Curriculum

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

In Arrangements 1, are we supposed to give students all of the arrangements for one piece before moving to the 1.1 arrangement of the next piece? I’m a bit lost on the order of introduction of these. I have all students who started with me…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• arrangements, Gordon Harvey, order, order of arrangements, order of teaching arrangements, song order, TWS, when to teach arrangements

How do you teachers do the pedaling for smaller students at a concert, without sitting in the way? I don’t want the audience to be looking at me, just because I’m sitting at the top end of the piano to do their pedal – and…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• helping students pedal, pedal, pedaling, pedaling for small students

I have an older middle-aged student who is having memory trouble with the variations. He keeps trying to write clues for himself and I’ve stopped him multiple times and told him to trust the method, and that it’s a memory builder. I’m good at seeing…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• arrangements, Gordon Harvey, Laurie Richards, memory, playing-based, playing-based tools, remembering arrangements, remembering variations, variations

Neil provides an overview of the background and scope of the Special Programs – one of the 3 required components of the Core Curriculum. Topics include: The Genesis (00:06) Introducing Special Programs (07:53) Fitting it All In (13:07) About Composition & Improvisation (15:35) About Arrangements…

• Last updated 8 years ago
• acc, acc1, Accompaniment‏, accompaniment 1, arr, arrangements, C&I, comp & improv, fitting it all in, Laurie Richards, managing playlist, managing time, Neil Moore, special programs, variations

Can somebody tell me where I can read more on “fragmenting and positioning”. I tell my students it’s dividing the piece in small sections and that the position of the fingers help remember the sequence. But the fact that it is written in big letters…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• analogies, fragmenting, Gordon Harvey, hand position, Laurie Richards, Lullaby, positioning, self-generate

What do you do once a student completes level 18? I have one who is closing in on that milestone and it’s both exciting and terrifying! We still have lots we can do in Jazz, Blues Improv, and Accompaniment, but what do you source for…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• accompaniment, beyond the curriculum, blues & improv, comp & improv, D18, development, Gordon Harvey, jazz, jazz clues, Laurie Richards, Level 18, outside music

I’m working through the Reading Notes program for the first time and I just introduced the Ladder and Race conversations. On page 5 of the Reference Book, the Streams page alternates between treble and bass clefs. I haven’t introduced clefs yet. Do you have students…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• clef symbols, clefs, masters of the rhythm, MORs, reading notes, reading rhythm, RN, RN streams, RR

As I was just responding to a post about shared lessons and talking about tic-tac-toe, I had another idea for getting more out of that game to solidify playing-based tools. If you are not familiar with how I’ve used the game: I use it sometimes…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• arrangements, games, Laurie Richards, playing-based strategies, teaching students to coach, tic-tac-toe

I have a student in her 50s who has rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. She had to miss her last lesson as she had a sore wrist. She told me today at her lesson that her physiotherapist told her to give up piano. She doesn’t want…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• adult students, adults, claiming territory, improv, improvisation, student reluctant to improv