I know I've said it before, but Thanksgiving really is my favorite holiday. We're spending the weekend in Connecticut with SD's parents and we have big plans for cooking together (SD and I are responsible for the stuffing, corn pudding, and cranberry conserve), making music, and decorating the Christmas tree. So, so grateful for this life. God is good.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Dear SD,
Happy birthday, darling! I love this picture of you from our Christmas card shoot - it reminds me of the silly moments we've shared and all the things you do to make me laugh. Best feeling in the world. I love sharing this life with you and feel so fortunate to have you by my side. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to celebrate you this week! Wishing you a wonderful birthday and a great year to come!
xo, Ashley
Sweet November, that wonderful season of preparation, thanksgiving, and rest before the holiday hustle and bustle.
The nights get cooler, the days get shorter, and we wait for glimpses of those first few snowflakes of winter (well, some of us do). But with the rush of the end of the semester, a full teaching schedule, and a few other projects to manage, the rosy glow of my ideal November fades a little.
I admit this is usually the time of year when I put my head down, do what I need to do each week, and look forward to a fresh, new year when I can take a breath and hit "restart" on goals, plans, and living in general. I get burnt out on my goals. I get tired of my routine. I lose focus.
But this weekend, I took some time to sit still, to be still, and I realized—life is too short to live with your head down. There are so many things to enjoy in the moment (like the brilliant yellow trees, glowing in the sunlight outside my window right now).
Sometimes I find myself so wrapped up in my to-do list that it doesn't seem like there is time to do anything but what is absolutely essential. Does that ever happen to you? This weekend, I was reminded (partly from reading this post) that we're given enough time for everything that matters. It comes down to how we manage our time and the priorities we set.
What really matters? Here are a few things that came to mind:
Making time for that passing conversation with someone in the hall
Offering a word of encouragement to someone who is feeling overwhelmed
Baking cookies to give away to others
Making the people in my life a priority and being fully present
Going the extra mile with kindness and grace
This is how I want to live my days this holiday season. This is how I want to spend my time: focusing on what matters. The rest will fall into place, as it always does. What will you make happen this month?
Oh, y'all. The past few weeks have been hard. The unrest and turmoil in the government. A great loss in the Eastman community. The stress of work and school and teaching and trying to find a proper balance. The pressure to succeed and make a mark. It's easy to succumb - to complain and get frustrated, to give in or give up. It's also easy to become immobilized by these challenges and feel incapable of moving forward. I write these words from lived, personal experience. But I believe there is more to life than the pressures of our daily lives. From the midst of these challenges, we can be grounded in true, sincere gratitude.
Image Credit: Lara Casey
Do you believe these words? Does the seemingly simple act of giving thanks really have the power to change things - big, daunting things? I believe it does. So, I'm starting over. I'm starting with gratitude.
First, this is my favorite time of year.
There are so many wonderful things I love about the fall season - the crispness in the air, the crunch of leaves beneath my feet as we take an evening stroll, the need for scarves and boots, hot apple cider on a chilly evening, and the beautiful colors that greet you at every turn. It's glorious.
With fall, comes my very favorite holiday - Thanksgiving. I love the traditions, the hustle and bustle of gathering together, cooking, preparing a meal together, serving each other, and visiting with friends and family. And I love that though we've progressed as a society since that first Thanksgiving, it's name hasn't changed. Thanksgiving - a time to give thanks.
Here's what I'm doing to stay grounded in gratitude this season - making a gratitude list (you can download the [download id="1" format="6"] here). Hang it above your desk, print it out and add it to your planner, or if you're like us, post it in your kitchen so that you see it every day. Make a list of everything you are grateful for in life and add to it each day. Look for the little things, the things we tend to overlook in the hustle and bustle and business. Live a life of gratitude.
Dear SD, Two years ago today we celebrated the start of our marriage together on the most beautiful, sunny fall day in the rolling hills of southern Vermont. We reminisce often about that day and the sweet memories we hold and I'm so grateful we had the opportunity to build another year's worth of memories together this year.
Remember that time we visited Niagara Falls in the winter?
We went skiing in Utah, saw Pink Martini at the Jazz Festival, and watched a few of the chase scenes for The Amazing Spider Man 2 being filmed downtown. We shared a pulled pork sandwich from Bogart's in North Carolina (the best!) and sampled the wares of several local food trucks - Marty's Meats (with that amazing fried chicken sandwich), Le Petite Poutine, Macarollin', and Cheesed and Confused (with the pulled pork + macaroni and cheese grilled cheese sandwich). We bought an air conditioner and wondered how we ever got along without one. We had a white Christmas, saw the pink magnolias in full bloom in the spring, ate lobster in the summer, and went apple-picking in the fall (we even made an apple pie - and crust - from scratch!).
