Organizing workshops
Found in: Workshops
Sherri A.
I have five kids signed up to do my summer workshop: three 8-year-olds, a 6-year-old, and a 5-year-old. I know the 5-year-old is very active and has a short attention span even for her age. Should I do two small groups or all in one?
Also, I have one teenager with piano experience and the rest include a teenager and two adults with zero experience. Will it work okay to have them all in the same group? This would be a separate group from the younger kids.
Leeanne I., Australia
I would put them in the same group. I’m presuming the older one with experience has had traditional experience, not SM. Using the practice pads away from the piano works well with mixing students of prior experience and no experience. Just explain at the beginning that you may go over some things they already know, like the note names.
Amy L., California
I would do a trio of 8-year-olds and a pair with the 5- and 6-year-olds. Have you met the teens and adults? I would want to briefly meet the teen with prior experience and teach something that isn’t in the workshop materials. If he/she learns it much quicker than someone with no experience, then I wouldn’t include that student in a group with those with no experience.
[answer author="Jacqui G., Canada"]
I think the experienced teen would fit in with the others, although the suggestion of a prior meeting is a good one, so you are prepared. My first workshop was four adult friends, three with varying amounts of piano experience and one complete beginner. As the SM method was new to all of them, things balanced out. I got the ones who caught on fastest (and it wasn’t always the experienced ones!) to help the slower ones.
Sherri A.
I plan to meet with him in advance, but I’m pretty sure it will be very uneven in experience. Am I allowed to give more than the basic song? Like the arrangements and variations? Comp & Improv? I also plan to have his assignment be to teach his mom the songs he learns as an added challenge.
Jacqui G., Canada
I would not add anything to the workshop curriculum, just start off with the Basics and then plunge into the four songs. You will find that his brain will be plenty busy absorbing and processing this new approach! The time for the arrangements, variations, etc is when you get them into F1 and need to keep alive the four songs covered in the workshop.
If he seems bored, get him to help the others, and use him as your demo student. By the way, with four in the group, you can form two “buddy” teams so one team can be working with the paper keyboard while you are on the piano with the other two. Pair him with the one in the group who needs the most help!