My Teaching Philosophy (Part 5)
03/23/12 Filed in: education | by Larry Minsky
Letting the student pick a piece from a book to practice, writing a song together, asking the student what kind of music they like, and other interactive activities can add to the enjoyment of the lesson and the learning process.
For example, a common series of books I use are the Faber classics and children's books. After I assign some pieces and the student is comfortable with the books, I let them (once in awhile) pick the pieces themselves. It gives the child some control and responsibility, and shows them that lesson is not the same as sitting in a classroom. They are more likely to practice, too. When I ask what music a student likes- if they are able to answer this- I often follow up and assign music within that genre. When you can play something you know and like, you become a happy student.
Composing and improvising should be part of the teaching of music, too. I employ a number of exercises for this. Here are two simple ones:
1) I explain and demonstrate the simplest music form–the question and answer. Mary had a little lamb is a good place to start. After some discussion and student participation (like writing an answer to my composed question) I assign the student to write a question and answer
for homework.
2) Recently I have been using a great exercise that a fellow teacher showed me. You assign the numbers 1234 to the first four notes of a scale. The C scale is best for the beginner. You tell the student to mix up the order of the numbers: example, 3142. Using quarter notes we then have one measure with the notes E C F D. Do this for four measures and no matter what the variations are, the student will have produced a four measure phrase. You can tweak it to have a feeling of a cadence or do another four measures before doing this.
All of the above are interactive exercises that contribute to the learning process and allow the student (and the teacher!) to have fun.
For example, a common series of books I use are the Faber classics and children's books. After I assign some pieces and the student is comfortable with the books, I let them (once in awhile) pick the pieces themselves. It gives the child some control and responsibility, and shows them that lesson is not the same as sitting in a classroom. They are more likely to practice, too. When I ask what music a student likes- if they are able to answer this- I often follow up and assign music within that genre. When you can play something you know and like, you become a happy student.
Composing and improvising should be part of the teaching of music, too. I employ a number of exercises for this. Here are two simple ones:
1) I explain and demonstrate the simplest music form–the question and answer. Mary had a little lamb is a good place to start. After some discussion and student participation (like writing an answer to my composed question) I assign the student to write a question and answer
for homework.
2) Recently I have been using a great exercise that a fellow teacher showed me. You assign the numbers 1234 to the first four notes of a scale. The C scale is best for the beginner. You tell the student to mix up the order of the numbers: example, 3142. Using quarter notes we then have one measure with the notes E C F D. Do this for four measures and no matter what the variations are, the student will have produced a four measure phrase. You can tweak it to have a feeling of a cadence or do another four measures before doing this.
All of the above are interactive exercises that contribute to the learning process and allow the student (and the teacher!) to have fun.
My Teaching Philosophy (Part 4)
01/31/12 Filed in: education | by Larry Minsky
Having a healthy relationship with the student is important. Especially for children, talking to them in a normal voice about what they are doing in school or their favorite game can help in this regard. It helps the student relax and can make the lessons fun.
Recently I applied this to a seven year-old who has been my student for a year. I asked him if he liked school. He said "yes," but when I asked if he liked his teacher, he had a sour look on his face. I said "Okay, we will talk about something else." He broke out in laughter (as did his mom, who was watching the lesson). She mentioned how much he enjoyed eating fruits and vegetables. I expressed amazement at that and we started a discussion on that, working our way up to our favorite ice cream flavors.
All this lasted only a few minutes, but it made the lesson experience much more light-hearted. It removed tension and put a human face on the process of teaching music. All of us had fun–me, the child, and mom.
With older students, I often ask about their musical interest. Very often current rock groups are mentioned but so are
the ones from my generation (like The Beatles) and. surprisingly, classical music. With adults, the range of talks are endless and sometimes includes politics (of course, I am very cautious about how far I go with that). All of this makes for a richer relationship and adds to the learning process. This relaxed, one-on-one interaction is an experience that would be more difficult to obtain in a group setting or in a classroom environment, and it is central to my teaching methodology.
Recently I applied this to a seven year-old who has been my student for a year. I asked him if he liked school. He said "yes," but when I asked if he liked his teacher, he had a sour look on his face. I said "Okay, we will talk about something else." He broke out in laughter (as did his mom, who was watching the lesson). She mentioned how much he enjoyed eating fruits and vegetables. I expressed amazement at that and we started a discussion on that, working our way up to our favorite ice cream flavors.
All this lasted only a few minutes, but it made the lesson experience much more light-hearted. It removed tension and put a human face on the process of teaching music. All of us had fun–me, the child, and mom.
With older students, I often ask about their musical interest. Very often current rock groups are mentioned but so are
the ones from my generation (like The Beatles) and. surprisingly, classical music. With adults, the range of talks are endless and sometimes includes politics (of course, I am very cautious about how far I go with that). All of this makes for a richer relationship and adds to the learning process. This relaxed, one-on-one interaction is an experience that would be more difficult to obtain in a group setting or in a classroom environment, and it is central to my teaching methodology.
