Twist Not, Want Not: The Work of Dorothy Taubman and Sheila Paige, Part 1

            I feel once again that I must preface this post with a disclaimer. This is my personal understanding and current experience with the work of Dorothy Taubman as presented and taught by Sheila Paige of the Keyboard Wellness Seminar (www.keyboardwellnessseminar.com). I am not a Certified Taubman Instructor, nor am I a faculty representative of Ms. Paige’s seminar. I am posting this representing my thoughts on their ideas and innovations, with heavy reference to Sheila Paige’s work.

            It is hard as a pianist to go far into the world piano pedagogy research regarding technique and not see the name of Dorothy Taubman. And rightly so; without her innovative and imaginative thinking, many pianists (such as myself) would no longer play the instrument. Mrs. Taubman gained a reputation for helping pianists (and other instrumentalists) overcome repetitive strain injuries by exploring a more coordinated use of the arm.

This coordinated technique is based upon the idea that sound on the piano is achieved by the weight of the forearm entering the keys by balancing on the fingertips, and not by the fingers exclusively "pushing" down the keys. A coordinated technique would be defined as one in which the fingers, hands, wrists, and forearms lift and drop as one unit. Essential to this unit is the concept of alignment.

Last week in our discussion of the Alexander Technique (see here) the word “alignment” was not used, though the work is about bringing the body into alignment. Once that process is established and the basic directions are in place, it is easier to focus on the arm, hand, and fingers. The most common misalignment for pianists is known as “radial/ulnar deviation” or to use Mrs. Taubman’s more memorable term “twisting”.

Hand and Arm in Alignment

Ulnar Deviation

Radial Deviation

This deviation/twist most commonly occurs when the pianist is attempting to bring the hands in front of the torso or is playing the thumb or pinky finger. For the former, the pianist must incline the torso backwards by shifting to the back of the “sit bones”. The whole arm then shifts in front of the body to keep the weight of the arm behind the active fingers. A place where this is especially troublesome to our students is the infamous "Middle C Position". If only one hand is playing in front of the torso, it is also advisable to shift the whole torso slightly to the side of the other hand.

When the twist occurs because the pianist is trying to bring the thumb or pinky to the keyboard, the solution is simple: bring the entire arm forward. The myth that the fingers must be in a straight line on the keyboard must be put to rest. Each hand has five fingers, which are five different lengths. And it works far more to our advantage, and that of our students, to let these fingers be the length they are naturally than to attempt to “curl” them into the same length.

The “twist” is a problem for pianists for two reasons. The first of these is that the long flexors and extensors that run through the carpal tunnel operate best when not pinched off. Deviating the alignment of the hand and arm causes the bones in the wrist to shift, thus encroaching of the carpal tunnel’s space. Whenever overused in this position, the pianist (or often, the computer typist!) begins to develop what has become known as “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome”. This condition is one in which the tendons (flexors and extensors), being misused, become inflamed and begin to swell. This swelling within the finite space of the carpal tunnel becomes problematic as the bones of the wrist begin to shift and press on nerves. This is why common symptoms of CTS include wrists popping, numbness in the hand/fingers, and sharp shooting pains up and down the arm.

It is important to note at this point that numbness and pain due to pinched nerves may not be occurring because of a carpal tunnel problem. There are three other “nerve bundles” that you should have examined when investigating these symptoms. The elbows, the thoracic outlet (between the clavicle and first rib), and the atlanto-occipital (AO) joint (where the base of the skull and the top of the spine meet).

When Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the issue, people are often pressured to have surgery performed. In short, what this surgery accomplishes is to cut the ligament band which forms the Carpal Tunnel. This may provide permanent or temporary relief, depending on how heavily the pianist uses it after. It will only be temporary if the pianist continues a heavy practicing/performing schedule and does nothing to change their technical habits. Most prefer to go through this surgery, rather than going to the “trouble” of retraining with a healthier, more efficient technique. Again, it comes down to deciding if one wants a long-term permanent solution or a short-term quick “fix”. We have to keep in mind that fatigue and pain are only the symptoms of a deeper problem. Solving the pain without solving the root of it really solves nothing.

Our students are especially prone to these issues due to the hours spent each day on phones, tablets, and computers. Technology is all well and good, but the body that is misused will eventually begin to protest. We have the duty of helping our students to realize that what we do away from the piano still affects us when we come back to it.

The second reason that we want to avoid playing with a twist is that it becomes impossible to balance the weight of the arm behind the fingers playing. It’s much as if one were to sit with half of their posterior on a chair and the other half hanging in the air. It feels uncomfortable and out of balance. When the arm and hand are properly aligned, it allows the weight of the arm to drop to a point of balance on the fingertips.

It is important to have an understanding of what exactly the arm is, anatomically speaking. Sheila Paige’s lecture “Anatomy for Pianists” (see preview for this lecture) is a great resource for those looking to educate themselves further on this topic.

Next week we will continue talking about the Taubman Approach and the Keyboard Wellness Seminar in terms of the for motions of the forearm and how we use them in the transfer of weight from one point of balance to another point of balance.

            

Freedom through Inhibition: Applying Alexander Technique to Piano Pedagogy

            I think it is important to start this post off by saying that I am not a certified Alexander Technique instructor. This post is meant to give a starting place and hopefully interest some of you in seeking out your own Alexander Technique instructor. I have taken lessons and attended seminars for several years and have found it to be of extreme use both to my personal practice and to my pedagogy.

            When I was in graduate school, I wrote a lengthy research paper on this topic. I am hoping to make this post somewhat less academic, while still reaching the same conclusions. I will probably share that paper at some point. However, I hope that this condensed version will be helpful to those interested.

            Last week’s post (see here) opened open the discussion of approaching our piano students with a full body approach. Allowing students to develop as physical and spiritual beings is essential to helping them to become fluent in the language of music. Because the body is a house for the physical and spiritual/emotional processes, it is important to keep it functioning at a high level. A discipline which is foundational to this is the Alexander Technique.

