On Student Music Reports

To give my students and I a break from music rudiments, I assign them music reports. They are a great way to give students a deeper understanding of the music they are working on and to let them explore areas of special interest. I used to just ask them to research the composers of the pieces they are working on. Now, I've been getting a bit more creative.

Below are some of the topics my students have been researching:

• the story behind a song that they like (this was particularly fun with Christmas songs)

• information about the style or form of the music they are studying

• composer reports

• album reviews

• concert reviews

• performer reports

• music instrument profiles

Some have created some lovely poster boards.

My latest twist has been to tie music to another activity. For instance, two of my students study Aikido. Last week, I asked them to research five points about the samurai Musashi and his concept of rhythm-timing. Another is plays competitive soccer. She's going to research some information about some of the World Cup songs.

I've got a few more ideas up my sleeve. I am thinking of asking them to research music careers, music genres and local musicians.

Music Blogs for Musicians, Music Students and Music Teachers

The number music-related blogs has exploded since 2008. When Dolphin Music published its list of the "Top Ten Music Related Blogs", music blogs did not make many top ten lists. In 2010, a Google search on "music blogs" yields over 250,000,000 results and nearly 100,000,000 results for "top music blog sites" and subdivided by genre, instrument and musician level.

The following is a compilation of some music related blogs in the blogsphere:

Music Teacher Blogs

There are countless more blogs written by musicians and music teachers which share everything from dealing with teacher burnout to tips on writing studio policies. Two blogs that share a wide mix of information and resources for music teachers are the Music Matters Blog and Layton Music – Games & Resources.

The Music Matters Blog was developed by Kansas-based piano teacher Natalie Wickham. She launched Music Matters in September 2005 and offers "creative, practical and up-to-date resources for the independent music teacher." Entry categories include: group class ideas, ideas for parents, music history, recital ideas, resource reviews, compositions and computer help, and on-line resources. Wickham even welcomes guest posts.

Layton Music – Games & Resources – Where Music Teachers Come to Play was developed by Arizona-based piano teacher D’Net Layton. Her blog includes reviews of music teaching resources, articles about composers, group lesson ideas, student incentive programs and games.

Helpful Blogs for Music Studentsand Their Parents

Many music blogs available are written by music teachers to help music students and their parents with their at-home practice routine. Common blog themes include: quality versus quantity practice, how parents can help their child practice and practice requirements. Two such blogs are Learn Theory of Music Blog and Music Noodle.

Learn Theory of Music Blog was developed by British musician Julian Partridge. To him, "Music education is an emotive subject and this country has seen it's fair share of neglect over the years." Some of his recent posts include: "What Is Stage Fright?", "The ABSOLUTE Beginners Music Dictionary" and "The Best Music Recording Programs". Partridge, a bassoonist for the Ulster Orchestra, launched his blog in 2007.

Music Noodle offers music practice advice to parents of young musicians. It offers a discussion forum where teachers and parents can discuss practicing, motivational challenges and how parents can set their children up for musical success. Some recent posts include "Create a Good Music Practice Environment", "Is Music Practice Supposed to Be Fun?", "No More Music Practice Disasters" and "Bagged! Are You a Pushy Music Parent?"

Useful Blogs for All Musicians: Performers, Students and Teachers

Another growing category are the musician blogs, where they can discuss industry challenges, career paths, practice strategies and more. Two helpful music blogs in this category are The Collaborative Piano Blog and The Practice Blog.

The Collaborative Piano Blog looks at the art of the piano in ensemble, various piano-related resources and events, classical music, music education, technology. Launched in 2005 by Ontario-based pianist, teacher and vocal coach. Some of his popular posts are "How to Get Work as a Freelance Collaborative Pianist", "31 Days to Better Practicing" and "15 Ways To Add 10-minute Practice Blocks To Your Routine."

Foley regularly posts news about upcoming performances, online resources and some humorous posts for stress relief.

The Practice Blog is an ongoing music practice resource for students, teachers, parents and performers. Some popular posts include: "Music Practice Books", "Digital Audio Recorder", "Zoom H4n Review", "Lesson Notes and Practice Targets" and "Essential music practice techniques for all instruments".

This list is just a sampling of music blogs available. There are countless more blogs, from jazz music blogs to classical music blogs and from guitar blogs to rock music blogs. The blogs listed above contain a wealth of information for all musicians, from resources and pedagogy tips for music teachers to practicing ideas and advice for music students and their parents. All musicians, regardless of playing level can learn something new from the music practice and performance-related blogs.

This article was originally published on Suite101.com on May 29, 2010. All rights reserved by Rhona-Mae Arca.

Piano Teacher's Resource Kit

I picked up the Piano Teacher's Resource Kit a few months ago. For years, I've been using  some of Alfred Music's reproducible sheets, but needed some new teaching materials. When my music students go away on vacation, I usually give them "airplane homework" to do while they are away. I am always on the look out for music crossword puzzles, word searches, music sudoku and composer reading and comprehension. The Piano Teacher's Resource Kit is handy for these situations (along for those who need remedial work in a particular area, such as rhythm).

It contains 88 pages of reproducible worksheets, cheat sheets and music games. There are five levels of difficulty.

For us music teachers, there is a handy answer key in the back. I love how the pages are perforated so we can take them out and photocopy them in batches. However, that creates another challenge - how to store theme without getting them mixed up, but that's a challenge for another day.

The Keynote Writer has been a handy cheat sheet for my students struggling with keyboard geography.

It's available at your local music store as well as Sheet Music Plus (below):

look inside

Piano Teacher's Resource Kit Reproducible Worksheets, Games, Puzzles, and More!. Educational Piano Library. Teacher Resource. Softcover. 88 pages. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.296802).

and Amazon: Piano Teacher's Resource Kit.

Curve Those Piano Fingers!

Is your piano teacher getting on your case about playing piano with flat fingers? Check out these tips courtesy of my fellow teachers (and friends), Katrina Thompson Fost and Melodie Archer:

Finger Posture Tip #1: The Water Bottle Trick

If you squeeze the bottle too hard, you will have too much tension in your hand and forearm (not to mention, you'll get wet). This works well with an egg. Be brave and try it with a raw egg (you'll learn really quickly!).

Finger Posture Tip #2: The O's Game

This is an extension of the "Making O's" or "Making Eyeglasses" warm-up in the Piano Adventures books. Make an "O" and gently squeeze your finger and thumb together.

Then, test how firm your finger is pushing into your thumb by pushing on the curved finger - anywhere from the nail to the first knuckle is fine. If that finger collapses (goes flat), then you need to firm up your fingertips a little bit more.

You could even get a family member or friend to push on your curved finger. Go ahead a turn it into a bit of a game.

Helping the Community and Promoting Your Business

Once in a while, I am asked to make a silent auction donation for a community event. Now, I know that some companies give gift certificates or packages. However, one thing I learned at my self-employment classes is to never discount or give away your services. If you're a one person show, you can't give away all your time and talents! However, it's important to serve the community. A few years ago, I found another way to show my support while not discounting myself: gift baskets. This year, I teamed up with my brother at To the Wind Studio and we're offering this Italian themed music appreciation basket to benefit the Father Lacombe Care Centre Foundation's 14th Annual Legacy Dinner and Silent Auction on March 1, 2013:

The lucky recipient doesn't have to play a musical instrument. He or she just needs to have an appreciation for (or curiosity for) music. There's Vivaldi's Four Seasons as well as Andrea Bocelli's Passione. The centerpiece of the basket is the Pisa hazelnut liqueur. Completing the set are two lovely Mediterranean coffee/tea mugs.