Playing-Based Methodology

Anneka (Aus) For a bit of background information… I have 15 years of experience in leading adult Shared Lessons, as before I started teaching Simply Music I ran Shared Lessons as a psychologist. I facilitated courses such as “Changing Your Thinking”, “Confidence Building”, “Effective Communication” and “Positive…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• chat, shared lessons

Hello dear teachers, Recently I have been experimenting with my shared lessons (of 2-3 students). I wanted to share some of my findings. I have been asking students to grasp the patterns behind pieces away from the piano. I ask them to buddy up with…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• coaches, group lessons, patterns, shared lessons, studio set up

A piano teacher in my city has contacted me because he’s interested in teaching this method. He first called me a few weeks ago to ask about my experience as a teacher which is quite common but he called last week wanting to sit in…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• Laurie Richards, prospective teachers, Robin Keehn, teachers observing lessons

For those of you that teach groups, do you ever find that students are uncomfortable or embarrassed to touch each others’ hands?  I’m thinking in particular of a 13 yr-old boy that may be in a group with three 16-yr-olds (all beginners). I think it…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• teens, touching hands

I am a new teacher. I teach a small group of 5. Today we put Dreams hands together. I felt that I needed at least 2-3 minutes individual time with each student to help “control the events” on the piano as they put it together.…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• Dreams Come True, group, group lessons, hands together, keypads, Laurie Richards, practice pads, shared lessons

When you have students unfold the patterns on their (printed) keyboards, do you also have them put both hands together first on their keyboard? I have tried this but found that I can’t watch them all and so don’t know if they are doing it…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• both hands, controlling the events, group lessons, hands together, observatory learning, patterns, practice pads, private lessons, shared lessons

Anyone ever run into this problem of an experienced player who doesn’t fit into a group because of how much more quickly he’s going through curriculum. He’s had 5 lessons, he’s at the middle of level 3, through the accomp. book, processed most of accompaniment…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• accompaniment, advanced players, arrangements, comp and improv, lesson scheduling, rates, teacher responsibility, trust the method

How do you go about teaching arrangements to a group of 5? They don’t have SHMs, so do you mostly have them learn through watching. But how do you process it into their fingers at the lesson? Do you have them each take a turn…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• arrangements, Dreams Come True, group lessons, key pads, practice pads, shared lessons, speaking instructions out loud

I’ve been teaching Simply Music for almost a year, and I now have students entering level 4.  My studio space is small so my class size ranges from one to three students. Throughout the past year I have been having increasing difficultly with time management…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• accompaniment, arrangements, curriculum order list, Laurie Richards, lessons, life coach, method coach, Playlist, time management

I am moving for the first time into Time for More Music. So I’m at a point where I will soon be able to tell students that it’s okay to retire certain pieces from their repertoire. Although I’ve seen recommendations about when one might choose to…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• Gordon Harvey, keeping songs alive, Laurie Richards, Playlist, reading notes, reading rhythm, retiring pieces, Time for More Music, transposing