            I do not wish to spend too much time discussing the development of the technique. For this post, a brief background will suffice. F.M. Alexander was an Australian-born stage actor and reciter, who began to experience troubles with throat pains and losing his voice in the middle of performances. After consulting doctors, who were unable to find a cure for his condition, he began the lengthy process of discovering what it was that was the source of his troubles. By using mirrors, he discovered that he was assuming a position unconducive to taking in air and projecting.

Over several years, he realized that his physical “posture” and habits were engrained far deeper than his stage career. He began exploring the use of the human body and how it changed from infancy to childhood to adulthood. So impactful was his work, people of all walks of life began to seek him out for help. His work is continued and has been expounded upon, to this day.

I consider Alexander Technique to be the most important step in this process of setting the body right. The technique teaches the body to recognize and direct its natural tendencies, and inhibit those brought in by societal conditions. In doing so, the technique brings the body to a state in which it can perform the functions of other disciplines: in this case, playing the piano.

The brain works as a “command central” of sorts, sending signals to various parts of the body, causing it to function. Unfortunately, the body likes to get caught up in the brain’s job, and it starts “doing”. We must first learn to inhibit this tendency. Our bodies unconsciously react to external signals such as “Sit up straight” or “Curl those fingers”. Society has gifted us with ideas about posture, which tell us to hold ourselves a certain way.

Alexander Technique doesn’t know of “posture”; instead it teaches you to be “poised”. Automatically that word implies being in a state of readiness. Ready for what? Ready to doing whatever our brain directs us to do. If we simply think to do something, and inhibit our urge to “make it happen”, we find ourselves constantly poised to receive the next direction from the brain.

There are three basic directions, which the brain should constantly be giving: 1) to the head and neck, “Up and forward”; 2) to the back, “Lengthen and widen”; and 3) to the breathing mechanism, “Breathe.” As you read this paragraph, you may find yourself pulling your head up, stretching your back, and inhaling/exhaling copious amounts of air: DON’T!

Humor me by trying a small experiment. This will hopefully begin to help you untangle what society has come to call “sitting up”. Sit in a four-legged type chair or on a piano bench, with your feet on the floor, about a shoulder-width apart, and ankles under your knees. With your tongue touching to the roof of your mouth, let air flow in through your nostrils; don’t suck it in, simply allow it to enter. Then, slowly exhale whispering “ah” or “sss”. As you release the air, simply think of the head and neck going up and forward and the back lengthening and widening. Inhibit the urge to pull them up and forward. This is intended to help you gain an insight into what the back, head, and neck feel like when they are freed from the duties of holding onto a posture. Once these basic directions are established, you then are able to begin giving directions specific to the task at hand. It is important that the basic directions are always in place.

While I hope this post can get you started, I want to remind you that I am not an Alexander Technique instructor. I encourage you to seek one out so that you can begin enjoying the benefits both as a pianist and a teacher. I have found this technique to be invaluable to helping my students develop an effortless technique which allows for them to play with a high level of musical artistry.

One might ask the question: “If this technique is so valuable, why is it not more popular among piano teachers?” There are probably many reasons. I believe that the fear of losing students because of a “non-traditional” approach is a factor. This logic is ironic, as most piano teachers teach outside of the confines of what is the societally accepted form of learning: that is, the classroom. However, if piano instructors could just experience the freedom of musical expression that comes through releasing the body, they might be persuaded to incorporate Alexander Technique into their pedagogy.

Piano teachers have been given an enormous responsibility in shaping future generations of musical artists. As guides in their students’ lives, piano instructors should be aware of the physical complexities involved in playing the piano, as well as the possible solutions to such complexities. If piano teachers help students gain physical freedom, students will learn to make music with their entire being and through the piano. The principles of the Alexander Technique, when used as a foundation for a teaching philosophy, can help piano teachers produce musicians and people who appreciate and understand music. As piano teachers, we are faced with the responsibility to instill a passion for music which may only be fully realized when the body is open and free to perform as intended. I want to invite you to join me in pushing aside fear and convention and pursue indirect procedures to guarantee the future of music

Putting the Feet Right: An Introduction To A Holistic Pedagogy

           This is a rather lengthy topic that is near and dear to my heart. So as not to make it one long and unreadable post, I have divided it into several smaller sections. Hopefully, this will help me to represent a multi-faceted approach to piano pedagogy. For anyone who follows this series through to conclusion, I want to encourage you to try these unconventional ideas out. Give them time to mature in your students. I invite you to join me in my journey to becoming a “process-oriented” teacher.

            One of my favorite books to read as a child was C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. For those of you who recall this book, in the chapter where Aslan, Lucy, and Susan are in the witch’s castle, Aslan is restoring all of the creatures whom the witch had turned to stone. One of these creatures is a giant. Aslan simply breathes on this giant’s feet and remarks, “Once the feet are put right, the rest of him will follow.” Whenever I think about this topic of a pedagogy based on the person as a whole, this quote pops into my head. Of course, I would modify it to say that once the body is set right, the technique and musical artistry will follow.

            I have had several people openly laugh to my face when I have discussed the idea of “musician wellness”. They seem to have the impression that such a term implies a prioritization of “feeling good” over making artistic music happen. Let me assure there is nothing further from the case. Musician wellness is the total mental, emotional, and physical well-being of the musician. Unfortunately, we teachers do not control a large portion of this in our students’ lives. This is where living as an example is very important. Taking care of our bodies through healthy eating habits and moderate exercise. Taking care of our mental health by surrounding ourselves with positive influences; not just people who make us feel good about ourselves, but people who make us genuinely better people. Our students learn so much just by observing us in the 30-60 minutes a week that they see us.

            We begin with the body because it is the house for all of the physical, emotional, and mental processes that occur. If this house is falling apart, these processes cannot happen at their maximum potential. And if these processes are happening below maximum potential, then music cannot be produced with ease or full artistic potential. Some causes of operating on such a level include: 1) misalignment of any part of the skeletal structure, but especially back/neck and forearm/wrist/hand; 2) an excess of muscular tension; and 3) specific to the piano (or other instrument), generally inefficient technique and poor use.

