When Marilyn Lowe, author of the Music Moves for Piano curriculum, was honored by the Missouri Music Teachers Association in 2007 as “Teacher of the Year,” an article entitled,  “88 Keys, Infinite Possibilities” about Lowe and her new piano series was written by Katie Pollock. “There are many ways for music to flow through the brain, down the fingers and onto the 88 keys of a piano to soar around in the air and back into the brain," writes Katie.   “Some schools of thought will assert that reading music and methodically hitting precisely the right notes in precisely the right sequence is the best way to learn.  Marilyn Lowe, a Springfieldian who gives talks worldwide and turns children into pianists, says some musical success stories begin more simply:  with tiny little fists hitting the keys and tiny little ears listening to the sounds they make."

Music Moves for Piano is the first piano method to apply Edwin E. Gordon’s Music Learning Theory (theories of audiation) to the teaching of piano.  The folk song based method is non-traditional.  Students learn music concepts within a musical context through tonal and rhythm pattern instruction as well as by participating in singing, chanting, and movement activities.  The curriculum of Music Moves for Piano is designed to develop musical thinkers and keyboard performers who will become tomorrow’s music leaders, hobbyists, and music advocates.

With guidance, “sound to notation” leads to fluent music performance, reading, and writing.  Some of the major concepts of this approach as described in the method book introduction include:

• Rhythm is based on movement:  Feel and chant rhythm patterns.  Move in both a continuous fluid way and a pulsating way.
• Sing songs and tonal patterns to develop pitch sensitivity, singing in tune, and a “listening” ear.  Singing develops tonal audiation.
• Acquire a listening and performing music pattern vocabulary.
• Understand the various ingredients of music, such as rhythm, meter, tonality, harmony, style, and form.
• Create with different elements of music, such as rhythm, pitch, harmony, and form.
•  Improvise using familiar patterns and songs.  Transpose, change tonality and meter, and create melodic and rhythmic variations.
• Perform with technical freedom and comfort.  Learn how to use the playing apparatus from the beginning of lessons.

The series begins with Keyboard Games A & B, designed for four and five-year old children to add keyboard experiences to their music and movements classes and to begin to transition to the more formal keyboard instruction provided in book 1. 

Book 1 is written for students of all ages, beginners and transfers.  Many of the performance pieces are from our rich, folk song heritage.  Students become acquainted with singing, moving and chanting activities that help them learn how to play by ear, improvise, and arrange music.

Books 2 & 3 continue with more difficult major and minor folk songs.  Students learn to play melody and accompaniment hands together.  They also learn to transpose, and change tonality and meter.  Book 3 introduces many new keyboard skills including intervals and major and minor primary cadences on 12 keys.

Books 4 and 5 are still in progress.

The accompanying CDs include performances of the keyboard pieces, tonal and rhythm patterns for students to echo, and songs and chants for acculturation.

Because improvisation is the cornerstone of this method, improvisation activities are included in weekly activities and assignments, increasing in complexity as students make their way through the series.

Supplementary materials include Keyalities & Tonalities (The Complete Book of Arpeggios, Cadences & Scales), Music Moves for Two duet books, Music Moves for Piano Boogies and Blues, and Music Moves for Piano Christmas music. 

The Music Moves for Piano series is additionally supplemented with solo repertoire from other sources.  These pieces are learned by applying audiation skills.