Learning Style Modalities & Music

At this year's CASSA Piano Pedagogy Workshop, there was a session on learning style modalities. I was quite excited about this session as it is an area I've been curious about ever since my science fair days in junior high. What I particularly enjoyed was that the presenter, Victoria Chow, B. Mus. Westminster Choir College at Rider University, spoke specifically about teaching tools and strategies to use when teaching. She spoke about three out of the four VARK modalities:

• Visual: learn by look, easily distracted by movements

• Aural/Auditory: learn by sound, easily distracted by noises

• Kinesthetic: learn by feel, distracted by....themselves

The fourth, for those who are curious, is read/write (or tactile). Everyone has the ability to learn through any combination of these modalities. However, we all have one or two that we are strongest in.

Some of the music teaching suggestions Victoria gave are:

• Visual Learners: music theory/analysis, demonstration, handouts

• Aural: singing the tune, assigning moods to sounds, listening to recordings of performances, lessons, practices

• Kinesthetic: theory/analysis, blocking chords, rote teaching, touch

At first, I thought I was a Visual-Kinesthetic learner but after taking the VARK questionnaire, discovered I am a tactile-kinesthetic learner. That explains why I was weakest in sight reading and ear training growing up (I have improved since I began teaching). It undoubtedly explains why I've been most challenged by my students who are strongest in auditory learning AND very weak in my strongest modalities.

Since the workshop, I've been playing closer attention to my students as they play something old and something new. I've also been paying closer attention to what they're focusing on while I'm talking. I have a good split of tactile-kinesthetic and kinesthetic-auditory learners in my studio. Next would be visual-kinasthetic. And then there's my handful of pure auditory learners.

This year, I'm singing more to my students (and still coaxing them to sing too), demonstrating and having them mimic me and doing more "on the spot" recordings and playbacks to my auditory learners (my digital recorder is great for this). I'm finding that I'm relying on Solfège a bit more to cater to this group.

I've been putting greater emphasis on sight-reading this term to build up all my students' visual learning, talking about patterns and reading intervallicly. With all students, I keep drawing everything back to "sound, look and feel" and then having the students jot down whatever notes they need to help remember. I've even adjusted how I write in their assignment binders for the tactile learners, listing specific ways to fix a trouble spot.

All in all, it's been extremely helpful. Although, I'm stumped as to why my some of my auditory learners are reluctant to bring a memory stick (to copy their lesson recording from my computer) or recording device to their lessons.

(c) 2008 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada.

Online Music Dictionaries

This year, I will be "strongly encouraging" my students to look up definitions to music terms in their songs. At the Kiwanis Music Festival this spring, one adjudicator told all the students that it's THEIR job to look up the words they don't know. Not their teacher's job and not their parent's job. The following are some helpful online music dictionaries that you can explore:

1. Music Dictionary Online

2. Music Outfitters Inc. Online Music Dictionary

3. OnMusic Dictionary

Happy exploring!

(c) 2008 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

On Injuries and Piano Practice - Part II

The unthinkable for musicians happened to me last week - I injured a finger. An attempt to carve some pot roast with Dad's funky new carving knife landed me in Emergency to get stitches on my LH finger 2. My finger is healing well but I had to promise the doctor that I wouldn't type or practice piano on that finger for a week. So long as the bandage is large enough, I remember not to type on it (tubular gauze is wonderful). However, practicing is another issue. I can't just skip that finger without learning a brand new set of fingering. Nor can I risk hitting my injured finger on keys while trying to play around it. Ergo, no practicing for my LH.

Piano Camp is less than a week away so I've had to make some modifications to my practicing. You may recall my first article On Injuries and Piano Practice from last year. The following are a few more techniques I've been employing to prepare:

• have my uninjured RH play its line while I sing the LH line. Then get my RH to play the LH line while I sing the RH line.