            We begin this journey by seeking out multiple disciplines which focus on bringing the body into realized maximum working potential. We must keep in mind that we are humans, and therefore will never have “perfectly” functioning body. There will be certain days, or times of days, that will be better or worse than others. And it is because of these "down" days that it is especially important to have the knowledge of how to "reset" ourselves physically and mentally, so that we are able to function our best for the given day.

            One of the most obvious solutions, so obvious that we will not spend a great deal of time discussing it, is to rethink our practice strategies and methods, based on incorporation of the other disciplines which will be discussed in detail in the following posts for this series. One skill which students need to learn is that of score study; not just analysis for the sake of memorizing, but seeking out the true musical meaning behind each note. I am always telling my students that there are not unimportant notes: only important ones, more important ones, and most important ones!

            Another strategy which is important to teach our students is the power of the pause. Our students seem to have an idea that a 30 minute practice session must involve notes sounding from the beginning to the end of the session. They must be taught not to mindlessly repeat and drill, but to stop and analyze: “What went right, and how do I make it happen again? What went wrong, and what do I need to do to make it right?” A simple 10-15 second break in which the student thinks through what just happened is invaluable.

            We must not teach our students to “build up endurance”. Mrs. Dorothy Taubman, whose work will be discussed in great detail in two weeks, used to say, “Endurance is a repulsive word. It’s abhorrent. How are you supposed to interpret music when you are simultaneously trying to endure it?” Remind your students to give the body and mind frequent (if short) breaks. In this same vein, students should practice with the intent of making music happen. Students are often so focused on getting the correct notes, fingerings, and rhythms that by the time they accomplish these, they have no desire to make music (see this post on how to make both happen faster).

            We must remember that often the solution for which we are looking is to not sit at the piano. We must be willing to explore options outside of what we find familiar. We have to research the outside disciplines which we find. Most importantly, we must have patience with ourselves and with our students. What I am going to suggest will, in many cases, call teachers to both relearn how to play and how to teach. And that relearning takes time.

            As I conclude this introduction to the series, I want to challenge piano teachers and students alike to test their musical experience by asking a question which uses the words of one of my favorite authors, Madeleine Bruser, in her book, The Art of Practicing. Are your practice and musical experience “the overflow of joy and vibrant curiosity from a healthy and fulfilling life”?

Practicing Smart: A Staircase

            This post is a prequel of sorts to a series of posts that is going to start next week. This series will hopefully be beneficial to all who read it. One thing with which I must preface this whole blog is that I am what I call a “process-oriented” teacher, not what I would call a “goal-oriented” teacher. In other words, I do not teach students for performance evaluations, competitions, or recitals. While I think these things are extremely important, I am far more interested in the means whereby I help a student achieve their performance goals, than in the goals themselves.

I have already written a post on common practice mistakes, with some solutions offered. What I hope to do with this post is offer more of a detailed practice plan and not so much a troubleshooting guide, so please forgive any repetitions from before. I think most piano teachers spend time showing their students exactly how to practice only to have the student completely ignore their guidelines. And once upon a time, that would upset me. However, my students all know that it is their prerogative to practice as they choose, or not practice at all, and I will not get mad. They also know if I am not 100% satisfied with a piece, we will not move forward. We will spend as many weeks necessary treating the lesson as another practice session, until they get it. This is something which tends cause a tremendous amount of stress within my “goal-oriented” colleagues.

That being said, most of my students (including those who don’t practice as much as I’d like) move forward at about a “normal rate”, through their music. This is because of the work that we accomplish in their lessons. I recall a mentor once telling a story of something said to her, the gist of it being that a student could go from week to week without practicing and as long as they are attending their lessons, and the teacher is doing their job, the student will make progress. Of course, what this story didn’t mention was that the progress could be extremely slow. Progress is progress, though!  I think in the moment that I heard her tell that story I changed my outlook on lessons. I began to ask myself, “How can I help this student in such a way that even if they don’t touch a piano between lessons, they can come back next week better than they were today?”

This plan can be used by the teacher and student in the lesson, as well as by the student at home.

Step 1: Divide the music into sections, by phrase, usually about 4 measures in length. Make sure to end each section on a beat, and never the division or subdivision of a beat. This is important for students in the development of continuity and flow between phrases.

Step 2: Starting with the first section, work out the coordination of the correct notes with the correct fingerings, without rhythm. One way to ensure that the student is ignoring the rhythm is to tell them to play each note as though it is a whole note. Make sure that the weight of the arm picks up and drops by rotation to a point of balance on the fingertips on the keys. Check that the fingers are in their natural curved state, not curled (“pulled”) inwards or collapsed (“pushed”) outwards. Ask the student to listen to the quality of the sound they are creating. They should be creating solid, beautiful tones, in the mp-mf dynamic range, regardless of written dynamic.

Step 3: Once the notes and fingerings are comfortable, add the rhythm. Go slowly enough that the student can listen for the quality in their sound and continue to be aware of the physical traits discussed in Step 2.

Step 4: Begin working on articulations and pedaling. Again, the student should still be paying attention to the details of the previous steps.

Step 5: Add dynamics and phrase shaping, if they aren’t already beginning to happen. Students must listen especially closely here. Each note/ chord must be voiced appropriately but it must also be planned musically in terms of both the preceding and succeeding notes. This may also require some attention to physical choreography in terms of the arm moving in/out, up/down, and side to side. If the student is playing with both physical freedom and good musicality, there is no need to address the choreography with them.  

Step 6: Repeat Steps 2-5 with all other sections. For a PDF checklist with these steps click here.

One of my teachers often said that trying to play a piece with musicality before you can play with technical accuracy is like trying to hang beautiful pictures on crumbling walls. I mostly agree with her. In my vocabulary, “technique” and “musicality” are deeply intertwined, and one should not be developed without the other. This means of practicing allows the student to experience both technical fluency and musical artistry rather quickly.

Neither the technique nor musical artistry will develop to their fullest potential if they are trapped in a body riddled with tension. Next week’s post will begin the discussion of how the body and mind can be liberated to allow our students to truly blossom as musicians. As they learn to develop their ears (see this post), the rest of their body will learn how to create the sounds that their ears are learning to desire. 

