PIANO Q&A
PIANO Q & A
- How is your piano instruction different than other piano instruction?
- What books do you use in class?
- Explain the lesson format that is available.
- What do you do at the lessons?
- Is your program like the Suzuki program?
- What exactly is audiation?
- How do you teach children to audiate?
- When and how do the children learn to read notation?
- What if my child needs to change teachers at some point? Will the transition to a traditional method be difficult?
- When is the best time to start piano instruction?
- How do we decide whether to sign up for a Piano Transitions class or Piano Lessons?
- How much practice will be necessary?
- How can we help our children practice?
- Can my child start piano lessons before we have a piano at home? What about digital or electronic keyboards?
- Where can we find a good piano?
- What happens if we need to miss a class?
- Are piano lessons canceled because of weather?
- What if I need to withdraw during the year?
- What if we miss a lesson. Is it possible to make up a lesson?
- How do you handle payment for piano books?
How is your piano instruction different than other piano instruction?
We use a stimulating, revolutionary approach to piano instruction that is based on extensive research about how children best learn music. Students are given an opportunity to acquire the language of music in a way that encourages independent music making and musical thinking. With emphasis on music as both an aural (listening) art and an oral (performing) art, our program develops the entire musician while students sing, chant, and move to music they will learn to play. A solfege (syllable) system helps students organize the sounds they know and is key to a successful transition to reading notation. When students are ready to read, they are able to bring meaning to what they see on the page. Incorporated into this instruction is a wise and systematic presentation of purely pianistic skills (keyboard knowledge, technique and body awareness) using an attractive and musically rich repertoire of folk and original compositions. Creativity and improvisation are part of each lesson from the very beginning. And finally, students in our program are given an opportunity to take advantage of the benefits of a peer group instruction setting.
What books do you use in class?
The foundation of our curriculum is taught using Music Moves for Piano (musicmovesforpiano.com), which was written specifically to apply the systematic and profound music learning theory of Edwin Gordon. Students who have used this series show high retention, secure performance skills, solid reading and writing skills, music creativity, and development of audiation skills (the ability to think musically with understanding). Many are able to easily create arrangements of songs, transpose and harmonize songs, improvise, compose original music, or play music for parties.
Explain the lesson format that is available.
Students benefit tremendously from group instruction. They not only enjoy being with one another, but also learn more from watching and listening to one another. In addition, because our approach to music learning requires more instruction time than the traditional approach, we encourage families to take advantage of shared and extended lesson time. In Piano Transitions classes, we use one piano and require students to attend class in a group setting of 2-4 students. Students enjoy coming with their peers, and the small group setting allows the the instructor to observe all individual playing. For older students (first grade and above), flexible scheduling is the key to our Piano Lesson format. All students schedule and pay for a minimum of 40 minutes of instruction per week. However, some students come early or stay late to share lesson time with other students. Some students share an lesson together for about an hour. Most students receive about an hour of instruction each week. Our goal is to provide an environment and lesson format in which your child will benefit the most from piano lessons. In addition to regular weekly lessons, our students have an opportunity to attend Saturday group lessons throughout the year where they can meet other students, perform for one another, and participate in group learning activities that reinforce or expand on weekly instruction.
What do you do at the lessons?
Lesson activities are organized around four specific areas of musical development: 1) audiation skills (ability to think musically with understanding) using singing, chanting, moving, and pattern instruction; 2) keyboard geography and technique; 3) keyboard exploration, creativity, and improvisation; 4) book/listening assignments.
Is your program like the Suzuki program?
There are similarities. We both believe that children learn best through listening rather than the printed page, emphasize the importance of positive early music experiences, make comparisons to language development, and incorporate both group and individual instruction. Both methods use carefully chosen and properly sequenced literature. In practice, however, Suzuki pieces are "paragraphs" of music and Music Moves for Piano pieces are shorter "sentences" of music. Both approaches include additional solo literature.
What exactly is audiation?
Audiation is the ability to think musically with understanding, to be able to hear musical sounds even if there is no music present, to be able to sense when and what to sing or play. Audiation contrasts with imitation because it involves learning through one's own ears rather than someone else's ears.
How do you teach children to audiate?
The easiest and best way is to begin with positive music listening and exploratory experiences with infants, toddlers, and preschool children to encourage the development of a rich musical vocabulary. Participation in our Music Together® classes provides an excellent opportunity for those experiences. At age 4-5 and beyond, the Music Moves for Piano classes continue to use a developmentally appropriate, but increasingly more formal, sequential approach (with more expectations for correctness) that emphasizes the continued development of a music vocabulary along with initial rote instruction. When students are comfortable with tonal and rhythm patterns, we introduce syllables to help them organize the patterns. By the middle of Book 1, they are able to play or create a piece that begins on "DO is G".
When and how do the children learn to read notation?
