My Piano Journey

1.) Definition of "talent" Merriam-Webster defines talent as "the abilities, powers, and gifts bestowed upon man (natural endowments), thought of as divine trait". For example, Mozart evidenced amazing talent at the age of six; his ability to plan and compose sophisticated pieces was quite miraculous, and he was exhibited all over Europe as a child prodigy! This kind of musical talent is given to precious few. Special talent (innate ability) such as this is, in all probability, an inherited trait. To what extent, however, is not known. 2.) Talent is hard to assess and measure, even between piano teacher themselves has different opinions For children with no previous musical training, talent is almost impossible to assess. Indeed, few authorities can agree on what talent is, every piano teacher has their own opinions. The average child may not evidence a natural ability for the piano up to this point. You may exclaim, "That is for sure, our child is no Mozart!...

The vast majority of my students won't go on to become professional musicians in any sense of the word (teaching, performing, composing, etc.) but will not only become adults that will hopefully have an outlet for stress be being able to play piano in leisure time. In piano lessons, they learn...... -They learn the skills necessary to have discipline to see a project through to the end -They learn important problem-solving skills and the use of  creativity  in effective problem-solving skills, a skill necessary for a successful leader -They get the undivided, one-on-one attention of a caring adult for 30 or 45 minutes per week. While it's not much, it's something that kids really appreciate. No matter the age, students some to me and sometimes they just need to talk about whatever is on their mind. I let them, listen, and respond. And then once they vent they are able to concentrate on the music and leave the studio feeling refreshed. -They learn how to act under pressu...

Adapted from "A Parent's Guide to Piano Lessons" by James W. Bastien, page 20 A first grade teacher has most of the responsibility for teaching your child to read.  Much of what a child is able to accomplish in school is depended on how well he can read . Thus, the teaching of correct beginning reading habits is very important. Likewise, a "beginning" piano teacher must impart all basic music information to your child, such as beginning technical skills, notation, rhythm, and sight-reading habits. Much of what your child will be able to accomplish in music will be based on a solid foundation in beginning fundamentals. In most cases the beginning years are critical, because first impressions, good or bad, persist. Don't be misled into judging teachers by the  level  of students they teach.  For example, a university professor who teaches advanced college students is often thought to be better than a teacher who specializes in working with beginners. This de...

This article is written by Janet  Behning http://soyourchildwantstotakepianolessons.blogspot.com/ If you want to read the whole book, please support her at her website with only $7.00 to buy the book. Thank you! CHAPTER 5 Who’s The Boss? I often have parents tell me that they have trouble getting their children to practice and I find that I must be polite and simply give them tips on encouraging their children. But my gut reaction to their dilemma is to simply say, “Who’s the boss?” Does your child run your house? Does your child have a choice about going to school? Do you let them neglect their homework? Do you substitute lollipops for vegetables? Most parents’ immediate reaction to these questions will be no. Why then would you let your child decide not to practice their piano lesson? Set down the ground rules from the beginning - piano practice is not an option. If they want to take piano lessons they will practice, no ifs, ands or buts. You are paying a lot of ...

Most often asked question by a parent would be: how much should my child practice everyday? To answer this question, first a parent need to determine what is your goal for your child and what your child would like? According to Geoff Colvin in his book "Talent is Overrated", page 59: ......The object of the study was to figure out why some violinists are better than others. The researchers went to the Music Academy of West Berlin, as it was then known, a post secondary school that turns out extremely good musicians, may of whom go on to careers with major symphony orchestras or as solo performers. Professors were asked to nominate the very best violinist, those with the potential for careers as international soloists. The professors also nominated violinists who were very good but not as good as the top group. In addition, the academy had a separate department with lower admission standards, the students of which generally go on to become music teacher, and the research...