Ensemble

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Piano Camp for Young Pianists

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Baroque and Beyond Piano Camp

What a great way to start summer!  It warms my heart to hear students say

“I wish piano camp would never end!”

“This is the BEST music-related camp I have ever attended.”

piano camp 2017 Baroque wig and certificate

Countless hours of preparations and late-night works paid off when I saw the smiles on students’ face in the camp.  Here is a glimpse into the camp:

  • Your child, the young pianists, will be transported back in time to Baroque and Classical eras and learn to appreciate the life and music of two great composers Bach and Beethoven.

  • Your child will learn to play and interpret music in Baroque and Classical styles.

  • Ensemble music will be selected and given to students for practice prior to the camp.  Students will have ensemble experiences and play in group with both percussion instruments and pianos.  Your child will be featured in a celebration performance at the end of the camp.

  • In addition to ensemble playing, students will have an opportunity to compose a piece of their own and play at the end of the summer camp.

  • Other than playing in ensemble, music appreciation of Bach and Beethoven, students will learn through a variety of activities such as circle focus activities, rhythm train games, composition and theory.

Schedule

Baroque Tuesday with Bach
10:00-10:10   Focus Circle Activity
10:10-11:25  Life and Music of Bach
11:30-12:00  Bach Ensemble
12:00-1:00     Lunch Break & Practice Time

1:00-1:30       Learn Baroque Ornamentation from Bach
1:30-2:00       Music Theory & Rhythm Train
2:00-2:50       You the Composer
2:50-3:00       Snack Break
3:00-3:30       Bach Ensemble
3:35-4:00       Crescendo Outdoor Blast

Classical Thursday with Beethoven
10:00-10:10 Focus Circle Activity
10:15-11:25 Life and Music of Beethoven
11:30-12:00 Bach Ensemble
12:00-1:00    Lunch Break & Practice Time

1:00-1:30       Beethoven Musical Mind
1:30-2:20       You the Composer
2:20-2:30       Snack Break
2:30-3:30       Performance Rehearsal
3:30-4:00       Finale Performance

 

Big thanks to Susan Hong!!!  I cannot have done this without her.  Susan brought such creativity, energy and great teaching to the camp.  The Baroque wig Susan designed is absolutely beautiful.  It’s a BIG hit among all the students.

Interested in learning more about the piano camp, find out here.

 

Focus Activities

(Part 2) The #1 Teaching Tool I Couldn’t Live Without

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Why is “focus activities” my TOP teaching tool?

The answer is simple.  When a student is focused and engaged, the lesson is much more productive.  Without student’s attention, even with the best lesson plan, very little can be achieved.

Have you tried the focus activity “Up Down Upside Down” introduced in the previous blog?  Are you ready to fire up your student’s focus with the second activity “Pass the Eggs?”  It’s great for parents to try with the children at home, too.

Focus Activities

In today’s short 2-minute video,  you will see “Pass the Eggs” in action and you’ll know why FOCUS activity is my #1 teaching tool of choice.  Just see the big smiles on everyone’s face.

Pass the Eggs

Pass the egg shaker to the neighbor while chanting “Shake, Shake, Pass and Take” and doing the movement at the same time.

After watching this video, please take a moment to reflect this question:

What music concepts does the student learn through “passing the eggs?”

This activity may seem very simple, however, the students are learning all these concepts: steady beat, left and right, coordination, tempo change, quarter and eighth notes, ensemble skills.

Most importantly, these music concepts are learned in a way that seems invisible to the students.  They learn through playing.  While watching the video, did you notice that when the egg was dropped on the floor accidentally, we just simply pick it up and wait for the right moment to pass the egg again?  This is the fundamental of ensemble playing.

It also shows students how to handle mistakes.  Dropping the egg is totally fine and making mistakes is totally cool.  I believe in creating a fun-loving environment that allows for mistakes. Perfection is not a learning goal.  It is more important to quickly find creative, spontaneous reaction to handle the mistake.

Please make sure to leave me a comment or feedback if you would like to see other activities.

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The activities are Dalcroze based and always require creative, quick and spontaneous reaction from the student.  If you would like to learn more about Dalcroze Eurhythmics, please visit American Eurhythmics Society website.  I regularly attend their workshop and always have an amazing experience each time.