Yesterday was our 2nd study session and I have learnt much.
Planning is important and vital. However at times plan is not carried out as it is supposed to be. Thus being alert and discern at the moment if it is necessary to stick to plan . I prefer to adjust accordingly but review the discrepancy and work on a better plan the next round.
Being postive is important too. Especially when dealing with people. People has feelings. Someone may get hurt unknowingly to the person who done it. Stick to the rule of being postive to people, blessing them in all words and acts in Godly love. Correct with kindness. Accept others ' opinions and suggestions and lead them to evaluate the pros and cons their contributions.
Planning is important for my student. What will I plan for them ? What to achieve this year, what repertoire , what ...
Plan my learning in music : Play more music, listen to more music, read about music and teaching .
Be positive to all around me, children, family, students ... situations ...
I bought Michael Rose's Ten Dances in a American latin style . Some not too difficult pieces . Interesting rhythm .
Borrowed some books from the library. 2 about practice.
Read Swanwick about the value of music.I met a student's mum this morning and had a good long chat. Her younger daughter who is suffering from leukemia has interest to learn music. I offered to teach her with no charges because I know their financial situation.
Music has been my great companion in my life. Though I have yet develop great passion for it but I like it. To love it is a constant interaction with music .
I have sometimes been calculating how much I earn per lesson and always wish to earn more per lesson so that I can spend more time with my children. My attitude must be changed. God will provid everything I need. My music lesson is impacting lives, sharing my life companion with many people. I am a good example to my children and students, that is how they learn.
Music is a lifetime legacy.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Jittery about Improvisation
I met up with Jesilyn and Candy, 2 wonderful ladies for helping once another on our learning.
Candy was sharing her apprehension about improvisation.
I found some light from Paul Harris's Improve Your Teaching.
He suggested to start improvisation with a few ingredients ! That sound interesting to me . C Major, Treble Clef, 2 crotchet beats in a bar and C.
Put that together, we can have a single C crotchet . Next, encourage 2 notes. That is improvisation .
My personal note . As I improvise my ingredients, the result of students' improvisation will develop in the way they like.
Improvisation Games - This can be my project 2
I provide the different ingredients. Students do what they like to it and create their music. Sounds like a composition to me at the same time.
Candy was sharing her apprehension about improvisation.
I found some light from Paul Harris's Improve Your Teaching.
He suggested to start improvisation with a few ingredients ! That sound interesting to me . C Major, Treble Clef, 2 crotchet beats in a bar and C.
Put that together, we can have a single C crotchet . Next, encourage 2 notes. That is improvisation .
My personal note . As I improvise my ingredients, the result of students' improvisation will develop in the way they like.
Improvisation Games - This can be my project 2
I provide the different ingredients. Students do what they like to it and create their music. Sounds like a composition to me at the same time.
Excited about Tuesday Lesson
This morning 's student is taking his grade 3 practical examinations this year. Last lesson was totally not compartmentalised unlike our usual. Thought today we need to go through some usual routine to check that most he is familiarised with most of the scales we have covered so far.
As he play his first scale, I realised that both hands did not strike the keys down at the same time. Thus I intentionally get him to play scales with the left finger strike key down before right finger strikes after immediately. That created an interesting scale . He continued with that style for the next few scales.
At times when he fail to play on his finger tips, I guide him to hold his hand tight like a fist and let go gently and slowly but always with a round ball in his hand. Another method which checked him very successfully is the donut ring formed by any finger joining to thumb. Remember the donut must be very round and everyone need to press on the finger tips to get a really round shape.
Awkard fingers caught my attention as he move into the 3rd scale. From then, we change the style. He played the scales that use the same fingerings on each hand and play only the first few keys until right hand thumb need to turn to play the next key and stop. I ask him to indentify the same pattern.
I am excited with his piece English Dance. As i spot his struggles at different phrase, I was trying to think of a way to help him. One of the struggles was to play a few interval sixths that is the melody. Using the few sixths, I played a simple tune that requires a answering phrase. ASked him to sing out and helped him to tune note by note. After the answering phrase is good, singing is good we proceed.
