Friday, December 18, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
16_Twinkle Lessons -Whole and Sequential Learning
Dear Parents,
Thank-you so much for the Christmas gifts. It was wonderful to see the children so happy to be giving the cards and gifts they brought.
By researching how children learn naturally and optimally we can provide the best environment and instruction to develop and expand children's ability to learn.
Dr. Suzuki named his school "Talent Education Institute" because of his realization and belief that all children with the right environment can learn music and develop "talent", or ability. In his book Where Love is Deep Dr. Suzuki says about the word "talent":
"I used the word in the sense that talent is something to be nurtured...I just used the word 'talent education' in my own way, and maybe I should say ability. But 'ability education' wouldn't make sense to anyone. If there is a better word, please tell me."
Ability education is the development of life ability-or talent at life. I use the phrase core education to refer to the same thing. The definition of the word core is:
" the central, innermost, or most essential part of anything." It is learning that enables the ability to learn which is the essential part of education. This is why I use the term "core education"
Developing talent involves preserving and nurturing the natural way children learn from birth. It is through their sensibilities that children learn. In her book Sensibility and Education, Dr. Kataoka says:
"A child can be a genius at ten, brillant at age 15, but an ordinary citizen after age twenty." (Japanese proverb) Why? The key to the answer lies in the fundamental difference between the nature of children and adults. Once we become adults, we start to accumulate knowledge which becomes the basis for our thought process and the source of our judgment. While sensibility, which is given to us by God when we are born, never fails us, knowledge, which is the wisdom of human beings, sometimes interferes with correct judgment made by sensibility. Knowledge is quite a powerful tool for us, but we should not always depend on it.. Our education must take better care of the sensibility of children so that they will not become "ordinary" adults who depend on knowledge to the extent that they ignore correct judgments made by their sensibility."
Whole learning is a process of ingesting the environment/concept all at once in an intuitive way.
It is the same principle that Dr. Kataoka refers to in learning through the senses rather than only the intellect. Children learn through touch, sound, intuition. We remember smells from our childhood that bring back vivid memories.
Babies and children learn through absorption of the total environment rather than part by part. This is also sometimes called ”right-brain learning” Whole learning is a better way to describe this absorption as it involves the right brain (learning through the senses/intuition and left brain (analytical) types of learning working together.
Whole learning is a concept which means that the child has a grasp of a concept without necessarily knowing the details or even being able to produce anything. It is this type of learning that enables a person to perceive what is going on without necessarily being able to actually say in words what is happening. In learning language, babies are absorbing the environment and understand long before they are able to articulate. Children in general understand feelings even when they do not know exactly what is being said.
So, "knowledge" in this way is not really measurable. Students who learn primarily this way may not always do well on a test. However, given a practical situation they may be able to cope with the problem solving issues that another student going by the textbook answers would be unable to solve. This is how a person can be in a completely foreign country where they do not speak the language,yet be able to communicate and act appropriately without ever learning the customs or being told the protocol.
Contrast this with how a person can grow up to be completely unaware of how other people are thinking/feeling/perceiving, or unable to make good judgments. We see this in real life all the time and wonder how to educate children to make wise judgments in the complexities of day to day reality.
In music study, it is being able to understand and speak the language of music without necessarily knowing what a dotted quarter note is or the actual definition of all those Italian terms. Of course this knowledge is important. However, the child who learns holistically can play freely without the burden of too much thinking in the way.
The principle of skill development or sequence learning is the aspect of learning that develops ability. It is the principle that the most fundamental aspect in a child’s learning must always be addressed rather than focusing on the content of what is being learned. This is the balancing concept of whole learning and involves understanding of learning in relationship to sequencing and the development of ability through the acquisition of foundation skills. It is step by step that one can execute an ability whether it is playing piano, tennis, math or any endeavor that involves skill development. Without this we become a society of people that have knowledge, but fail to actualize that knowledge into ability.
Dr. Suzuki says:
"We may be able to say in an adult life, in many cases, is a life in which one cannot practice what one knows to be good."
When you hear a great pianist such as Marc-Andre Hamelin perform (last Tuesday evening) it is so inspiring because he puts everyone in the audience in this state of direct experience with the music. Obviously he has done a lot of study because in addition to playing completely freely he has an unbelievable skill level that has taken hard work, diligence and time. On the side of this blog I have posted a video of him performing a piece that he played on Tuesday evening.
So, we are always balancing whole learning where the person has an overall sense of the situation and learns freely/naturally with sequential learning where the ability to do something is developed with day to day practice and diligence.
In relation to the children's learning at this point in time:
Whole Learning: Continue to have listening on all day even as the holiday is busy and there may be less actual focus time at the piano. Sing solfege in the car with the disc. This absorption or internalization of the pieces is the "ready" for playing the melodies which we will begin after the holidays.
In practice to help students learn holistically allow them to experiment with finding the notes to the new pieces without any assistance. Allow the child to make mistakes without any judgment, but as a natural part of the learning process the way we know a baby will take a step and then fall down. Be careful not to give too many verbal instructions.
Sequential Learning/Skill Development When we are assigning spot practice we are using sequential steps to build ability. This is the Twinkles with "ready-go" part of the practice right now and occupies most of the practice at this point. To help students in sequential learning continue to write down the specific points from the lesson and mark off the assignment sheet with the sticker to show that the assignment is completed as assigned. Also give specific affirmations such as "When you moved your finger the sound/tone was really good."
*Please be sure in the ready position on thumb that the fingers are relaxed and not closed in a tight position. When the fingers are tight and the thumb plays there is a strong tendency to then put the thumb over top of the fingers when going to the next finger-finger #4. (Try it)
The thumb should never be over top of the fingers or else the fingers are unable to move when it is their time to play.
As parents and teachers we have the response ability to provide the environment for whole learning and the structure to enable sequential learning and develop life ability.
The holidays are a wonderful whole learning experience for children.
Happy Holidays!
Click Here for the link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Thank-you so much for the Christmas gifts. It was wonderful to see the children so happy to be giving the cards and gifts they brought.
By researching how children learn naturally and optimally we can provide the best environment and instruction to develop and expand children's ability to learn.
Dr. Suzuki named his school "Talent Education Institute" because of his realization and belief that all children with the right environment can learn music and develop "talent", or ability. In his book Where Love is Deep Dr. Suzuki says about the word "talent":
"I used the word in the sense that talent is something to be nurtured...I just used the word 'talent education' in my own way, and maybe I should say ability. But 'ability education' wouldn't make sense to anyone. If there is a better word, please tell me."
