Opening of Chopin's Nocturne in E Minor, Op. 72 No. 1.
Whether I am playing music or teaching music, the fundamentals are the same:
Music is creative. There are many ways to make music, and reading notes off a page is just one of them. I often begin my lessons with a few minutes of guided improvisation: together my student and I make up a simple - but hopefully beautiful or maybe even groovy - song together. I also teach my students how to create their own accompaniments to a given melody or chord chart, and we work on playing by ear - one of my personally favorite ways to play music. I have heard some very talented pianists describe a blank feeling when they sit down at a piano with no music in front of them. My aim is that my students will never have that feeling, because they will directly experience creating their own music again and again.
Music is emotional. When is the last time you heard a version of "Hot Cross Buns" or "Merrily We Row" that plumbed the depths of your soul? It may have been a while. When beginning students are just learning to read music, they are often restricted to simple songs that can seem trite. But there are plenty of ways new students can experience the emotional richness music has to offer. Even just by adding a simple accompaniment to a song like "Hot Cross Buns" and turning it into a duet, I can give a student the chance to make music that is surprisingly gratifying. I also love improvising songs with my students, because then I can provide a compelling backdrop for their ideas, and because when they are not struggling to read notation they are free to respond instinctually - that is, emotionally. By playing along with students, and also by paying careful attention to which songs students are naturally drawn to, I can ensure that from the beginning my students are experiencing the real reasons we are drawn to music.
Music is intellectual. Describing a beautiful song note by note would be like describing an amazing book letter by letter - you'd be missing the point! So how do all those dotty notes on the page add up to a song that could make you cry or maybe dance a jig? It is very important to me, and a great pleasure, to give my students the music theory tools needed to analyze and understand how music does what it does. I view every musical piece encountered as an opportunity to impress the basics of music theory: melodic and rhythmic function, harmonic analysis, structure and shape and texture. By learning how these elements function "in the wild" of real musical pieces we are studying, students don't learn just the abstract notions of music theory, but instead develop a practical, working knowledge of music theory. This not only empowers them to answer the question of how music does what it does, but gives them invaluable, concrete tools with which to create and shape their own musical experiences.
Music is physical. It may seem obvious, but I think it's easy to forget, that we use our bodies to play music. This means that before a song even makes it to the piano keys it must first travel through the pianist's body. My students learn how good technique, such as proper hand shape or appropriate arm weight, ensures that a pianist's body interacts with the piano to produce the desired sounds.
I also guide students in exploring the full range of their physical influence on the piano so that they may play with command and confidence. For example, when it comes to keyboard touch, most songs require a sweet spot somewhere between a timid, inaudible touch and unmitigated pounding, but that sweet spot is hard for a student to find if they don't have the muscle memory that comes from physically exploring the full range of possibility.
Finally, I believe that musical expression begins with the body. My students learn how expressions in the body - whether it's tapping your foot along to a jazz tune or breathing in time with a beautiful Beethoven phrase - generate expression in the music.
Music is social. In my experience, music is most gratifying when it connects us with others. This doesn't mean I deny how wonderful it can be to have some time alone at a piano; on the contrary, playing alone is one of my favorite things to do! But for many musicians, playing alone is something that comes naturally, whereas playing with others or for others requires a bit more confidence and a few extra skills. I teach my students the street smarts they will need to play with others, so that they can play duets, accompany a choir, lead a sing-along, or start a garage band; and I aim to give them the creative skills and confidence that will help them play anywhere, be it a living room, a church, a nursing home, a cafe, or a concert stage.
Music thrives on a balance of work and play. Like many things in life, music benefits from a disciplined approach. I expect my students to practice regularly, and we discuss how to practice, since, like playing piano, practicing is also a skill that needs to be learned. On top of regular practice, I also encourage my students not just to play piano, but to play at the piano - by which I mean, take the time to noodle, to play your favorite songs, to play for your parents or friends, to make up a song or figure out a song you heard on the radio. Not only will this playtime make you a better musician, but, well, isn't it the whole reason we take piano lessons?