We picked out another 2 phrases that focus on 3rds and octaves. I enjoy given student questions to think. I simply ask him to identify the similar intervals and play through them.
Schumann : staccato has become non legato. Galloping horse must gallop ... play staccato - play notes short and precise.
This is a great enjoyable learning lesson.
As he play his first scale, I realised that both hands did not strike the keys down at the same time. Thus I intentionally get him to play scales with the left finger strike key down before right finger strikes after immediately. That created an interesting scale . He continued with that style for the next few scales.
At times when he fail to play on his finger tips, I guide him to hold his hand tight like a fist and let go gently and slowly but always with a round ball in his hand. Another method which checked him very successfully is the donut ring formed by any finger joining to thumb. Remember the donut must be very round and everyone need to press on the finger tips to get a really round shape.
Awkard fingers caught my attention as he move into the 3rd scale. From then, we change the style. He played the scales that use the same fingerings on each hand and play only the first few keys until right hand thumb need to turn to play the next key and stop. I ask him to indentify the same pattern.
I am excited with his piece English Dance. As i spot his struggles at different phrase, I was trying to think of a way to help him. One of the struggles was to play a few interval sixths that is the melody. Using the few sixths, I played a simple tune that requires a answering phrase. ASked him to sing out and helped him to tune note by note. After the answering phrase is good, singing is good we proceed.
We picked out another 2 phrases that focus on 3rds and octaves. I enjoy given student questions to think. I simply ask him to identify the similar intervals and play through them.
Schumann : staccato has become non legato. Galloping horse must gallop ... play staccato - play notes short and precise.
This is a great enjoyable learning lesson.
My teaching after starting CT course from 19th MArch till now
After attending the three day session in March, I am more conscious about the posture correction that my student requires.
For students who need the stool for their feet, I encourage to tap some rhythm on their feet. That is more desirable than a simple instruction.
As I have been noting down what is done in every lesson, I am able to reflect on what was done for the previous lesson and plan for the coming up one. Though I have done some sort of planning but I feel that my planning can be better.
Let me reflect on yesterday 's lesson.
I planned to evolve lesson on Handel's Allegro ( Suite in G) .
1)apply the melodic pattern of rising melodic 2nds but every pair will start at the lower note of the scale - play the same melodic pattern in different keys . This is a new way of playing scales.
2) Spot and play all the broken chords through the piece.
3) Play mordent in a scale
4) Question and Answer : Listen to the question and answer phrases . Create a question and let student play the answer. ( Did not carry out this eventually)
As rapport was built, student played this piece. I was rather disappointed as she clearly enjoed the lesson last week and I expect her to put in more efforts in playing despite her tight schedule. However I realign my focus and carry on the plans.
Plan 1- 3 were carried out effectively. At the instant I thought of another studies for this piece. As the melody pattern from bar 8-14 can be found in the 2nd section of the piece, I encourage student to identify the other phrases. We played through the different phrases and compared the difference which include modulation to the relative minor scale for the 2nd such phrase. I took the opportunity to ask her to describe the feel of the modulation. Quote an example of how the clear blue sky changes to the darker weather.
It is another step forward for me as I start planning my lesson and evaluate the lesson this way. The sense of achievement is there upon completing the plan. Having note down , I can start thinking and planning the next lesson for this particular student. With planning I can see that lesson can include aural perception - playing a phrase from the piece and ask student to sing back, then play a 2nd higher and ask student to sing back the same melody.
As I mentioned about lack of practice, I would like the student to keep track of her practice daily and learn to be responsible of her own practice,listen to another Handel's music ,compare with a different composer 's baroque music. These are next lesson's plan and also include play through the different exercises done in this lesson.
I have introduced playing scales using one of the piece's melodic pattern to quite a number of other students. With planning, I can trace what I have done in a lesson for a particular student which I can improve or improvise on the method and use that method that suits another student.
For students who need the stool for their feet, I encourage to tap some rhythm on their feet. That is more desirable than a simple instruction.
