Your Child's Progress - A "Note" to Music Parents

One of my teaching colleagues, Shelagh McKibbon of Brockville, ON, shared this little gem on an online piano pedagogy discussion group. She gives this to her piano parents part way through the year - when parents start to ask how quickly their child should be progressing. A lot of what she says can apply to whatever conservatory of beginners' series a student is using. I asked her if I could publish it on my blog and she kindly granted me permission to do so. Many thanks to Shelagh for allowing me to share this with more music families. Here it is:

YOUR CHILD'S PROGRESS - A "Note" by Shelagh McKibbon

As a piano teacher for almost 30 years, I strive to achieve a high quality of teaching standards, covering written work, appropriate repertoire and proper musicality. I want your child to develop an appreciation of music, to be able to understand the music that he/she is playing, and to enjoy their time at the piano. Each child will progress at his/her own pace. In your initial Registration Package, you were asked to indicate how you wanted me to view your child's progress; whether you wanted me to:

• "push" our child to progress to the best of their ability.

• "encourage" our child to do their best, without pushing them too much.

• allow our child to "work at their own speed".

In order to understand more about "progress", I have compiled the following information: Is piano the only extra-curricular activity that your child is involved in? If it is not the only extra-curricular activity, what priority is given to practicing? As a parent, I know the desire to let your child experience as many fun and exciting extra-curricular activities as possible. If your child is involved in many activities besides piano, please do not expect that their progress will be as quick as that of a child who is only in one or two extra-curricular activities.

Do you have a regular practice time established in your child's routine? If your child is younger, do you sit down with them at their first practice time to help organize their music books for practicing? Do you open their books on the piano and go over the notes in their Dictation Book? The number of times your child practices each week has a definite effect on their progress. Helping your child to select his/her piano practice time will give your child some ownership of their practicing. Be realistic - some weeks are better then others when it comes to fitting in practice times. At the Beginner/Pre-Grade One Stage, on average:

• if your child practices once a week, expect very slow progress

• if your child practices 2 times a week, expect fairly slow progress

• if your child practices 3 times a week, expect fairly good progress

• if your child practices 4+ times a week, expect good progress

How many songs does your child like to practice each week? As I base my teaching on the needs of the child, I will frequently ask how many songs the child feels that he/she can practice each week. I will often assign "if time" material - an extra song or two that the child can practice if he/she has time. At the Beginner/Pre-Grade One Stage, if your child typically asks for:

• 1 or 2 songs a week, expect very slow progress, with lots of review of old and new material being done at the lesson

• 2 or 3 songs a week, expect slow but steady progress, with review of new material happening at the lesson

• 3 or 4 songs a week, expect good progress, with some review of new material happening at the lesson

• 4 to 6 songs a week, expect great progress, with minimal review of new material happening at the lesson

Is your child practicing properly? Children must refer to their Dictation Book when they are practicing! All items to be practiced will be listed in this book. Their written work (theory) pages will also be listed in the Dictation Book. Parents can help by checking the student's Dictation Book and ensuring that all work (practical and written) is completed each week. At the Beginner/Pre-Grade One Stage, I will usually write the practice instructions for each song at the top of each page. This usually involves "practicing" the song 4 times:

• Count aloud and clap the rhythm

• Play and say the finger numbers or the letter names

• Play and count (at least once)

• Play and sing

Practicing at the Beginner stage does not involve sitting at the piano for a certain number of minutes. It involves completing each of the practice instructions properly. I encourage students to do their "speaking" work aloud (and not "in their head") as it does help the child learn when they hear themselves saying the letter names or the counting. Music should be played steadily at an appropriate speed. For young students, it helps with their reading coordination if the parent uses a pencil and points to the music on the page as the child is playing it. Encourage your child to keep his/her eyes on the music and not on their fingers. Once they have begun playing the song, they should not be looking at their fingers (or at the keys) unless they are moving to a different hand position. As your child enters the Royal Conservatory of Music Program, their practicing time and commitment will also increase. Students are encouraged to read their Dictation Book daily and to follow all practicing instructions written in that book, as well as those instructions written in their music.