Music is creative. There are many ways to make music, and reading notes off a page is just one of them. I often begin my lessons with a few minutes of guided improvisation: together my student and I make up a simple - but hopefully beautiful or maybe even groovy - song together. I also teach my students how to create their own accompaniments to a given melody or chord chart, and we work on playing by ear - one of my personally favorite ways to play music. I have heard some very talented pianists describe a blank feeling when they sit down at a piano with no music in front of them. My aim is that my students will never have that feeling, because they will directly experience creating their own music again and again.
Music is emotional. When is the last time you heard a version of "Hot Cross Buns" or "Merrily We Row" that plumbed the depths of your soul? It may have been a while. When beginning students are just learning to read music, they are often restricted to simple songs that can seem trite. But there are plenty of ways new students can experience the emotional richness music has to offer. Even just by adding a simple accompaniment to a song like "Hot Cross Buns" and turning it into a duet, I can give a student the chance to make music that is surprisingly gratifying. I also love improvising songs with my students, because then I can provide a compelling backdrop for their ideas, and because when they are not struggling to read notation they are free to respond instinctually - that is, emotionally. By playing along with students, and also by paying careful attention to which songs students are naturally drawn to, I can ensure that from the beginning my students are experiencing the real reasons we are drawn to music.
Music is intellectual. Describing a beautiful song note by note would be like describing an amazing book letter by letter - you'd be missing the point! So how do all those dotty notes on the page add up to a song that could make you cry or maybe dance a jig? It is very important to me, and a great pleasure, to give my students the music theory tools needed to analyze and understand how music does what it does. I view every musical piece encountered as an opportunity to impress the basics of music theory: melodic and rhythmic function, harmonic analysis, structure and shape and texture. By learning how these elements function "in the wild" of real musical pieces we are studying, students don't learn just the abstract notions of music theory, but instead develop a practical, working knowledge of music theory. This not only empowers them to answer the question of how music does what it does, but gives them invaluable, concrete tools with which to create and shape their own musical experiences.
Music is physical. It may seem obvious, but I think it's easy to forget, that we use our bodies to play music. This means that before a song even makes it to the piano keys it must first travel through the pianist's body. My students learn how good technique, such as proper hand shape or appropriate arm weight, ensures that a pianist's body interacts with the piano to produce the desired sounds.
I also guide students in exploring the full range of their physical influence on the piano so that they may play with command and confidence. For example, when it comes to keyboard touch, most songs require a sweet spot somewhere between a timid, inaudible touch and unmitigated pounding, but that sweet spot is hard for a student to find if they don't have the muscle memory that comes from physically exploring the full range of possibility.
Finally, I believe that musical expression begins with the body. My students learn how expressions in the body - whether it's tapping your foot along to a jazz tune or breathing in time with a beautiful Beethoven phrase - generate expression in the music.
Music is social. In my experience, music is most gratifying when it connects us with others. This doesn't mean I deny how wonderful it can be to have some time alone at a piano; on the contrary, playing alone is one of my favorite things to do! But for many musicians, playing alone is something that comes naturally, whereas playing with others or for others requires a bit more confidence and a few extra skills. I teach my students the street smarts they will need to play with others, so that they can play duets, accompany a choir, lead a sing-along, or start a garage band; and I aim to give them the creative skills and confidence that will help them play anywhere, be it a living room, a church, a nursing home, a cafe, or a concert stage.
Music thrives on a balance of work and play. Like many things in life, music benefits from a disciplined approach. I expect my students to practice regularly, and we discuss how to practice, since, like playing piano, practicing is also a skill that needs to be learned. On top of regular practice, I also encourage my students not just to play piano, but to play at the piano - by which I mean, take the time to noodle, to play your favorite songs, to play for your parents or friends, to make up a song or figure out a song you heard on the radio. Not only will this playtime make you a better musician, but, well, isn't it the whole reason we take piano lessons?
Fragment from Joy Spring by Clifford Brown.