Ability education is the development of life ability-or talent at life. I use the phrase core education to refer to the same thing. The definition of the word core is:
" the central, innermost, or most essential part of anything." It is learning that enables the ability to learn which is the essential part of education. This is why I use the term "core education"
Developing talent involves preserving and nurturing the natural way children learn from birth. It is through their sensibilities that children learn. In her book Sensibility and Education, Dr. Kataoka says:
"A child can be a genius at ten, brillant at age 15, but an ordinary citizen after age twenty." (Japanese proverb) Why? The key to the answer lies in the fundamental difference between the nature of children and adults. Once we become adults, we start to accumulate knowledge which becomes the basis for our thought process and the source of our judgment. While sensibility, which is given to us by God when we are born, never fails us, knowledge, which is the wisdom of human beings, sometimes interferes with correct judgment made by sensibility. Knowledge is quite a powerful tool for us, but we should not always depend on it.. Our education must take better care of the sensibility of children so that they will not become "ordinary" adults who depend on knowledge to the extent that they ignore correct judgments made by their sensibility."
Whole learning is a process of ingesting the environment/concept all at once in an intuitive way.
It is the same principle that Dr. Kataoka refers to in learning through the senses rather than only the intellect. Children learn through touch, sound, intuition. We remember smells from our childhood that bring back vivid memories.
Babies and children learn through absorption of the total environment rather than part by part. This is also sometimes called ”right-brain learning” Whole learning is a better way to describe this absorption as it involves the right brain (learning through the senses/intuition and left brain (analytical) types of learning working together.
Whole learning is a concept which means that the child has a grasp of a concept without necessarily knowing the details or even being able to produce anything. It is this type of learning that enables a person to perceive what is going on without necessarily being able to actually say in words what is happening. In learning language, babies are absorbing the environment and understand long before they are able to articulate. Children in general understand feelings even when they do not know exactly what is being said.
So, "knowledge" in this way is not really measurable. Students who learn primarily this way may not always do well on a test. However, given a practical situation they may be able to cope with the problem solving issues that another student going by the textbook answers would be unable to solve. This is how a person can be in a completely foreign country where they do not speak the language,yet be able to communicate and act appropriately without ever learning the customs or being told the protocol.
Contrast this with how a person can grow up to be completely unaware of how other people are thinking/feeling/perceiving, or unable to make good judgments. We see this in real life all the time and wonder how to educate children to make wise judgments in the complexities of day to day reality.
In music study, it is being able to understand and speak the language of music without necessarily knowing what a dotted quarter note is or the actual definition of all those Italian terms. Of course this knowledge is important. However, the child who learns holistically can play freely without the burden of too much thinking in the way.
The principle of skill development or sequence learning is the aspect of learning that develops ability. It is the principle that the most fundamental aspect in a child’s learning must always be addressed rather than focusing on the content of what is being learned. This is the balancing concept of whole learning and involves understanding of learning in relationship to sequencing and the development of ability through the acquisition of foundation skills. It is step by step that one can execute an ability whether it is playing piano, tennis, math or any endeavor that involves skill development. Without this we become a society of people that have knowledge, but fail to actualize that knowledge into ability.
Dr. Suzuki says:
"We may be able to say in an adult life, in many cases, is a life in which one cannot practice what one knows to be good."
When you hear a great pianist such as Marc-Andre Hamelin perform (last Tuesday evening) it is so inspiring because he puts everyone in the audience in this state of direct experience with the music. Obviously he has done a lot of study because in addition to playing completely freely he has an unbelievable skill level that has taken hard work, diligence and time. On the side of this blog I have posted a video of him performing a piece that he played on Tuesday evening.
So, we are always balancing whole learning where the person has an overall sense of the situation and learns freely/naturally with sequential learning where the ability to do something is developed with day to day practice and diligence.
In relation to the children's learning at this point in time:
Whole Learning: Continue to have listening on all day even as the holiday is busy and there may be less actual focus time at the piano. Sing solfege in the car with the disc. This absorption or internalization of the pieces is the "ready" for playing the melodies which we will begin after the holidays.
In practice to help students learn holistically allow them to experiment with finding the notes to the new pieces without any assistance. Allow the child to make mistakes without any judgment, but as a natural part of the learning process the way we know a baby will take a step and then fall down. Be careful not to give too many verbal instructions.
Sequential Learning/Skill Development When we are assigning spot practice we are using sequential steps to build ability. This is the Twinkles with "ready-go" part of the practice right now and occupies most of the practice at this point. To help students in sequential learning continue to write down the specific points from the lesson and mark off the assignment sheet with the sticker to show that the assignment is completed as assigned. Also give specific affirmations such as "When you moved your finger the sound/tone was really good."
*Please be sure in the ready position on thumb that the fingers are relaxed and not closed in a tight position. When the fingers are tight and the thumb plays there is a strong tendency to then put the thumb over top of the fingers when going to the next finger-finger #4. (Try it)
The thumb should never be over top of the fingers or else the fingers are unable to move when it is their time to play.
As parents and teachers we have the response ability to provide the environment for whole learning and the structure to enable sequential learning and develop life ability.
The holidays are a wonderful whole learning experience for children.
Happy Holidays!
Click Here for the link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
15_Twinkle Lessons-Applying the Integral Learning Concept
Dear Parents,
Last week I pointed out that December is a good month for the children to be able to absorb and integrate the skills that we have been working on since the beginning of the school year. It would also be good for you to review what has been in the previous blogs and relate it to your child's lessons.
On the Assignment:
Mental: You can follow through the group lesson activity of making alphabet/solfege snakes by starting on the lowest note of the piano "A" and saying the names of every white note. Then you can go back and do it again saying the solfege starting with "la". Also, please continue finger numbers daily even though I did not do them with every student in the lessons.
Physical: The most important point I see for all the children right now is that there is enough time in the ready where the body becomes still. Actually this point will probably be true all the way through learning Book 1. So much learning is going on in the "ready" when it seems that nothing is happening. Because, "nothing" is the point of ready. You could also think of it as "everything" because they are two sides of the same thing. In"ready" the body finds balance in the position, the mind settles down from outside thoughts, and there is a feeling/awareness of the moment. The sound is internalized as intention. Then on "go" the student is on the natural rhythm.
When there is good body balance in the ready position the student can achieve the best sound. So, you will notice that I am always working to find the best position. I am deciding this by any tension I see, how the fingers are moving, and also by the sound the student is making. As you work with your child on the body balance in the ready position you will come to know when the position will produce the best sound.
So, the most important point to teach is tone/sound. The sound has vibration that rings and affects the human being on many levels. It is produced with a balanced body, a clear mind, a soft heart, and hearing awareness.
Spiritual/Inspiration:
Play beautiful music in your home. The Nutcracker recording I recommended last week performed on 2 pianos with Martha Argerich is a wonderful recording that you will use for many years. On the side of this blog are You-tube links to that recording so that you can listen to it. I highly recommend buying the recording, so am putting the links on the side of this blog to inspire you to order it.
I was very happy this week when I played my arrangement of the Pachelbel Canon/ First Noel for the children that a couple students recognized the Pachelbel Canon .
Emotional: The children love working out the new songs. I think the solfege singing has facilitated their ability to do this. Please continue singing solfege and naming the songs on the recording as you hear them.
Also, it is wonderful if the students can share their own music with others. Each holiday I ask parents to make recording of their children playing piano to give to friends and family, post on Facebook, etc. It is fun to make a compilation of videos over several years as a Christmas present so even if the beginners aren't playing songs yet it will be good to have the beginning steps recorded. Twinkle Twinkle is a fine Holiday song!
