Playing-Based Methodology

I’ve lost a few students recently (starting Level 3) because the parents are taking them to a traditional teacher to learn to read notes, even though the kids were doing well and I told them that we were moving toward note reading soon. They compared…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• arrangements, core conversations, Laurie Richards, managing expectations, reading, repertoire, Robin Keehn, when to introduce reading

It’s back to school time here! My students will be making a poster this week of Simply Music skills that will be helpful in school. Would you like to brainstorm together? Here are a few to get it going: Improvise Single thought process – focus…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• applying SM to life skills, school, strategies, tools

I have some students finishing level 9 and when I look at all the streams they will continue, almost all of them involve reading: Level 10 and up, Jazz Clues (clue 1 and 2), reading project of own choice. If they do composition, I may…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• Development Levels, playing-based strategies, playing-based tools, playing-based while reading, reading, SM big picture

At the beginning of Foundation 4, Lead Me to Light and Lullaby have so much less on the reference notes. How do you introduce these pages to students? Given what you’ve learned so far in presenting SM, I’d firstly like to hear your thoughts on…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• F4, Foundation 4, fragmenting, hand positioning, lead me to light, Level 4, Lullaby, Neil Moore, patterns, playing-based strategies

I have a 7-year-old student who is painfully slow. She took 4 weeks to learn Dreams Come True. I understand it will take as long as it takes, but having been a frustrated, bored young piano student myself, I just don’t want that to set…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• learning pace, learning slowly, siblings, using SHMs, using videos, videos

Some of my students struggle with hand positions (remembering where to put their hands) and others have no problem with it. I’m usually pretty good at self-diagnosis but not this time. What is this? For many of my students, the ones who practice consistently have…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• chester chills out, Fur Elise, hand positions, Laurie Richards, learning clues, Night Storm, practicing, self-generation, starting positions

A delightful young adult with autism had his second lesson with me tonight. He loves patterns, numbers, and music, so of course Simply Music i?s a great fit. After playing Night Storm for him once, I told him “This song is all about 2’s. May…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• autism, patterns, playing-based, playing-based strategies, playing-based tools, special needs

I’ve been teaching Simply Music in an R-13 school the last three years and my students don’t get anywhere near the progress expected from the SM program. Most are getting though around 2 levels a year. This is obviously falling very short of the 4…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• curriculum, Neil Moore, pacing, teaching in school

I got an inquiry from a 25-year-old lady who made it clear she just wants to learn to read music. On the phone when I described all I’ve gained from SM, her attitude seemed to be “I don’t need all that–I just want to play…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• FIS, hymns, info session, intro session, Laurie Richards, student wants only to read

What would you say to a parent asking “Why aren’t they learning new songs from the music notes now that they’ve learned how to read?” And if they ask “Why do we need to get ‘Time for More Music’ to practice more reading instead of…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• Laurie Richards, playing-based, Time for More Music, using playing-based tools while reading