Teaching by Ear

One word which comes up so often when I am working with my students is “listen”. I think as a society that we are all great at hearing, but rather terrible at listening. We must start encouraging our students to do two types of listening: 1) listening to great musicians playing great music and 2) listening to themselves, both when practicing and performing.

Students have enough trouble listening to themselves for technical errors, such as wrong notes, rhythms, etc. It falls on the teacher to develop that sort of ear-training from the beginning. We also must develop a way of teaching students to listen for the musical integrity of their playing. Students can often hear these things when we draw their attention to them. And as all things, if we make them focus on it for long enough, it will simply become a habit.

Rather than going straight to telling a student what they did “wrong” or need to fix, I ask my students to tell me what was well-done and what needs improvement. I often get responses like “Dynamics”, “Fix pedaling”, etc.; things which they have grown accustomed to hearing me or previous teachers say. I then have to follow-up my question and ask, “Which dynamics need improving?” or “Where does your pedaling need cleaned up?” This makes doubly sure that the student isn’t just spouting what they think I want to hear.

In the same way, they must learn to listen for the musical integrity of their playing. I find the answer to the simple question of “What were you trying to do with your phrasing here?” points to the biggest problem, because that answer is often “I don’t know” or “I didn’t think about it.” If we have trained them in how we can shape phrases and we know they can do it, then drawing attention to the need for it often does the trick. They can’t just program it in once and go back into “auto-pilot” mode. They must think about it every time they sit down to play the piece, including in performance.

I remember being the student who knew that if I started thinking during a performance, I would mess up, which usually manifested itself in the form of a memory “slip”. As I started teaching and studying with other teachers, I began to realize the importance of the thought process that goes into music. At this point, you may being thinking, “DUH”, and I assure you that I thought the exact same thing. The reason I didn’t want to think during performances was because I didn’t think during my practice sessions. Once I was comfortable with the mechanics of the piece, and had a pretty solid outline of the dynamics, I would just coast through without thinking. If I had recordings of my playing during those days, it would probably make me cringe to listen to them. I would guess that I would not find an ounce of feeling or meaning in my playing from those days.

One thing that I wish I had been able to do more of as a young student is listen to more great pianists play great repertoire. I remember one of the first big pieces of the repertoire that I heard was the Tchaikovsky First Piano Concerto (played by Eugene List, I believe, though I long since have gotten rid of that cassette). What a rush hearing that!!!! And a realization: there was something to his playing that I didn’t have, besides the obvious lack of virtuosity. The more I’ve listened to my favorite pianists, the more I have grown in my ability to give a performance that has musical integrity. Not that I am trying reproduce a duplicate of someone else’s interpretation. Rather, I am gathering ideas for my own interpretation. I gain these through listening to others play, not only the music on which I am working (in fact, it is less often that I listen to the repertoire that I am learning) but other works by the same composer or composers of the same era.

It may be impossible for us to collectively agree on who the greatest pianists (or other musicians) are, or what is the greatest repertoire for listening; the good news is that we don't have to! It is our responsibility, however, to encourage our students (especially with resources like YouTube) to listen to as many great works as they can. All it takes is a few keystrokes to send them a link to listen to a recording. If they like it, encourage them to purchase it on iTunes or some other platform, so they can legally listen to it as many times as they’d like.

Once they start listening to great music played by great musicians, it gives them an idea of what they ought to listen for in their own playing. Be careful here that the student realizes that you do not have the virtuosic expectations of them, only the musical. It is important for them to realize that they can play their sonatina, invention, or character piece with as much musical integrity as (insert your own favorite musician here) playing the (insert your own favorite work here). Encourage them to listen to multiple pianists playing the same work; this helps them to realize that several different great musicians will have several different interpretations. Encourage them to listen to one pianist playing works of different eras and composer; this helps them to realize that some pianists may more comfortable with one composer or era of music than another composer or era of music.

                There are so many things to take into account as teachers, and they all seem so important. However, I consider this one to be foundational. How do we expect to do our job (train our students to make music) when we have not taught them what music really is? Next week, I will be posting the prequel to a series of posts that will be coming over the next several weeks. Without learning to use their ears, the work outlined in this series will not be of any use to the students. 

Sound-Feel-Sign-Name: Why Reinvent the Wheel?

It has been a year since I launched this blog and about that long since I posted! Life has been crazy and my priorities changed at about this time last year. I am back, though. And writing this blog will hopefully stay high on my list of priorities. Perhaps my ideas aren’t all that unique, but if I can help even one teacher, parent, or student then I will be meeting my goal for this blog.

“Why reinvent the wheel?”

Something that I read recently reminded me to always be aware of how I can do my best to help each student learn to speak and understand the language that is music (see post on this). However, even though I am always trying to find new ways of helping my students succeed, there is one teaching principle which has never failed me. Renowned 20^th century pedagogue, Frances Clark, always emphasized introducing new concepts in this order: Sound-Feel-Sign-Name. Regardless of learning styles, I have found this to be the most effective means of teach new ideas to students. This principle can be used to teach most musical (or not) concepts. And while the order of introductions is set, the way in which you introduce each step should be tailored to the learning needs of the student.

To illustrate, I will use the example of the crescendo/decrescendo. Oftentimes, my students are doing this long before the method books introduce this concept. I insist on learning good phrasing skills from the beginning. So first, I would play whatever little ditty my student is learning, shaping each phrase with a crescendo to the climax and a decrescendo away from it. I would ask the student to tell what they heard me do differently than they did (as an aside: this is, in my opinion, the best form of ear training imaginable). Generally, within the first two attempts, the student is able to tell me that I got louder and then softer. I then would ask them if it happened a little at a time or suddenly. Again, they usually get this correct. I would demonstrate a sudden change in dynamic in contrast to a gradual change.