Please read this article written and revised over the years:
The Gift of Giving
Environment:
Outside noise does effect the ability to concentrate. Ideally one can focus totally and not be distracted. However when there is quiet it is much easier to open up to the sound of the piano in the room. The children have become much more adjusted to being quiet in the studio. This week there was definitely more energy in the air with the Christmas decorations up. As the Christmas season becomes more busy, let's work to make the studio quiet during lessons. Then in between the lessons as we are changing students it is fine to talk. The bow at the beginning is the signal for the room to become quiet, and the bow at the end is the signal that it is ok to move around and talk.
Happy Holidays!
Leah Brammer
Click Here for the link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Last week I pointed out that December is a good month for the children to be able to absorb and integrate the skills that we have been working on since the beginning of the school year. It would also be good for you to review what has been in the previous blogs and relate it to your child's lessons.
On the Assignment:
Mental: You can follow through the group lesson activity of making alphabet/solfege snakes by starting on the lowest note of the piano "A" and saying the names of every white note. Then you can go back and do it again saying the solfege starting with "la". Also, please continue finger numbers daily even though I did not do them with every student in the lessons.
Physical: The most important point I see for all the children right now is that there is enough time in the ready where the body becomes still. Actually this point will probably be true all the way through learning Book 1. So much learning is going on in the "ready" when it seems that nothing is happening. Because, "nothing" is the point of ready. You could also think of it as "everything" because they are two sides of the same thing. In"ready" the body finds balance in the position, the mind settles down from outside thoughts, and there is a feeling/awareness of the moment. The sound is internalized as intention. Then on "go" the student is on the natural rhythm.
When there is good body balance in the ready position the student can achieve the best sound. So, you will notice that I am always working to find the best position. I am deciding this by any tension I see, how the fingers are moving, and also by the sound the student is making. As you work with your child on the body balance in the ready position you will come to know when the position will produce the best sound.
So, the most important point to teach is tone/sound. The sound has vibration that rings and affects the human being on many levels. It is produced with a balanced body, a clear mind, a soft heart, and hearing awareness.
Spiritual/Inspiration:
Play beautiful music in your home. The Nutcracker recording I recommended last week performed on 2 pianos with Martha Argerich is a wonderful recording that you will use for many years. On the side of this blog are You-tube links to that recording so that you can listen to it. I highly recommend buying the recording, so am putting the links on the side of this blog to inspire you to order it.
I was very happy this week when I played my arrangement of the Pachelbel Canon/ First Noel for the children that a couple students recognized the Pachelbel Canon .
Emotional: The children love working out the new songs. I think the solfege singing has facilitated their ability to do this. Please continue singing solfege and naming the songs on the recording as you hear them.
Also, it is wonderful if the students can share their own music with others. Each holiday I ask parents to make recording of their children playing piano to give to friends and family, post on Facebook, etc. It is fun to make a compilation of videos over several years as a Christmas present so even if the beginners aren't playing songs yet it will be good to have the beginning steps recorded. Twinkle Twinkle is a fine Holiday song!
Please read this article written and revised over the years:
The Gift of Giving
Environment:
Outside noise does effect the ability to concentrate. Ideally one can focus totally and not be distracted. However when there is quiet it is much easier to open up to the sound of the piano in the room. The children have become much more adjusted to being quiet in the studio. This week there was definitely more energy in the air with the Christmas decorations up. As the Christmas season becomes more busy, let's work to make the studio quiet during lessons. Then in between the lessons as we are changing students it is fine to talk. The bow at the beginning is the signal for the room to become quiet, and the bow at the end is the signal that it is ok to move around and talk.
Happy Holidays!
Leah Brammer
Click Here for the link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Friday, December 4, 2009
14_Twinkle Lessons - Integral Learning
The month of December is a good month for integration and absorption of skills.
The skills already learned can become easy and natural through the depth of learning that comes with time. Dr. Suzuki says: "Never hurry, don't be lazy" This is a good time to balance the busy holidays with practice sessions that do not hurry to the next skill.
Dr. Suzuki also said:"Knowledge plus 10,000 times equals ability."
Core Education is direct experience that integrates the mental realm with the physical and develops ability. Connecting the sound with the physical action is an integration of the physical with the mental and leads to an integration with the emotional and inspirational.
When the ability to play is developed so that the thinking and physical movements are not occupying the persons total concentration, but are integrated into the experience the student can "play by heart".
At this time it is important for the skills acquired be repeated enough times that they become a framework for other learning which will be built on top of it. The "framework" can also be compared to the software on a computer, or a map. Children's brains are forming the neural pathways that are like highways for later traffic. It is much harder for adults to acquire new frameworks -like learning a new language for example or using technical devices.
This is why childhood is so important.
The framework for playing piano is being developed through playing the Twinkles.
It is so wonderful that the Twinkles develop both pattern memory (the sequence of the notes in Twinkle) and pattern differentiation (the rhythms in the variations).
This absorption of the learning will enable the child to apply the framework of producing sounds to the new pieces.
Teaching legato is perhaps the most difficult and most important task to teach beginning piano students. When students play staccato it is much easier to relax the hand. When students first play legato there is a strong tendency to keep "pushing" to hold the note down.
Dr. Kataoka relates playing legato to walking:
"For legato, all we need is to do with the fingers on the keyboard what we do with our legs when we walk normally. Human beings are not naturally stiff and do not find it hard to move. Normal people shift their body weight from one leg to the other with true dexterity, and walk lightly while smoothly balancing the body. It is the same with the fingers."
This is a useful analogy and it is good to walk around noticing how your legs move smoothly without stopping as the weight shifts. Also notice how important your feet movement is and compare this to the first joint of your finger or fingerpad.
Another important aspect of legato is the movement of the thumb. Dr. Kataoka used to say "Don't play piano like a monkey!" to students (and teachers) because they didn't move their thumb. She was fascinated at how students used their thumbs when texting on their cell phones.(it was popular in Japan before it was in the US) To play legato the thumb also has to connect the sounds by moving and not pushing. The movement is sideways the way that the hand naturally grasps or picks up something. If you try this you can observe how the thumb moves differently from the other fingers. When playing the piano this movement becomes unnatural because the sideways movement also must make the key go down in order to produce sound.
The connection of the physical feeling of the finger moving with the continuation of the sound enables direct playing so that the piano effectively becomes the voice. The sound and the movement become the same thing. The child makes this connection of how the movement of the fingers and body directly affects the sound in a similar way to how a baby learns to move it's mouth and tongue to produce different sounds.
The first step is the internalized sound. Please listen to the disc on low volume all the time.
Then by directing attention to the sound as much as possible in practice and in lessons, the child learns naturally how to move the body to get the sound that they want.
Here is a recent NPR article "Musicians Hear Better" which cites current research being done on the development of auditory discernment through studying music
Dr. Mark Jude Tramo, a professor of neurology at Harvard and director of the Institute for Music & Brain Science says in the article : A musician "is going to be able to do better on any task that involves auditory concentration."
