Piano Teacher School Now Enrolling
The next set of courses offered at the Piano Teachers School begin October 15th. The courses are taught by Kristin Yost who has written a number of posts for the Dollars and Sense part of the ComposeCreate blog. These courses are completed through online video, PDF handouts, and Skype consultations. This October, you can choose from:
Sharing the Wealth
We finished our week of Piano Camp a few weeks ago and I am still flying high with excitement and energy from my students! If you missed the little video we made of our camp adventures, please take just 2 minutes to watch it. I wanted to share about something that we did that is a more interactive way we as teachers can help share the musical wealth in our own communities.
From the beginning planning stages of my camp, I knew that I wanted our last day of camp to be one in service to our community. What we did turned out to be a smashing success with the residents that I wanted to encourage any teacher to consider doing this in your own community.
I recently found a local retirement centers that had a digital piano. I contacted them about doing a little piano recital and they were more than happy to put us on their calendar. This is not a unique idea I realize, and I’m sure many of you are already giving back to your community by sharing music in your nursing homes and retirement villages. But, the way we did it was really fun and interactive, and I wanted to tell you about what worked while the ideas are fresh on my mind:
Name that tune challenge
We divided our music into 2 categories, hymns and patriotic songs (this was a summer program, so the kids were more than willing to take a break from our usual classical music). We did not hand out any programs , but rather announced to everyone that we would be playing “Name that Tune.” I encouraged the audience to sing along if they knew the piece, and then at the end of the piece, I asked them if they knew the name of the piece. While I was asking them this, the student who performed the piece moved to the table and held their hand over a little call bell. When someone said the correct name, they rang the bell with glee! It was quite fun!
If the audience didn’t know the tune, but I knew they probably should know it, I gave them a clue by just playing the beginning of the melody again. We were performing for the “Memory Care” residents, so they needed a little extra help. 
Let the audience be the judge
My students were doing another “Cartoon Motive Contest,” but this year it was a motive contest on a specific animal. During the Piano Camp week, the students worked on composing a short motive about a very unique animal. At the recital, I handed out a few pictures of the animal, told them about its unique characteristics, and then asked them to listen to the students play their motives and try to remember which one they liked best. As the students came to the piano, I handed them a piece of paper with a number on it. When they finished playing their motive, they stood to the side and held their number so that the audience could remember which they liked best. It was rather funny to see them all holding a small paper with a number…it looked a bit like they were all getting mug shots taken, but it seemed to work well. If we had more time, I would have had them play their motive again, but instead, I asked each student to come to the piano a second time, play their motive, and then asked the audience to raise their hand if they wanted to vote for that motive. I awarded the 1st and 2nd place student with a $1 box of movie candy.
Get ‘em to move with the music
We all know how energizing clapping to the beat of the music with a large group of people can be. I had completely forgotten about this power in music until my two youngest students played my arrangement of “Oh When the Saints Go Marching In.” The audience started clapping to the beat and it was super fun to hear and participate! I was playing the snare drum for that particular piece and there was the comical little interlude in the middle where they jump up and switch places on the piano, but the audience just loved it all the more and clapped louder the second time.
In addition to Oh When the Saints, these particular pieces were effective in getting singing and clapping from the residents:
- Battle Hymn of the Republic
- Yankee Doodle
- Washington Post March (probably any Sousa march would have been good here)
It was so wonderful to be able to share a bit of our happiness with a group of people who might not have had such a splendid week as we did. I was also reminded that it is such a blessing to make music and this blessing can be magnified exponentially when we share it with others, especially those who may be less privileged or independent as we are. And so I humbly ask you to consider sharing one of your recitals with an older generation of people this year. I’m sure you’ll be glad you did!
Read MoreThe Paradoxical Musical Life
I just came back from our KMTA conference where one of the college faculty on a panel answered the question, “How do you prepare a student who wants to study music?” with a “Well, I honestly don’t know if I would recommend a career in music these days.” While what she said might have been shocking to some, she went on to say some very valuable things about developing all the interests you have when you are college age and then seeing where that takes you rather than choosing too early to only focus on just one thing. Jobs are hard to come by now in the arts was her main point.
So, I was very excited to get this article by Bradley Sowash who speaks to this exact point. Please read this excellent article to help your own career as well as the career path of your students.
