Video to watch! Murray Perahia: Not of this World

Here's a quick link to a pretty cool German-produced video of Murray Perahia. He is one of the top pianists in the world and just amazing to listen to.  It's such an experience for our aspiring musicians to actually see and listen to world-class musicians. I bet many of you have seen what a professional athlete looks like.....have you ever seen a professional pianist in action? For $6, you can access the video for 48 hours. Might be a fun "movie night" or rainy day activity!

http://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/concert/111

Watch your favorite "Piano Adventures" piece on Youtube

Thanks to the Anderson's for this great tip:

Not feeling quite like practicing yet today?  How about some computer time! I bet by the time you get done watching a few of these great videos, your fingers will be itching to tickle those keys. Sometimes it just helps to hear or see someone else play your next lesson assignment piece.  Of course, this isn't a compromise to reading the notes, which I still want you to do! But music is listening. And listening is a skill that can be sharpened!

Check out Marc Mangino's youtube page. He is a wonderful teacher and has gone through just about every song in the Piano Adventures lesson books. In these videos he tells you about common pitfalls, what to listen for and plays the piece with a sensitive technique.  This is a great encouragement for those times when you might feel stuck, frustrated, or just plain unmotivated to practice.

I'd love to do this too at some point....very cool project!

3 Great Books for improving your At-Home Practicing

Practice Practice Practice.  After teaching for 10+ years, I'm finally starting to realize that when I say that I "teach piano" what I'm really doing is "teaching how to practice."  I'm going to try this year to avoid saying things like "just take this home and practice it this week, and show me what you come up with!"  Instead I'm going to say something like "measures 8-12 need a round of Bug Spotting followed by a game of Metronome Madness until you can play it 3 times in a row at 92."

Practicing is a lifelong skill that is developed through mindful attention to detail. It is a process of decision making, of strategy, of careful listening and evaluation. It's a wonderful gift to give our children - the skill of how to better yourself! As parents and educators, isn't that the goal?  Teach 'em to fish!

Here are a few books I have in the studio that students are welcome to page through during lessons or borrow for the week.  If you'd like to grab a copy for yourself, they make great gifts!

Practiceopedia by Philip Johnston.  This hefty book is the encyclopedia of great ideas for making practice fun and efficient.  Although it's a higher price tag, this is an awesome resource!  The writing is funny and interesting, and the ideas are sound and easy to implement. I love that he makes practicing piano into life-and-death drama! Philip makes it easy to reference ideas that fix common problems, ie "not wanting to practice" or "managing deadlines." Great for breaking a practice funk!

Not Until You've Done Your Practice by Philip Johnston and David Sutton.  If you don't want to spring for the Practiceopedia, this is a great option!  Same great ideas, just not as detailed in the description. This is one the kids can read themselves and enjoy - there are some great graphics to complement each practice strategy. Very easy to implement today!

The Piano Student's Guide to Effective Practicing, a Hal Leonard publication.  This is a full sized tri-fold brochure outlining some excellent practice strategies to use at home. This is a great reference catalogue if you need a few quick ideas for a specific problem or if you get stuck!

Bobby McFerrin at the 2009 World Science Fair

Although this has been floating around for a few years, it's definitely worth a view! We use the pentatonic scale at our first piano lesson - it's all the black keys! This is a wonderful and easy tool for improvising and creating your own songs - try it on your piano at home.