Curriculum

(Over time, different teachers have faced situations in which a student finds it challenging to process the Alma Mater Blues rhythm. Here are Neil’s thoughts on how to handle such situations, video posted September 28, 2022. Below his video tip are two representative posts/questions within…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• Alma Mater Blues, BH, complex rhythm, control the events, controlling the events, coordinating LH and RH, coordination, counting, counting as lyric, counting rhythms, CTE, difficult rhythm, dosage, dose, doses, humpty, humpty dumpty, information processing, isolating rhythm, microdose, multiple thought processes, Neil Moore, Neil's Responses (YouTube Videos), physicality, processing, processing issues, processing rhythm, processing rhythms, rhythm diagram, rhythm diagrams, single thought process, single thought processes, small doses, smaller dose, smaller doses, STP, swing rhythm, swing rhythms

Here ya go folks! There are 2 versions. One with and one without G and F. Scroll down to see the other one. (You may want to draw the C ledger lines a bit longer with a felt tip.) Keyboard-staff-landmark-notes Original discussion started October 4, 2022  

• Last updated 2 years ago
• location, location points, reading notes, RN

How would you explain to 12-14 year old kids why learning to improvise and compose songs is part of the simply music program? How does it help them learn to play songs, if that is their goal? Do you have the Tune Toolkit Program? The…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• #ttci, arranging, benefits of improv, C & I, C&I, comp & improv, comp and improv, comp/improv, composing, composition, composition skills, CP, creative projects, creativity, cross-pollinate, developing creativity, developing generative skills, expression, fun, generative, generative learning, generative students, Gordon Harvey, handling mistakes, improv, improvisation, improvise through mistakes, improvising, interpretation, interpretation of classical pieces, jazz interpretation, keep going through mistakes, mistakes, musical expression, playing through mistakes, refusing to compose, refusing to improvise, resistance to c&i, self expression, self generative, skills, Tune Toolkit

Any advice for grouping students who are in different Development levels? Can this be done, and if so, what does a typical lesson look like? Or, how do I teach the lesson in such a way that gives the most value to the students even…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• development, development classes, Development Levels, Development Program, Development songs, different levels, different materials, different pacing in group, different reading projects, Robin Keehn, students progressing differently

At the request of a family, I pulled together this playlist featuring all the Classical pieces students are introduced to throughout the program. Feel free to share if it is useful to you! Check it out! Have you ever wondered what Classical music pieces are…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• classical, classical music, Classical Pieces, curriculum, YouTube

I’m generally very rigorous about following Neil’s instructions, since time and again I’ve come to understand why he does things the way he does. I’ve recently had a situation where I felt I had a good reason to do something a little differently from what…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• changing chapter order, context, control the events, controlling the events, CP, cross pollination, cross-pollinate, CTE, dosage, dose, doses, down-level, fragmenting, Fragmenting-Layering, fragments, Fur Elise, Fur Elise A Section, Fur Elise complexity, Fur Elise left hand, Fur Elise LH, Fur Elise order, hybrid, Laurie Richards, microdose, Neil Moore, out of context, re-teaching pieces, re-teaching songs, re-working pieces, re-working songs, single thought process, single thought processes, small doses, smaller dose, smaller doses, STP, technique for Fur Elise, up-level

Question: I have just signed on a Special Needs student. She is 9 years old. Her favorite song is Happy Birthday. Mum said they play that every day! I know we normally teach this at the end of Foundation Level 1 but I would like…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• accompaniment, accompaniment pieces, accompaniment resources, Amazing Grace, Amazing Grace LH position, Amazing Grace position, basics, changes, changing teaching order, claiming territory, finger positions, hand position, hand positioning, hand positions, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday Supplement, high functioning, Honey Dew, Honey Dew LH position, Honey Dew position, introducing accompaniment, Jackson Blues, order, parents of special needs, position, position change, positioning, positions, song order, special circumstances, special needs, teaching order, teaching special needs

I’m still having difficulty with the variation of Light Blue. Watching Neil over and over with the rhythm in the hands hasn’t helped me. Either it needs to be slowed down or written out for me so that I can SEE it. Could someone maybe…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• complex rhythm, counting rhythms, differences in materials, different materials, difficult rhythm, FABE chord, Foundation sheet music, isolating rhythm, light blue, light blue rhythm, Light Blue Variation, managing variations, music books, notation, notation changes, processing rhythm, rhythm diagram, rhythm diagrams, score, sheet music, simply music song variations, using music book, using music books, using score, variation, variations, video and book different

I’m wondering if ‘Here To Stay’ from the Jazz program commences in the key of D minor and then modulates to A minor around the third line. I’ve had a student ask me why the g in the A11 chord is natural. Any thoughts? It…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• 2-5, 2-5 chord progression, 2-5-1, 2-5-1 chord progression, changing keys, common chord, deceptive cadence, harmony, Here to Stay, jazz, jazz chords, jazz clues, Joe Gilman, key, key change, key of the moment, key signature, leading tone, minor keys, modulation, Neil Moore, parent key, pivot chord, relative key, relative major, relative minor, tonality, tonic, tonicization, tonicize, tonicizing

The below question was asked in response to a video Neil posted to help answer a question about what key Dark Blue is in, covered in a separate Simpedia post: https://simpedia.info/what-key-is-dark-blue-in/ Neil Moore hearing Joe’s playing also made me realize you don’t put tempo markings…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• adding expression, Dark Blue, developing generative skills, dynamics, expression, expression marks, generative, generative students, Joe Gilman, learning clues, lyrics, musical expression, Neil Moore, Neil's Responses (YouTube Videos), playing with expression, self expression, self generating, self generative, self-generate, self-generation, sleeping, tempo, tempo marks