The Paradoxical Music Life
Sometimes the seemingly random path we travel as musicians comes around to reveal a larger, more organized pattern in hindsight. Let me illustrate how my own experience came around sideways to lifelong goals. My childhood dream was to be the next Aaron Copland or George Gershwin – an American composer that doesn’t just live here but in the fuller sense, writes concert music influenced by our American traditions. After college, I was naively surprised upon moving to New York City with a music degree and a box of compositions that the job category of “full-time freelance American composer” didn’t exist. So, I worked as a jazz pianist and dance accompanist for the next 20 years building a reputation along the way as a “concert” concert and recording artist who played in art centers and churches and not just behind fica trees in restaurants and lobbies.Of course, I continued to compose during this time – mostly solo piano for myself but also for choreographers, independent filmmakers and church musicians, but the bulk of my music making necessarily centered around gigs in order to make a living.
Read MoreLife after Graduate School: The Importance of a Mentor
This excerpt from “Life after graduate school: The importance of a Mentor” is written by Kristin Yost (soon to be featured in a series of ComposeCreate posts on finances). Kristin is the founder and executive director of Centre for Musical Minds. The entire article can be found in the current edition of Clavier Companion.
Listening, not imitation, is the sincerest form of flattery
~ Dr. Joyce Brothers
You did it. You graduated! For the past six to seven years of your life you dedicated your time to studying, earning good grades, and establishing professional and personal relationships to last a lifetime. You practiced countless hours, probably took hundreds of tests in one form or another, learned your craft, and had a lot of fun. Now you are ready to move forward with your life. Your goal over these years in school has been to become “better.”
You can hypothesize, reflect, theorize, and live life in the academic bubble all you want, but it is a bit more challenging that you thought. There are no textbook explanations for how you will make a living. You need to teach on an instrument like you used to practice on at the university, but nobody taught you how to acquire the money to purchase it. None of your classes covered how to handle the parent that hasn’t yet paid you, though each week contains a promise to bring the checkbook next time. And, what do you practice now that you are no longer preparing for a jury or recital?
For those of us who went into the private, independent teaching sector, there are many complex financial and human problems that, rest assured, will arise. The best thing you can do for yourself after graduation is to find and establish a relationship with a person to whom you look up to and respect.
Are you in need of a role model or inspiration in your professional independent music teacher life? To find out where to find these mentors and what you are REALLY learning, be sure to read “Life after graduate school: The importance of a Mentor” to be seen in the March/April issue of Clavier Companion!
© 2011, Clavier Companion. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
Read MoreWhat Music Means to Me [Author Interview]
What Music Means to Me Project is a celebration of the value of music in education and quality of life. This project was started by Richard Rejino, a musician and photographer, in a most interesting way. You can read more about this on the What Music Means to Me site, but one of the beautiful results is a book with breathtaking pictures and incredible stories of the difference music has made in a number of lives.
I met Richard Rejino this summer at the Texas MTA convention. I was struck at how thoughtful and selfless a person Richard was as he talked with me and my husband. It is not every day that I meet people who ask questions and listen to others in conversation rather than tell others all about themselves, and Richard is one of those rare individuals who is genuinely interested in learning about those that are around him.
So you can understand why I was so interested in his What Music Means to Me book and project. I went to his session at the TMTA convention and cried on several occasions along with those that were around me. It was a moving presentation and his book is equally as powerful. I hope you have a few moments to read about Richard’s thoughts behind this incredible tool to explore the impact of music in our schools, our families, and our own lives. Hal Leonard is now publishing Richard’s book and it is available to purchase in both hardcover and softcover editions.
In addition, Richard has generously offered to give away a signed copy of What Music Means to Me! To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post. You can add another comment/entry for every time you tweet, FB, or blog about this book, linking to this article. The drawing will take place on February 9th. Here is my interview with Richard Rejino about What Music Means to Me:
What is What Music Means to Me?
What Music Means to Me is an ongoing project that celebrates the value of music in education and in the quality of our lives. Its purpose is to give students, teachers and music lovers a voice to express how music has impacted or changed their lives. The Project is also a tool for music advocacy. It is my way of being a more active participant in the music advocacy movement that is so important to keeping music in our schools and keeping music as a vital part of our society and well-being.
How did the idea for this project come to you?