I love the things you do to make me laugh. I love your sweet, selfless nature and all the ways you serve me. I love when you tug on my hand during our after-dinner walks to encourage me to walk a little slower and enjoy the moment. Thank you for showing me kindness every single day. I admire your integrity and your giving spirit. I love your heart, SD. I am so grateful for you!
Happy 2nd anniversary!
How do you write a lesson plan? How do you know how long things will take in rehearsal? Is it best to start with something new or something familiar? What do you do when they stop paying attention? These are some of the questions I had in my first years of teaching and I'm sure they resonate with many of you, as well.
The answers to these questions really depend on what kind of teacher or director you are or want to be and what kind of group you're working with. After a few years of working with children's choirs, I found a quick pace with lots of music and related activities seems to keep everyone's attention while still working toward my learning goals for the ensemble.
As a church musician, I always look forward to this time of year and gathering for choir rehearsal for the first time after a long summer break.
I tend to do most of my fall/Christmas planning over the summer and am always eager to see the choir's responses to new music in their folders.
Looking for some anthem recommendations or ideas? Here are my top 50 go-to anthems for small church choirs.
I’ve organized these by season or category. Pieces marked with an asterisk (*) are a little more challenging than the others on this list.
Enjoy!
*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
1. And the Father Will Dance (arr. Hayes)*
2. At the River (arr. Copland)
3. Brother James’ Air (Jacob)*
4. Climbin’ Up the Mountain, Children (Shackley)
5. Consecration (John Ness Beck)*
6. Find in Me (Hinnant)
7. God Be in My Head (Rutter)*
8. Grace (arr. Hayes)
9. Here’s One (arr. Fettke)
10. How Beautiful (Your Songs of Praise) (Fettke)
11. How Can I Keep From Singing? (Courtney)
12. Hush! Somebody’s Callin’ My Name (arr. Dennard)
13. Inscription of Hope - SSA (Stroope)
14. It is Well with My Soul (arr. Poorman)
15. Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now (Byrd)
16. Lord, Lead Us Still (Brahms)
17. Lord, You’ve Searched and Known Me (Wagner)
18. Morning Has Broken (arr. Scott)
19. My Tribute (arr. Lojeski)
20. Prayer for Peace (Lightfoot)
21. Spirit of God (Carter)*
22. The Gift of Love (arr. Hopson)
23. The Mighty Power of God (arr. Hayes)*
24. There Is a Balm in Gilead (Larson)
25. Within These Walls (Choplin)
26. Yes, My Jesus Loves Me (McDonald)*
27. You Are the Song (Courtney)*
28. You Knew Me, Lord (Shackley)
29. And We Remember (Wagner)
30. Come to the Water (arr. Hasseler)
31. Gathered As One (Tate)
32. I Will Arise (arr. Shaw/Parker)
33. We Are One, Lord (Pethel)
34. In the Season of Our Plenty (Patterson)
35. For the Beauty of the Earth (arr. Rutter)*
36. Every Valley (Beck)
37. How Far is it to Bethlehem? (arr. Hayes)
38. In the Stillness (Purifoy)
39. Lo, How a Rose (Praetorius)
40. Of the Father’s Love Begotten (arr. Rouse)*
41. Sing We Noel (Goemanne)*
42. Speaking Love (Danyew)
43. Wake, O My Soul (Danyew)
44. Ain’t No Rock Gonna Shout for Me (Larson)
45. An Hour of Hallowed Peace (Danyew)*
46. He Is Risen Now! (Purifoy)
47. Immortal Love, Forever Full (arr. Kreider)*
48. Ride On, King Jesus (arr. Helvey)
49. Let the People Shout Hosanna (Gartner)
50. Wondrous Love (Shackley)
Looking for more adult choir anthem recommendations? Here are 50 (more!) favorites.
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. In this series, I’ll share my notes and a few favorite quotes from the sessions I attended. You can read more about NCKP here.
*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
"Students become responsible for their own and each other's learning."