As I have been noting down what is done in every lesson, I am able to reflect on what was done for the previous lesson and plan for the coming up one. Though I have done some sort of planning but I feel that my planning can be better.
Let me reflect on yesterday 's lesson.
I planned to evolve lesson on Handel's Allegro ( Suite in G) .
1)apply the melodic pattern of rising melodic 2nds but every pair will start at the lower note of the scale - play the same melodic pattern in different keys . This is a new way of playing scales.
2) Spot and play all the broken chords through the piece.
3) Play mordent in a scale
4) Question and Answer : Listen to the question and answer phrases . Create a question and let student play the answer. ( Did not carry out this eventually)
As rapport was built, student played this piece. I was rather disappointed as she clearly enjoed the lesson last week and I expect her to put in more efforts in playing despite her tight schedule. However I realign my focus and carry on the plans.
Plan 1- 3 were carried out effectively. At the instant I thought of another studies for this piece. As the melody pattern from bar 8-14 can be found in the 2nd section of the piece, I encourage student to identify the other phrases. We played through the different phrases and compared the difference which include modulation to the relative minor scale for the 2nd such phrase. I took the opportunity to ask her to describe the feel of the modulation. Quote an example of how the clear blue sky changes to the darker weather.
It is another step forward for me as I start planning my lesson and evaluate the lesson this way. The sense of achievement is there upon completing the plan. Having note down , I can start thinking and planning the next lesson for this particular student. With planning I can see that lesson can include aural perception - playing a phrase from the piece and ask student to sing back, then play a 2nd higher and ask student to sing back the same melody.
As I mentioned about lack of practice, I would like the student to keep track of her practice daily and learn to be responsible of her own practice,listen to another Handel's music ,compare with a different composer 's baroque music. These are next lesson's plan and also include play through the different exercises done in this lesson.
I have introduced playing scales using one of the piece's melodic pattern to quite a number of other students. With planning, I can trace what I have done in a lesson for a particular student which I can improve or improvise on the method and use that method that suits another student.
Monday, March 28, 2011
29th March 2011- Handbook and Improve Your Teaching
11 days has passed since the last day of the March CT course . Yesterday upon receiving Richard Crozier's email , my more relaxed mode has switched to a gear 4 from gear 3.
Yesterday night before sleeping, I finally managed to start reading the CT course handbook and once again came back to reality of the many areas to spend time to explore and prepare. It goes to show that how easily I can fall into comfort zone and how important it is to schedule reading, communication with fellow teachers, learning new strategies or knowledge to ensure I do not stagnate but keeps on growing with good "nutrients" . Reading the handbook has helped me to realise how I can improve my diary reading which thank God I am able to put into practice now.
I was reading Paul Harris's Improve Your Teaching last night too. Page 23 talks about Teaching a big sonata movement and I will soon try the method. "Pupils need to know their music deeply. building up a personal and profound 'relationship' with the piece .... Pupils should listen intelligently to the music. They must begin to develop ideas about the piece: what does it mean emotionally ? What is the music saying? What does it mean to them ? They must use discerning ear to understand exactly what is going on - this marks real connections with aural perception .... "
I was surprised as Paul continues in the heading "Towards an Intepretation " on the following page that "a number of weeks may have passed by now and we still might not have begun to play the pieces through from bar one . " I totally agree when he said " Our work so far has been directed towards building up a concept of the music, acquiring a deep knowledge of its content and meaning". I it was at the later stage of my music studies that I really "know" what I am playing . That was when I continued learning music a couple of years after achieving my grade 8. Why I "know" ? It was because I was taught how to recognise the patterns found in the music, I was taught how to anaylse the music, somehow the music makes sense to me suddenly. Therefore, I encourage student to be able to see how the music is put together by identifying where the same rhythm or melody repeat, how the music develops from the main idea , the impact and effect of the changes of key , dynamics, articulations etc ...
Parents should be educated on what I am doing and why such approach is adopted as my ultimate aim is that the student will appreciate music for life. At the same time when the student learnt how to study music indepently, he will be able to play and appreciate beyond the music I have taught him. I strongly feel that is what many parents desire and not merely a certification of credits which only prove how the child performed on that particular examination day.
