About The Method

Tip for ya. I remember several teachers commenting a while back on how challenging it was to teach Sonata in C (Level 4) online. I have found that ‘preparatory learning’ has made this piece SO much easier to learn. Beginning a song or two before…

• Last updated 2 months ago
• broken chords, chord, chord strategies, chords, concertina, D-Part, Laurie Richards, learning chords, preparatory learning, seeing chords in songs, seeing songs chordally, Sonata in C

What creative ways do you use to get students to slow down? I don’t know any creative ways, I just resort to tapping a slow beat, and getting them to play along to the audio slow version. I wonder if it is a stage they…

• Last updated 2 months ago
• audio, control the events, controlling the events, CTE, events, getting student to slow down, Gordon Harvey, learning slowly, mindfulness, piano event, piano events, play along, playing along with audio, playing fast vs slow, playing slowly, playing speed, playing too fast, playing with audio tracks, practicing slowly, slow-steady-musical-even, slowing down, speed of learning, SSME, using audio recordings, using audio tracks, using the audio recordings to learn songs

Since my email last night regarding the “Swim Coach” reference to teaching students who play better than you do, I’ve had a couple of emails asking about what exactly “Self-Generating” or “generative” teaching or learning is. What it means, in a nutshell, is the ability…

• Last updated 3 months ago
• arrangements, comp, comp & improv, comp and improv, comp/improv, composing, composition, compositions, developing generative skills, generative, generative learning, generative students, generative tools, identifying patterns, improv, improvisation, improvising, patterns, Robin Keehn, self generating, self generative, self-generate, self-generation

I have been a judge in the St Luke’s Talent Quest for the last three years. The last two years I was judge for the finalists,but today I was judge for the finalist auditions. Well, the vocal talent is unbelievable and most were children. But…

• Last updated 3 months ago
• competitions, judging, Talent Quest

For easier reference, here is my FIS PowerPoint presentation… Since so many people are asking for this, I’m going to go ahead and post a downloadable version of my FIS PowerPoint presentation here. There are a few caveats you should be aware of: 1) This…

• Last updated 4 months ago
• first introductory session, FIS, FIS handouts, FIS transcribed, free information session, free introductory session, Free Introductory Sessions, info session, information session, intro session, introductory session, leading a FIS, online FIS, PowerPoint, presentation, presenting FIS, recorded FIS, recording FIS, Simply Music information packets, SIS, transcribed FIS

This past month, I started making a point of assigning students to both LISTEN to the audio tracks and practice playing along with audio tracks HANDS SEPARATELY. Specifically, I’ve started directing students to try playing one hand alone with the audio tracks on a routine…

• Last updated 5 months ago
• audio, audio materials, audio recording, Audio recordings, audio SHMs, BH, both hands, control the events, controlling the events, coordinating LH and RH, CTE, external speaker, external speakers, hands together, humming, humming along, humming while playing, listening to audio recordings, listening to the audio recordings, multiple thought processes, playing along with audio, playing with audio tracks, RH/LH, separate hands, SH, singing, singing along, singing while playing, singing while playing struggle, single thought process, single thought processes, speaking instructions out loud, STP, trouble with hands together, using audio recordings, using audio tracks, using the audio recordings to learn songs

I have a 10 yr old girl student at level one – we’re coming up to Fur Elise and she wanted to learn to play piano so she could play Harry Potters theme. She has now with the help of internet video and her mother…

• Last updated 5 months ago
• accompaniment, chords, developing generative skills, generative, generative learning, generative students, generative tools, Harry Potter, Hedwig's Theme, learning the melody, melody, playing-based, playing-based strategies, playing-based tools, self generating, self generative, self-generate, self-generation, simplified melody, teaching melody

I have a class of 5 middle-schoolers who love music, and are trying to do every musical activity available to them. They are in Level 3. A couple of them are in the school band (actually an orchestra), and a couple of them are joining…

• Last updated 5 months ago
• expectation, expectations, high school, high school jazz band, managing expectations, middle school, outside materials, outside music, outside pieces, outside reading pieces, outside sheet music, parent expectation, parental expectations, pieces outside the program, playing-based, playing-based arrangements, playing-based strategies, playing-based tools, public school, public schools, reading expectations, reading outside Simply Music, school, school band, school jazz band, school music, school orchestra, songs outside the repertoire, talking about expectations, teaching outside music

Chariots of Fire seems to be a theme song at the Olympics and not too difficult. It is a good time to introduce this piece to students while it is popular. Has anyone heard any other theme songs at the Olympics? I wonder if you…

• Last updated 5 months ago
• Chariots of Fire, Gordon Harvey, Olympic, Olympics, Playground, The Playground, tutorial

Hi everyone. I’ve had two students request to learn the Happy Birthday song. Any suggestions…SM method? I briefly came up with one but wondering if anyone else has a tried and true version to share? So easy and fun. I do not tell them what…

• Last updated 6 months ago
• cross pollinating, cross pollination, cross-pollinate, Happy Birthday, Minuet in G, Minuet in G Level 2, Minuet in G LH, Minuet patterns, playing-based, playing-based arrangements