How do I practice for Recital?

We have our spring recital coming up very soon. My private students have been researching their composers to write program notes about their pieces. We chose our music a while ago and have been working on it bit by bit each week in lessons and classes.

How should we prepare for recital at home? Please work to run through your music at least twice each day without the music. Music will be performed on the recital by memory, so at this point, they should be practicing from memory every day. Don't forget to go back and check the music to be sure that the child didn't start to make new mistakes. Sometimes after working on one piece of music for a while, new mistakes start creeping in. Be sure to keep it steady. If you have a CD, practice along with the CD to keep a steady beat and to practice "keeping going." We cannot stop during recital to rehash a mistake, to restart or talk about a mistake made.

Have recital run throughs where the child practices walking up to the piano, bowing towards the audience and sliding into the correct position (usually in front of middle C). Tell them its ok to take their time to find the correct hand position and to think about their music before beginning. Other ways to practice include singing the piece, counting the piece, calling out the note names and practice starting from the different sections of the music. A good way to work towards memory is to remove the music and have the child attempt to play from memory. If the child begins to struggle, replace the music for that portion of the piece. Eventually, he will learn play it without the help. About a week away from the recital, stage practice recitals in your home for your family, friends, neighbors or even for the video camera. During the week before the recital we place more emphasis on the recital piece than ever.

In lessons we have been practicing the recital music each week. We will work on bowing correctly. We are also working to polish dynamics and correct any mistakes that have crept up along the way. The memory work should mainly be done at home so that we have time in lessons and classes to also work on other music. Music must be memorized by May 3 to participate in the recital.

Four common mistakes concerning piano practice

1. Giving the child a set amount of practice time for each day, but not supervising the practice.
When I graduated college I taught private lessons for a while in the prep department where I graduated. I once had a young student who simply was not progressing like she should from week to week. The parents were concerned about her lack of progress. They told me how she practiced every day all on her own. As it turned out, the child was spending all of her time at the piano banging around and playing music from previous recitals. She was spending adequate time at the piano, but not really "practicing". She was not practicing her new music at all nor was she completing her written theory assignments. While do not want to extinguish the child's exploration at the keyboard or repetition of old music, we do need to encourage the child to accurately practice new assignments before composing their own pieces and working on old songs. New concepts can also be incorporated in the child's exploration in order to reinforce the new theory lessons learned each week.

2. Simply "running through" the pieces assigned without giving adequate time to the music.Another common mistake is to simply run through all of the assigned pieces like running through a checklist. Sometimes the student plays through the assignments too fast, and does not play accurate rhythms or notes. Other times, there may be a more difficult passage within the music that needs more attention. When a mistake is made, the student needs to go back to the point of mistake, study the music and isolate that section slowly until it improves. It is worthless to mindlessly practice music without trying to make improvement each time. Work to set goals each time you practice. Ask your child to set these goals in practice. Ask, "What can you improve about your performance of this piece?" "What do you think you could do better next time?" Seek a more specific answer than "I want to get more notes, or I want to play it faster." Specifically ask about their use of expression, their rhythm, or their memory work. Let the child learn to critique himself.

3. Practicing the same WAY each time.
Get creative in practice. Don't just sit and have your child play the same thing over and over in the same way. Count it out loud. Say the letter names of the notes. Search for hidden patterns in the music. Sing the words. Listen to the recording. Have you child teach the song to YOU, or to a sibling. Make it a game. Interact with your child during the practice but keep it light and fun. Instead of always generically praising your child for a job well done, point out specific things that you noticed during practice. Or better yet, ask your child to point them out. Asking them how THEY felt about the way they played a piece can help build confidence from within that is not based on outside praise.

4. Pushing the child too hard to practice a certain length of time, progress to the next "level" or learn a new piece.
It is much better to have a few short practice sessions than to try to push your child for a longer period of practice. If the child feels pressured or overly critiqued, they will not enjoy practice time. Let them progress at their own pace. Reward them for their time, praise them and make it a game.

One of my favorite Maria Montessori quotes is "teach teaching, not correcting." We do have to correct mistakes from time to time, but let's try not to ALWAYS be correcting. We want to set the child up for success by progressing at the child's pace and presenting each lesson in a way to prepare them ahead of time for the more difficult concepts.

Keep practice fun and always try to end the session on a positive note. You want to leave your child looking forward to the next practice session and lesson.

Why piano ensemble?

Piano ensemble can be a fun way for beginners to start formal study of the instrument. Group piano ensemble can also be a valuable supplement for private students as well. Piano classes begin for children as young as 4.