Next, the student should feel the sensation of dropping their arm weight into the keys faster to get a louder sound and slower to get a softer sound. I recommend practicing this on one note, in quarter note values, with the metronome. Then, work with them in their music to incorporate the growth and diminution of each phrase. Hopefully, without verbally addressing it, you can prevent the issue of playing faster/slower coinciding with a change in dynamic. Teachers must understand this principle: the speed at which the arm weight approaches the point of sound does not necessarily affect the speed of the arm weight moving from note to note. It is all careful choreography. That is information that does not need to be verbally communicated to the student, however, unless you have an older beginner or adult student with an interest in physics!

After they are comfortable with this concept, we begin talking about the symbols that indicate crescendo and decrescendo. I draw the two symbols and ask them which makes sense for getting louder: the one that gets bigger or the one that gets smaller. They generally guess correctly. We add these symbols to whatever they are playing, where in the previous step we already determined they would crescendo and decrescendo.

Finally, we give them a name for the symbols. This is the last and (please don’t hate me for saying it) least important step. What we call something, is far less important than understanding and being able to execute the idea behind the name assigned.

This process of steps may happen in one lesson, or several, depending on the student. What is important for the teacher, the parent, and the student to realize is that each concept takes time to learn and apply, and that not everything will happen quickly. Tremendous patience is needed from all three parties!  

The Search for the “Right” Teacher

            Finding a music teacher for your child is a task that is far more difficult than it might seem. Some people have higher standards and spend more time searching for the right pair of jeans than they do for the person teaching their child music. That is often because they do not know what qualifies one as a good teacher. This post will give some ideas to parents of what they might seek in a music teacher for their child. These are just my thoughts based on some people whom I consider to be highly qualified teachers and some horror stories of poor teachers that I have heard in my several years of teaching.

            My very first pedagogy professor (who shall remain nameless for this post) said to our class that was one phrase she hated to hear: “There’s a little old lady from church who gives piano lessons.” She had dislike for this for a number of reasons. The first problem was with the word “gives”-as music teachers, we aren’t “giving” anything. We are selling our time and expertise. If someone is giving these things away, we should really question the quality of the teacher. The second problem my professor had with this phrase was the familiarity with the teacher in question. Not that there is anything wrong with knowing your teacher prior to beginning lessons. However, familiarity is not a good enough qualification to seek out a teacher for lessons.

            As someone with multiple degrees in music, I don’t want to dig myself into a hole on this first point. However, a college education is not necessarily a good enough qualification for a good teacher. The pedagogy classes are very well structured, but as in so many areas of life, a classroom cannot replace experience. I think training is very important for a qualified teacher, but that training may not necessarily come from a college education. There are several high quality certification programs, including the MTNA’s NCTM program and the Royal Conservatory of Music pedagogy diploma. Some teachers don’t have any of these things, but are excellent because they had good training growing up and are naturally gifted teachers. I tend to favor some form of degree/certification, but I can think of at least one teacher in my immediate circle of colleagues who has none and is a fantastic teacher.

            The next thing I would recommend looking at is professional affiliations. Teachers active in local chapters of MTNA, regional NFMC festivals, or the Royal Conservatory of Music examinations tend to provide their students with opportunities to perform and win awards. The festivals hosted by these organizations provide give performance opportunity beyond the studio recital, where students receive feedback from another qualified individual. Teachers who are confident in their abilities should have no problem providing their students with such opportunities.

            Parents should also seek out teachers who are active in music. The old adage is “those who can’t do teach.” This is the worst possible philosophy for becoming a teacher. Teachers should not only be capable of doing what they teach, they should be in the habit of doing it on a regular basis. There are plenty of fantastic performers who cannot teach, but there should never be a teacher who cannot perform. Depending on natural ability and the amount of time available for practicing, teachers may not have a heavy performance schedule. They may not play solo repertoire exclusively or even often. They should be doing chamber music, collaborative music, or church music to stay active as musicians.

            More important than any of these things is for the goals of the students, parents, and teachers to align. Where expectations differ, the teacher should be trusted, within reason. The teacher should not mind giving initial reasoning behind why they choose to do things a certain way nor why they have the expectations they do. However, it can be very tiresome for the teacher to have to continually justify his/her choices. Assuming you have done the research as parents, and have decided to make a commitment to a teacher, you must trust the teacher to do the job.

            I will say again that lessons are a long-term commitment. From searching for the proper teacher, to starting lessons, there are times it might feel like pulling teeth. If you can stick to it and make your child learn to stay with it, the long-term results will be more than worth your investment of time and money. Music is with all of us from birth to the grave. It is important to find a qualified teacher who pushes their students to do their best.

Building the Foundation: Leveling Laterally

In modern society we are obsessed with leveling up. We push ourselves and our children to achieve higher goals. We sell ourselves on a concept of working hard so we can enjoy life more. I’m not going to say that there is anything wrong with setting high goals. And certainly, hard work is a necessity to gain some of the luxuries available to us in this day and age. However, we have become so obsessed with getting to the future that we barely give any thought to where we are, and what we are doing, in the present. Our education system (especially in the U.S.) is constantly pushing each generation to do more than the last. The way the school system is set up, students learn a concept (or a year’s worth of concepts) and then are pushed to the next one, regardless of how comfortable they are with the material or how well they handle it.

            So what does this have to do with music? As part of the education of many children, music is also constantly asking them to level up. Unfortunately, many music students, already uncomfortable in their skin, have great difficulty moving forward with music. They encounter the same struggles with each new piece. This is because they are pushed to move forward before they are comfortable with where they are. The wonderful thing about music lessons is that they can be tailored to fit the student’s needs. The tragic thing about music lessons is that they often are not tailored to fit the student’s needs. Festivals, Guild, and Examinations are wonderful means of evaluating a student. However, once the student has performed acceptably at one level, they are expected to go on to the next. Some students can do this with no issues. That is generally a sign that they are comfortable, both technically and musically, at their current level. They are ready to be pushed to a higher level.

