MTNA Convention 2018 Orlando

MTNA conference 2018 Orlando 

I am a piano teacher and currently serve as the President of Northern Virginia Music Teacher's Association (NVMTA). Orlando was the destination for this year's MTNA conference and I was happy to attend.  There were many great presentations and I learned a lot.  I hope my notes will be valuable to you!

NVMTA member presentations:

I was happy to see three presenters from NVMTA at the conference!

Jim Litzelman, Nancy Breth, Joanne Haroutounian

Teaching adults 

Nan Richardson, Salisbury University, Amanda Schlegel, University of Southern Mississippi 

Learning sequence: 

Hear, do, see, label

Reading the grand staff

Analogies:

*Treble/bass clefs like a.m./p.m.

*Label keyboard with different color stickies to show white notes as line or space notes alternating 

*Computer keyboard has most used keys in the middle like the grand staff does.

• Zip codes and clefs— show what area of the keyboard
• Mark f and g on keyboard and staff as important landmarks (they suggested a white board marker that would wash off)

Pedaling

Demonstrate: no pedal, too much pedal, just right pedal

Use country music to:

1. Clap
2. Knee slap 
3. Knee slap, toe up (heel down)
4. Table slap, toe up (heel down)

I tried this out at home with a student and came up with my own variation:

1. Beat 1: slap knee, toe up after slap (represents the note or chord played on the piano)

2. Beat 1&: toe down on "&"
3. Clap

Balance

Students face each other, one hands out palms up; other hands out palms down 

Press right hand more or left hand more

Balance at piano

1. Play only melody line forte
2. Play only accompaniment softly
3. Shadow play: LH silent while RH plays loudly
4. HT: RH loud, LH soft 

Make time for socializing 

Other things:

Self-regulation: 

1. Make students proactive in their own learning, 
2. Have them do self-assessments 
3. No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care

Piano Marvel

Pretty amazing set-up.  Requires midi keyboard and buying their software. It was very fun to see how many levels I could pass.

(My) Idea for sight reading based on the piano marvel model with the green Hannah Smith sight-reading book. 

I have all my students do this book at the beginning of lessons while I check their theory homework.  This is a process that takes a couple years usually and their name goes on an "honor" sheet when they finish.

1. Metronome
2. 1-2-set go (counted aloud with MM)
3. Three errors allowed or start over
4. Each chapter is a level
5. Set timer for 5 minutes for each lesson

SASR: standard assessment of sight reading 

Why composers sound differently and how to achieve an appropriate sound

Jack Winrock- university of Kansas

Very interesting concept---possible Dr. topic.

Compare and discuss differences between recordings or composers

Ie Horowitz vs Rubenstein, Mozart (flatter fingers) vs. Haydn (more curved fingers), Chopin vs. Schumann (political and social influences, influence of relationships)

Choose words carefully

Sara Ernst University of SC

Open ended Questions:

Reflection: 

Abstraction

Discussion: compare and contrast, preferences

Creativity: draw, paint, hum, sing

Closed ended questions

Analysis and deduction 

Identify

Apply

Correction 

Taxes

Alexis Kimbrough, Atlanta, Georgia

1. Business purpose
2. Know price, receipts
3. Audits can go back three years
4. Over $75 must have a receipt
5. Date of purchase
6. % of use with regard to home office use
7. Diminimus: up to $2500 can be deducted in a single year
8. Lawn maintenance, snow removal, renovations 
9. Cell phone 

See email of tax deductions from 3/20/18 from presenter 

Engaging Group Piano: ideas to enrich and supplement the group lesson: Summer camp/ class lessons

Rebecca Bellelo, piano pathways and , Ruby Chou university of Texas

Ensemble camp

Improvisation camp

Disney song camp

Morning: play piano

Craft/activity/game

Piano time

Complete craft

Snack

Scavenger hunt

Celebrating day

Parents performance day

Guided questions on listening:

1. Major or minor
2. Meter
3. Mood
4. Compare/contrast
5. Form
6. History, cultural connections
7. 4 week listening unit: composer or genre, rock groups that played with orchestras
8. Listening maps: kangaroo from carnival of the animals by Saints-saens 

Jazz piano basics— even if you’re not a jazz pro

Eric Baumgartner, Willis music

Look at rhythm first; isolate small rhythm ideas

Count a measure out first before starting

*Hal Leonard— digital download, can adjust speed 

Achieving Success/Motivation

Charles Blanchard (pianist, composer, author)

Referred to triangles as masculine vs. feminine.