All students need reading readiness activities in order to achieve true music literacy. Just as in language development, children need to first listen, speak (sing and play) and think music before they learn to read. In our approach to music literacy, the use of pattern instruction and associating syllables with the patterns is key to understanding music notation. Students much more easily associate symbols on the page with patterns they have sung, moved to, and understand in their heads. The ability to give meaning to notes, phrases and styles is preferable to just memorizing the lines and spaces and finding the right keys. The following activities help prepare students to read and understand notation: extensive practice with tonal and rhythm patterns (listening, moving, singing and playing), learning and playing lesson pieces by rote, an opportunity to develop a variety of keyboard skills, an opportunity to develop correct physical balance at the keys, the ability to think abstractly (approximately age 10-11), and acquisition of a personal reading and writing vocabulary.
What if my child needs to change teachers at some point? Will the transition to a traditional method be difficult?
Music Moves students are able to transition very easily to a traditional method. Any perceptive piano teacher will recognize that students from our program have musical skills, which are the foundation for good piano playing.
When is the best time to start piano instruction?
At Music Moves, we believe children are most successful playing an instrument when they complete a strong aural and movement readiness program, are able to sing in tune and keep a steady beat, and possess a desire to meet the challenges of playing an instrument. Families are encouraged to consider our Music Together classes and the Piano Transitions class before enrolling in Piano Lessons. Students are generally ready for the Piano Transitions class in kindergarten, and all students begin Piano Lessons in first grade. Some preschoolers are able to successfully participate in the Piano Transitions class.
How do we decide whether to sign up for a Piano Transitions class or Piano Lessons?
The pace and activities of the Transitions Class are developmentally appropriate for kindergartners and some preschoolers. Students may re-enroll a second year in Piano Transitions Class. The pace and activities of Piano Lessons are developmentally appropriate for students first grade and older.
How much practice will be necessary?
The introduction to our Keyboard Games books for students enrolled in Piano Transitions classes states that "young children, at this stage, can make music through music play at the keyboard as well as by playing music games away from the keyboard." Keyboard Games pieces are learned at the lesson, and students are not expected to practice, but encouraged to share their pieces at home, create sounds at the keyboard, and listen to the CDs. Students enrolled in Piano Lessons will continue to develop their musicianship and keyboard skills at their lessons. All new material is learned at the lesson. At home, students are encouraged to work on assignments clearly marked on each page and notated on our studio practice checklist. Completing weekly assignments will help students become better musicians and achieve more. Naturally, practice time expectations for each child will vary.
How can we help our children practice?
Our piano books include this important message for parents: "Parent involvement includes encouraging [your child] to practice, helping them to read and follow instructions, and listening to and enjoying their music creativity." Our practice checklist along with the method book introduction provides additional information about how to best guide your child to practice more efficiently. In addition, we annually offer a parent orientation workshop to help you better understand our curriculum and get the most out of piano lessons.
Can my child start piano lessons before we have a piano at home? What about digital or electronic keyboards?
Students do not need a keyboard for the Piano Transitions class, although access to a piano at home does make classes more enjoyable for them and encourages their participation and musical development. Students must have an acoustic or digital piano when they enroll in Piano Lessons. A good acoustical piano is preferable; however, digital pianos are acceptable. If you choose to purchase a digital piano, we ask that you choose a full size keyboard with keyboard action (i.e., loud and soft sounds can be controlled by how you play the keys and not by the volume button) and a foot pedal.
Where can we find a good piano?
If you plan to purchase an acoustic piano, West Michigan Piano (29th St west of East Paris) has an excellent selection of used pianos as well as new pianos www.westmichiganpiano.com. Keyboard World (28th/Breton) www.keyboardworld.net specializes in the Yamaha brand and has some used pianos as well. Some families have enjoyed driving out to the Lansing area to shop at Reeder Piano. www.reederpianos.com If you plan to purchase a digital keyboard, we ask that you purchase a full size keyboard and request that the action simulate an acoustical piano. The Kawai digital can be seen and heard at West Michigan Piano www.westmichiganpiano.comThe Yamaha and Roland digital keyboards can be seen and heard at Keyboard World (Breton/28th) www.keyboardworld.net or at Meyer Music (Eastlake Blvd./28th St.) www.meyermusic.com in Grand Rapids. Many families appreciate the Meyer Music "rent to own" policy for an entry level Yamaha digital model.
What happens if we need to miss a class?
Please read our Piano Studio Policies before registration.
Are piano lessons canceled because of weather?
Sometimes. Watch the news. If schools near our teaching locations are closed (Forest Hills School District), lessons might be canceled. However, quite often the driving conditions improve throughout the day. Contact your instructor if you have questions.
What if I need to withdraw during the year?
Students are expected to pay in full for each semester whether or not they attend all of the lessons. We ask that you discuss withdrawal issues with your teacher at least a month before the end of the first semester.
What if we miss a lesson. Is it possible to make up a lesson?
Please email or phone our office to notify us when your child will miss a lesson. Because of our full teaching schedule, however, missed lessons are difficult to make up during the regular weekly schedule. Saturday group lessons provide an opportunity to receive additional lesson time if your child is not able to make up a missed lesson.
How do you handle payment for piano books?
Piano books are paid with the annual studio registration/materials fee. Extra charges for books are not added during the year.
