Friday, November 4, 2011

Teaching Musical Playing + My First Giveaway!

Good morning fellow bloggers! It's been a while since I've posted. I'm not sure how many other teachers have found themselves more and more pressed for time as the term advances, but I certainly have! Unfortunately, as a result my blogging has taken more of a backseat role these past few weeks.

This morning I wanted to discuss playing musically. Musicality is an aspect that I've been really emphasizing with my students this fall. While I do believe that this is something that should be taught from the very beginning, there are always some students who seem to be more in tune to all those subtle nuances that make the music come alive. Other students notice, but put it in as a matter of course, not because they feel it. And then there's that last category- the students that never pay any attention to the dynamics, tempo, touch, etc. and see the piece as successful only when they've plowed straight through and arrived at the end.

With so many approaches from the student toward the performing of music, there is no set formula that works across the board. Some students will more naturally pick up on the musical elements that appear in the music, while others will struggle with incorporating those elements, even after repeated reminders.

When I speak of musicality, my primary emphases are on aspects like the dynamics, articulation, tempo, and mood. Before we start a new song, I always take some time to have a discussion with the student about these elements- even on the most basic of pieces. I'll have them circle all the dynamics with a colored pencil, or trace the slurs to remind themselves to play with a smooth, connected sound. We'll discuss the title of the song, and how the music fits the title. By making the student aware of these elements from the very beginning, the musical results are generally much more positive.



As an added visual accompaniment, I often use this hand-out. It's especially helpful with those students who seem to really struggle with the concept of playing musically to help them be more in tune with these elements. It's available under the printables tab if you're interested in using it for your own students. Any thoughts on what else I could include?



I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you teaching musical playing to your students. What is the best way to teach this? Is there a time to start introducing musicality, or should it be part of lessons from the beginning? How do you help students who may struggle more with this issue? Do you consider a piece complete even if the musical aspects are not all there, or do you insist on all the elements before leaving a piece of music?

In addition to this discussion, I'd like to offer my first blog giveaway! Over the summer, I had time to read the excellent book "Scribbling in the Sand" by Michael Card. This book explores what it means to express ourselves creatively as Christians, and it really challenged my perspective of worship and creativity. I'd love to share this excellent book with one reader, so please, if you'd like to be included in the giveaway leave me a comment below telling what it means to you to be a Christian artist and how the presence of Christ in your life has shaped your approach to music and teaching. I'll pick a winner next Friday. Good luck!

12 comments:

  1. I read a book similar to his in college about 12 years ago called Music in Worship (I think). I have been hoping to read something more updated here recently and this looks perfect! I just recently opened a piano studio and have been praying for all my future students for a long time. I also pray for my current students and hope that God can use music and me to touch the lives of students and families he brings my way. For myself, playing the piano is a great spiritual experience for me and I always want my music to help others be able to worship as it helps me worship. Thank you for sharing this and I hope I win! - Amy

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  2. Reflecting Christ as teacher & artist means that everything I do needs to point to the creator. I consider myself more a teacher than an artist & so I always try to be a mentor in music, but more importantly a mentor in life.

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  3. I believe that our Creator God made us in God's image. In doing so, he created us to create. Music is my form of artistic creating. In my teaching, I try and not only teach the fundamentals (theory, technique, etc.) of playing the piano, but also give students the tools to play their instrument musically and creatively. This hopefully gives them not only them a more fulfilling musical experience, but also enhances the audience's experience as well.

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  4. When it comes to musicality I pick and choose the pieces about which I will be insistent. So some pieces take many weeks to finish because I keep coming back to another layer. After being really picky on one piece it seems to improve other pieces as well.
    As to how my love for my Savior affects my life as a musician, let me say that I have found in music, a language to express my deepest love for him, my most tender need for him, and my greatest awe for his wondrous ability to love me.

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  5. Wow, I love Michael Card. That looks like a great book.

    I guess I'd say that, as a Christian, I believe the unique beauty can bring us to God, and help us to draw closer to Him. As a teacher, I love to try to help children see that.

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  6. I explain dynamics as they are introduced in the book, but I don't insist they observe them. It depends on the piece. If the piece is easy for them, then we go back and try to add in those dynamic markings. But if they had to struggle to get this piece, I ignore the extra's, because I know that trying to add one more thing would cause them to lose control of the piece.

    I tell them it's like baking a cake. The cake is the basics: correct notes, counts, and fingering. The dynamics are the frosting. I ask them what would happen if we tried to frost a cake that wasn't quite baked? Of course, it would not be pretty--it would be rather messy. I ask them if cake tastes OK without frosting? Yes, of course. So we can be satisfied with an unfrosted cake sometimes--we will ignore those dynamic markings, or at least some of them. But when we have a nice cake, let's go ahead and add frosting, and it will be even better.

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  7. I would love to read this book. take a moment out from pedagogy for the why of it all. thanks for posting.

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  8. Thank you for sharing this book! I love Michael Card's music, and it's completely in line with the road my walk with Christ is taking! I've read similar books, and have had a nudge to form a creativity accountability group, but hadn't found the right book to serve as a discussion tool. So - thank you!

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  9. This looks like a great book! I'd love to be entered in the drawing. Thanks!

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  10. Oops! I forgot to share the answer to your question. The Lord is always teaching me more and bringing me to a deeper understanding of music and its purpose in our lives. A couple things that have especially been impressed on my heart and that affect my playing and teaching are:
    1. Offering praise to God is a very specific and guaranteed way to glorify Him (Psalm 50:23).
    2. Music is an effective and powerful way to keep us in remembrance of God and the great things He has done.

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  11. I recently attended a Women's Conference last weekend and it was absolutely wonderful. My favorite presenter of the entire conference was Hilary Weeks, a Christian artist, who would shared her message and stories and then follow up with a song reinforcing that message. Christ is a big part of my life and music helps bring the spirit of Christ to my life so much more and makes it so much more personal. It can touch many in so many ways that words simply do. Music uplifts me in wanting to be a better person, teacher, mother, etc.

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  12. Thank you all so much for your comments on musical playing as well as your thoughts on being a Christian musician. They have encouraged me all week! With my fall recital right around the corner, I can tend to get anxious rather than resting in Christ and knowing that my job as a teacher is more about the relationships I have with my students than how they perform.

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