Positive Benefits
limitless performance opportunities build confidence and poise
group teaching fosters critical listening and problem-solving skills
students can take on specific roles for listening and providing feedback ("players" and "checkers" who check feet, posture, wrist, thumb, knuckles, etc.)
discovery-based learning environment with teacher as facilitator
ensemble playing develops a strong rhythmic foundation
Suggestions
start small; begin with one age group or level of advancement
try partner/dyad lessons: 15-minute private lesson + 30-minute overlapped group lesson
try summer camps; one idea is to have each student bring in their favorite pop music/lead sheet and have a few other students join them to form a rhythm section
Materials
most materials for group teaching can be tailored from any standard method (see Piano Safari)
1. "Pass the Rhythm"
based on the children's game, "Telephone"
students form a line: the person at the back of the line reads or creates a rhythm and taps this pattern on the back of the person standing in front of them
once the pattern has made its way all the way down the line, the person at the other end claps and counts the rhythm out loud
variation: "Play What I Play"
2. "Rhythm Bee"
based on the spelling bee
students form a line: students take turns drawing a rhythm card and clapping and counting the rhythm out loud
if the rhythm is incorrect, the student is out
3. "Musical Chairs"
one student improvises, based on a given set of basic parameters; other students walk around a circle or row of chairs until the music stops
the person left standing is the next improviser
4. "Musical Editing"
students are given copies of a score
the teacher performs from the score, adding expressive markings that are not marked
the students "edit" the scores, based on the performance
5. "Technique Tournament"
group students into teams of mixed abilities at the end of the term
each player draws a key signature from a cup at the piano and performs the technique exercise for the round
example: Round 1: all major scales/arpeggios, Round 2: all harmonic minor scales/arpeggios, Round 3: Hanon Exercises Nos. 1, 2, 5, 6, Round 4: Technical Skills, Book 4 (Magrath)
6. "Style Improvisations"
teacher gives students a basic introduction to two musical styles (i.e. blues and country)
students self-form into two groups, research their style, and present an overview lecture
the experience culminates in an ensemble performance by each group (ex. one plays the harmonic progression, one improvises a melody, one performs a rhythmic cell; then, students rotate)
this prepares students for solo improvisation
7. "Performance Today"
assign students a composer and composition to research (you can even include age-appropriate biographies for them to read)
students should do their best to become that composer
in the final class, students are interviewed as their composer by other students in the class
the class ends with the students performing their assigned compositions
8. "Sight Reading Composition Exchange"
students compose a brief sight-reading example, based on given parameters
students exchange their compositions with a friend or draw one from a hat
each student previews and prepares their assigned example and gives the world-premiere in class
For more ideas, see Teaching Piano in Groups
Preparatory/reinforcement activities for learning landmarks
have students remove non-landmark notes (magnets) from the grand staff
sing "this is the sound of Treble G" on Treble G
have students move note heads to landmark lines on a whiteboard or smartboard
call out landmarks and have students play the notes on the piano
Preparatory activities for spot-placing
play the "landmark or not" game with a wooden floor puzzle
"Is this a landmark?"
ask students to put an x on the closest landmark to the given note (no interval ID or note-naming just yet)
Preparatory activities for eighth notes
preparation for reading eighth notes should begin at least 4 weeks before the new piece is introduced
speak the words to "Peas Porridge Hot" and put the rhythm in your feet
next, clap the rhythm without speaking the words - ask one student to improvise on the rhythm while the rest of the group speaks the words and taps the steady beat
speak or sing the words to "Yankee Doodle," marching to the steady beat, then putting the rhythm in your feet
ask a small group of students to play the steady beat with rhythm sticks, ask another group to improvise on the rhythm, and ask the others to chant the text
Preparatory activities for dotted quarters
have students move with the piano accompaniment: quarter notes + eighth notes
have students move with the piano accompaniment: dotted quarters + eighth notes
ask students to point and sing, showing the words only (add extra spaces to illustrate the dotted rhythm)
have students move + sing with the piano accompaniment
introduce the notation (using straight eighths and quarter notes); transform to the dotted rhythm using ties
demonstrate how to count the rhythm
divide students into two groups and perform both rhythms at the same time (reading) with rhythm sticks
Preparatory activities for crossing 2nd finger over thumb
teach this away from the piano (try playing in the air)
teach a warm-up pattern (by rote) that concentrates on this, singing the finger numbers
introduce a piece like "Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho"
Preparatory activities for marking the score
ask students to point to intervals of a 2nd and "circle the 3rd"
ask students to "put a rectangle around the repeated note in the first line"
//
Previously:
NCKP 2013: Part I
NCKP 2013: Part II
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. In this series, I'll share my notes and a few favorite quotes from the sessions I attended. You can read more about NCKP here. This post includes my notes from three NCKP sessions related to intermediate-level students: interviewing transfer students, developing a curriculum, and teaching technique.