Is your child practicing on a piano? The best instrument to learn how to play the piano on is an actual piano. Nonetheless, for many people, having a piano is not realistic. However, the type of instrument that your child is practicing on will affect their progress and the quality of their musicality. If you cannot afford a piano, then a full-size digital piano is the next best thing. A 41 to 60 key Keyboard is barely adequate for the first year or so of lessons only. Once the child has completed the Prep A or Piano Adventures Primer Books, they need to be practicing on a keyboard that allows for touch sensitivity (dynamics - louds and softs). If you have a 61 - 72 key Touch Sensitive Keyboard, it usually can be used up until the child has completed Prep B, Alfred's Level 1A or Piano Adventures Level 1. Anything smaller than a 61 Key Keyboard is not appropriate. Once a child is beginning Prep C, Piano Adventures 2A or the Introductory Album of the Royal Conservatory of Music, you really must look at upgrading to a Piano or a Digital Piano. If your child is not practicing on a Piano or a Digital Piano, expect problems in musicality, dynamics, phrasing, legato touch, etc. Another thing to note is the height of your child's piano bench. They should be sitting so that the keyboard is approximately at the same height as their belly button, and their knees should just be under the keyboard. Have your child extend their arms - if their fists can just touch the back of the keyboard or the music rack, your child should be sitting at an appropriate distance. For smaller children, have a small stool under the piano for their feet. This will help to keep their body balanced.

Is your child prepared for each lesson? It is very important for your child to bring all of his/her books to each lesson. It is also important for all theory (written) work to be completed as assigned each week. Following all instructions (clapping, playing and writing) in the Theory books is very important. Does your child have access to a sharp pencil and eraser when completing their theory? Does your child have a "Book Bag" that she/he can keep all their music books in? A special Music Book Bag also makes bringing books to the lesson much easier.

How long are your child's nails? Long nails are not conducive to proper hand positioning when practicing. Nails must be kept trimmed.

When is a child ready for the Royal Conservatory of Music? A child may spend anywhere from 2 to 5 years studying piano before they begin the Royal Conservatory of Music material. Usually I add the Introductory Royal Conservatory when a child nears the end of Prep C, Level 1B or the beginning of Piano Adventures Level 2A. Students may spend anywhere from 6 months to 2 years at the Introductory RCM Level. Again, each child's progress is unique to their own abilities. Experience (and feedback from many other teachers) has shown that the more firm a child's foundation is, the longer they will continue with their Piano Lessons and the further they will progress.

How old should a child be when they start Piano Lessons? Playing the piano is an inter-play of left and right brain activity, therefore some basic language and math skills are very helpful. Children do not have to know how to read, but should be able to recognize the alphabet (A to G) and recognize numbers (1 to 5). If a child cannot read, a parent must make the commitment to help the child practice. Thus, piano lessons can begin when a child is 4 or 5 years of age.

How often does a student participate in Practical Examinations through the Royal Conservatory of Music? Students are encouraged to participate in RCM Practical Examinations beginning at the Grade 1 Level. (Students do not have to participate in Examinations, however I have found that Examinations are an excellent motivational tool and that students actually enjoy receiving this feedback.) If your child is studying RCM Material, in the front of their Technique (Scales & Triads) Book, I will have taped a list of the examination requirements for their grade.

RCM Exams are in January, June and August. Usually a student will spend one year in each of Grades 1 - 5, and will prepare an examination at the end of each of those grades. Grades 6 and 7 often require a minimum of a year & a half of study, and students will usually spend 2 years in Grades 8 and 9 before participating in an Examination.

If your child is studying RCM Practical Material, they are also doing RCM Theory work, in preparation for the Preliminary Theory Examination (usually written when in Grade 3 - 5 Piano), the Grade One Rudiments Examination (usually written when in Grade 5 - 6 Piano) or the Grade Two Rudiments Examination (usually written when in Grade 7 - 8 Piano). Theory Exams are in May, August and December. The final marks from the Grade 7 RCM Piano Examination and the Grade 1 Theory Examination are averaged and count as a Grade 11 High School Music Credit. The Grade 8 RCM Piano Examination and Grade 2 Theory Examination averaged marks count as a Grade 12 High School Music Credit. If the Student wishes to enter into music studies at the Post-Secondary School Level, they will require a minimum of Grade 6 Piano and Grade 2 Theory.

