Laurie Richards

I am always looking for ways to motivate students. While I like the certificates for each level that are available to us, I’m wondering if students actually keep these as a record for all they’ve accomplished. What I would like to have is a trading-size…

• Last updated 3 months ago
• binders, certificate, certificates, certificates for each level, certificates of achievement, Laurie Richards

If a student already knows the names of the rhythm ingredients (whole through sixteenths) can we use those or should we actively use the informal terminology anyway before the note naming process? This comes up from time to time with students with prior experience! Personally,…

• Last updated 7 months ago
• beat, clapping rhythm, complex rhythm, counting, counting rhythms, difficult rhythm, doubles, eighth notes, feeling rhythm, improving rhythm skills, introducing reading, Laurie Richards, learning note names, marching sdq, masters of the rhythm, note names, outside reading knowledge, physical beat, playing rhythm tracks, previous experience, previous reading knowledge, prior experience, prior reading experience, processing rhythm, processing rhythms, quarter notes, Read and Play, Read n play, reading outside Simply Music, reading process, reading program, Reading Repertoire, reading rhythm, reading terminology, reads rhythm, rhythm, rhythm streams, rhythm tracks, rhythm words, RR, SDQ, singles doubles quads, sixteenth notes, student with previous experience, students with previous experience, students with prior experience, substituting words in rhythm, tapping sdq, teaching reading, teaching rhythm, using words in rhythm learning, voicing rhythms with words, walking sdq

I wanted to share something I did in my studio this semester. I held an Apprenticeship Workshop class for upper level piano, bass, and guitar students of mine. It was designed to teach them how to play in or form their own bands. We met…

• Last updated 7 months ago
• advanced players, advanced student, advanced students, Apprenticeship Workshop, arranging, band, bands, experienced players, gig, gigging, gigs, improv, jazz, Laurie Richards, performance, performance ideas, performing, public performances, upper level, upper level students, upper levels, workshop, Workshops

I’m in the process of enrolling my first student and I’m wondering who of you is using the SM enrollment form. I’ve seen two different versions of it. The current one with the teacher’s notes and an older version that has some policies on it.…

• Last updated 7 months ago
• Airtable, digital enrollment, electronic enrollment, enrolling students, enrollment, enrollment forms, forms, Google Forms, Laurie Richards, managing forms, online enrollment, web based studio info, web enrollment

Feeling a bit disheartened- I did a free information session yesterday and said to the lady there was more Information at Simply Music website and she emailed today thanking me and has enrolled in the free foundation course 😞 I guess I’m just a bit…

• Last updated 11 months ago
• 4-song workshop, attending FIS, competing methods, competing teachers, competition in market, cost of SHMs, FIS, FIS followup, FIS success rate, free, free information session, free introductory session, free introductory session chat, Free Introductory Sessions, info session, information on website, information session, intro session, introductory session, LAH, LAH vs SMP, LAH vs teacher, Laurie Richards, learn-at-home, linked students, linked teacher, linking students, linking teacher, live teacher, MAC, MAC Foundation Program, MAC Program, MAC vs SMP, MAC vs teacher, Music & Creativity, other methods, other teachers, Play with Simply Music, purchasing SHMs, PWSM, Robin Keehn, self study, self study programs, self-study program, SHM, SHM costs, SHMs, Simply Music website, simplymusic.com, SIS, SM website, Student Workshop, students attending FIS, too much information on website, website, workshop, workshop SHMs, Workshops

I’m finding in some of my small groups that individuals need some one on one that is hard to achieve in a group setting. I’m curious if any of you do ‘hybrid’ lessons when one week they might be in a group and the next…

• Last updated 11 months ago
• addressing poor technique, benefits of group lessons, benefits of shared lessons, comfort in teaching groups, different levels, different pacing in group, dislikes shared lessons, FL4, flat fingers, foundation level 4, group, group by level, group dynamics, group lesson, group lessons, group obstacles, group or private lessons, group vs private, groups, hybrid, intervals, keeping groups together, L4, Laurie Richards, leading groups, learning differences, Level 4, managing groups, managing shared lessons, mentor groups, navigating a valley, office hours, opposition to shared lessons, poor technique, private vs group, private vs shared, private vs shared lessons, shared, shared lesson, shared lesson ideas, shared lesson management, shared lessons, shared lessons management, shared vs private, siblings moving at a different pace, student mentors, student valley, students in groups with different abilities, students progressing differently, students teaching, students teaching each other, teaching groups, technique, technique questions, valley, valley on Level 4, valleys, value of groups

READING RHYTHM TIPS For students who struggle to play the MORs using 5SS – especially those who have trouble keeping the 3 ingredients even within a steady beat 1) Match a metronome playing only singles until smooth and even. Then only doubles until smooth and…

• Last updated 1 year ago
• 5SS, audio recording, Audio recordings, beat, clapping, clapping rhythm, clapping the beat, internal beat, internal metronome, internalizing beat, Laurie Richards, masters of the rhythm, metronome, mor, MORs, Music Speed Changer, play along, playing along with audio, reading rhythm, rhythm audio, RR, SDQ, singles doubles quads, using audio recordings, using audio tracks, voice

I have a 5 year old who is resisting playing hands together. He is happy to play 5SS together but nothing else. Any ideas how to encourage him? some young children think it is going to be too hard to do so instead of giving…

• Last updated 1 year ago
• #ttci, BH, both hands, breaking things down, capitals, capitals & periods, capitals and periods, control the events, controlling the events, CTE, developmental delays, dose, doses, event, events, hands together, HT, it takes as long as it takes, Laurie Richards, learning slowly, microdose, microevent, microevents, patience with slow learners, periods, piano event, piano events, play along, playing along with audio, playing slowly, practicing slowly, readiness, ready, separate hands, SH, single thought process, single thought processes, slow learner, slow pace, slow practice, slow progress, slowing down, small doses, smaller dose, smaller doses, STP, trouble with hands together, Tune Toolkit

I just remembered a Jackson Blues variation I like to teach around Halloween that makes it sound a little creepy: RH – for each chord, move finger 3 down a 1/2 step (makes them minor chords – they don’t need to know that if they…

• Last updated 1 year ago
• blues variation, Dog, Halloween, Halloween Dog?, Jackson Blues, Laurie Richards, major vs. minor, minor chords, minor keys, Minuet in G, new variation, Nightmares, sleeping, Spooky Jackson, Spooky Minuet, variation, variations

Sometimes in a shared lesson, one student is ready to move on from a project before others are quite ready. Let’s share some ideas for an extra “filler” project for that student. I’ll start: Utilize one of the Supplemental Programs – assign one project from…

• Last updated 1 year ago
• arrangement, arranging, Blues Infusion, Blues Infusion Program, Chord Drill, comfort in teaching groups, creative projects, different levels, different pacing in group, Elizabeth Gaikwad, foundation duets, Foundation Duets and Variations, genres, group, group dynamics, group lesson, group lessons, group obstacles, groups, improv, improvisation, keeping groups together, Laurie Richards, leading groups, managing groups, managing shared lessons, motivation, new variation, Notion, pacing, positive peer pressure, readiness, ready, shared, shared lesson, shared lesson ideas, shared lesson management, shared lessons, shared lessons management, siblings moving at a different pace, songs for children, Songs for Christmas, Songs for Everyone, speed of learning, speed of progress, students in groups with different abilities, students progressing differently, students speed of progress, styles, Teacher Collection, teaching groups, Tune Toolkit, variation, variations