I am glad I did the reading and the discovery . and I am really glad I can reflect and record this for my future learning.
Yesterday night before sleeping, I finally managed to start reading the CT course handbook and once again came back to reality of the many areas to spend time to explore and prepare. It goes to show that how easily I can fall into comfort zone and how important it is to schedule reading, communication with fellow teachers, learning new strategies or knowledge to ensure I do not stagnate but keeps on growing with good "nutrients" . Reading the handbook has helped me to realise how I can improve my diary reading which thank God I am able to put into practice now.
I was reading Paul Harris's Improve Your Teaching last night too. Page 23 talks about Teaching a big sonata movement and I will soon try the method. "Pupils need to know their music deeply. building up a personal and profound 'relationship' with the piece .... Pupils should listen intelligently to the music. They must begin to develop ideas about the piece: what does it mean emotionally ? What is the music saying? What does it mean to them ? They must use discerning ear to understand exactly what is going on - this marks real connections with aural perception .... "
I was surprised as Paul continues in the heading "Towards an Intepretation " on the following page that "a number of weeks may have passed by now and we still might not have begun to play the pieces through from bar one . " I totally agree when he said " Our work so far has been directed towards building up a concept of the music, acquiring a deep knowledge of its content and meaning". I it was at the later stage of my music studies that I really "know" what I am playing . That was when I continued learning music a couple of years after achieving my grade 8. Why I "know" ? It was because I was taught how to recognise the patterns found in the music, I was taught how to anaylse the music, somehow the music makes sense to me suddenly. Therefore, I encourage student to be able to see how the music is put together by identifying where the same rhythm or melody repeat, how the music develops from the main idea , the impact and effect of the changes of key , dynamics, articulations etc ...
Parents should be educated on what I am doing and why such approach is adopted as my ultimate aim is that the student will appreciate music for life. At the same time when the student learnt how to study music indepently, he will be able to play and appreciate beyond the music I have taught him. I strongly feel that is what many parents desire and not merely a certification of credits which only prove how the child performed on that particular examination day.
I am glad I did the reading and the discovery . and I am really glad I can reflect and record this for my future learning.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Burger Notes
English Dance - Play the double notes with another note in the other hand together like a burger ... the bread , the meat, the veg stack together. He likes the describtion and he buys it !
I must always remind myself : my students need clear specific directions !
I must always remind myself : my students need clear specific directions !
Gingangoo
"Gangoo goes the little green frog one day
Gangoo goes the little green frog
Gangoo goes the little green frog one day
And the frog goes gingangoo"
This song appears in my head before my niece comes for lesson. As she learns faster through listening, I played the song with singing and got her to sing together. Her eyes lit , engagement succesful !
Sang the solfege and she played quite successfully with simple chords on the left . Within minutes she is playing a new song enjoyably.
Thank God for telling me the song and helping me to be in tune with his prompting.
Gangoo goes the little green frog
Gangoo goes the little green frog one day
And the frog goes gingangoo"
This song appears in my head before my niece comes for lesson. As she learns faster through listening, I played the song with singing and got her to sing together. Her eyes lit , engagement succesful !
Sang the solfege and she played quite successfully with simple chords on the left . Within minutes she is playing a new song enjoyably.
Thank God for telling me the song and helping me to be in tune with his prompting.
Ball rolls and ball bounces
A student who is learning for less than a month was playing all his songs from the Alfred Premier's Lesson Book musically.
Realising that his posture need corrections, I ask him to curve his fingers like a ball. The ball rolls , and the finger press down the keys beginning with the thumb, to the next, until it finish off on little finger. Repeating this we roll the ball a few times at different keys for both hands.
The hand curve - which is the ball flattens pretty often. Next we bounced the ball. As all the fingers descend into the keys like a firm bounce, the curve was better. This is a good exercise for beginners to get used to the correct hand position.
This boy loves the music in his book. Today we try to play more music without the book. I guide him to write a four sentence stanza of things he likes. We read the little poem and add some rhythm to it.