            This post is not for the extremely talented student, however. It is for the average-paced learning student. In education, we tend to think of average as a bad thing, as though the average learner is the exception and not the rule. In music, there is such an abundance of repertoire at any given level, that there is no reason to move a student to a noticeably higher level immediately. A gifted teacher should be able to perceive where the student is most comfortable, least comfortable, and tottering between the two. Such a teacher will search for repertoire that emphasizes the student’s strengths and helps to improve upon their weaknesses. In my opinion, students must be at complete technical ease and playing with a high level of musical sensitivity before they are moved to a higher level.

            As a parent reading this blog, you may be thinking that this is all well and good, but you aren’t the one to determine these things. And you are absolutely right. If you have done the research and found yourself an excellent teacher (next week’s post!), you should trust him/her to do the job. If you feel that your child is progressing slower than you feel he/she ought, be patient. Know that the teacher is working to make sure that your child is 100% comfortable at their level, before moving on. What you as parents must be more sensitive to is if you feel lessons are moving at too quick a pace. If your child is struggling, bring your concerns to the teacher. Don’t try to tell the teacher what to do. Just say that your child has been working diligently and does not seem to be moving forward, and is experiencing frustration because of it. If your child has not been working diligently, using smart practice techniques such as these, do not address it with the teacher. The way the student has been practicing will be the first thing most teachers will address when problems arise.

            Do not compare your child’s musical progress to that of other children. It is unfair in the extreme and very damaging to their overall development. As I talked about here, music lessons are so important to our development as humans. If we make them a negative experience, children will never truly grow to understand their own music and the music surrounding them. Allow your child to stay at their level, at the teacher’s discretion, for as long as necessary. If they have built a solid technical and musical foundation, by the time they get to the heavy repertoire, they will not have to review fundamental concepts repeatedly. Instead, they will be able to play with musical fluency and technical ease and express their music without hindrance.

            Music is part of this journey we call life. And if we are constantly setting goals for students which can’t be achieved, they will never receive any joy from it. Of course, we must set goals for them and they must work hard to achieve them. These should be goals which are reasonable and which advance the student both as a person and a musician.

What’s a Studio Policy? And Why Should I Care?

            In the modern music studio, most teachers have a written studio policy agreement to which they expect students and their parents to adhere. Some go so far as to have parents and students sign a contract stating that they will follow the guidelines set forth in the studio policy. In my experience, parents skim over these policies without really reading them. This seems to be a common societal problem when we are given a long list of terms and agreements, we tend to skip reading that to which we are agreeing, and just sign our names or check a box. And in a lot of cases, that may not be too terribly harmful (i.e. updating your phone operating system). However, music studio policies tend to be quite concise (in comparison) and are generally packed with information that the teacher feels is important for parents and students to know, prior to beginning lessons. I will discuss some of the main areas addressed in such policies, and then briefly discuss why such policies are so important for the student, the parent, and the teacher.

            The first thing addressed in most policies is tuition and fees. Of course, teachers expect to be paid for their time and commitment to education. Private music teachers often determine their rates by comparing to other teachers in the same area with similar experience and credentials. Some teachers go on a month-to-month honor system, expecting students to commit to a year. More and more, the case is becoming that teachers determine an annual tuition. Sometimes this tuition is due all at once, or can be divided between semesters or into monthly payments. Some teachers incentivize paying it in one lump sum, by giving a small discount. Because teachers expect a year-long commitment, there is often an early termination fee. Some teachers offer a discount for a number of siblings studying and some do not. Other fees which might be included and usually due at either the beginning or end of the year are book fees, activity fees (generally covers recitals, festival entries, etc.), and reservation fees, to book a spot on the following year’s schedule. This section of the policy also often discusses payment deadlines and late fees. If your music teacher’s policy does not address any of these things, be sure to ask if you want to know.

            Sometimes lumped in with tuition and fees, sometimes a section of its own, we move along to the all-important category of missed lessons. The most important part of missed lessons is that teachers rarely offer refunds/credits for them. Because of the limited nature of our teaching schedules, private music teachers are often quite strict about missed lessons and making them up. Each teacher determines their own policy here, but generally in non-emergency situations teachers will not make up the lesson. Sometimes teachers will make these up if they are given a couple weeks’ notice. In emergency situations, teachers like 24 hour notifications and will generally strive to give the student a makeup. Of course in the case of sickness or death, we don’t always have that kind of notice. Some teachers offer a makeup lessons week at the end of a semester or the school year, where they give one makeup lesson to each student who missed a lesson regardless of the circumstances. Some teachers have a swap list, where parents can communicate with one another and switch lesson times without consulting the teacher. Again, there is an expectation of commitment to the time that has been agreed for the lesson.

            If you come into the teacher’s home or studio for lessons, there are some simple etiquette rules which simply must be observed. Some are common sense: if your shoes are muddy, please remove them before stepping inside. Arrive on time-not more than 5 minutes early, and certainly never late. If the parent leaves during the lesson, he/she should return in time to pick the student up at the end of the lesson. Some teachers invite the parents to observe every lesson to keep track of their child’s progress and so they know what the student should be practicing at home. Some teachers prefer that parents not be present at all, as they feel it interferes with the teacher-student relationship. If parents are present in lessons, it is appreciated that they do not attempt to take over teaching from the teacher. Some teachers permit questions from parents for clarification. Others prefer silent observation/presence. Teachers often have a small waiting area and restroom designated for students and parents. It is impolite to assume that you can go beyond that, if the studio is in the teacher’s home. Students should be clean when they come to lessons; hands clean and not wearing any strong perfume/cologne, but free of body odor. Piano students’ fingernails should be trimmed at least once a week. Long fingernails interfere with good technical development.

            Sometimes teachers outline practice expectations in the policy, but most often these are determined between the teacher and individual students. This allows the teacher to tailor the students’ practice routines to fit their own needs.

            Another big area often outlined are the activities which the studio has for the year. These can include recitals, festivals, auditions, exams, concert outings, and group lessons. Some teachers require full/partial participation in these. Some do not offer any. This is something of which to be aware when looking for a music teacher. The point of learning to make music is to share it with others. If the teacher does not provide any venue for doing so, that could be a warning sign. However, if a teacher offers so many that it becomes overwhelming, the situation could be just as bad. The important thing to keep in mind, for teachers and parents alike, is that the child must be capable of accomplishing whatever we set  them up to do. So some performance should be pushed, but if the student is new to it, or not a quick learner, they should not be pushed to do too much.

