may feel afraid to try something new or challenging, because if they fail it would expose them as being not intelligent. According to researcher and psychologist Carol Dweck, PhD, "Praising students' intelligence gives them a short burst of pride, followed by a long string of negative consequences." These consequences can include decreased confidence and less willingness to tackle new challenges.

In one study, led by Dweck, 400 fifth graders were given a series of IQ tests. Following the test, the students got their score from the researcher, along with a single sentence of praise. One group was praised for intelligence: "You must be smart at this." The other group was praised for effort: "You must have worked really hard." Of the students who were praised for effort, 90% requested the harder test when given a choice for their next IQ test. However, most of the students who were praised for being smart requested the easier test. The final test in the series was actually a repeat of the first test. As a group, the students who were praised for effort improved their scores on this last test by 30%, while the students who were praised for intelligence actually got worse by 20%.

“When we praise children for their intelligence,” Dweck writes, “we tell them that this is the name of the game: Look smart, don’t risk making mistakes.” She goes on to explain, “Emphasizing effort gives a child a variable that they can control. They come to see themselves as in control of their success. Emphasizing natural intelligence takes it out of the child’s control, and it provides no good recipe for responding to a failure.”

In her work, Dweck emphasizes that it is important to help children discover that they can control their success (and even their own intelligence) through effort, practice, and hard work.

You can read more about Dweck's research in this New York Magazine article or in Dweck's own article "The Perils and Promise of Praise"

Happy Practicing!

Soldiers and Sound Effects: The Way to a Boy's Heart

2010-05-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

I love to use games with children because they keep the atmosphere relaxed and fun, and children always learn best when they are relaxed. I always get much more willing focus and effort from a child when I use a game.

Here is a great game for boys. It was invented off-the-cuff as a stroke of inspiration (maybe desperation is a better word) in the middle of a piano lesson with a 6-year-old "Eric". Eric was working on a short, but tricky, 8-measure song: “Black Snake”. (You can download “Black Snake” for free here.) He had learned the song hands together, and was playing it confidently—except he was missing a couple of notes every time. I knew he was capable of being 100% accurate—focus was all he was lacking. Enter the game.

With a playful smile I said, “Eric, I’m placing five coins here on the piano. These five coins are your soldiers. Your job is to save as many as you can from falling into the hot lava. Every time you play a missed note, one soldier is going to fall into the lava! If you can play the whole song from start to finish without missing a single note, then a helicopter will come and rescue your soldiers. Let’s see how many soldiers you can save!”

His interest was captured, and Eric proceeded to play. I was prepared for his first missed note. As soon as a mistake came, I took one of the coins, and using my best little boy sound effects (you’ve all heard it), I made the moaning-and-falling-into-a-deep-pit sound as I floated the coin/soldier down to his fate. Eric got a wonderful kick out of that, and with a smile, happily tried the song again, this time with noticeably increased focus and determination. Another miss! Another soldier fell into the lava with dramatic sound effects accompanied by another smile from Eric. On the third try Eric played the song 100% accurately!

“You saved these 3 soldiers!” I said with excitement. “These soldiers all say ‘thank you’ to you!”

I told Eric to try this game at home every day during piano practice, and to see how many soldiers he could save. He gladly agreed.

This game worked so well, I have used it many times since with other piano students who needed a little motivation to concentrate on a certain aspect of their playing (correct notes, correct rhythms, hand position, wrist position—anything).

If you want your games to succeed, remember to keep them playful, light-hearted and fun. The beauty of using a game is that you don’t have to correct or even encourage—the game takes care of all of that for you. Just have fun doing the game.

I always welcome your comments, feedback and ideas!
Happy practicing!

Music Lessons: A Solid Investment in Mental Fitness

2010-05-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

There was a lot of craze a decade or two back about the so-called "Mozart effect". The idea was that simply by playing Mozart for your child, you could boost brain functioning and maybe even increase IQ!

Well, the most recent studies are showing that to make a lasting positive change in the brain, passive listening is not enough. You have to actively participate by playing. Researchers are finding that active music making DOES change the brain in unique and positive ways. For example, one 2004 study (involing 144 6-year-olds randomly assigned to either piano lessons, drama lessons, or nothing) revealed higher IQ scores for the kids who received piano lessons. There are other studies that reveal similar trends.

You can read a great Article in the LA Times by Melissa Healy summarizing some of the most recent research on how making music affects the brain. I have selected a few of my favorite quotes from this article, and pasted them below for you to enjoy.