For holiday listening I would like to recommend a wonderful disc with pianist Martha Argerich performing Tchaikovsky"s Nutcracker suite with Nicolas Economou in the two piano version as well as Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto #1 with the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra. It is the first disc on the Listening Recommendations page of this website.
I hope you are enjoying the journey of this research. Thank-you for you attention to it.
Leah Brammer
Click Here for the link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
The skills already learned can become easy and natural through the depth of learning that comes with time. Dr. Suzuki says: "Never hurry, don't be lazy" This is a good time to balance the busy holidays with practice sessions that do not hurry to the next skill.
Dr. Suzuki also said:"Knowledge plus 10,000 times equals ability."
Core Education is direct experience that integrates the mental realm with the physical and develops ability. Connecting the sound with the physical action is an integration of the physical with the mental and leads to an integration with the emotional and inspirational.
When the ability to play is developed so that the thinking and physical movements are not occupying the persons total concentration, but are integrated into the experience the student can "play by heart".
At this time it is important for the skills acquired be repeated enough times that they become a framework for other learning which will be built on top of it. The "framework" can also be compared to the software on a computer, or a map. Children's brains are forming the neural pathways that are like highways for later traffic. It is much harder for adults to acquire new frameworks -like learning a new language for example or using technical devices.
This is why childhood is so important.
The framework for playing piano is being developed through playing the Twinkles.
It is so wonderful that the Twinkles develop both pattern memory (the sequence of the notes in Twinkle) and pattern differentiation (the rhythms in the variations).
This absorption of the learning will enable the child to apply the framework of producing sounds to the new pieces.
Teaching legato is perhaps the most difficult and most important task to teach beginning piano students. When students play staccato it is much easier to relax the hand. When students first play legato there is a strong tendency to keep "pushing" to hold the note down.
Dr. Kataoka relates playing legato to walking:
"For legato, all we need is to do with the fingers on the keyboard what we do with our legs when we walk normally. Human beings are not naturally stiff and do not find it hard to move. Normal people shift their body weight from one leg to the other with true dexterity, and walk lightly while smoothly balancing the body. It is the same with the fingers."
This is a useful analogy and it is good to walk around noticing how your legs move smoothly without stopping as the weight shifts. Also notice how important your feet movement is and compare this to the first joint of your finger or fingerpad.
Another important aspect of legato is the movement of the thumb. Dr. Kataoka used to say "Don't play piano like a monkey!" to students (and teachers) because they didn't move their thumb. She was fascinated at how students used their thumbs when texting on their cell phones.(it was popular in Japan before it was in the US) To play legato the thumb also has to connect the sounds by moving and not pushing. The movement is sideways the way that the hand naturally grasps or picks up something. If you try this you can observe how the thumb moves differently from the other fingers. When playing the piano this movement becomes unnatural because the sideways movement also must make the key go down in order to produce sound.
The connection of the physical feeling of the finger moving with the continuation of the sound enables direct playing so that the piano effectively becomes the voice. The sound and the movement become the same thing. The child makes this connection of how the movement of the fingers and body directly affects the sound in a similar way to how a baby learns to move it's mouth and tongue to produce different sounds.
The first step is the internalized sound. Please listen to the disc on low volume all the time.
Then by directing attention to the sound as much as possible in practice and in lessons, the child learns naturally how to move the body to get the sound that they want.
Here is a recent NPR article "Musicians Hear Better" which cites current research being done on the development of auditory discernment through studying music
Dr. Mark Jude Tramo, a professor of neurology at Harvard and director of the Institute for Music & Brain Science says in the article : A musician "is going to be able to do better on any task that involves auditory concentration."
For holiday listening I would like to recommend a wonderful disc with pianist Martha Argerich performing Tchaikovsky"s Nutcracker suite with Nicolas Economou in the two piano version as well as Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto #1 with the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra. It is the first disc on the Listening Recommendations page of this website.
I hope you are enjoying the journey of this research. Thank-you for you attention to it.
Leah Brammer
Click Here for the link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Monday, November 16, 2009
13_Twinkle Lessons - November 17, 2009 - Happy Thanksgiving
Dr. Suzuki said "Only practice on the days that you eat".
From looking at the practice sheets I can see that see that the children are practicing daily. So, about now the daily habit should be getting easier-just in time for the holidays...music becomes a part of every day.
As my children were growing up holidays were special concert days instead of the regular practice. All the family would gather for the performance. It turned out that this became an event that evolved into making up a program to give out, getting out the video etc. So getting ready for the performance was important too.
Whether your child is doing make-up songs, Twinkles, or the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody this is a wonderful way to acknowledge your child's efforts in a relatively pressure free situation. Grandparents usually can enjoy each little step and children enjoy playing for them because of this. If you are away at friends or family there may not be an adjustable bench and footstool, or even only a keyboard is available. Not to worry. Flexibility is good.
It is good to keep these occasions very relaxed and in the spirit of the holiday. The most important point is to really enjoy this time as it is and then your child will enjoy the attention, feel good about sharing their music, and want to do it again in the future.
If you are traveling away from home be sure to take the disc/listening. Long trips are perfect for extra listening, and a good chance to listen to the "Suzuki favorites" disc, or the Mozart Concerto.
This holiday I am very grateful for my wonderful students and parents!
Happy Thanksgiving.
Leah Brammer
Click here for link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
From looking at the practice sheets I can see that see that the children are practicing daily. So, about now the daily habit should be getting easier-just in time for the holidays...music becomes a part of every day.
As my children were growing up holidays were special concert days instead of the regular practice. All the family would gather for the performance. It turned out that this became an event that evolved into making up a program to give out, getting out the video etc. So getting ready for the performance was important too.
Whether your child is doing make-up songs, Twinkles, or the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody this is a wonderful way to acknowledge your child's efforts in a relatively pressure free situation. Grandparents usually can enjoy each little step and children enjoy playing for them because of this. If you are away at friends or family there may not be an adjustable bench and footstool, or even only a keyboard is available. Not to worry. Flexibility is good.
It is good to keep these occasions very relaxed and in the spirit of the holiday. The most important point is to really enjoy this time as it is and then your child will enjoy the attention, feel good about sharing their music, and want to do it again in the future.
If you are traveling away from home be sure to take the disc/listening. Long trips are perfect for extra listening, and a good chance to listen to the "Suzuki favorites" disc, or the Mozart Concerto.
This holiday I am very grateful for my wonderful students and parents!
Happy Thanksgiving.
Leah Brammer
Click here for link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Friday, November 13, 2009
12_Twinkle Lessons - Fertilizing the roots
Dear Parents,
Dr. Kataoka said "The beginning is most important" (1) The sound/tone is being absorbed, physical movements are being imprinted, and the emotional habits are taking form. The mental construct forms the relationship between the physical condition, the emotional feeling and the aural sensibility.
In his book "Where Love is Deep" (2) Dr. Suzuki answers questions in an interview:
Dr. Suzuki's development of the Twinkle Variations for the beginning steps is a crucial part of the Suzuki method. By using an international folk song upon which he developed the variations containing the basics of tone production, Dr. Suzuki set out both a method and a philosophy of learning in the same piece.
Dr. Suzuki discusses the importance of the "preparation" habit (3). This preparation or "ready" allows the student to find the natural physical position, and to become ready inside by quieting the mind. Little by little this preparation time becomes shorter, and then immediate or instinctive. Ultimately when the student plays without stops, the concentration and body balance are learned from this practice of preparing for each note, and the fluency of playing becomes natural and without tension.
When the student practices with the "ready-go" method they are able to put their whole concentration into the physical-aural connection of making tone on one note. They do not have to think about the reading or even the sequence of the notes. Because they are playing only one note, they can learn to balance the body without tension and listen for the tone rather than thinking about which note to play next.
If the student is engaged to listen for subtle differences in the sound and how their body works to produce the sound, they will be absorbed in the process. This is an an observation of what is happening rather than a judgment about whether they are right or wrong, In this way the child is naturally concentrating and a lot can be accomplished in a relatively short amount of time.
On the assignment:
finger numbers: Please continue even if it seems easy. Please do both hands. It needs to be repeated until it is 100% memorized without thought. This is the prerequisite to playing notes in a sequence as it develops the awareness of each fingers individual capacity.
Ready Position: This is getting easier now as the physical position is memorized and the mind can become still. It is a very good beginning to the practice.
Please continue.
Twinkle A -Sing the rhythm for your child to set a tempo if they are playing too fast and not hearing each note. Too slow is just as difficult as too fast, so experiment with this. Basically slightly slower than the recording at this point is probably good. You can also use the tempo from the video recording of the lesson.
Twinkle B: It is good to keep the long note practice. This is a listening practice. Notice when your child begins to have a relaxed hand after playing the note rather than continuing to push the key down with extra pressure. The sound will be better. Bring their awareness to this.
Twinkle C: This rhythm is slight more difficult than Twinkle A and is good for discrimination. Last week one of the students was mixing up the two rhythms when I began teaching Twinkle C.
So, please put the Twinkle recording on repeat. Clap the rhythms and name them "Twinkle A, Twinkle B, Twinkle C, Twinkle D or Twinkle Twinkle.
Following is a recording of Walter Giseking performing a set of Twinkle Variations written by Mozart that I have been listening to while writing this blog.
This recording is available through Amazon on the Recommended Recordings page of my website. It is in a box set and includes pieces from Book 7 including another set of variations written by Mozart in the Sonata K331.
Bibliography-
(1) Sensibility and Education - page 25
(2) Where Love is Deep-page 122 (out of print)
(3) The Suzuki Concept -page 44 (oriented more for violin study)
Click Here for link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Dr. Kataoka said "The beginning is most important" (1) The sound/tone is being absorbed, physical movements are being imprinted, and the emotional habits are taking form. The mental construct forms the relationship between the physical condition, the emotional feeling and the aural sensibility.
In his book "Where Love is Deep" (2) Dr. Suzuki answers questions in an interview:
Hatano:So your aim is to bring the violin into children's lives and to foster their ability while letting them enjoy their lives.
Suzuki:Yes. And we always keep our eyes on the growing ability. Take sound for example. We watch the development of the child's sound: how his sound changes to finer sound, how refined his motion can be, how musical he can be.
Suppose we grow plants, we plant a seedling and watch it's root rather than it's leaves and branches. We watch the invisible expansion of it's root, water and fertilize the root. To foster what we can't see-- that is our aim. If we do that, a fine root can grow, though with few leaves, on a single teaching material and eventually it will become a larger tree. So, although we may use limited teaching materials, we aim at sturdy growth. If instead the basic stage is handled roughly, the growth may be smooth to a certain point, but then it will curve and stop after that, since the root is small.
Dr. Suzuki's development of the Twinkle Variations for the beginning steps is a crucial part of the Suzuki method. By using an international folk song upon which he developed the variations containing the basics of tone production, Dr. Suzuki set out both a method and a philosophy of learning in the same piece.
Dr. Suzuki discusses the importance of the "preparation" habit (3). This preparation or "ready" allows the student to find the natural physical position, and to become ready inside by quieting the mind. Little by little this preparation time becomes shorter, and then immediate or instinctive. Ultimately when the student plays without stops, the concentration and body balance are learned from this practice of preparing for each note, and the fluency of playing becomes natural and without tension.
When the student practices with the "ready-go" method they are able to put their whole concentration into the physical-aural connection of making tone on one note. They do not have to think about the reading or even the sequence of the notes. Because they are playing only one note, they can learn to balance the body without tension and listen for the tone rather than thinking about which note to play next.
If the student is engaged to listen for subtle differences in the sound and how their body works to produce the sound, they will be absorbed in the process. This is an an observation of what is happening rather than a judgment about whether they are right or wrong, In this way the child is naturally concentrating and a lot can be accomplished in a relatively short amount of time.
On the assignment:
finger numbers: Please continue even if it seems easy. Please do both hands. It needs to be repeated until it is 100% memorized without thought. This is the prerequisite to playing notes in a sequence as it develops the awareness of each fingers individual capacity.
Ready Position: This is getting easier now as the physical position is memorized and the mind can become still. It is a very good beginning to the practice.
Please continue.
Twinkle A -Sing the rhythm for your child to set a tempo if they are playing too fast and not hearing each note. Too slow is just as difficult as too fast, so experiment with this. Basically slightly slower than the recording at this point is probably good. You can also use the tempo from the video recording of the lesson.
Twinkle B: It is good to keep the long note practice. This is a listening practice. Notice when your child begins to have a relaxed hand after playing the note rather than continuing to push the key down with extra pressure. The sound will be better. Bring their awareness to this.
Twinkle C: This rhythm is slight more difficult than Twinkle A and is good for discrimination. Last week one of the students was mixing up the two rhythms when I began teaching Twinkle C.
So, please put the Twinkle recording on repeat. Clap the rhythms and name them "Twinkle A, Twinkle B, Twinkle C, Twinkle D or Twinkle Twinkle.
Following is a recording of Walter Giseking performing a set of Twinkle Variations written by Mozart that I have been listening to while writing this blog.
This recording is available through Amazon on the Recommended Recordings page of my website. It is in a box set and includes pieces from Book 7 including another set of variations written by Mozart in the Sonata K331.
Bibliography-
(1) Sensibility and Education - page 25
(2) Where Love is Deep-page 122 (out of print)
(3) The Suzuki Concept -page 44 (oriented more for violin study)
Click Here for link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Marc-Andre Hamelin -Herbst Theatre- December 15!
Marc-Andre Hamelin's concert is definitely not to be missed. The City Box Office promo says of Hamelin:"A Startlingly original blend of virtuosity and power has earned this Canadian artist legendary status. Long known for his matchless exploration of unfamiliar piano terrain, Hamelin is now universally recognized for the depth and originality of his interpretations of Classical and Romantic repertoire."