            Most teachers include a section on what is required of a home instrument. Parents should not pursue instrument specific music lessons until they have the instrument. Each piano teacher has his/her own expectations for what the student should have for practicing, and it is important to discuss these with the teacher before committing to lessons.

            So then, why should all of this be important to you, the students and parents? As I have mentioned several times, and I have talked about in previous posts, music lessons are a long term commitment. The lessons are not cheap, instruments are not cheap, and maintenance of instruments is not cheap. I discussed here that music lessons are a very important part in the development of children.

The studio policy is important because it is a teacher’s security. We are independent contractors who have to set aside for our own taxes, retirement, and healthcare. We have to plan this year by year based on our studio enrollment. Once we make our plans, financially speaking, we count on students to stay with us for the entire year. For those teachers who draw it up as a contract, they have a higher level of security against students leaving. At the very least, if the contract is broken, the parents and students can be taken to small claims court. I’ve heard of this happening and the teacher winning each time. However, it causes a lot of hassle for the teacher and parents alike.

For the parent and student it is important to have a studio policy in place, so that the teacher is kept accountable. Some teachers are inconsistent with their tuition, makeup lesson, or other policies. It is essential that the parents and students have something other than a verbal agreement, which they can reference. It is also important for parents because of the outline of expectations for practicing and performing that is set forth. This ensures that the parents’ financial investment in their child’s musical future is not being wasted.

The most important thing to remember when looking to enroll your child in lessons is that you should be committing to at least one year. This post isn’t written with the intent of scaring parents away from piano lessons. Rather, it is to make sure you realize the commitment level that is expected. Music teachers are human, too, and we know that life sometimes gives us unexpected hindrances. Parents might lose a job or get a job transfer. We understand those types of situations are not something that can be foreseen when committing to lessons. As long as the commitment level goes beyond “just trying it to see if we like it”, the lessons will be successful.

My Teacher Told Me How to Practice…But I Forgot!

Many times parents ask me how they can motivate their child to practice. Or if they are practicing enough. Or, my favorite, if I can change up their practice routine. That is what I try to help the student do on a weekly basis. Students come into my studio and seem to have forgotten somewhere in the last seven days how they are to practice. And so I take them to a problem spot and we work on it exactly as I want them to practice that and all problem spots at home. And they come back the next week with the same problem spots. Well, knowing from students who have followed my practice instructions that there is nothing wrong with the way that I want them to practice, I can only assume that they are not sticking to the practice plan outlined for them. And who can blame them? A thirty minute lesson of dedicated, focused instruction contains a lot of information. Far too much for me to write down every week. My hand is starting to cramp just thinking about it. Besides, who wants half of their lesson spent with the teacher writing stuff? I certainly would not! I’ve decided to write out my practice strategies for students and parents to reference at any time, so that what I write down for them can be addressing the specific problems encountered in the lesson. I have divided this up into what I consider to be a few of the biggest practice mistakes made by students and parents when they leave the lesson.

            The first practice mistake students make is waiting too long after the lesson to practice. I recommend a 15-20 minute “cool-down” practice session when you get back home. Go over all the concepts covered and outline your practice strategies. This doesn’t even require touching a piano! Look through your music, review the spots addressed in the lesson, and remind yourself of the solution to the problem.

            The second practice mistake most students make is inconsistent practicing. In order to see faster, permanent results, daily time should be set aside for diligent and focused practice. The amount of time set aside is in proportion to the amount of music assigned and the amount of time needed for you to successfully complete your practice goals. Having daily goals is essential to successful practice. Make yourself solve a couple problem areas daily, leaving time to review passages looked at previously. How much time you spend practicing is less important than how you spend that time practicing. “Smart” practicing is extremely important, which leads us to the third mistake.

          Piano (or any instrument/voice) practice is mentally taxing because we must constantly be thinking. Students often forget this and resort to a tendency to try to “play” through pieces rather than “practice” them. You must discipline yourself to isolate areas that are giving you difficulty, whether it be technical or musical. If the problem is technical, can you figure out what is wrong? Perhaps you are using the wrong fingering. Perhaps you aren’t allowing your arm weight to release into the keys. Perhaps you are not allowing the arm to move in/out, up/down, or from side to side as it needs. Perhaps you are slumping. Perhaps your wrist is out of alignment with your arm. Perhaps your fingers are curled or collapsed. Any one of these, or a combination of them, could be happening. It is important to check thoroughly and make sure you figure it out. When you do isolate the problem, practice it in isolation. Play the 3-4 beats surrounding the spot, making sure to end on a beat. Once you have it fixed, try to play it correctly 5 times in a row. This helps to solidify the correct way in your mind and in your muscle memory. If the problem is musical, practice the piece in phrases. Know how you want each phrase to sound. Be aware of the preceding and following phrases and how they relate to the one you are fixing.

Every time a problem arises, you must run through that list to discover what is happening. Once you isolate the root of the problem, you must focus on the solution to the problem, and not the problem itself. So, it becomes not only about thinking, but about how we think? Let’s say you’re playing a wrong fingering (a simple example), it’s not enough to just know that you are messing up the fingering. You must know exactly which finger(s) is to play and the note on which it is to play. And that is where you focus your thinking to solve that problem. Perhaps for one problem that isn’t such a taxation on the brain. However, for the multiple problems that arise in a piece it can get very tiring. It’s best to divide daily practice into segments no longer than 30 minutes. To get the brain to focus for even this amount of time can be difficult.  This relates back to the second practice habit; if you are practicing with your brain, you will be able to accomplish a great deal more in a short amount of time than if your brain is not actively engaged.

            The last, and perhaps most important, mistake to address is the habit of students and parents to forget to be patient while practicing. Music making is an emotionally tiring activity. The emotional portion of it comes at us from two sides. The first side is from the need to tap into that raw human emotion and incorporate it into the story which we are trying to communicate. The second side is the “superficial” emotional reactions which we have to the music we are making. I call them “superficial” not because they are invalid, but because they are subject to the success or lack thereof which we are experiencing in trying to achieve our musical goals. These emotions are the frustration associated with failure and the joy and love associated with success. These emotions are often the cause of children quitting lessons too soon; they haven’t experienced the love and joy that come from successful music making.

