Music Education
Now there’s a question to ponder… Most pupils equate slow with boring. But if we can help those pupils to enjoy a bit more active engagement with their practice, we can begin to change this age-old attitude. For many, practice is done with the brain remaining in a fairly
Music Education
Last year the Metropolitan Opera staged Philip Glass’s ‘Akhnaten’ starring Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo. Following the premiere much media attention was directed towards the countertenor in the leading role. Glass’s hypnotic, repetitive music is a big sing for any countertenor. Costanzo not only negotiated the vocal challenges of
Music Education
In a world where parents are constantly re-evaluating the cost of a recurring service, job security may depend in part upon how indispensable we are to our piano students. How do we become indispensable? How do we keep parents from jumping from teacher to teacher or experience to experience? How
Music Education
Why would teachers want to encourage parents to attend lessons? Although some teachers—Suzuki, Yamaha, or preschool, for example—routinely invite parents, not all music teachers find that children or their guardians benefit from a shared experience. The following is an overview of some of the rewards and challenges of
Music Education
The habit of comparing ourselves (and being compared) to others is not restricted to the world of music. Starting shortly after birth, our physical attributes, talents, and achievements are constantly compared to those of our peers. The age at which first words are spoken and first steps are taken can
Music Education
International research is of three kinds: scientific, science-fictionish and vacuous. Possibly belonging to the second category is recent work at MIT which used AI (artificial intelligence) to turn the Coronavirus into classical music. This is done, according to Professor Markus J. Buehler, to better understand the virus. Researchers assigned each
Music Education
From works of non-fiction to novels, and video documents to feature films, Xerxes F. Unvala, General Manager – Symphony Orchestra of India & Western Classical Music at the NCPA, recommends essential reading and viewing to widen your understanding of and delve deeper into the genre. Framing a list of resources that
Music Education
The first half of the 20th century bears testimony to the tragically ephemeral career of the Polish violinist whose virtuosity belied his age. By Cavas Bilimoria “Full many a flower is born to blush unseen and waste its sweetness on the desert air” – Gray’s Elegy Most teenage prodigies are
Music Education
I favour a gradual, playful approach to teaching young children to play the piano, with an emphasis on a diverse range of musical skills and concepts. My ideal piano curriculum for young beginners includes exploring all the elements of music; experimenting with making different sounds; creating music; listening and moving
Music Education
Healthy Playing, Healthy Teaching, Vanessa Cornett, Editor A common refrain among teachers in the developed world is that twenty-first-century students are over-scheduled, anxious, and unable to focus during their limited practice time.1 Compounding these stress, anxiety, and distraction issues for my students is that they are awake late into
Music Education
The music classroom, in which the subject is being taught through the locus of performance, is a unique learning space. In such an environment, the students’ view of how much control they have over the outcome of their learning depends to a large extent on how they prioritise motivational factors.
Music Education
Breathing is the only function of the autonomic nervous system that can happen both consciously and unconsciously. Research has shown the many benefits of practicing controlled breathing techniques such as stress relief and improved functioning of the immune system.1 When applied in a pedagogical setting, teaching controlled breathing techniques