It’s been a while since I gave you details about some of my students and the real–world struggles they face in their piano studies. If you would like to hear previous student case studies, you can find them here.
If you followed Ray’s story from those older case studies, you will be happy to know that he is doing very well. He is continuing to advance in piano and this year started playing in his school band program.
Today, I will share three snapshots of students who have started lessons within the last year. Each student has her own unique strengths and weaknesses. While I am the same teacher for all of them, the way they receive and process information is vastly different. I am enjoying learning from all of them.
Listen to the full episode here
Today I will tell you about my experiences with Nancy, Sally, and Lucy. (Not their actual names)
all start with Piano Adventures as the foundation and supplement from there.
Nancy
- just turned 4
strong ear
not a fan of reading
Mom attends the lesson
Because Nancy is very young, I am working to include off-bench activities:
Play “BUSTED!” (I got the idea from Pinterest)
Play Memory Match up with NoteSpeed cards.
NoteRush (Listen to my interview with NoteRush creator Thomas Grayston.)
I am also careful to encourage her ear playing by using the My First Piano Adventures with audio files. This is helpful for learning and singing her piano songs.
To help with reading music, I am supplementing Nancy’s method book with The Perfect Start by Kevin and Julia Olson. It is a great sight-reading book.
I love Nancy’s honesty. I asked her how she would like to close the last few minutes of her lesson. I mentioned doing something fun then I asked if she would like to read a few songs in the Perfect Start book. She kindly and honestly said, “That wouldn’t be for fun.”
Sally
7 years old
strong reader
not a fan of ‘winging it’
I am working on building Sally’s trust in me. Her mom says she talks a lot at home but she is very quiet with me. I ask questions and encourage her to talk and voice her opinion.
One of Sally’s favorite songs is “You Are My Sunshine” Since Sally is such a strong reader – maybe a little too dependent on the music, I used nontraditional notation to help her work out the notes of this tune.
I keep Sally reading interesting music, I am supplementing with Carol Matz’s “Famous and Fun Favorites” .
Lucy
8 years old
developing eyes and ear
disorganized fingers, doesn’t instinctively use her thumb
To help Lucy build a “vocabulary” of finger combinations, I am teaching her finger patterns – steps and skips. As she plays these exercises, her fingers will learn to play more sequentially.
Sometimes I cover her hands with a hand towel to help her learn to feel the piano keys and not have to look at her fingers to find the right notes.
Lucy enjoys reading church songs in the Play Hymns book 1.
Parental Support is So Important
I appreciate how the parents of these students are supporting them.
Nancy’s mom attends every lesson. At this stage in her development, she is encouraging her to “doodle” on the piano. Play tunes by ear, explore interesting sounds, and still guiding her through reading written music – the same way you would with spoken language. Toddlers babble with repeated sounds “ba ba ba ba” “mamamamama”. They listen to our words and try to mimic them. We don’t always correct their grammar; we applaud and praise their efforts and teach by example.
Sally’s mom started by attending lessons but has started letting her come into the studio on her own. Sally needs to learn to be a little more independent and speak for herself. She is more free to do that when Mom isn’t in the room.
Lucy’s father is a worship pastor at their church. Occasionally, and when it is appropriate, he is helping her gain experience playing at church. This is the same way I learned! Churches need more pianists!!
Does your piano kid sound like they have similar tendencies as Nancy or Sally or Lucy? Maybe you’ve noticed a different hurdle your piano kid is trying to overcome. If you have a question about how you can help your piano kid, let me know. You can ask a question or suggest a podcast topic at PianoParentPodcast.com/SHARE
Resources mentioned in today's show
If you would like to hear previous student case studies, you can find them here.
Off-the-bench activities:
“BUSTED!” (I got the idea from Pinterest)
NoteRush (Listen to my interview with NoteRush creator Thomas Grayston.)
Method books and Supplemental books
The Perfect Start by Kevin and Julia Olson
Carol Matz “Famous and Fun Favorites”
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