"Learning to make music changes the brain and boosts broad academic performance. Findings across the board suggest that, even for a kid who will not grow up to be a Wynton Marsalis or a Joshua Bell, spending money and time on music lessons and practice is a solid investment in mental fitness."

"For those receiving musical instruction, 'there is evidence that music changes the brain in positive and permanent ways,' says Laurel Trainor, professor of psychology, neuroscience and behavior, and director of the auditory development lab of McMaster University in Toronto."

"March, Schlaug and a team of researchers in Boston put 31 first-graders through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans, as well as a series of cognitive skills tests, to gauge the effect of 15 months of keyboard training. Compared with kids getting a playful group music class once a week, 6-year-olds who got intensive, weekly, one-on-one music instruction had greater and more widespread expansion in volume across many areas of their brains. And they performed better on tests of fine motor skill and of several other skills directly related to music."

"A team led by Trainor reported that in kids chosen randomly to get a tightly structured instrumental training called the Suzuki method, brain responses were two to three years more mature on average than those in children not taking music lessons."

Don't Give Up

2010-05-05T06:45:00.001-07:00

The subtitle for today's blog could be "The Power of Love and Persistence".

I know that sometimes being a piano parent demands a great deal of patience, persistence, and commitment. There may even be long phases of frustration and wondering if the investment of time and money is even worth it.

Yesterday at a lesson I was reminded that, yes, it IS worth the effort, even when the rewards can be years in coming. One of my students, David (name changed), has been studying with me for nearly three years, and for much of the three years progress has been slow--from my conversations with the mom, I'm sure she would choose to call it excruciatingly and hair-pulling-out-ingly slow. There was a period of many months where neither I nor David's mom could quite figure out why there was so much lack of focus and concentration during piano practice time and lessons, so much wiggling and whining, and so little progress. I know there were times when quitting altogether was definitely considered.

Yet, both David's mom and I felt the right thing to do was to persist. I could see in David the potential to push through. I knew and the mom knew that music would be a huge asset and blessing in David's life. We didn't give up. I had to be very creative at times in my lessons to keep David engaged. The mom went through a lot of grueling practice experiences at home, pushing her patience to the limits, and beyond!

Yet, in the end, love and persistence won out.

About a month ago something started to click for David. He had some amazing breakthroughs in being able to finally conquer some songs hands together that had previously seemed insurmountable. To cap it off, just yesterday, I gave him a new 32-measure song to try, and he just sat and played through it entirely on his own, confidently, with almost no help from me. Just 6 months ago, I may have been lucky to get through 4 measures of a new song in a piano lesson. But yesterday, he pretty much blew me (and his mom) away.

Don't ever give up on the power of love and persistence. Those two combined will always win in the end.

Happy practicing!

Correction through Praise

2010-04-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

I have been surprised at how effective it can be to use this tool I call "correction through praise".

The underlying principle is choosing to focus on the positive, rather than the negative.

If a child is doing something 90% wrong and just 10% right, focus your attention on that 10% right and you will find that it will increase at a faster rate than if you choose to focus on the 90% wrong.

That which we give attention to thrives and grows. So, simply ignore the 90% wrong for now, and start by giving your attention to the 10% (or even 1%) right. Encourage that little bit of right, praise it sincerely (be specific), and watch how it blossoms. Just as a flower blossoms only when it is ready (and not through pressure or insistence), be patient as you wait for the results of this technique.

Here are some practical examples:

A new student is having a lot of trouble relaxing his fingers: they are sticking up most of the time with much tension. Find the one place they looked more relaxed than usual, and say, "I noticed that on the last note all of your fingers looked very relaxed, just resting on the keys. I think your fingers are starting to learn how to stay relaxed when they play. Very good!"
A child plays a song quite sloppily with many missed notes. Find a measure that was played accurately and praise her for this. "The thing I liked about measure 3 was that you played every single note 100% correct--my ears loved it! You must have been very careful when you learned and practiced that measure."

Please always feel free to share you own ideas and reactions, success stories (and mistakes, too!). I'd love to hear from you.

Happy practicing!

Who's In Charge Here?

2010-02-17T07:11:00.000-08:00

If you’ve ever had a power struggle about practicing, then this blog is for you! (Isn’t that just about everyone?) I think many power struggles are simply the result of a child rebelling against feeling like they don’t have enough choice or control in the matter. Research has shown that children (and adults) will be much more likely to enjoy an activity when they feel a sense of autonomy or control over their actions. People—children and adults alike—naturally dislike always being told what to do!