• have my RH play its line while my uninjured fingers on my LH tap its rhythm. This hasn't worked too well since the movement jiggles my injured finger too much, so I've resorted to saying silly syllables for the LH rhythm. Then get my RH to play the LH line while I say the rhythm for the RH part. (Aug. 6 update: Having my LH play the rhythm on castanets seems to work).

• Score study. I think I have nearly all my modulations and cadences memorized for my Soler sonata.

• Listen to recordings of your songs and conduct it how you would shape the music.

• Hands separate work. Obviously, my RH has to play my LH part, which really makes me think.

Even if you aren't nursing an injury, these are good practice techniques to try. You may wind up noticing a pattern you overlooked that would simplify memorization. Or notice that you missed the melody's appearance in a different register because of all the other action happening in the bass and soprano lines. Rhythms become a little easier to deal with and so on.

The stitches come out in a few days, giving me the weekend to get my left hand back into shape. Challenging, but not impossible.

(c) 2008 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Fun with Ensemble Music

While my students are enjoying their summer off from lessons, I'm practicing madly for an intense one-week piano camp, offered by the Calgary Arts Summer School.One of the songs that I'm working on is a two piano, eight hand arrangement of "Stars and Stripes Forever". I'm learning the Piano II - Primo part.

Now, I can't vouch for whether my quartet members and I will be able to play this sucker at this speed after only one week of practice together, but this performance is pretty exciting:

I haven't played in a piano quartet since my university days. For an April Fools' Day recital, my classmates and I performed the Blue Danube for one piano, four noses!

At any rate, ensemble playing can be really fun - once you get over the hurdle of everyone counting beats together.

Want to learn this arrangement? Check it out here:

look inside

The Stars and Stripes Forever Composed by Mack Wilberg (1955-). Intermediate Level piece for the Piano Quartet Event-Two Pianos, Eight Hands with the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) Festivals Bulletin 2008-2009-2010. Patriotic. Music book. Neil A. Kjos Music Company #WP181. Published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company (KJ.WP181).

Game Sheet Music

After a hectic school year, it's nice to stop and catch my breath. One of the ways I've been relaxing is to play some video game music transcriptions. Yes, I know I really should be practicing for Piano Camp (and I have) but even music teachers need to play some fun stuff and yesterday, "fun stuff" for me meant playing Tetris Theme (Korobeiniki) and the theme from Zelda until my fingers gave out.

Hunting for game sheet music can be an adventure. Your local music retailer will tell you that it's cheaper to find it online. Oh yes, you'll find all sorts of sheet music online.

A few otakus have sat down transcribed their favorite themes and share them with other fans. You have to commend those with the patience and determination to listen to their mp3 player ad nauseum until they've picked out all the notes. And as far as I know, the transcriber can share their rendition with others.

On the other hand, one would like to smack those who have bought sheet music and have uploaded copies to the Internet for people to take for free.

Enough of that, here are a few places with video game music to explore:

• Animenation - music from the Japanese anime and game Bleach to Final Fantasy (and everywhere in between). I bought the Inuyasha sheet music from them a while back when some of my students were on an Inuyasha kick. It looks like I'll be placing an order soon since there are a few good collections available.

• Ichigos - otaku who have transcribed their favourite themes and share their arrangements as well as their own compositions

• Josh's Anime Sheet Music Collection -Josh Agarrado shares his own arrangements/transcriptions of anime and games on this site.

• Pianosquall.com - Game and anime pianist Michael Gluck performs at anime cons, game cons and charity fundraisers. He has published some of his arrangements here.

• Risembool Rangers -A fan site dedicated to voice actor Vic Mignogna, best known for his portrayal of Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist in the English dub. Vic plays an active role on this site and even shares his own sheet music. He's great with his fans. I um, er asked him to transcribe two songs from his Metafiction CD that I like. Still waiting but I know, he's a busy guy.

Happy exploring!

PS: Since it's summertime, I won't be posting as often as I strive to during the school year. Must go enjoy the sun!

(c) 2008 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada.