CHAT

Monday, November 28

Mozart's 12 variations on Twinkle Little Star.

Here's a great way for eight year olds to "survey" piano music: Youtube audio with music you can follow-- or least have fun trying to follow-- as you're listening. There is a great deal of value in "watching" the notes on the page even if you don't quite understand exactly where you are at any one point. Training the mind to see what the music "looks like" while hearing it must accelerate the learning process... so without further explanation... enjoy!



Email me at rick_potvin@yahoo.com with comments or questions.

There is a lot a child interested in playing piano can do before finding a piano teacher. There is so much to listen to BEFORE playing. I think the key is careful selection of particular piano pieces or piano interpretation of particular songs. Maybe a site like this could be created for a child's guidance in pre-selected assigned listening and watching via youtube. I'll have more ideas on this in the morning. --rick

Next: Oh Suzanna (American folk music) [+]


My Latest Thoughts on Children Piano Lessons at a distance

I spent some time this morning surfing the net looking for ideas on what it means to "take piano lessons" in this new Age of the Internet. I began by looking at piano teachers in L.A.

"los angeles" "piano lessons" - Google Search
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Piano lessons in Los Angeles with Bruce Siegel
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Norman Henry Mamey | Los Angeles Conductor, Composer, Los Angeles Piano Instructor
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You'll notice that the randomly selected links of the two teachers above have nice web sites but for me, these types of piano studios don't "work" in the sense they don't "grab me" and "draw me in". The second teacher, Mamey, uses a Youtube introduction-- which is good, but the song is unrecognizable. This is a big mistake. I think even children should consider tunes that are already in the American music literature-- right off the bat.

If you looked at Mamey's website, he plays a piano piece that sounds a bit to me like the Pink Panther theme. Now there's something an 8 year old could have fun with. I think a "piano lesson" should always start with a "piano performance" or at least a music presentation... which Youtube make possible locally or at a distance. I don't think that there is any subsitute anymore for listening and watching a piece of music performed on youtube, for any piano student. I think that's the crux of my conclusion this morning.

I'm going to go further than that, however, in building my latest idea on piano lessons for children, locally or at a distance, whether the child is in LA in school or at home or at the South Pole. The "big idea" that I would pass on to you this morning is this: (I get my big ideas in the morning now): A PIANO TEACHER MUST USE YOUTUBE PLAYLISTS and FAMOUS SONGS.

That's it in a nutshell. I'll explain this further later, but right now, I'm going to compile a Youtube playlist suitable for an 8 year old child piano student in L.A., from Phoenix based on Pink Panther Theme. It will be educational for the child than anything a local in person piano teacher can possibly deliver even for a lot of money. My method-- involves psychological aspects of "group identity" (of children and piano), of "monkey see monkey do" imitation (proven) and of "aspiration" (professionals are seen performing).

I'll try to get this done by around 9 am Tues... today. Thank you for your attention-- it brought some focus to my piano website again which I've been pretty neglectful of-- not having inspiration as to how to proceed. It's difficult to create a good piano lesson online experience but I'm confident that there is a way that can revolutionize all teaching. It's a matter of directing and steering attention.

8:45--- and here it is~ a youtube playlist probably about 1/2 hr. in length-- featuring various ways to consider the Pink Panther Theme. It's suitable for listening to in the background or for focused attention. And its fun. It imprints the student, no matter what age, and even the professional player like me, with elements of the song needed for playing it on piano. Orchestral versions are useful that way too.

[+]

After you've listened to the playlist of about 10 videos of 3 minutes each, you can download sheet music from many sites. [+] Easier more elementary versions exist online but I'll leave todays' session for now. See you around! --Rick

Sunday, November 27

Chico Marx stylings on Youtube Playlist-- Assignment!!!

I've been meaning to solidify my ability to teach piano lessons on the web but it's a big row to hoe. Too many problems both in terms of business enterprise and customer psychology, not to mention technical problems, prevent this from becoming a reality. Rather than shelve the idea, however, I'll "stumble forward" with whatever occurs to me from one week to the next and I'll try to get a grip on it. For today, for example, I direct piano students to this rather excellent Youtube playlist of the piano styling of Chico Marx of the Marx Brothers comedy troupe in early American film. This entry will be found at my PianoLessonsEtc.com as well.



[Tutorial]

Saturday, November 19

Electric piano at Angel's in Santa Monica.



Here's a live scene on youtube video clip - just 5 minutes - demonstrating a soft electric piano sound in the background that has a nice peculiar sound. I found Angles on a search on Twitter under keyword piano. [+] Teachers, piano retailers and bands are using twitter to update their customers and fans. I only signed onto twitter today so I'm behind the curve on this. It's actually potentially useful.

Blue Bossa



I'll be working on this song for the next few days. There was a request for it at Golden Buddha last nite and I didn't know it-- looked it up and realized I had heard it many times but didn't know its name.

We'll take a look at the chords on this over coming days.