Here is the program:
Haydn: Variations in F minor, hob. XVII:6
Mozart: Sonata in A minor, K310
Liszt: Venezia e Napoli, from Annees de Pelerinage
Faure: Nocturne No.6, Op. 63
Alkan: Symphonie for Solo Piano
Here is hamelin performing Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody #2
Tickets are almost sold out. See you there!
City Box Office tickets for Marc-Andre Hamelin on December 15
Here is the program:
Haydn: Variations in F minor, hob. XVII:6
Mozart: Sonata in A minor, K310
Liszt: Venezia e Napoli, from Annees de Pelerinage
Faure: Nocturne No.6, Op. 63
Alkan: Symphonie for Solo Piano
Here is hamelin performing Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody #2
Tickets are almost sold out. See you there!
City Box Office tickets for Marc-Andre Hamelin on December 15
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
11_Twinkle Lessons -Discrimination
Dear Parents,
The boys really enjoyed the class this week. They have gotten much better with the rhythms, singing the solfege and are recognizing the pieces. Being able to recognize and name the pieces is very good for sound discrimination.
On Practice time:
Some students are now able to figure out the notes of the songs on the piano. Please continue to let them do this as it develops their ability to hear sound patterns and find them on the piano. It also drives their motivation to play. So, this independence is important for their overall progress even as it reinforces some physical habits we are trying to evolve. Three points are important to make this activity beneficial:
1. They need to hear the disc many hours a day so that the tone on the recording is the internalized sound they are trying to produce on the piano.
2. They are doing it on their own without instruction. In this way they will not go too far beyond what they can naturally do.
3. Separate this free time to figure out songs from the structured practice time. You can do this simply by taking a bow before and after the actual "practice".
Learning Suzuki method enables a child to play in the "Flow" without words in the way of the experience. This happens if we do not give them too many instructions.
So, anytime you can use a physical que this helps. Please use a soft hand to help them find the correct posture. Then, you can speak softly with a few key reminder phrases that you get from the lessons. This way your voice does not interfere with the sound of the piano.
On the Bow: Please continue to improve the bow by asking for one point such as "please look down when you bow", or "eyes at the end please".
On the Twinkles: Please have them listen for different kinds of sounds.
Twinkle A is all short sounds. When the finger releases the sound the hand relaxes. Teaching short sounds first imprints the physical movement so that the hand does not hold stiffness after the sound is played. Playing the short sound with a good tone is like throwing the dart into the very middle of the dart board. Playing becomes focused and accurate from this practice.
Please ask your child to listen for every sound to be short. When they finish that one pattern ask them if all of the sounds were short. If they say no, please affirm that they have very good hearing! This listening and knowing what has been played develops concentration and discrimination.
Twinkle B the first step is to listen for the long sounds, and practice long sounds. Through this practice they will begin to relax on the long note and not hold the note down with tension. Notice when the sound is really good.
After they are playing the rhythm with the long sound you can direct their attention to the short sounds. Was the first note really short? "I thought so too."
If you practice Twinkles this way they will not become boring. They are of course work. But they will remain interesting. The key is that the practice is affirming what the sound was, how the finger moved etc. in a neutral way with non-judgment about the child. By involving the child in the process of this knowing we are enabling them.
Dr. Kataoka says:
Here is a link to a great article written about the Twinkles by Dr. Kataoka:
Dr. Kataokas article on Twinkles
I posted a video of Marc-Andre Hamelin performing the Hungarian Rhapsody #2 by Liszt with his own original cadenza. Please watch it if you have not already.
Below is the same piece performed at the 2007 10 Piano Concert in Sacramento. You may recognize parts of it as the "Bugs bunny/Tom and Jerry song.
Andrew Loo who you have seen in previous posts is performing as well as my daughter Bria. The 10 Piano Concerts are a very special part of studying Suzuki Piano. This is a very fun piece and is a wonderful opportunity for the children to "play with one heart"
Part 1
Part 2
Again, thanks so much for taking the time to read these posts, to watch the videos and to work with your children daily. This is a big job, perhaps more than you previously imagined. The benefits will be seen many years from now, but also please enjoy the process too. As a mother of two grown children I have felt how long a practice time can be and how short a time it is from childhood to adulthood. They are both true. You are all doing a wonderful job.
Leah Brammer
Click here for link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
The boys really enjoyed the class this week. They have gotten much better with the rhythms, singing the solfege and are recognizing the pieces. Being able to recognize and name the pieces is very good for sound discrimination.
On Practice time:
Some students are now able to figure out the notes of the songs on the piano. Please continue to let them do this as it develops their ability to hear sound patterns and find them on the piano. It also drives their motivation to play. So, this independence is important for their overall progress even as it reinforces some physical habits we are trying to evolve. Three points are important to make this activity beneficial:
1. They need to hear the disc many hours a day so that the tone on the recording is the internalized sound they are trying to produce on the piano.
2. They are doing it on their own without instruction. In this way they will not go too far beyond what they can naturally do.
3. Separate this free time to figure out songs from the structured practice time. You can do this simply by taking a bow before and after the actual "practice".
Learning Suzuki method enables a child to play in the "Flow" without words in the way of the experience. This happens if we do not give them too many instructions.
So, anytime you can use a physical que this helps. Please use a soft hand to help them find the correct posture. Then, you can speak softly with a few key reminder phrases that you get from the lessons. This way your voice does not interfere with the sound of the piano.
On the Bow: Please continue to improve the bow by asking for one point such as "please look down when you bow", or "eyes at the end please".
On the Twinkles: Please have them listen for different kinds of sounds.
Twinkle A is all short sounds. When the finger releases the sound the hand relaxes. Teaching short sounds first imprints the physical movement so that the hand does not hold stiffness after the sound is played. Playing the short sound with a good tone is like throwing the dart into the very middle of the dart board. Playing becomes focused and accurate from this practice.
Please ask your child to listen for every sound to be short. When they finish that one pattern ask them if all of the sounds were short. If they say no, please affirm that they have very good hearing! This listening and knowing what has been played develops concentration and discrimination.
Twinkle B the first step is to listen for the long sounds, and practice long sounds. Through this practice they will begin to relax on the long note and not hold the note down with tension. Notice when the sound is really good.
After they are playing the rhythm with the long sound you can direct their attention to the short sounds. Was the first note really short? "I thought so too."
If you practice Twinkles this way they will not become boring. They are of course work. But they will remain interesting. The key is that the practice is affirming what the sound was, how the finger moved etc. in a neutral way with non-judgment about the child. By involving the child in the process of this knowing we are enabling them.
Dr. Kataoka says:
Tone is the basic element of music. If we do not completely learn how to produce tone in our childhood, we become people who are uninterested in tone, and then we can allow ourselves to play piano with a terrible and noisy sound. People who play like this gradually begin to dislike playing the piano. But if we play carefully with soft fingers, making a resonant sound and avoiding a crashing noise, we can give our whole minds to the tone we are playing.
Here is a link to a great article written about the Twinkles by Dr. Kataoka:
Dr. Kataokas article on Twinkles
I posted a video of Marc-Andre Hamelin performing the Hungarian Rhapsody #2 by Liszt with his own original cadenza. Please watch it if you have not already.