As we go along, we come to the lesson book that introduce the 7 alphabets on keyboard. Singing the alphabet song to the "Twinkle twinkle little star" was indeed fun for a 6 year old child. He loves it. Next we sing only the first 7 letters repeatedly to the same tune. Next we draw a set of 3 white teeth and beside it a set of 4 white teeth. Next we add the black keys and he fill in the letters with AB starting before the set of 2 black keys.
Realising that his posture need corrections, I ask him to curve his fingers like a ball. The ball rolls , and the finger press down the keys beginning with the thumb, to the next, until it finish off on little finger. Repeating this we roll the ball a few times at different keys for both hands.
The hand curve - which is the ball flattens pretty often. Next we bounced the ball. As all the fingers descend into the keys like a firm bounce, the curve was better. This is a good exercise for beginners to get used to the correct hand position.
This boy loves the music in his book. Today we try to play more music without the book. I guide him to write a four sentence stanza of things he likes. We read the little poem and add some rhythm to it.
As we go along, we come to the lesson book that introduce the 7 alphabets on keyboard. Singing the alphabet song to the "Twinkle twinkle little star" was indeed fun for a 6 year old child. He loves it. Next we sing only the first 7 letters repeatedly to the same tune. Next we draw a set of 3 white teeth and beside it a set of 4 white teeth. Next we add the black keys and he fill in the letters with AB starting before the set of 2 black keys.
One week after starting CTplus ABRSM Course
Indeed I am having fun teaching, students having fun learning.
Beside fun, my lessons are now more exciting.
Today I was teaching an adult student. She hardly practise. Today she revealed again that the grade 5 piece is not difficult but she did not practise much. I decide to let her play sight reading in the key of the piece which is E minor. She played quite well.
We proceed to a simple song in the More Romantic Pieces Book I and she played quite well though a little lacking in expression. There I found a way to enrich our lesson . Every one or 2 lesson , our focus will be on a piece of simple music she can play studying it for 3 minutes and we will evolve learning around that music.
This is so much better than to try to get her to practise a piece which we almost never get things done.
Beside fun, my lessons are now more exciting.
Today I was teaching an adult student. She hardly practise. Today she revealed again that the grade 5 piece is not difficult but she did not practise much. I decide to let her play sight reading in the key of the piece which is E minor. She played quite well.
We proceed to a simple song in the More Romantic Pieces Book I and she played quite well though a little lacking in expression. There I found a way to enrich our lesson . Every one or 2 lesson , our focus will be on a piece of simple music she can play studying it for 3 minutes and we will evolve learning around that music.
This is so much better than to try to get her to practise a piece which we almost never get things done.
Interesting Time !
Now my teaching evolves around a piece of music or sometimes music without any paper.
Last Saturday as I was going through a baroque piece with a student, I figured out she need help for the changing of 4 chords. There is a similar note from one chord to the other. I call that the pivot / anchor point. Many times I think student knows since they can read the notes but actually I am wrong. They are not experience or just did not see certain attributes that is obvious to me.
The chords are the primary chords and here I am teaching theory, which is what Paul Harris quotes in his book "Improve Your Teaching" as "simultaneous learning" where connections are made from one to another.
It is really great to hear student say that she had an interesting time during lesson .
Last Saturday as I was going through a baroque piece with a student, I figured out she need help for the changing of 4 chords. There is a similar note from one chord to the other. I call that the pivot / anchor point. Many times I think student knows since they can read the notes but actually I am wrong. They are not experience or just did not see certain attributes that is obvious to me.
The chords are the primary chords and here I am teaching theory, which is what Paul Harris quotes in his book "Improve Your Teaching" as "simultaneous learning" where connections are made from one to another.
It is really great to hear student say that she had an interesting time during lesson .
Monday, March 21, 2011
Well done ! Scale Duets and Inspiring conversations.
As I start this course , I must firstly affirmed myself that I have what it takes to be a teacher that makes lesson effective and fun.