            Practice sessions and lessons alike must be a balance of disciplined hard work and patience as we work toward musical goals. If you are experiencing trouble with a problem spot in a practice session and you simply cannot solve it, leave it alone. Bring it to your lesson and let your teacher help you fix it.

There are so many things to say about practicing…and I will continue to say them as this blog moves forward. However, for the frustrated parent and student trying to make it work at home, this will hopefully provide some encouragement and some ideas for how to make it work. Piano lessons are a huge commitment and we piano teachers appreciate all of you parents who are willing to dedicate the time necessary, not only to get your children to lessons, but also to making daily practice happen.

Piano Lessons: An Essential Part of Being Human

            “Why should music be a part of a child’s education?” That is a question asked and answered by a myriad of books, articles, and blog entries. Have no fear! This post will ask and answer a different question: “Why do I teach music?” This is not a defense of the music teaching career path. This literally is the answer to why I, Seth Thomas, teach music. If the answer was simple enough to put into a single statement, there would be no need for the post. However, when put most concisely, the answer would be that I teach music because I believe it to be a vital part of the human experience.

            In the simplest elaboration on that statement, music is something most humans experience from the womb until the day they die. Even those born without hearing have been shown to feel the vibrations produced by certain types of music and the emotional impact it has on them. Music is a part of everyone’s life. Of course, this statement is true in the general sense of most people listening to the radio or recordings. However, we must broaden our definition of what music is. Our ears are accustomed to the music that has been handed down through the tradition of Western Art Music. Jazz, Rock, Pop, and even Rap have their roots in Western Art Music, or, as many call it, “classical” music. However, convincing many classically trained musicians to include these genres in their definition of music is difficult. In the same vein, it can also be difficult to convince those both trained and untrained that the music of other cultures is music.

Supposing the reader agrees with me thus far, I would go even further and state that the sounds we hear and make every day are music. The traffic, the sound of footsteps as we walk, the whirring of the computer as we check our social media, our neighbors talking to each other from their balconies from building to building, or a baby crying in the store as we do our grocery shopping. Perhaps it seems absurd to categorize these things as music. Perhaps even a little hippie-esque of me-which, for those of you who know me personally, is not me at all. However, all of these sounds include rhythm (the fundamental element of all music), pitch, and most importantly a story. All good music must communicate some form of story to the listeners-and it does not always do so with words. As the old saying goes, “Art imitates life”-although, I would take it further and say, “Art is life.”

            Now that music has assumed a larger definition, we can divide it into four categories. The two main categories being: 1) organized music- in other words, music that is generally thought of as music; be it classical, popular, rock, cultural, and so on- and, 2) unorganized music- that is, those everyday sounds not generally thought of as music. Each of these categories is then divided into two sub-categories: good and bad. This is where I, as a teacher, enter the scene. With all of this musical information surrounding us, it is easy to become overwhelmed. As a teacher of music, my job is to help shape students’ understanding and taste of what is good organized music and what is bad organized music. Beyond that, however, it is my responsibility to help students sort out the unorganized music and bring that into their interpretation of organized music. Again, I teeter on the edge of sounding like something I don’t brand myself as: a life-coach. Although, there are many great life lessons to be learned from music study: self-discipline, meeting of deadlines, prioritization, patience, communication, and managing nerves through preparedness, to name a few.

            As a music teacher, I hope to shape my students into good human beings who live musical lives, whatever their chosen career. Of course, as they study with me, I want to see them achieve great things at the piano. And as they grow and learn as musicians, hopefully they will grow as humans. The amount of time required to practice in order to perform a piece in a masterfully artistic manner develops strong habits of self-discipline. Students who start music lessons at a young age and continue through high school, develop a strong sense of responsibility and understanding for long-term commitments. More than most people, they understand the importance of following through on what they have agreed to do. They must develop a tremendous amount of patience, as it can take months to polish and perfect a piece for a performance that lasts only a few minutes. They must learn to communicate their musical needs to me, as well as understand how to pinpoint and verbalize their technical difficulties. From a young age, they learn the value of making a good impression in front of a group of people. They also learn how to prepare themselves and deal with nerves and anxiety in a healthy manner.

            The acquiring of the “commitment-follow through” relationship develops something which is severely lacking in modern society: a good work ethic. Very few children have to earn anything anymore. Our “no child left behind” mentality has shaken the system of earning rewards through honest, hard work. Music is one of the few experiences in which children have the opportunity to experience the benefits of putting in the time and effort necessary for success and the consequences of failing to do so. Not all music students will go on to a career in music. However, hopefully all music students will go on to have a career. And, regardless of what that career is, there will be performance expectations which have benefits and consequences attached to them. Someone who has trained to be successful is more likely to reap the benefits than someone who has been trained to receive rewards for doing nothing.

            As students learn from me, they will be challenged along the way to do yet another thing that is lacking in modern culture: think. Rather than always telling students what is right or wrong, I like to let them experiment and discover for themselves what works. Of course, I guide them along the way and help to shape their way of thinking, but it is they who must do the thinking. And probably my most important job as a music teacher is allowing students to think for themselves. Sometimes students’ thought processes are completely the opposite of what mine are. That does not make them wrong. When this occurs, I have them explain why their train of thought led them to whatever conclusion. It is equally enlightening for myself and the students, as they oftentimes don’t think about why they give the answer they do. And so, by developing these critical thinking skills, the student learns to discern the good and the bad in both the organized and unorganized realms of music.

            There are so many great reasons for me to teach music: the joy it brings to the students and those that hear them play, the understanding of the structure and form of music, the knowledge of various cultural backgrounds, and the rich history associated with much music. These are all things I love about music. And I love them because they are a part of what helps me shape young humans into a thoughtful, disciplined, committed future generation who will make the world a better place.