Mozart’s success could be attributed to his father’s consistency.

Look for opportunities 

Tirelessly seek out friends

Cultivate relationships relentlessly 

Revive their interest if it grows dull

Do not believe that promised is as good as delivered

Always help whenever you can

No one can do your work for you in achieving success. 

(Lots of quotes from famous musicians on achieving success)

The secret Ingredient for piano teaching success: the powerful role of parents 

Christopher Fisher Ohio University School of Music and Kathleen Fisher, Piano Safari

• Quietly attends lessons
• Takes detailed notes 
• Home practice guide
• Schedules and insured that practice happens
• Assists practice
• Instills discipline and focus in practice
• Gives child full and undivided attention
• Helps child develop autonomous practice skills

The three E’s:

Engage parents

Educate parents in fun ways to practice at home

Encourage parents as much as children

Piano parent workshops

Conversation and commiseration

Train in resources and practicing 

At new academic year or during summer for new parents 

Involve seasoned parents for advice

Parent mentor program: camaraderie and networking for parents 

Topics:

• Limiting extra-curricular activity— jack of all trades, master of none
• Scheduling practice time— when child is moist alert and can focus
• Dealing with frustration—- so normal. Your constantly dealing with something you can’t do yet (the learning process)

Power of praise: 

Focus on effort not talent (“you’re working so hard”)

Results produced depend on your effort and action

Grit=perseverance and patience

Go to concerts

Midweek video— best work, send positive feedback

Upload best performances on YouTube

Magic triangle needs parents, teacher, students working together with positive dynamics

Consistent practice leads to excellent progress which leads to increased motivation 

Piano teaching podcast on iTunes 
https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2014/05/14/how-to-become-the-perfect-piano-parent-the-teach-piano-today-podcast/

Exhibitor showcase: FJH, the best of both worlds: methods and original music. Helen Marlais and Kevin Olson

Helen Marlais

Different types of touch:

Kangaroo (push off, end of slur)

Kick off

Tissue box (lift wrist out if jet like pulling a tissue out of a tissue box)

Kevin Olson 

Makes connections between students and composers

Will write back

Send video of performance of his pieces 

Keeping the spark alive and still learning after 50 years, tips from A to Z— Ingrid Clairfield, Westminster choir college, NJ

Artistry begins at the first lesson

Beautiful tone— even when teaching notes at first lesson, make beautiful sounds; make hanon . Beautiful 

Balance

Choreography 

Color, continuity, confidence, control, contrast 

Dealing with parents: no phone calls, last ten minutes of lesson, no more than 10 minutes in an email, no more than three back and forth emails 

Every student learns differently ( read, see/demonstrate, hear, do)

Expose to different genres: chamber, orchestral, opera, paintings, architecture, poetry, literature 

Fingering facilitates memory 

Goal notes— essential for shaping phrases 

Harmony- facilitates musicality and memory. Get rid of a special chord and they will appreciate it when you put it back into the phrase

Imagination- find their own story in the music

Involve students in selecting repertoire, let them write critiques, choose how much they will learn that week, judge their own performance, stop students and tell them what was good not just what they need to correct

Joy- convey humor and joy in their music

Keep striving to learn new things. Teach third movements, beatboxing

Learning

Memory: aural, visual, analytical, kinesthetic , prayer

Notice all the details: what the composer wrote

Orchestral 

Rubato— teach after student can play correct timing without rubato

Voicing

Zoom?