As I read "Improve Your Teaching" by Paul Harris, there are many factors which encourages me. One example I read today is " There are usually too many variables and unforeseeable conditions to plan each lesson in too muc detail. However it is important to plan your short-, medium-, and long-term objectives : it is essential to know, in general terms, where each pupil is going."
That is exactly what I have been practising in my teaching. However I started asking myself how am I supposed to plan all the activites and methods I have learn from the CT course.
Since my first lesson after the 3 days of intensive CT sessions, I start to implement activities like playing the scales duets with almost every students. I am aware that this is great fun because my students has never practise the boring dull scales in such a interesting way. However I foresee that they will find it boring if playing the scales duets become a routine.
I was inspired on a lesson through a conversation with a student. I was asking her how she feel and she answered " O K Lah " . Instantly, we started scales to the " O K lah" speed. We sang "O K Lah " to every note in the scale. It did not make any sense but it was funny. In such a mood, there is not a single bit of tension. Furthermore, it leaves a deep impression.
The conversation led to she could not sing well as she is having a sore throat. My reply was : Drink lots of fruit juice , Eat lots of fruits. At the next moment, we are chanting that sentence rhythmically. I seized the opportunity to write down the sentence and we continue to chant the rhyme rhythmically. Instantly , I got her to think of what note to use to represent the words such that the rhythm is noted down. She tried to add in quavers, crotchets and minims that result in a different rhythm we chanted. I praised her and show her the rhythm we chanted in wrtten notes and encourage her to spot the similarities and differences.
Another activity we flowed into was playing a minor scale to that rhythm and words .However as there were nine words in that sentence, we played up to the first nine notes in that scale. The focus became familiarising the turning of the scales up to the first nine keys.
While my thoughts just flow on this student and the activites we had, I will proceed to start next lesson with this sentence and rhythm. Composing a melody to the sentence and rhythm is what I will introduce in the next lesson. To complete that, we will work on harmony chords, chord patterns and some musical signs and terms .
Ta-dah ! I am very excited with all these. Conscientiously, I need to keep this going.
As I read "Improve Your Teaching" by Paul Harris, there are many factors which encourages me. One example I read today is " There are usually too many variables and unforeseeable conditions to plan each lesson in too muc detail. However it is important to plan your short-, medium-, and long-term objectives : it is essential to know, in general terms, where each pupil is going."
That is exactly what I have been practising in my teaching. However I started asking myself how am I supposed to plan all the activites and methods I have learn from the CT course.
Since my first lesson after the 3 days of intensive CT sessions, I start to implement activities like playing the scales duets with almost every students. I am aware that this is great fun because my students has never practise the boring dull scales in such a interesting way. However I foresee that they will find it boring if playing the scales duets become a routine.
I was inspired on a lesson through a conversation with a student. I was asking her how she feel and she answered " O K Lah " . Instantly, we started scales to the " O K lah" speed. We sang "O K Lah " to every note in the scale. It did not make any sense but it was funny. In such a mood, there is not a single bit of tension. Furthermore, it leaves a deep impression.
The conversation led to she could not sing well as she is having a sore throat. My reply was : Drink lots of fruit juice , Eat lots of fruits. At the next moment, we are chanting that sentence rhythmically. I seized the opportunity to write down the sentence and we continue to chant the rhyme rhythmically. Instantly , I got her to think of what note to use to represent the words such that the rhythm is noted down. She tried to add in quavers, crotchets and minims that result in a different rhythm we chanted. I praised her and show her the rhythm we chanted in wrtten notes and encourage her to spot the similarities and differences.
Another activity we flowed into was playing a minor scale to that rhythm and words .However as there were nine words in that sentence, we played up to the first nine notes in that scale. The focus became familiarising the turning of the scales up to the first nine keys.
While my thoughts just flow on this student and the activites we had, I will proceed to start next lesson with this sentence and rhythm. Composing a melody to the sentence and rhythm is what I will introduce in the next lesson. To complete that, we will work on harmony chords, chord patterns and some musical signs and terms .
Ta-dah ! I am very excited with all these. Conscientiously, I need to keep this going.
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