If you are finding your practice time turning into a battle of wills, try finding ways to share the control or decision making with your child. You don’t have to let them completely run the show. But you can and should allow them to make certain choices while still providing the structure they need to progress and succeed. As with so many things in parenting, you have to strike a balance. And the right balance may be different day to day, and year to year as a child matures and becomes more independent. Try to give your child just enough structure to make practice effective, while allowing for as much choice and autonomy as possible.

Here are some specific ideas for giving your child more autonomy during practice time:

Invite the child to choose the number of repetitions
Invite the child to assess her own playing. “How did that sound?” or “Did you feel confident with all the notes or do you want to try that again?” (Sometimes it’s OK to go with what the child decides, even if you disagree. This will build trust and earn you more leverage down the road.)
Ask, “What section needs the most work?” Let the child choose a section to practice.
Invite the child to improvise a song with you or alone. Improvisation is a great tool for building a child’s sense of autonomy and control at the piano. I would love my students to improvise for at least a minute or two every day.
For children who are old enough to be more independent (usually ages 9 to 11) try saying, “OK, today I’m just going to sit over here and listen. You’re in charge of your practice time. If you need any help, just let me know.” Sit back, relax, keep your mouth shut, and see how it goes.

Remember: Find the Balance. Providing structure, providing choices.

Happy Practicing!

Internet Resources

2010-01-08T14:20:00.001-08:00

Hello Parents!

This week I simply would like to share a few internet resources that I have come across that may be of help.

Here is a simple, yet effective online game/drill for practicing reading notes:
http://www.emusictheory.com/practice/pianoKeys.html
If you are getting bored of flashcards, try this out! Offer your child a reward if he or she can get a score of 30 notes completed with at least a 90% score with an average time of 5.0 seconds or less. You can go into "settings" and turn off ledger line notes if that is making it too hard.

If you want to have more flexibility with which notes you are working on, try this online note reading game:
http://musictheory.net/trainers/html/id82_en.html
In "Settings" you can choose what range of notes to practice, and which clef.

Another game for practicing note names with the added challenge of having the notes scroll across the screen. You have to identify the note before it disappears.
http://www.emusictheory.com/practice/speedNoteNames.html

A game for practicing performing rhythms (go into settings to adjust the difficulty):
http://www.emusictheory.com/practice/rhythmPerf.html

A game for doing rhythm dictation:
http://www.emusictheory.com/practice/rhythmDict.html

Here is a fun site created by the San Francisco Symphony with many interactive features to help kids explore music. For example, students can try their hand at "composing" by arranging melodic fragments in whatever sequence they want, then they get to hear the results played back to them. There are many other fun learning activities here.
http://www.sfskids.org//templates/musiclab.asp?pageid=4

The New York Philharmonic also has some fun music games, I especially enjoy the "Minuet Mixer".
http://www.nyphilkids.org/games/main.phtml?

Here is some software you can download for $10 which enables you to notate and print your own original music. This could be very fun for young composers.
http://www.finalemusic.com/notepad/

If you know of other good Internet resources for piano students, please share!

Happy Practicing!

Fear of Mistakes

2009-12-09T11:13:00.001-08:00

One of the surest ways to slow down progress and learning is the fear of making mistakes.

Mistakes are an inevitable, even essential, part of life and learning. Think about how a baby learns to walk. Was anyone there to point out incorrect technique? Was anyone there keeping track of how many times the baby fell? Did any one explain to the baby the concept of center-of-gravity and warn how unstable it can be trying to balance an object on only two legs? Fortunately for babies, when they are learning to walk they don't care about all the rules of gravity and balance and posture (which all matter so much in the world of adults). They simply one day decide they are going to try walking. And after a few falls and stumbles, they get it!

In my experience, if a child can keep that same healthy attitude of being OK with making mistakes, he or she will progress much faster at the piano--and at any skill.

What can parents and teachers do to help children not be afraid of making mistakes? Here are a few ideas:

Maintain your own child-like curiosity for learning and trying new things
Develop and practice a healthy attitude towards your own mistakes and the mistakes of others
Don't be too quick to correct your child's mistakes--kids usually already know before you say it
Avoid scolding and negative emotions around mistakes
Maintain a positive and light-hearted spirit during practice time and all learning experiences

When a mistake occurs, just think, "Ah! How interesting!" Then move on. No judgment, no worries. Just get up and try again.

If we can learn to do this ourselves, and then in turn help the children we love do this, what a powerful tool for life we will be giving!

Happy practicing!

