public performances

I want to share something I’ve been reflecting on as a teacher — not as a criticism of traditional classical training, but as an explanation of why I choose to teach the way I do. Traditional classical music education has given the world incredible discipline,…

• Last updated 3 months ago
• active listening, asking why, benefits, casual performance, classical, classically trained, cognitive understanding, communicating benefits, comparing traditional to Simply Music, competing methods, confidence as a student, creativity, developing creativity, different facets of musicianship, engage, enjoying the process, informal performance, keeping children engaged, keeping students engaged, listen, listening, method, method comparisons, methodology, methods, music as a lifelong companion, musicianship, natural musicianship, other methods, performance, performing, performing in front of others, playing-based, public performances, reading-based, SM vs traditional, tradition lessons, traditional, traditional background, traditional experience, traditional lessons, traditional studio, traditionally trained, training, training students, trust the method, trust the process, trusting the method, trusting the process, trusting the program, well rounded musician

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 3 years 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 realizing something is missing in my musical life. I want to make music with other musicians (apart from just my studio students). What do you all do to express yourselves musically in the community? I’ve always mainly played in educational/church settings. Now I’d rather…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• accompaniment, band, bands, choir, chorus, collaborating, collaboration, duet, duets, ensemble, ensemble playing, folk music, gig, gigging, gigs, Gordon Harvey, guitar, guitarist, improv, improvisation, jam, jam sessions, jamming, jams, lead sheets, making music, making music with others, melodica, music group, open mic, other musicians, playing with other musicians, playing with others, praise band, public performances, singer, ukulele, vocalist, worship band

I want to share a little about my recent substitute for a piano recital. Since I remember those occasions as being heart-thumping, hand-sweating occasions where many performers and parents experience stress in varying degrees, I wanted to do things a little differently and reinforce Simply…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• concert, ideas for open house, ideas for recitals, informal performance, informal recital, older student, older students, open house, performance, performance ideas, piano event, public performances, recital, recital ideas

I need some advice please from those more experienced. I have been teaching Simply Music since October and do not have that many students yet. (I also have some vocal students) I want to offer my students a performance opportunity and was thinking of organising…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• casual performance, casual recital, concerts, ideas for recitals, informal performance, informal recital, new teacher, new teacher advice, performance, performance ideas, performing, performing in front of others, piano party, public performances, public recital, public recitals, recital, recital size, recitals, senior centers

I’ve been teaching Simply Music since last fall and had my very first Student Concert this past weekend. If I were to describe it in a few words I would say that it was an “emotional boost.” Everything ran smoothly, students and parents were encouraged,…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• concerts, handling mistakes, ideas for recitals, keep going through mistakes, mistakes, open stage, perfection, performance, performance ideas, performing, performing in front of others, playing through mistakes, public performances, recital, recital format, recital ideas, recital program, recital programs, recital size, recitals, spring

Any advice on how to talk to kids who don’t want to play at a recital? I have a 7 year old who plays very well. As soon as he heard the word recital he went into a tizzy. It took 10 minutes to refocus…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• afraid, anxiety, casual performance, casual recital, concerts, duets with students, fear, ideas for recitals, informal performance, informal recital, nerves, nervous, nervousness, open mic, performance, performance anxiety, performance ideas, performing, performing in front of others, piano party, playing duet at recital, public performances, recital, recital format, recital ideas, recital program, recital programs, recitals, stage fright, student anxiety

Last year, I had only switched to teaching Simply Music about two months before my annual recital. Yesterday, I had my first recital with students playing who had been learning SM for the entire year. I compared what they played last year to this year…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• annual concert, annual recital, concerts, ideas for recitals, performance, performance ideas, performing, performing in front of others, playing duet at recital, public performances, recital, recital format, recital ideas, recital preparation, recital program, recital programs, recital size, recitals

I have always dreaded organizing Concerts ever since I started traditional teaching 24 years ago. Becoming a Simply Music teacher made the songs fantastic, but did not take away the struggles of organizing the annual Concerts. This year, my husband suggested putting it back into…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• annual concert, annual recital, anxiety, concerts, ideas for recitals, performance, performance anxiety, performance ideas, performing, performing in front of others, Piano Club, piano party, public performances, recital, recital acknowledgments, recital format, recital ideas, recital introductions, recital preparation, recital program, recital programs, recital size, recitals, stage fright, student anxiety, teacher performance

Can anyone point me towards resources to help a student with performance anxiety? She’s 13 and used to willingly play and sing for anyone who’d ask, but now she’s extremely resistant even as she’s a fabulous and sensitive musician. I’ve never felt like much of…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• anxiety, anxious, anxious student, communication, enjoying the process, expressive playing, fun, Gordon Harvey, mindfulness, nerves, nervous, nervousness, performance, performance anxiety, performing, performing in front of others, playing, playing duet at recital, playing fluently, playing in front of others, playing in the moment, playing with distractions, playing with expression, playing with families, private recital, public performances, public recital, public recitals, recital, recitals, student anxiety