1. Helping students to connect emotionally to music study. (Desire)
2. Expanding their repertoire. (The Pay-off)
3. Teaching the student to enjoy practicing. (The Process)
4. Technical development. (The Tools)
5. Nuturing and developing their desire to succeed. (Primary Life-skill)
Madame Boulanger: "without desire you have nothing".
Cheers,
David
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
CFMTA Convention Report and Analysis 2009
CFMTA Convention Report and Analysis 2009
Sackville, New Brunswick
Arriving in Sackville is like arriving on a movie set of the Dick van Dyke show, or Leave it to Beaver. Lovely and quaint, with not a mall in sight is how the locals describe it. I agree.
The convention was off to a great start with a lobster cruise and dinner on a boat in the beautiful harbour of Sediac. Eighty teachers, presenters, and vendors had a delightful time learning the fine art of cooking and eating a lobster. Hint, after cooking in boiling water, immediately plunge into ice water for 10 minutes and then serve on its back.
The following day the workshops begun with my presentation “Riffs, Rags and Rumbas: Intro to Contemporary Idioms Piano Syllabus” to an enthusiastic audience. Teachers want to improvise they just don’t think they can, a pity everyone can. A person just needs help and permission to do it better. I will be presenting a three hour version of this workshop across Canada at the end of summer, including Toronto. Contact me if you would like to attend. Other centres include St. John’s, Moncton, Halifax, and Ottawa and points west.
The next highlight for me was the CFMTA National Piano Competition. One student per province competed. I’m pleased to announce that Eric Tan from Ontario made the finals. It was very instructive to listen carefully to the young musicians play with grace under fire.
Convention attendance is a highly recommended activity for all of us teachers: lots of learning, sharing, and professional growth.
Cheers,
David
Sackville, New Brunswick
Arriving in Sackville is like arriving on a movie set of the Dick van Dyke show, or Leave it to Beaver. Lovely and quaint, with not a mall in sight is how the locals describe it. I agree.
The convention was off to a great start with a lobster cruise and dinner on a boat in the beautiful harbour of Sediac. Eighty teachers, presenters, and vendors had a delightful time learning the fine art of cooking and eating a lobster. Hint, after cooking in boiling water, immediately plunge into ice water for 10 minutes and then serve on its back.
The following day the workshops begun with my presentation “Riffs, Rags and Rumbas: Intro to Contemporary Idioms Piano Syllabus” to an enthusiastic audience. Teachers want to improvise they just don’t think they can, a pity everyone can. A person just needs help and permission to do it better. I will be presenting a three hour version of this workshop across Canada at the end of summer, including Toronto. Contact me if you would like to attend. Other centres include St. John’s, Moncton, Halifax, and Ottawa and points west.
The next highlight for me was the CFMTA National Piano Competition. One student per province competed. I’m pleased to announce that Eric Tan from Ontario made the finals. It was very instructive to listen carefully to the young musicians play with grace under fire.
Convention attendance is a highly recommended activity for all of us teachers: lots of learning, sharing, and professional growth.
Cheers,
David
Saturday, July 4, 2009
How to develop musical creativity
A student asked me this question the other day, some of my thoughts:
1. Develop, maintain, and nurture your technical skills
2. Become physically fit
3. Practice being creative
4. Go to library and pick 10 cds at random, listen and ask yourself, “What is going on here?”
5. Keep practicing
6. Go to the art gallery, look and ask yourself, “What is going on here?”
7. If you are a jazz musician go to a country and western concert, if you are a classical musician go to a rap concert.
8. Balance your life, free up some mental space
9. Keep practicing
10. Play with others
11. Learn to improvise
12. If you are a jazz musician take some classical lessons, if you are a classical musician take some jazz lessons.
13. Carry a note book and pen with you, jot down your ideas
14. Take a walk in nature
15. Keep practicing
16. Hang out with creative people
17. Turn off the electronics
18. Read books on creativity
19. Find a mentor
20. Keep practicing
In short, creativity is a function of technical skill meeting a balanced and fertile mind.
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Improvisation-Its-Nature-Practice-Music-Derek-Bailey/9780306805288-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%2527music+practice%2527
1. Develop, maintain, and nurture your technical skills
2. Become physically fit
3. Practice being creative
4. Go to library and pick 10 cds at random, listen and ask yourself, “What is going on here?”
5. Keep practicing
6. Go to the art gallery, look and ask yourself, “What is going on here?”
7. If you are a jazz musician go to a country and western concert, if you are a classical musician go to a rap concert.
8. Balance your life, free up some mental space
9. Keep practicing
10. Play with others
11. Learn to improvise
12. If you are a jazz musician take some classical lessons, if you are a classical musician take some jazz lessons.
13. Carry a note book and pen with you, jot down your ideas
14. Take a walk in nature
15. Keep practicing
16. Hang out with creative people
17. Turn off the electronics
18. Read books on creativity
19. Find a mentor
20. Keep practicing
In short, creativity is a function of technical skill meeting a balanced and fertile mind.
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Improvisation-Its-Nature-Practice-Music-Derek-Bailey/9780306805288-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%2527music+practice%2527
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