Clear Goals

2009-12-03T11:25:00.000-08:00

One reason that children love games and sports is because the goals are so clear. Toss the basketball through the hoop. Earn the most money when playing Monopoly. The objectives are simple and clear. Without such clear goals the game loses its meaning and no one has any fun. Just imagine how dull and pointless playing basketball would be without the hoops.

Next time your child seems lacking in motivation to practice piano, try sitting down with him or her and add some fun challenge by setting clear bite-size practice goals. Perhaps the first day of practice the goal is simply to play the first 2 lines of the song right hand alone with no missed notes. Later in the week the goal may be to play the whole page 3 times in-a-row perfect. Make it clear that it's not good enough to just get some or even most of the notes right. In basketball, you don't score any points for almost getting the ball through the hoop. In football, you don't score a touchdown for almost making it to the endzone. Remember to make each goal reasonable and attainable (not too easy, not too hard--please refer to my October blogs on this topic) so that the child can enjoy the success of accomplishing it. You and your child will be amazed at how fast practice time flies when you are focusing on a clear practice goal, rather than focusing on the clock.

As each goal is attained, be sure to recognize the achievement, then continue to set new goals until the practice session is over. If a child has worked on a certain goal for 10 minutes and still hasn’t reached it, it’s OK to say “Wow, that was great concentration and great effort. Do you want to keep working on this, or should we try it again tomorrow?” Sometimes a child needs a break and will welcome a chance to move on, but I have been surprised by how often children will rise to a challenge and voluntarily choose to keep working on a goal until it is achieved. Remember to always remain positive and supportive.

Your comments, feedback, and questions are always welcome!

Happy practicing!

Not too hard...Not too easy (Part II)

2009-10-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

In my last blog, I talked about ways to decrease challenge when a child feels overwhelmed or doesn't want to try something that is too hard.

Today I'm writing about what to do when a child is feeling UNDERchallenged. You'll know this may be happening if your child:

Plays recklessly fast or sloppily, without any attention to musicality or beauty
Complains about playing the song AGAIN or gripes that it's too easy
Acts distracted or fidgety (note that these behaviors also could mean the opposite: too much challenge--see my Oct 14 blog)
Goofs off or acts silly

If you think your child needs more challenge, try saying "Hmm... You're pretty good at this, I wonder if you are ready for a challenge! Let's see if you can..." then propose one of the following challenges:

Play the phrase (or measure) with no missed notes and no missed fingerings (only 100% accuracy is acceptable)
Play "Earn Your Age" Game (If child is 7 years old, prepare 7 pennies or pieces of small candy or cereal. Every time the child plays a measure or line correctly, s/he earns one penny. If s/he misses a note, a penny is taken away. When you earn as many pennies as your age, you win!)
Play with no missed notes or fingerings 3 times in-a-row
No missed notes or fingerings 5 times-in-a-row
Play with your eyes closed, no missed notes
Play with beautiful phrasing and attention to every expressive marking, such as dynamics and articulations
Play while counting out loud
Try the "Question Challenge"

The Question Challenge is only a good idea when a child knows a song VERY well, but needs to continue to review it (eg, for an upcoming performance). The idea is to invite the child to play the song and then while playing, the parent asks the child very easy questions (What is your name? How many legs do you have? What color is the sky? What is 2 + 2?). The child should answer these questions while continuing to play the song. Have fun with this!

In all of this, keep the atmosphere light-hearted and fun--like playing a game. The trick is to find a level of difficulty that feels enticingly challenging to the child, but not overwhelming. Kids like being challenged. They enjoy it. I have observed that they even enjoy making honest mistakes and will freely laugh at their own "goof ups", so long as they have an environment where it is safe to make mistakes. Please don't misunderstand me: I am not suggesting ignoring mistakes or lowering standards of accuracy. In most of the challenges there IS a consequence for making a mistake (eg, losing a penny), however, one of the consequences is NOT being criticized or scolded or made to feel inferior. Making mistakes is simply part of the learning process, and can actually be a fun part of the game if you allow it to be. I have been surprised by how many times a child will smile or laugh when they lose their first penny in the "Earn Your Age" game. They love that someone is giving them a fun challenge to meet!