It isn’t often that one can pinpoint the birth of an idea, and although I do not remember the exact date when it happened, I clearly remember the moment when the What Music Means to Me Project was born.
In March of 2008 I purchased Class Pictures, by photographer, Dawood Bey. It is a collection of beautiful photographic portraits of inner-city high school students. Each image is paired with a personal statement written by the students expressing what they wanted most known about themselves. I found the combination of the portrait and the personal statements very powerful and moving. The courage and honesty with which
these young people wrote was palpable. I was particularly struck by their optimism. In spite of the horrific experiences they had experienced in their young lives: abuse, rape, discrimination, fractured families, and so much more, each of them retained dreams of a better life. In fact, many of them dreamed of becoming singers, dancers and musicians.
As I neared the end of the book – I read it all in one sitting – it occurred to me that I could give voice to music students in the same way that Bey did to his inner-city youths. At once, I sat up in bed, thinking about the possibilities. The title of the project, What Music Means to Me, was also born that evening. In some ways, the whole experience is still fresh in my mind and I find myself reflecting on that particular moment often.
What do you hope to accomplish through this book?
From the beginning, I knew I wanted to emulate the book that inspired this project. But as the process began to unfold, What Music Means to Me took on a life of its own. For me, it was a very creative period of time where the purpose of the What Music Means to Me Project remained the same, but new ideas kept coming and doors kept opening. That being said, the purpose of the book was to bring these ideas to life. I felt very strongly that music can and does change lives. Beethoven believed that music could change the world, and I knew instinctively that if I could find the right people to tell their stories, the impact would be as emotional and moving as music is itself. Looking back, I unknowingly wanted to show the human side of music’s effect on people. There is enough research on how music makes us smarter than we could ever read. What Music Means to Me is about the intangible benefits of music; it is about how music teaches us determination and discipline; it is about how music gives us joy, sanctuary,
and inner peace. Perhaps more than anything, I hope that this project can be used to inspire students to become music-makers, to keep music in our schools, to, in some small way, bring music and all the arts closer to the center of our lives.
Describe your process for this project.
The obvious challenge was to find candidates who would be interested in participating in What Music Means to Me. As a music retail manager, I knew many teachers and performing musicians who were instrumental in helping me find students who participated in the project.
Once I found a subject, I sent them guidelines for writing their statement. It was important to me to have a subject’s statement in hand before I photographed them. This was vital to the process because the statement gave me an insight into my subject; it was a way of knowing something about them before our first meeting. Their statements always played an integral part in planning how I wanted to photograph them. The one
time I photographed someone before I had their statement, I regretted it.
As much as possible, I wanted to photograph each subject in their learning environment, their school, or their teacher’s studio. I also wanted to capture them in a relaxed pose looking directly into the camera because the image works as a duet with their statement. Initially, the viewer is drawn to the image first, but after reading the statement and looking into the eyes of the subject, the image begins to transform itself, taking on a life of its own. It begins its own conversation with the viewer. I am always fascinated at this transformation. I’ve seen the “magic” happen many times in the faces of an audience when I talk about the project during a powerpoint presentation. It is quite a powerful phenomenon.
What has been your favorite part of this process?
© Richard Rejino. All rights reserved. Used with permission
There are many, but hearing each person’s story has been quite inspiring, even life-changing. When I began this project, I did not have any real notion of what the journey had in store for me. I knew what I wanted to accomplish and I knew the kinds of stories I needed to have, but the experience of hearing those stories and meeting the people behind them was one of the most rewarding I have ever known.
The other part that has surprised me is how the What Music Means to Me Project has taken on a life of its own. Every time that I reach a plateau, whether it’s finding a new subject, completing the DVD, or creating a motivational presentation, there is a new idea or possibility that pops up. Even now, I am creating a more interactive website that will include posts for news, other contributors, and a blog. I plan to launch it in time to
coincide with the release of my book through Hal Leonard Corporation.
In addition, I have received many speaking engagements within the last 12 months and have two major presentations in 2011. I am scheduled to speak at the National Conference of Keyboard Pedagogy in Chicago, and the National Association of School Music Dealers convention in California.
The project keeps growing. I’m just the facilitator.
How have you been impacted through working on What Music Means to Me?