My Teaching Philosophy (Part 3)
01/13/12 Filed in: education | by Larry Minsky
There is a good deal of positive reinforcement to encourage confidence during my lessons. Patience (it takes time to play well!) and discipline (you have to work at it!) are encouraged. Parental involvement is also strongly encouraged and I suggest that a parent watch at least part of the lesson as often as possible, especially for very young children.
Example: A six year old keeps complaining that he is unable to play the piece in front of him. I stop the playing of the piece and talk to him about how long it took him to learn to ride a bike, to read, and other skills. While doing this I encourage patience and work. Three notes were the cause of most of the problem. Using flash cards I drilled him on these notes, congratulating him each time he correctly identified them. After ten minutes, he consistently got them right. I told him how proud I was of him and that I knew he could do it.
I then asked him what he would have to do to make sure he would not lose what he just accomplished. His answer was that he would practice. Next I suggested we trade places for a few minutes- he will be the teacher and I the student. He must teach me the piece he was struggling with. After some giggling he agreed and by the time we went back to the normal set up, he was able to the play this piece with far fewer problems, more confidence, and no complaints. At our next lesson, he played the piece without an error, and just had a minor problem with the timing. Nothing that can't be fixed with some more patience and practice.
Example: A six year old keeps complaining that he is unable to play the piece in front of him. I stop the playing of the piece and talk to him about how long it took him to learn to ride a bike, to read, and other skills. While doing this I encourage patience and work. Three notes were the cause of most of the problem. Using flash cards I drilled him on these notes, congratulating him each time he correctly identified them. After ten minutes, he consistently got them right. I told him how proud I was of him and that I knew he could do it.
I then asked him what he would have to do to make sure he would not lose what he just accomplished. His answer was that he would practice. Next I suggested we trade places for a few minutes- he will be the teacher and I the student. He must teach me the piece he was struggling with. After some giggling he agreed and by the time we went back to the normal set up, he was able to the play this piece with far fewer problems, more confidence, and no complaints. At our next lesson, he played the piece without an error, and just had a minor problem with the timing. Nothing that can't be fixed with some more patience and practice.
My Teaching Philosophy (Part 2)
01/03/12 Filed in: education | by Larry Minsky
Books and Other Written Teaching Methods
I do not love method books. They can be a crutch for teachers. I use them sparingly, just to get things started. In general (not all the time, it depends on the student), I use them for ages 5 to 7. I use a pre-reading method that in recent years has dominated piano teaching. I prefer Piano Adventures. The Fabers provide the resources to help the teacher understand truly what they are trying to accomplish.I use only the Lesson and Theory books, never going beyond level 2A. I introduce supplemental books early on, once note reading is introduced, and I also write songs with chord symbols for students to lay the foundation for the more "jazz part" of the lesson. For older students, I use the "middle c" approach. I am not convinced such students should have a delay in reading music.
I know the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches, and I watch for them. For example, I do not use a middle c method that numbers most of the notes, and I make sure the student can really read each note. Flash cards, and randomly pointing at notes to test the student's reading skills, are common during the lesson no matter what
method is used.
I do not use method books for adults, and I rarely do for teenagers. I rely on primer level books with simplified arrangements of classical and popular music. In addition, I introduce chords early and I show my students how to apply them to simple songs that I write down for them. As their skills grow, I write out more difficult songs, introduce more complex chords, and explain how to use them. As their knowledge of both classical and jazz theory grows, they learn more complex ways of playing these songs and changing and/or embellishing the harmony.
My Teaching Philosophy (Part 1)
12/28/11 Filed in: education | by Larry Minsky
by Larry Minsky
As a classical and jazz trained pianist I have extensive knowledge to offer a student. Years of experience have added to my skills as a teacher. Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting elements that, when combined, illustrate my overall teaching philosophy. This list is not meant as a "step by step" approach; rather, it is a simple way to explain my overall teaching style.1. The overall goal is to enrich the student's experience and appreciation of music by exposure to all styles and eras of music. I also also encourage music expression not only by playing pieces with dynamics and emotions, but also by trying improvisation and composition. Some examples:
A teenage student has been working on a Bach invention. He plays the piece without many errors but in pushing for speed, so the work sounds tense, agitated. It calls for fast playing but also "tranquillo"- quietly, calmly. I suggested he practice more slowly and do more hands-separate practicing. When putting the hands together he should try shifting, at will, his concentration from one hand to the other. When he can achieve this, he will be able to play with greater facility at the speed he is capable of.
A six year old told me she "made up something." I asked her to play it, wrote it down for her and gave her encouragement to expand on it. I then told her to make up a title for her original work.
As early as possible, I introduce chord symbols for playing pop music. The approach is the beginning of jazz- I do not have the student follow the written arrangements. They learn the tools (theory) of jazz to make their own arrangements. At the same time, classical music and theory is introduced. In time the student is exposed to music from Bach to the 21st century- nearly 500 years of music.