(c) Shelagh McKibbon, Brockville, ON. Reprinted with permission.

An Adventure in Piano Lesson Plans

I'm in between temping assignments at the moment. Maestro and I did enjoy some time off but it's now time to start planning ahead for the 2006/07 year. If I can get everything done in the beginning of the month, then I can relax for the second half. At least, that's the plan. I am always looking for ways to improve how lessons are planned and run. I was at an educational store with a friend/fellow piano teacher the other day and got some ideas for games, lesson plans and materials.

I have also revised the practicing contract, inspired by a goal sheet posted online by another teacher and created a Practice Journal/Assignment sheet (new). I will ask all the parents to copy enough of these sheets to last the school year. The incentive program will be tied more closely to how much and how well they practiced. I did have something like it last year but things did get out of hand with students earning as much as two swanky prizes every lesson because they improvised six songs and memorized one. Progress wasn't as steady for some of them because of this. I guess I was too easy them.

Now, they will have to work a little harder for their prizes, which will be much easier on my wallet. If they complete 90 - 100% of their homework, they will get three stars. If they complete 80 - 89% of their homework, they will get two stars and if they complete 70 - 79% of their homework done, they will get one star. Stars will be given to students who practice more than the recommended guidelines and the parents must initial the homework sheets for kids to cash in on the goodies. My hope is that this will get them to practice more often and strive towards balanced practicing - not just doing what they like to do.

The two things that will elicit gasps from my returning students is that now, they will have to earn 15 stars to get a prize, instead of last year's five and that the prizes will regrettably, be smaller.

Here are some of the sites I scoured to look up teaching materials such as incentive programs and lesson plans:

• Music Lesson Plans and Resources

• Pedagonet.com

• The Music Education Madness Website

Now that the templates are done, it's onto the next step - planning out 40 individualized 10 -month curricula and creating some note value, note name and rhythm supplemental material.

(c) 2006 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Music Evaluation Musings

I can almost taste the excitement in the air - students are coming into lessons, bouncier than usual and less focused. Pre-lesson chats are filled with birthday parties, summer vacation plans and the summer camp line-up. It's a bittersweet time for us teachers too. We see these kids (and adults) for 36 - 40 weeks in the year. It's a big change to go from that to not seeing them on a weekly basis. However, change is good. I was speaking with some colleagues a few days ago. The general buzz was that everyone was going to take it easy and focus on their own musical pursuits. A few of us, as I alluded to in an earlier post, will take on a summer job to fill in the income gap (yes, like me). Some are going to far off places. What was clear is that everyone needs a break from teaching to recharge their batteries.

I've begun writing out student evaluations. I follow a simple formula of acknowledging the student's accomplishments, areas for improvement, summer music goals and what's the general plan for next year (for returning students). I've enjoyed this afternoon's trip down memory lane, reviewing my lesson planning/record sheets. Some students surpassed the goals we established at the beginning of the year. Kudos to them!

June is also bittersweet because some students aren't returning next year. It's just the way it goes. Some students aren't returning because they wish to spend more time on other pursuits (soccer, another instrument, school). Some aren't returning because of scheduling conflicts between piano, their other activities and my schedule.

And sometimes, you have to bid farewell to a student because things just aren't working out. Either piano isn't their thing, there's a personality conflict or there's an clash between learning style and teaching style. These are sensitive issues to deal with. If the parent really wants the child to continue, but you can see that the pain outweighs the benefits - how do you express that tactfully, sensitively and professionally? If a student who's bright and a teacher who has a good theory track record can't get on the same wavelength, how do you tell the parent that their child will respond better to a different teaching style in a way that says, "I am doing this because I want your child to succeed,"? How do you say this without them taking it the wrong way?

I had to wrestle with the last issue this week. Let me tell you, it's a pickle to deal with. In situations like that, you just have to stand firm and never lose sight of who it's all for - the student. No matter how ugly things get.

