The start of a new academic year is usually about new music and this year is no exception! It's always one of the most exciting things - introducing new music and materials to pupils. There are two composers I am particularly encouraging pupils to explore - June Armstrong and Barbara Arens.
The new music we are exploring is highly imaginative and I am hoping this will spark some creative composing. I will be asking pupils to choose a favourite item or character that we can write some music about. Katie brought to her first lesson a piece she had composed called Traffic Lights. On her sheet she had written a lovely explanation of how she composes, which may help to get you started!
The final element that will form part of lessons, which can be as repertoire to learn over time, or weekly reading is one of my favourite things - duets. We will be using a variety of composers including Rosa Conrad, Jenny Walker, Nikolas Sideris and myself! I will also be revisiting a particular favourite of mine, a charming collection - Sorrisi Infantili (Smiles of Childhood) by E. Pozzoli.
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My final photo of term has it all - a thank you, summer flowers and most importantly the counter showing 382 pieces learnt during this academic year. Pretty impressive, considering we had a break in lessons. Thank you for keeping the total ticking over! During this term we have all recorded a star piece - including myself! I now have a complete playlist to share, so please click on the link - Star Pieces and enjoy your recordings and those of others! You never know may find a new piece you'd like to play. Below is a photo of all our star pieces, with the Modern category being by far the most popular. I have given out a summer holiday activity sheet to some pupils to encourage you to keep playing over the long break. A copy of the printable is here and you can find links to help you on this page.
Everyone is back into the swing of lessons again! This term is about variety, with pupils tackling different goals, depending on whether there is an exam on the horizon or not.
Almost everyone has had a go with my app - iReal Pro - which creates instant backing tracks in a wide variety of styles. Ideal for improvisation, composing, prep for pieces, scale practice..... the list goes on and on! Some pupils created music from simple ingredients - just 4 or 5 notes. Here's Katie playing Bright Jazz and Chloe playing Bluegrass Pop.
Pupils have also been busy recording, especially those who are preparing for exams. You can listen to the most recent recordings here on my new soundcloud stream. I'm including one on this page - Caitlyn's first ever uploaded recording, a duet called Rocking Horse:
After half term I will be encouraging as many pupils as possible to record or video favourite pieces from this year so we can put together a special playlist. Over half term, take a look and play through the pieces you've learnt since September and see if you have a favourite you would like to share!
For the first part of term we are all going to brush up on note recognition. Good reading skills are so important and help to develop independent, confident learners. What could be better than being able to pick up a piece of music you'd love to learn and feeling confident enough to play it? With this is mind, I've been busy creating a rather colourful magnetic note board and printing different resources for pupils to use at home. The board will allow us to work on quick note recognition as well as shape reading. As well as using the board in the lesson pupils will also be practising at home. Each week they will have a note strip strategically pegged to the front of their notebook or folder! They will need to read and play all of the notes in their practice time and then play them to me in the lesson. A good knowledge of where these notes are on the piano keyboard is just as important as knowing their names. For extra practice, there are also plenty of apps to encourage quick note recognition - here are a couple of my favourites, but let me know if you find any good ones! note squish (itunes) flash note derby (itunes) flash note derby (android) rainbow music notes (itunes)
As the end of term nears, we are completing our Cup Rhythm work. It has been great way to put the focus on rhythm and I hope everyone has enjoyed it. However, along the way there has been some cup exhaustion!
There is one particular Cup Rhythm Star - Katie. She has come to each lesson fully prepared with a perfect rhythm piece. Last week we recorded her cup version of We Wish You A Merry Christmas. I should just mention any mistakes are mine not Katie's! There's definitely been no cup exhaustion here - Katie's been using a M&Ms mini tub which is strong and makes a great sound!
In our final lessons there will be a special cup rhythm activity and Christmas game: a race to decorate my Christmas tree with rhythm decorations which will turn into a cup rhythm version of Jingle Bells. A treat will follow for any pupils completing the game!
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AuthorAlison is a classical pianist, teacher, and composer running a thriving piano studio in Surrey, South East of England. Archives
July 2020
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