In piano ensemble, we utilize 6 electronic keyboards, midi-technology, hands on theory materials, and games to facilitate the learning of new concepts. From the very beginning, we work towards good technique and posture at our touch sensitive keyboards. In our classes, the students play together as an ensemble in order to develop a strong steady beat and solid understanding of rhythm. Instead of rushing through several rhythmic values, we focus on reading and understanding each one. But playing together as an ensemble, the students develop the valuable skill of "keeping going" and listening to the other ensemble members. Solo piano students often have the "stop-start" mentality. Often, if they make a mistake, they immediately stop time to fix it(and sometimes even comment about it) or even slow down for the more difficult parts. While we do want to practice difficult passages individually (with a metronome at an appropriate tempo) as pianists we do need to learn to continue playing past mistakes on recital.

Another aspect of the piano ensemble class that I like is the approach to staff notation. Instead of beginning in a pre-reading notation for the first 2 months and then switching to the staff; we focus solely on rhythm, steady beat and keyboard geography at first. Then when we have a firm foundation we start our work on the staff. Sometimes, by learning a "pre-staff" notation, students learn to guess the correct notes by the fingering and hand position. In our group classes, we do not teach by hand position but by the location of the notes on the staff. We thoroughly learn each note on the staff before adding a new note.

An important aspect of group piano is the social aspect. Many students are intimidated by private lessons. By participating in a class, piano changes from being a solo activity to a team activity. The children are self motivated to practice because of the influence of their peers. They more readily participate in games and activities simply because it is more fun to participate in a group. The younger children learn from the older children and the older children learn by being teachers and leaders.

Check out my website for a list of piano classes starting at the Cherubs Clubhouse this spring. For students already studying privately, we will also be having piano camps during the summer as well as summer ensemble classes. For more information on the Mayron Cole Method for group piano, click here.

Recital at the Cherubs Clubhouse

Many thanks to the Cherubs Clubhouse for helping me put on my piano recital tonight! I think it was a big success. I would like to thank Kathy and Sharon at the Cherubs Clubhouse for helping with the set up and behind the scenes work. I would like to thank my mother and husband for helping with the food and watching my son during and after the recital. I would also like to thank the parents of all my students for helping them practice at home and for bringing them out on such a rainy night.

All the students performed well and had a great time. I was very proud of how prepared and poised they all were. It looked like they were all pros at performance! The younger kids had a blast on the play equipment after they played while the older kids enjoyed playing games on the Wii. This was a first recital for many of my students and the relaxed atmosphere at the Cherubs Clubhouse was perfect. This was definitely a one of a kind recital experience that I hope all the students will remember in a positive way. We made a recording of the recital which I hope to be able to put on a CD for my students to take home next week.

We have a busy week this week at the Cherubs Clubhouse. This Thursday, Dec. 3 we have our first group piano class at 4:00. Please call and book your spot so we will know how many materials are needed. Classes are $8.00 per child. We are also going to have our Kindermusik Christmas parties at 5:00 on Thursday and 10:00 this Friday, Dec. 4. Please call to reserve your spot at the Kindermusik parties as well. Check out my website for more info on our group classes starting a January. Imaginations Music Studio

Group piano
Imaginations Music Studio presents group piano lessons using the Mayron Cole Piano Method which is a unique, innovative and enjoyable way for students of all ages to learn to play the piano. Hallmarks of the program include teaching the student to think for him/herself and developing musicality in each student. To achieve these goals, the program emphasizes note reading, consistent counting, and creative thought in each lesson. The method currently contains nine levels, from Pre-Primer to Early Advanced, plus three Older Beginner levels. In this method students concentrate on learning to read notes-not hand positions and finger numbers. Typically, students taught by this method are very proficient at sight-reading, counting rhythms, and keeping a steady beat. It is an excellent method for presenting and constantly reviewing theory concepts. It presents analyzing theory with each composition while constantly reviewing "old" concepts. When students have friends their own age in a class, they are usually more motivated to learn, form a cohesive group, and have a lower dropout rate. Practice and performance levels are usually raised due to each student striving for greater correctness on scales and pieces. Students seem to work harder at pleasing their friends in group piano lessons than they would work for a teacher at a private lesson. Group games make learning theory fun and improve socialization skills. Students usually have a strong peer motivated desire to practice. The kids enjoy weekly low-pressure performance opportunities. In addition, longer class periods permit the incorporation of ear training, solfege, rhythm drills, and ensemble skills which are essential to developing skilled musicians. This method helps the student develop not only skills but a life-long love of music. The group method is an excellent method for beginners and continues through nine-levels. This method provides a solid basis for those students who transition into private lessons as they become more advanced.