that is the question! Like most Americans, I have a deep love and appreciation for many different styles of music: jazz, country, folk, R&B, classic rock, Latin, and of course classical. So why only teach classical or only focus on classical music as many piano teachers do? Classical music demands a tone and technique that should only be produced by the performer acoustically (not electronically). It also combines a deep intellectual understanding of structure (form) and harmony with a performer's interpretation of a composer's musical ideas and vocabulary.
I won't lie though. Some of my fondest memories of playing the piano revolve around playing pop music. In fact, playing popular music vaulted me onto a whole other level of playing right about the time I hit fourth grade. That was the year my sister discovered the musicals Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables. I was so taken with the music of both shows that I learned it on my own despite the fact that Andrew Lloyd Weber really likes to vary the keys of all his music. It was the year I became a great sight reader. Pretty soon, my family would gather around the piano on Friday or Saturday nights for Broadway sing alongs and I became a little bit of a human juke box. As I matured through high school, I took lots of solace in the music of Tori Amos which seemed to combine aspects of classical and rock, for me the best of both worlds. These days I don't listen to the radio half as much as I used to but I can still sight read and play power ballads like Jar of Hearts or Adele's Someone Like You. This really helps when it comes to accompanying at the Community College of Denver where I play for vocalists in the Commercial Music Recital. This spring selections ranged from Michael Jackson's Human Nature to R, Kelly's I Look to You. So when one of my students prefaced her lesson yesterday with, "I'm ready for a new jazz piece, " I didn't object. Popular music, which for me also encompasses many genres, demands a high level of musicianship specifically related to rhythm. For myself and my students, this music has become an essential part of my curriculum. We still learn classical repertoire with the appropriate technique required to play it but we also enjoy our jazz, blues, or pop piece. In fact, this music is becoming such a staple that my goal for the upcoming year is to put together a pop recital with a live rhythm section. I got this terrific idea at the MTNA Conference in 2013 when I heard Kristin Yost give a presentation on the Popular Music Showcase.
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![]() Just last week I was happy to pay my dues to the Music Teachers National Association. As a piano teacher living in Denver, CO, I pay dues to the national organization, the Colorado state organization and the Denver area chapter of the association. My dues totaled $140 for the year. In exchange, I receive special discounts to certain retailers, access to insurance options, a subscription to the bi-monthly magazine that MTNA Publishes, American Music Teacher, as well as tons of networking opportunities with other music teachers. More importantly, my students receive tons of performance opportunities as a result of me belonging to the organization. This past year many of my students participated in Achievement Day, an event that encourages musical growth through a variety of activities including evaluation of scales, arpeggios, chords, ear training, music history, music theory, and performance. Many found it inspiring and motivating and I loved the feedback they received as affirmation of my weekly evaluations at piano lessons. The Colorado State Music Teachers Association also holds an annual theory event called Student Theory Activity. This is a rigorous test that evaluates students on their theory skills. They usually hold this event in conjunction with the Rising Stars Event that offers a non-competitive and competitive performance track. Students can win prize money and receive comments on their performance. Finally MTNA holds an annual competition every year for piano and composition. This is a major competition where winners can go on to participate in state, regional, and national levels. I have not had a student participate in one of these but its nice to know the opportunity is there! Personally, I have made so many lasting friendships and business contacts through MTNA. In fact, most of my students were referred to me through the Denver chapter and I have to say it is a truly wonderful studio with parents and students who respect my teaching abilities and policies. More importantly, I have met wonderful teachers through CSMTA and DAMTA that have inspired me to become a better teacher and shared with me their own business practices and policies. |
AuthorStephanie Morrison: A Piano Teacher in Austin, TX constantly striving to find new strategies to communicate and demonstrate piano technique and musicality. Archives
January 2022
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