Conducting the Transfer Student Interview presented by Linda Fields, Immanuela Gruenberg, David Husser, Gail Lew, Elissa Milne & Arlene Steffen
Many of us have had transfer students in our studios at one point or another. What questions should we ask the family up front to ensure a smooth transition? How can we quickly assess the student's level of musical development in order to recommend appropriate repertoire moving forward? The panelists offered a few suggestions:
1. Ask about the student's musical background - Is the child involved in school or community choirs, bands, orchestras, etc.? - What is the parent's background in music? What are their expectations for their child? - What are the child's practice habits? Consider recommending an amount of practice time per day that is equal to the student's lesson length. - Ask, "What role does music play in your family?" - Does the child have other interests in sports, dance, theater, etc.?
2. Ask why they want to take lessons - Ask the parent(s), "What are your musical goals for your child? Consider asking parents to play classical music for their child a little bit every day - in the background, in the car, etc. - Ask the child, "Why do you want to study the piano?" - Ask, "Why do you want to study with me?"
3. Observe how the student interacts with you and with the parent - What do you observe in the child's personality, trust, enthusiasm, and responsiveness to you and to their parent? - How do the parent and child interact? How does the parent respond to you? How does the child respond to you? - Does the child have any learning/physical challenges? - How does the child process new information? Try giving a mini lesson on a simple sightreading piece. How does the child respond?
4. Evaluate the student's level of musical development - technic - musicality (their connection to instrument) - sight-reading (consider creating reading exams by level) - aural skills (use playbacks: 1-3-5, 1-2-3; singing/matching pitch) - written music theory (consider creating theory exams by level)
Download the handout from this session.
Developing a Curriculum for the Intermediate Transfer Student presented by Jane Magrath
Objectives - "Start with the areas you teach best" - Start where the student is and discover what they respond to
Developing a Curriculum Step 1: Level the student Ask the student to sightread 1-2 lines of three different pieces (classical or romantic) from a leveled series (see Masterwork, Celebration Series, Keith Snell). Choose three pieces from 3-4 different levels. Prepare students for success by setting the tempo for them, counting off, and choosing relatively easy-to-read pieces. Start from the highest level and work your way backwards.
Look for skills in counting, recognizing key signatures, and the ability to read a score. Keep going until you find the student's reading level. The student's performance level should be approximately two levels beyond their reading level.
Step 2: Establish a core repertoire plan Plan to use 4-6 books: at minimum, a core repertoire book (well-leveled, generally classical; see Masterwork, Helen Marlais, Celebration Series), a sheet music selection or other repertoire book, and a fun book (hymns, musicals, pop music, jazz; see Gillick: Lyric Preludes; Martha Mier: Jazz, Rags, and Blues; Just for You).
Step 3: Establish a sight-reading plan Find repertoire appropriate for the student's reading level (see Faber & Faber: Sight Reading series, Bastien: A Line a Day, Frederick Harris: Four Star, FJH: Sight Reading & Rhythm Every Day).
Step 4: Assess additional areas - Technique (see MTNA state syllabi leveled technical criteria) - Etudes, exercises (see Czerny, Hanon, Kohler, Concone, RCM Etude books, Clark/Goss/Holland Etude series, Edna Mae Burnam: Dozen a Day, Frances Clark technique books) - Theory, keyboard progressions, jazz, etc. - Composition projects: Give the student a starting place - i.e., "Compose a piece containing sudden changes," or "Create a piece containing sudden dynamic contrast," or "Compose something with contrasting legato and staccato passages" (see Alfred Valerie Cisler composition books).
Determining the difficulty level of pieces 1. Find similar pieces, one step harder and one step easier. Note the skills required and notice the number of ideas. 2. What is the feel on the keyboard? 3. Consider what the piece requires vs. what the student does well. Note the presence or absence of patterns. 4. Does it require double notes (two notes in a hand - around Level 6)? How thick is the texture? 5. Notice the number of skips and the distance between them. How predictable is the melody and phrasing?
Building a Curriculum (ex. 9th or 10th grade student) 1. Literature collection 2. Repertoire samples 3. Quick study pieces: 2-3 weeks, 1-2 pieces at a time (see Classics Alive!, The Hymnal - 1982 or UMH, Melodious Masterpieces) 4. Special pieces, fun pieces, collaborative/accompanying 5. Sight-reading: Consider assigning semester-long sight-reading projects for more advanced students (see Clementi sonatinas, Grieg Lyric Pieces, Burgmüller, Op. 100) 6. Theory (see Keith Snell: Fundamentals of Piano Theory books, Joanne Haroutounian: Explorations in Music, Edith McIntosh: Theory and Musicianship worksheets, Frederick Harris: Sound Advice, MTNA state syllabi) 7. Keyboard theory: cadences, sequences, chord progressions 8. Music history/listening: consider assigning a composer biography project - let students create their own presentations once a month 9. Technique: warm-ups, double thirds, scales, arpeggios, etudes, miscellaneous exercises (stretching/relaxing, Hanon)
Note: Try starting lessons with a little sight-reading. Consider sight-reading duets together or see Diabelli: 5-finger studies.
