Unlocking Musical Versatility: Teaching Kids to Sight Read and Play by Ear Simultaneously

As a piano teacher, you understand the importance of building a strong foundation in music from a young age. In our recent YouTube Live session, we delved into a groundbreaking approach that’s designed to transform the way children learn to play the piano. If you’re a piano teacher, music educator, or a parent considering piano lessons for your child, this innovative teaching method is for you.

The Power of Early Integration

In this insightful YouTube Live session, we explored the concept of simultaneously learning to sight read and play by ear right from the very first piano lesson. The idea is simple yet powerful: by linking these two essential skills early in a child’s musical journey, we can help them become well-rounded music makers at a remarkably young age.

Creative Approaches to Learning

One of the key takeaways from our session was the creative methods used to connect sight reading and ear training. We shared practical strategies that make the learning process engaging and enjoyable for young students. This approach not only nurtures their musical talents but also keeps them excited about their lessons.

Benefits for All Ages

While our method is ideal for children aged 4-12, it’s not limited to a specific age group. Piano teachers, music educators, and parents can all benefit from this approach. It’s a universal method that can transform the way music is taught and learned.

Nurturing Lifelong Love for Music

Our approach goes beyond teaching piano skills; it aims to nurture a lifelong love for music. By starting with a strong foundation in sight reading and ear training, students can confidently explore various musical genres and become more versatile musicians.

If you’re a piano teacher looking for innovative methods to enhance your teaching, or a parent eager to provide your child with a rich musical education, this teaching approach may be the key to unlocking your child’s musical potential.

Don’t miss out on this transformative approach to piano education. To dive deeper into these creative teaching methods, watch the full YouTube Live session on our channel. And if you’re ready to embark on a musical journey with your child, feel free to reach out to us for more information on how to get started.

Unlock the musical versatility in your child and join us on this extraordinary musical adventure!

New Online Teaching Materials

Music teachers and students are just like everyone else during this chaotic time… We’re all trying to keep each other safe while moving lessons and classes online. I’ve been teaching online for over three years and love it – I’ve come to learn that it has several advantages over in-person lessons. But students and teachers making this switch with no warning or planning is not the ideal way to venture into the world of online teaching.

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Perfection as a Way of Life

After the post last week about recovering from bad performances, several folks have asked for more information and specifics in regards to the approaches I mentioned. This post will be part of a series on methods we can use to treat each practice session and/or rehearsal as a performance – hopefully making each performance less tense and more rewarding in the process.

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Always Be the Substitute Playing the Role of the New Teacher

The first time I hosted a masterclass for my students where they worked with a guest artist, I remember feeling a little confused and disappointed. There were several times during the event when the guest would point out the most obvious things a student needed to do to improve their performance. Because these areas discussed were so obvious, it wasn’t the first time the students had heard about them. However, the students reacted to this instruction in the masterclass way differently than when I had I brought them up in the lessons. It was if they had never realized that these things needed work and they were suddenly eager to improve.

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Going Big Memorizing Large Pieces and Programs More Efficiently

The final post in this memorization series is about learning large chunks of music or big pieces/programs quickly and efficiently – without needing the printed music. If you have been following the last few posts on the topic and trying them out, this post should feel like a logical extension.

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There is No Joy in Repetition Getting the Most Out of Each Repetition

Repetition has long been a staple of music pedagogy. As students we were always asked to play the same section a certain number of times in a row to obtain “mastery” (whatever that is). When most of us became teachers, we just continued the tradition. When I broke from that tradition I noticed that my students started to improve much faster and their playing became more personal and lively.

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Take a Picture Part 2 in the "Playing from Memory" Series

While a student at University of Miami, I wrote an original jazz tune for one of our ensembles that I was very excited about. I felt the tune captured the vibe of the famous Miles Davis quintet from the ‘60’s… That was the theme of the ensemble. The tune had unpredictable harmonic rhythm, harmony based on modes of melodic minor and a lot of suspended chords, and romantic-influenced melodies. It wasn’t extremely complicated but it wasn’t simple either.

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If I Only Had a Brain Alternatives to Memorizing Music

For many students of music, performing without the printed music in front of them can be a stressful venture. Over the years I’ve eliminated the word “memorized” from my teaching vocabulary – at it has helped my students tremendously. However, for the sake of honoring the tradition I’ve included the word “memorize” from time to time in the post – this is the first of a series of posts on playing without the printed page.

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The Struggle is Real Teaching lulls and some remedies

The teaching calendar between the new year and the end of the school year is a long one. Even those of us who teach private lesson typically follow some sort of “school” calendar. Over the past few weeks I’ve observed both teachers and students starting to show the signs of being caught in the Spring lull. Maybe as teachers we get a little short and agitated because the students are spinning their wheels a little (or a lot). Students tune out the teachers because all the lessons are starting to run together. And this just scratches the surface of possible feelings and emotions happening.

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