Below is the same piece performed at the 2007 10 Piano Concert in Sacramento. You may recognize parts of it as the "Bugs bunny/Tom and Jerry song.
Andrew Loo who you have seen in previous posts is performing as well as my daughter Bria. The 10 Piano Concerts are a very special part of studying Suzuki Piano. This is a very fun piece and is a wonderful opportunity for the children to "play with one heart"
Part 1
Part 2
Again, thanks so much for taking the time to read these posts, to watch the videos and to work with your children daily. This is a big job, perhaps more than you previously imagined. The benefits will be seen many years from now, but also please enjoy the process too. As a mother of two grown children I have felt how long a practice time can be and how short a time it is from childhood to adulthood. They are both true. You are all doing a wonderful job.
Leah Brammer
Click here for link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Exploring the Senses - touch/feel
When we think about the relative importance of touch in learning compared to the other senses we usually associate this difference as emotional. Touch is crucial. Blind people see in other ways. People that are deaf, adapt other forms of communication.
What about people that cannot feel? It's very destructive to the sense of self in relating to the outside world.
Is that bad? Well, no, not if you have a kinesthetic memory pattern that allows you to understand that reality without the actual physical experience. However in terms of initial physical imprinting for babies and young children it is probably the most important and the most directly related to intuition. This may seem in contrast to the idea that intuition happens outside of the physical dimension, but the embed formula has to be there through experience at some point.
In other words, babies feel. Children feel.
When does this become less important than what the mind thinks?
At about the point that a person has to cope with a difficulty that requires thinking.
In learning piano if a child can get direct learning through the awareness of touch in playing the piano to get different kinds of sounds they become very sensitive capable people. The sense of touch is the direct experience educator.
People can benefit greatly by developing the sense of touch and it's correlation to the hands as the communicator in addition to speaking. This develops direct ability at all kinds of computer/communication skills in addition to being in touch with the artistic value of making music.
Piano ability is life ability.
What about people that cannot feel? It's very destructive to the sense of self in relating to the outside world.
Is that bad? Well, no, not if you have a kinesthetic memory pattern that allows you to understand that reality without the actual physical experience. However in terms of initial physical imprinting for babies and young children it is probably the most important and the most directly related to intuition. This may seem in contrast to the idea that intuition happens outside of the physical dimension, but the embed formula has to be there through experience at some point.
In other words, babies feel. Children feel.
When does this become less important than what the mind thinks?
At about the point that a person has to cope with a difficulty that requires thinking.
In learning piano if a child can get direct learning through the awareness of touch in playing the piano to get different kinds of sounds they become very sensitive capable people. The sense of touch is the direct experience educator.
People can benefit greatly by developing the sense of touch and it's correlation to the hands as the communicator in addition to speaking. This develops direct ability at all kinds of computer/communication skills in addition to being in touch with the artistic value of making music.
Piano ability is life ability.
Exploring the Senses -Smell/Taste
Consider what you remember by smell, what it brings back in feeling and response to you.
How much did you learn about the world by the sense of smell?
Is it important to you now?
How important is it for learning?
Do we teach it?
Should we consider it a factor in education?
Is it part of a core education?
How much did you learn about the world by the sense of smell?
Is it important to you now?
How important is it for learning?
Do we teach it?
Should we consider it a factor in education?
Is it part of a core education?
Friday, October 23, 2009
Graduation Concert
Congratulations!
The following students will be performing at the Suzuki Music Association of
California's Bay Area Piano Graduation concert on November 15: Sydney -Level 1 Graduation, Helen -Level 2 Graduation, Minnie -Level 6 Graduation. This event will be at Holy Names College in Oakland.
It is free and open to the public.
Mark your calendars.
See you there!
The following students will be performing at the Suzuki Music Association of
California's Bay Area Piano Graduation concert on November 15: Sydney -Level 1 Graduation, Helen -Level 2 Graduation, Minnie -Level 6 Graduation. This event will be at Holy Names College in Oakland.
It is free and open to the public.
Mark your calendars.
See you there!
9_Twinkle Lessons -focus with the ears
Dear Parents,
The bow is much better! The body balance is improving. The ready positions are becoming more still. We will continue to work on these -for about the next 10 years!
Developing ability continues in a spiral so that we always come back to the most basic points as we advance.
At the same time that this is true, we are now able to focus more attention on tone.
Think about what you do when you seek to hear something -you become still. This is a kind of "focusing" with the aural sense. So, this is the place we are now.
Dr. Kataoka says this to students in her writings about tone:
Again from Dr. Kataoka's writings:
You will begin to notice the difference in how the note is sustained when it is played with a "hit tone", or with a relaxed moving finger. The hit tone is very loud at first and then dies off quickly. The "heart tone" has more of a bell shape to the sound.
Dr Suzuki says:
Of course this is true, but it is not just the brain that becomes smarter.
It is the heart.
Last week I posted a video of Andrew Loo from 2006 performing Bach Italian Concerto for his Level 8 graduation concert. I wrote at the top of that post that I remember his lesson with Dr. Kataoka on Dr. Suzuki's Allegro at the end of Book 1 before his level 1 graduation concert. As promised to Dr. Kataoka, he practiced his down-up spot 200X every day for about 2 weeks before the concert. When he played his tone was so beautiful that the sound filled the entire hall. This week I found this recording of his performance in my old 8mm tapes:
June 1998-Andrew Loo, performing Allegro by Dr. Suzuki for his Level 1 Graduation
On the assignment:
Please continue. Please help your child to have balance in the posture and in the hand without tension. Next, focus on the sound. Affirm when the sound is good without tension. Speak softly so that the sound of the piano becomes the focus and not your voice.
Thanks so much for this opportunity to teach your children!
Leah Brammer
*Three articles written by Dr. Kataoka about tone can be found in these online issues of Piano Basics:
Suzuki Piano Basics Foundation News -March/April 1998
Suzuki Piano Basics Foundation News - May-June 1998
Suzuki Piano Basics Foundation -July-August 1998
Click for link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
The bow is much better! The body balance is improving. The ready positions are becoming more still. We will continue to work on these -for about the next 10 years!
Developing ability continues in a spiral so that we always come back to the most basic points as we advance.
At the same time that this is true, we are now able to focus more attention on tone.
Think about what you do when you seek to hear something -you become still. This is a kind of "focusing" with the aural sense. So, this is the place we are now.
Dr. Kataoka says this to students in her writings about tone:
"Students, when you begin to study piano, you take a lesson in tone from your teacher each week. (Don't worry if you hear the same things repeated over and over!) Please become a person who can, after ten years, make the kind of musical tone to which you can give your whole mind and soul. If you acquire this ability, you can play pieces freely and enjoyably, and the people who hear you will be happy."It is interesting that the students know which is the good tone immediately when I ask them. So, they can already hear when the tone has tension in it, just as babies hear and respond to tension in a persons voice. How do we "teach" tone?