How expert pianists practice

Carla Cash, Texas Tech University 

Video clips of Spencer Myler, Arielle Levioff, William Whitney 

Approach learning with:

Thoughtful intentionality 

Writing on score

Talking

Singing

Not much wasted time or mindless repetition 

Address consequential errors immediately 

Stabilize what you want to keep

Put hands together soon

Lots and f repetition in rapid succession to stabilize desired outcome

No long breaks while practicing 

Regular metronome

Tenacious 

Persistent 

Clear image for f what they want to accomplish—what the piece will sound like in the end

Compare what they just did with what they expect—evaluate constantly 

Don’t waste a single moment 

Practicing is a diagnostic process 

Jeremy Denk recital

He ended up completely changing the second half to Schubert’s piano sonata in Eb 

Two  on a bench

Nancy Breth and Lisa Campi Walters 

Sight-reading much more fun if two students can do it at the same time

Sight-reading parties

Duets: good for exploring non-classical literature

Pedaling doesn’t always need to be Secondo. Write pedaling in on the primo part when it makes sense. 

Ensembles provide pleasure without (or with less) fear

Some studio duo partners remain friends for years afterwards

*** rehearse RHs only or LHs only or outer hands or inner hands.

Make each partner utilize the practice techniques of the other. 

Two interesting parts are essential.. . . .  or at least do two pieces and have them switch

Things to plan with duets:

Overlap of hands

High low hand positions

Leaving notes early

Re-assign notes to other person

Practice on your side of the bench

Both count aloud at trouble spots

Each duet partner should be able to start anywhere. Use a random number picker app. Reward with M&Ms if they can start wherever

My favorite duets from their list:

A Swing thing, Kevin Olson, Jazz Suite, FJH Music Co. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Af48eKyBoo

Motherless Child, Robert Muczynski, American Songs, Book II, Asdiciated Music Publishers, Inc.

The Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues, Jason Sifford, arr. FJH 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU2xU1g0C4Y

Classical improvisation 

Brian Chung

1. Make the most of one note: vary it with articulation, dynamics, repetition, silence etc.
2. LH becomes the metronome while RH improvised on one note
3. 3 notes for the RH including upper and lower neighbor notes while LH continues as metronome. Do 3/4. Switch hands
4. 6 notes. Add 3rd, 4th, 5th. Octave. Switch hands
5. Follow pattern with duet partners. Switch between who dies metronome part after a few measures. 

***make technique-sticker chart so students own scales

Start students transposing from the very beginning

Chart a path. . . . have goal notes and then be creative about how you get there

See website for free lesson plans:

www.brianchung.net/improv-landing-page

Choose chords from a well known piece 

From music student to musician-developing interpretive choices

Joanne Haroutounian

Bloom’s taxonomy of thinking (pyramid shape)

Remember-understand-apply-analyze-evaluate-create

Story lines: the more defined the better. Story lines help students memorize pieces as well as expand expressive ideas in the music.

Carol Matz interactive piano method 

Make piano more interactive with:

Lead sheets

Improvisation 

Chord charts

Notation 

Monthly briefing from carol matz

Connect on Facebook 
http://carolmatzpiano.com/free-teacher-resources/connect-carol-matz/

Private conversation

Carmen Hall, PhD candidate,

Things judges look for at competitive events and how to prepare

1. Even scales (accomplish by quarter note=172, grabbing keys firmly), rhythm variety with purpose 
2. 6-9 months to learn concerto. Use it for a year.
3. Practice slow, medium, fast 
4. Fit rhythm as quarter notes, then triplets, then 16ths
5. Record, listen, evaluate
6. Work tirelessly on very small sections

Teaching composition to young students

Carol Matz

Great way to reinforce concepts the learn (write notes in the treble clef, play your melody now)

Focus on experimentation not notation

Teacher can be pencil

Count aloud while they tinker so there is always a rhythm component

Apps:

iPad: penultimate (need stylus)

Computer: muse score (muse score.org)

Notion (app or computer) have a handwriting option for $5 more plus need a stylus 

Composition binders for kids

Decorate with pictures/drawings

Their photo and bio on back.