Posture
A musician’s posture is one of the most important physical aspects of their playing. It affects every part of an instrumentalists ability to relax (hopefully preventing injuries), articulate, breath, and play effectively. It can also have an influence on the...
Composers
Composers. That word sounds a little technical, if you ask me. Maybe it just feels technical. Or maybe it isn’t really technical at all. Maybe it’s just too historical for musicians like us who would rather sit with a violin under our chins or a keyboard under our...
Teaching Practice Techniques
Teaching practice techniques is one of the most rewarding things a teacher can do (or at least, that’s my opinion :)). When you teach a student how to practice, your teaching is no longer limited to the music he/she is learning. Suddenly, their potential to grow and...
2019 Planner Pages | Coming Soon!
Stay tuned for the official release! We're excited to be able to offer another free download of calendar pages for 2019! Features will include: a month-at-a-glance calendar, with spaces to write a verse, your list of projects, and contacts that need to be made...
Teaching Tip
Stop teaching your students how to play. Instead, teach them how to practice.
Coming Soon! | In Righteous Paths
In Righteous Paths is a collection of sacred solo arrangements for intermediate viola, complete with piano accompaniments. These arrangements were written with the amateur violist in mind, but are also appropriate for those who have reached more advanced levels. Also...
Theory and Technique: Competitors or Completers?
The words theory and technique are often lumped together in the world of piano pedagogy, especially when in the context of elementary and intermediate students. There are often books that are labeled for developing theory and technique together, which could be fine....
Helps for New Music Teachers
I don't know about each of you, but there are some key things that I had to work through when I first began teaching music. Helps for new music teachers can be so valuable because these teachers are new. They don't have 10, 20, or 50 years of experience, trial, error,...
Traits of a Good Teacher
While attending a workshop on piano pedagogy recently presented by Dr. Susan Kindall, the students in the class were given the opportunity to describe in one word a good teacher by whom they had been positively impacted (these traits were not given exclusively as...
Beginner’s Plunk – What Can We Do?
If you’ve ever heard elementary pianists play, you probably know what I’m talking about – that unmistakable beginner’s plunk (with which I was plagued myself as a young musician). For the first several months of my teaching experience, I thought primarily of achieving...
Pedagogy Question: Forgetful Students
Question: My student acts like [she] doesn’t remember the things I asked [her] to work on at the previous lesson. What are effective ways to approach this? Answer: There could be multiple answers to this question. I will address three primary causes behind forgetful...
Playing Skillfully
In my last article, Why Should I Learn an Instrument? I briefly referenced Psalm 33:3 where it says, “Play skillfully with a loud noise.” This verse has become an immense encouragement in my own journey of learning, teaching, and playing skillfully, and also helped me...
Why Should I Learn an Instrument?
Why should I learn an instrument? It’s a good question: perfectly legitimate. It begs an answer. Perhaps it’s a question that your students will never ask you. They may not, after all, be able to summon the courage to face their teacher and actually put their thoughts...
Thera-pit-ics are restocked!
Yes, it's true - Thera-pit-ics are now restocked with many of your favorites, as well as some all new prints. Check out Garden Galaxy (pictured above), Candy Jar, and summer's best: Beach Towel. But that's not all! We are pleased to introduce the new Cloud &...
Teaching Music to Little Ones
One of the greatest joys is teaching music to little ones - the size person that sits on the piano bench and can barely reach the pedals, or whose violin measures an approximate 10.25 inches. I always find that these times gratify my love for adventure, and it is so...
Ten Skills Every Church Pianist Should Have
Nearly every pianist will, at some point, fill the role of a church pianist. Even if it is not a long-term arrangement, every pianist should be prepared to serve in this capacity by developing certain skills. Here are the top ten skills that my church music...
What Defines Our Teaching Success?
Up to this point, there has been much potential for discouragement because we feel like we will never “measure up” as teachers. But there is still opportunity. It may be limited, it may be unlikely, but it is there. How can we capitalize on it and make the most of every chance to build up the next generation of musicians? While it is ideal to always have a teacher who is there for you to build you up, encourage you, and help you find answers to your questions, and while it is also ideal that you be the same constant and everlasting encourager and resource for your students, this scenario is just what I said it was: ideal. It does not often become a long-term or life-long reality for students and teachers. So what can we do? Let me suggest a shared answer in two parts to this question and our previous one, what defines our teaching success?
Thoroughly Equipping Music Students for Life – Part 2, Harp
In my previous article, Thoroughly Equipping Music Students for Life – Part 1, I highlighted some of the primary ways in which piano students should be prepared for future ministry and occupation. In this article, Thoroughly Equipping Music Students for Life – Part 2, we will endeavor to do the same for harp students. Even if you are not a pianist, I encourage you to go back and read Part 1, as that lays some very important groundwork for this and future articles. Also, please note that while not all masters of the harp are ladies, the harp is most commonly thought of among lay people as a lady’s instrument. Due to this thought process, I use feminine pronouns throughout this article.
As most of us know, the harp shines in a different sphere than that in which we typically find the piano. Piano is better known for accompaniment, while harp is most commonly thought of as an unaccompanied soloist. Consequently, the skillset required for a well-rounded harpist is going to be different from that of a well-rounded pianist. It may not, however, be as different as we think. With that said, let’s get take a look at the goals that it is helpful for harp teachers to have for their students.