Download the handout from this session.
The Technique Behind Intermediate Repertoire presented by Nancy Bachus
Technique "is a complete command of the instrument." It includes tone production (gravity or weight), keyboard patterns, touches, and physical aspects (gestures and motions). Did you know that ninety percent of keyboard literature is made up of these six basic patterns: scales, chords, arpeggios, double notes, trills/ornaments and octaves? This is the foundation for successful playing.
Technique for Elementary Students - 5-finger patterns in 24 keys: half notes, quarter notes, and eighth notes (with metronome) - Triads in all major/minor keys: solid, broken, and staccato - Arpeggios in all major/minor keys: hand-over-hand - Technic and etudes (see Pischna, Frances Clark technic and etudes)
Technique for Intermediate Students - 3-note chords: solid, broken, and staccato - 4-note chords: solid, broken, and staccato
1. Clinging legato vs. overlapping legato: for more romantic styles, such as Chopin - mold, create, feel (see Elegie, Op. 126, No. 7 by Chaminade). 2. Finger staccato vs. wrist staccato: for finger staccato, think of flicking dust off the keyboard. Try this simple five-finger pattern in triple meter: 5543354432 4432243321. For wrist staccato, try knocking on keys with your wrists first to get the motion, then try it with your 3rd fingers. 3. Two-note slur: teach the release first - wrist falls to being level with the keyboard; aim energy to your fingertips. Think "Fall-feel-pull" or "fall-transfer-pull," where the wrist follows the fingers in the "pull." Remember, the last note is still melodic. 4. Larger slur groups: try playing multiple notes within one gesture. 5. Mix of legato and finger staccato, two-note slur + staccato: practice this with scales - one hand plays eighth notes while the other plays (finger) staccato quarter notes (see Minuet in F Major by Mozart, Imitation by Köhler, Minuet in G Major from Anna Magdalena). 6. Repeated chords: "throw with an energy." Your fingers stay on the keys. Ask, "How much energy do we need?" Practice this with the Left Hand Study from For Children, Vol. 1 by Bartok (see "Minka" by Beethoven, Tambourin by Gossee). 7. Repeated notes: remember, it's one motion. Start from the edge of key; pull fingers back in a reflex motion (see Old Tale by Tcherepnin). 8. Voicing within one hand: practice balancing on one finger - keep the weight there without shifting (see Stuck on Five and One by Gurlitt, Swineherd's Dance, No. 12 by Bartok). 9. Divided hand: point your 3rd finger toward your 5th finger to weight that side of the hand, point your 3rd finger toward your thumb to weight that side of the hand. Practice melody + bass alone, then add the inner line but make it staccato (see Old French Song, Op. 39, No. 16 by Tchaikovsky, Rose Rock by Gurlitt, Three-Quarter Blues [very accessible!] by Gershwin). 10. Rotation: think of it as turning around a fixed point. Keep the connection between the fingers. Think of "turning a doorknob" with your entire forearm. Remember, you must have a firm arch between your thumb and fifth finger (see Chimes by Tcherepnin).
Warm-up idea: play all 30 Hanon exercises in succession. This works all five fingers continuously for about 20 minutes.
Teaching the physical aspects (body position, use of hand/fingers, larger gestures/motions)
1. Shoulder tension: this can even occur between the shoulder and the collarbone. 2. Natural hand curve: find the student's natural hand curve by having them open their hand on the crown of their head (Nelita True) 3. Firm nail-joint: "Knock" on the keyboard cover to get heavy nail-joints. Place a flat hand on the keyboard, pull fingers up, and flatten again. "Shake" weight into hands (at side). Hold firm nail-joint (finger by finger) on the edge of the keyboard. Have someone shake your upper arm and try to hold the nail-joint steady. 4. Arch: this connects your fingers to your thumb. Make a fist and walk your thumb and fifth finger on your leg ("bug walk").
"Anything we repeat often enough will become automatic." Ask students, "What does your brain think is the right way to play this?"
//
Previously: NCKP 2013: Part I Look for more of my notes from NCKP over the next few weeks!
