Students want longer songs
Found in: Arrangements & Variations, Foundation Songs
Marcia V., North Carolina
I taught a workshop this morning (an intro to Reading Rhythm and Reading Notes) for 5 of my middle school aged students. It went well and at the end I asked for some general feedback from them. They all said they want to play longer songs than the ones on their playlists. They’re all in Foundation 3. They said their friends who take traditional lessons play songs that are “like 5 minutes long”. Any ideas for how I can meet this need of theirs?
Stephen R., California
Once students complete the SM reading process they can start reading anything they want, no matter how long or complicated. Most of the pieces in SM are pretty brief because they are presenting certain tools and strategies and allow for an immediate sense of musical completion. They do get longer and more complex starting in level 4, though (the first of the fragmenting levels). This is an advancing program. Some of the longer pieces are Ballade and Fur Elise once those are completed. They start in Level 5.
Missy M., Iowa
The friends in traditional lessons play longer songs but it takes them several months to learn and memorize one piece. They may “know” one long song and all the rest of their work is theory. With SM we have many shorter songs with all kinds of tools and experiences in them available and alive at all times. Way different. Lots of success and confidence building in the process.
Heidi M., Canada
I sometimes help to meet the “need” for playing a longer song by getting them to play it in several keys (if an accompaniment song) in a row, or playing several versions in a row (i.e. the original one, then an arrangement and maybe their own variation).
Stephen R., California
I think a lot of the pieces are “starting places” to expand and develop by the student, even though quite a few have variations/arrangements in the program.