Without question, the WMMTM project has been a life-changing experience. I often felt like the writer who experiences his inspiration coming from above and is merely a conduit through which the words are recorded. Every step of the way, I had a very strong, intuitive feeling in my heart that kept pulling me, inspiring me to chip away until I completed this project. There were periods when I struggled with this project, finding people, coordinating photo sessions, and having to go long periods without any progress. But now that I have gotten to where I am, there are more things to create and develop that I hope will continue to feed the purpose of What Music Means to Me.
Tell us about the new project on which you are working.
Currently, I am working on What Teaching means to me: Cause and Effect. It is similar in focus to the Music project, except that this time I am concentrating on how teachers feel about their job. Instead of limiting the focus to music, I am interviewing teachers from all subject areas, from calculus to coaching, and from kindergarten to college. I am also including principals and superintendents in the mix.
The book is be intended to show the full circle of teaching and education. It will showcase dedicated teachers who talk about what their profession means to them and what it means to the lives they touch everyday. It will also include a chapter devoted to former students of the teachers in the book. The students talk about and how their former teachers influenced and changed their lives. These stories are on a different level
from What Music Means to Me, but they are just as moving and powerful to the reader.
Teachers are too often under-valued and under-appreciated, yet they persevere to fill a need in their students and to fill a need within themselves. As the national debate on the state of education continues, I hope this timely project will raise public awareness of the value of dedicated teachers in shaping the lives of students and ultimately, our society.
Is there anything special you would like to say to music teachers about What Music Means to Me?
© Richard Rejino. All rights reserved. Used with permission
Keep doing what you are doing. You are performing a service that is immeasurable in the lives of your students. As a teacher described beautifully, when we teach music, we teach math and history, geography and language, but in a much more beautiful way. We all know that students who study music score higher on tests and generally do better in school, but what we sometimes fail to recognize is that through music students can feel a deeper connection to themselves and to the beauty in the world. I firmly believe that the intangible benefits music gives us, a deeper connection to our true potential and to the possibilities in this world, are its greatest gift.
I would encourage every teacher to ask their students to write a short statement about what music means to them. I think you will be surprised, delighted and amused at what your students will tell you. Several teachers shared with me that after reading my book or hearing my presentation, they asked their students to this. They have posted the statements in their studio and even had the students read what music means to them at a recital or a school program. We should be teaching our students, from a very young age, to become advocates of music and the arts in all areas of life.
Thank you, Richard, for your thoughtful answers to these questions. I invite all of my readers to take a look at and order What Music Means to Me. You can order on Amazon or HalLeonard. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway by commenting once and commenting each additional time you help spread the word by Tweeting, FBing, or blogging while linking to this article.
Read MoreListening: The secret of great music performance
I am preparing to give a few workshops about motivating students to play more musically. My thesis has been that learning to listen and love a wide range of musical and non-musical sounds is one of the secrets to producing beautiful sounds at the piano. Teaching students to notice these sounds is what is so challenging, yet rewarding as a teacher.
You can understand then why Leon Fleisher’s comments in a recent WSJ article excited me:
The secret of great musical performance lies in listening, he reveals. “It is a tripartite process: We have to be three people at once. Person A ‘hears’ what the music should sound like, setting the goals. Person B sits there and pushes the keys down, in response to Person A. Person C sits apart and judges, telling Person B what adjustments to make. This goes on simultaneously. Most students are concerned with producing what they want—A and B—but they have the least amount of space in their brains for listening: C.
And then there is the comment he makes that will resonant with all of us as teachers:
In all the conservatories, including my own at the Peabody Conservatory and the Curtis Institute, the kids are extremely competitive—they want to play louder and faster than the pianist in the next studio. Most of them can play the hell out of the piano in a way that their elders never could. But they belong more appropriately in the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. It all has very little to do with making art. They have a lot of work to do, but it’s easier just to pump plastic.
Ah…so I’m not alone! And neither are you.
My Nine Lives
Do take some time to read this interesting article about Leon Fleisher as he talks with the editor about his new autobiography, “My Nine Lives.” In the article, Fleisher also says some interesting things about French, German, and Russian music which you may or may not like. This and a bit about his physical challenge in his right hand when two of his fingers began to curve involuntarily, make for interesting reading.
And you will once again understand why I subscribe to the Wall Street Journal!
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