(c) 2006 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Springtime Recital Musings

My student that is scheduled at this time is M.I.A. so I thought I'd take the opportunity to muse on my studio recital, held on Sunday. It was mostly a blur, although I remember snippets quite vividly:

• Two young students became confused over the concert program. There were a few program changes, which threw them into a panic. They came running up to me during a performance in a tizzy. I had to sit with them to calm them down.

• One young student had the crowd in the palm of his hand while he performed the James Bond theme. I saw heads bopping in time to the music and parents smiling. It was clear to many that he enjoyed being on stage and enjoyed the music.

• One young girl who stomped up the stage and then did an adorable curtsey.

• A few parents smiling (some out of sheer pleasure while others in sheer puzzlement) over a student who performed to a Technobeat accompaniment on CD.

• One adult student who had a rough performance but returned afterwards to play through.

• One student nailed her rhythm troublespots in a piece she has been struggling with for most of the year.

I did wind up performing by memory. It was my first public performance of Andaluza. There were a few odd notes and I got the rhythm mixed up in a few places, but I negotiated them smoothly. It still sounded like a Spanish dance. Memorizing the patterns and chords helped immensely.

I believe that most people miss the glitches, if handled right. Studying Iaido certainly helps as I don't think I flinched when something went off track.

I've come a long way since being the performer who always choked on stage. I hope that inspires some of my more timid students. If I could transform from an uncontrollable bundle of nerves to someone who can fake it through trouble spots, so can they.

At a teachers' meeting yesterday, several of us were discussing recital etiquette. I do have some recital etiquette pointers on my student/parent section on my website however, my colleagues and I agreed yesterday that this is an area to be explained for EACH performance to ensure that the performers have the least amount of distractions.

Here is an article on recital etiquette.

(c) 2006 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB Canada. All rights reserved.

On Time, Ahead of Time & Yet Outta Time

When I asked as student how his week has been going, he replied, "Average." He had tests and assignments - the usual. It hasn't been an average week for me. Yesterday, two students swapped lesson times for the week and today, two simply didn't show for their lessons while two anounced that they will be leaving. Lesson swapping is a great system but in this case, I had to jump into the fray since this student was having challenges finding someone available to trade with. No-shows do happen from time to time. However, we teachers do appreciate the heads up beforehand so we can re-adjust our schedule. Though, the nice thing about running a private studio is that I can get some office work (or housework) done when a student doesn't show. I got quite a bit of ARMTA work done. Just about set for Monday's general meeting. I even managed to catalogue some new music I recently purchased for the studio library.

I am sad to see the two students leave but I understand that sometimes, life's demands don't leave room for one to do music.

My students' piano recital is this Sunday. Getting the signs and Certificates of Achievement done was a nice brainless task, unlike the recital programme, which took at least three drafts (I stopped counting). It's amazing how many changes were made with people changing songs or saying that a schedule conflict has come up and they can no longer attend. Well, I've printed off over 100 programmes. Any other changes will have to be made from the stage.

Now all that's left to finalize are the post-recital reception supplies, figure out the most efficient way to get through the programme, pick up the church key (would you believe it takes 74 minutes to get to the church by city transit?) and put together my Recital Box/Bag (tape, footstool, etc.). Perhaps I'll get the students to sit up front in their performance order and get everyone to follow the programme instead of having an MC introduce them. The MC is a nice touch, but I'm really trying to keep the running time within an hour. With students playing more than one song and exam students running through their programme, timing is a challenge.

This round, the students who are playing more than one songwill perform each song at different points in the programme. I read somewhere that it gives parents and students something to look forward to as family are concerned with three only things - "When is Johnny playing? When does he play next? When is this over?" From a performer's standpoint, it gives them a chance to regroup. We'll see how it works on Sunday.

Alas, I am outta time. I thought I had ample time to drop off a job application (I'm looking for a PT job to help with the bills - especially in the summer drought) and to get all my bookkeeping done. I was three months behind on the personal side. I finally updated my personal chequebook (still pathetic looking) and will have to tackle the business side tomorrow (er...later today).

Off to practice. I still have some problem spots in my song that need to be ironed out before Sunday and a wedding music consultation on Saturday. Time to dust off those wedding songs. Hopefully, I can squeeze in a good practice, get enough sleep AND catch the 9:10 bus on time in the morning...

(c) 2006 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.