Not too hard...Not too easy (Part I)

2009-10-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

One of the most common problems during practice time is that (from the child's perspective) the level of challenge is either too high or too low. Let's say that on an assignment, your child is expected to learn a new song hands together. You may know that the child is truly capable of this, but if the child feels like the task is too difficult you might observe some of these behaviors:

Distracted
Fidgeting & Squirming
Lacking focus
Complaining
Resisting

Rather than proding your child to give it a try, or even encouraging with "You can do it!", try adjusting the level of challenge to help your child feel like s/he can accomplish the task. Remember, more important than what your child can do is what your child thinks s/he can do. The trick is to make the challenge feel easy enough so that the child has the confidence and courage to tackle it. Here are a few ways to DECREASE the level of challenge if you suspect that your child feels a bit overwhelmed:

Break things into "bite size" pieces. Children don't always know how to take a big, overwhelming task and break it into smaller, more manageable tasks. Sometimes for young children this might mean just tackling 2 notes hands together. For older children, maybe it will just be one or two measures. Mastering those two notes or two measures might be all you do that day. Enjoy the success!
Slow it down. Slowing down can be hard for some fast-paced children who like to rush through things, but it is a great way to decrease challenge. For older children, assigning a very slow metronome speed to stick with can help.
"Zero in" on the problem spot. If the challenge is fixing one wrong note or one wrong chord, begin by playing only the one note (or chord) using the correct finger, then stop. Next try adding just one note before, and see if you can play those two notes 3 times perfect. Now add one more note before, and again try to get 3 times perfect. Continue in this way to add more notes until you have the problem solved.
Simplify. Rather than working on notes and rhythms and dynamics and phrasing and articulations all at once, choose just one musical element at a time to focus on. If rhythm is the problem, stop playing all together, and just clap the rhythm while counting out loud. Once you can do that, try playing any single note on the piano (C, C, C, C, etc.) in rhythm while counting out loud. Finally, play the actual notes while counting and see if the rhythm is solved.

The whole point of decreasing challenge is to boost confidence that a child can succeed at the task at hand. So, be sure to celebrate successes and know when it is time to quit. It is even OK to spend more than one day on the exact same notes/issues, if that is what is necessary for a child to feel confident.

The other side of the coin is when things are too easy for a child, and they need MORE challenge. To learn more about this, be sure to check out my blog next week: Not too hard...Not too easy, Part II!

Happy practicing!

Creating a Musical Culture at Home

2009-09-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

Children will naturally grow to value the things that are truly valued in the home. When I was a child, my dad was a big fan of the San Francisco Giants. He followed them faithfully in the paper and on TV, and so when I started showing an interest in baseball, we would talk about the Giants, go to games together, and naturally I became an avid Giants fan—even though we lived in Dallas, home of the Texas Rangers! My father’s genuine and sincere interest in the S.F. Giants was simply contagious to me. Part of our “family culture” was cheering on the Giants.

Likewise, we can establish a life-long love of music in our children if we create a musical culture in the home. This begins with developing your own genuine interest in good music. Culture and values can never be imposed—they can only be shared. Even if you don’t play an instrument, you can develop and demonstrate your love of good music by listening to it, singing along with it, dancing to it, learning about it, and talking about it. Certainly, not everything you play in the home has to be “classical” music—it’s wonderful to enjoy high-quality music of many styles. If you play an instrument, don’t let it sit in your closet gathering dust. Turn off the TV or computer during your free-time, pull out your instrument and have some fun learning to play a new song. Or revive an old song you used to enjoy playing. When children see you enjoying music, they too will be drawn to it and will inevitably develop a life-long love of music, as well as a stronger motivation to practice their instrument so they can have as much fun as mom and dad!

End on a Positive Note

2009-09-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks for reading my first blog! Three cheers!!!

The topic for today is End on a Positive Note. The key is knowing your child well enough to end your practice session slightly BEFORE your child is ready to stop—while your child is still enjoying herself. This leaves a positive feeling in your child’s mind and makes the child more eager and willing the next day to practice.

Often, as a parent or teacher, we have a hard time letting go of wanting to cram as much work as possible in one practice session. You think to yourself, “I’ve worked this hard to get her here on the bench, now I’m never letting her go!” [Insert maniacal evil laughter here.] You know well the signs that a child is nearing the end of his ability to concentrate: legs start to swing agitatedly, body turning to liquid on the bench, thinking or talking about anything except the piano. Yet, heroically, despite all odds, you push on—“we’ve just got to finish everything on the practice assignment!”

Accept that your child has a limit to her concentration, and work within those limits—even if it means not finishing everything on the practice assignment. You can get to it next time. End your practice session BEFORE the child wants to and you will find that, over time, the child’s desire to practice will grow. His ability to concentrate for longer periods of time will grow, too. It is possible to have a fun, positive ending to your practice sessions! Try it, and let me know how it goes!