Again from Dr. Kataoka's writings:
"let us consider the matter of tone on the piano. With strings and wind instruments, and with respect to the human voice, sound may not continue unless we continue to breathe or to move the bow. Those musicians can actually maintain an interest in tone throughout their bodies because of this. How about piano tone? First we produce the sound (resulting in the initial "attack" if you will), and then we must do nothing but stay on the key in order to hold the sound. We really do not do anything. But in fact, just as with other instruments, we must listen intently to our sound as it is being sung, and breathe into it with our heart of hearts. However, it seems that it is not easy to find a teacher who teaches this from the very beginning. Consequently, most pianists think only of the initial attack as the tone of the instrument. This is a mistake. From the point of the attack, musical tone rings for a long time, gradually decreases, and dies out at the end. It is a most beautiful process when tone decreases and dies out. It is the essence of the beauty of piano tone. Please, pianists, enjoy beautiful tone."We have been listening for short sounds in Twinkle A. We are beginning to listen now for long sounds as we learn Twinkle B. The practice of playing one sound and listening until it stops is very useful. Once they put their whole attention in it they probably will hear the piano sound longer than you do.
You will begin to notice the difference in how the note is sustained when it is played with a "hit tone", or with a relaxed moving finger. The hit tone is very loud at first and then dies off quickly. The "heart tone" has more of a bell shape to the sound.
Dr Suzuki says:
"Music is the language of the heart without words."Parents often want piano lessons for their child because it will make them "smarter".
and also:
"Beautiful Tone, Beautiful Heart"
Of course this is true, but it is not just the brain that becomes smarter.
It is the heart.
Last week I posted a video of Andrew Loo from 2006 performing Bach Italian Concerto for his Level 8 graduation concert. I wrote at the top of that post that I remember his lesson with Dr. Kataoka on Dr. Suzuki's Allegro at the end of Book 1 before his level 1 graduation concert. As promised to Dr. Kataoka, he practiced his down-up spot 200X every day for about 2 weeks before the concert. When he played his tone was so beautiful that the sound filled the entire hall. This week I found this recording of his performance in my old 8mm tapes:
June 1998-Andrew Loo, performing Allegro by Dr. Suzuki for his Level 1 Graduation
On the assignment:
Please continue. Please help your child to have balance in the posture and in the hand without tension. Next, focus on the sound. Affirm when the sound is good without tension. Speak softly so that the sound of the piano becomes the focus and not your voice.
Thanks so much for this opportunity to teach your children!
Leah Brammer
*Three articles written by Dr. Kataoka about tone can be found in these online issues of Piano Basics:
Suzuki Piano Basics Foundation News -March/April 1998
Suzuki Piano Basics Foundation News - May-June 1998
Suzuki Piano Basics Foundation -July-August 1998
Click for link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Thursday, October 15, 2009
8_Twinkle Lessons -The week of the Storm
Dear Parents,
It was a challenging environment for the students this week with the new schedule to understand and the storm as well. Thank-you to everyone for for being on time. The smaller groups will work well for the lessons once the routine is established. Please bring one book for them to read, or something to write/draw on by themselves that does not attract too much attention from the other students. I will always take time to look at the drawing or work that the students do while they are observing.
In group time we will continue rhythm study, and singing solfege. Please clap the rhythms at home and say the name "Twinkle A" etc.
The most important point for this week is to make sure there is no tension in the ready position. If we try to teach to much with words the result will be unnatural. The children need to feel balance over the keys with the correct finger touching the correct key. This is simple yet involves physical and mental stamina, as well as motivation and connection to something more interesting yet to come.
So, they need encouragement that this process will yield a result. Please let them know that their work is going to enable them to play the piano. Play the disc and videos and reinforce the concept that the practice they are doing is going to help them play well. This may seem obvious, but they need to hear encouragement often to keep working on holding a position at the piano without playing...
The ready position is both a beginning and a huge accomplishment. It takes time and care. It is the most difficult part of the process of playing, and a life lesson as well.
Please re-read this section from "How to Teach Beginners" by Dr. Kataoka:
Part 11: When the Lessons Begin
For some motivation here is a video I just posted of a former student Andrew Loo who is now a freshman at Georgia Tech performing Bach's Italian Concerto in his 2006 Graduation Level 8 Concert:
Andrew Loo performing Italian Concerto by J.S. Bach
Children keep us in the moment, whatever that may be
thankfully,
Leah Brammer
Click for link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
It was a challenging environment for the students this week with the new schedule to understand and the storm as well. Thank-you to everyone for for being on time. The smaller groups will work well for the lessons once the routine is established. Please bring one book for them to read, or something to write/draw on by themselves that does not attract too much attention from the other students. I will always take time to look at the drawing or work that the students do while they are observing.
In group time we will continue rhythm study, and singing solfege. Please clap the rhythms at home and say the name "Twinkle A" etc.
The most important point for this week is to make sure there is no tension in the ready position. If we try to teach to much with words the result will be unnatural. The children need to feel balance over the keys with the correct finger touching the correct key. This is simple yet involves physical and mental stamina, as well as motivation and connection to something more interesting yet to come.
So, they need encouragement that this process will yield a result. Please let them know that their work is going to enable them to play the piano. Play the disc and videos and reinforce the concept that the practice they are doing is going to help them play well. This may seem obvious, but they need to hear encouragement often to keep working on holding a position at the piano without playing...
The ready position is both a beginning and a huge accomplishment. It takes time and care. It is the most difficult part of the process of playing, and a life lesson as well.
Please re-read this section from "How to Teach Beginners" by Dr. Kataoka:
Part 11: When the Lessons Begin
For some motivation here is a video I just posted of a former student Andrew Loo who is now a freshman at Georgia Tech performing Bach's Italian Concerto in his 2006 Graduation Level 8 Concert:
Andrew Loo performing Italian Concerto by J.S. Bach
Children keep us in the moment, whatever that may be
thankfully,
Leah Brammer
Click for link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Thursday, October 8, 2009
7_Twinkle Lessons #6
Dear Parents,
I continue to be amazed at how much learning is going on. So much more than meets the eye of an adult. Watching the video is very informative.
The bows were so much better this week. I noticed that just doing the good bow made the students more serious about learning.
I put the new photos we took of each student on the Twinkle video blog section of the site, and also in the Current Studio Photos. We will do this again as their ready positions get better and better. Next class I will take a group photo.
I hope the boys enjoyed the little pumpkins and that they will remember the lesson this way.
It is very good to teach the children to give small gifts. It teaches respect and caring, and the gift of giving.
"What does not exist in the environment will not develop in the child. By no means only words or music, but everything, good or bad, is absorbed by the child." Dr. Suzuki
On the schedule/Creating awareness and importance in the environment:
They are all doing great. Because of this the lessons are getting longer and it is just too long to be in the environment now that the time is extended. Therefore, from this week forward the individual lessons will be divided into 2 groups. One group will go before the class time, and the other group will go after the class time. This will allow us to have the solfege singing, rhythm and other activities all together, but have a smaller group for the individual lessons.
With this new schedule it is really important that the students know exactly what to expect.
We need to continue to provide the structure in the environment for the students. This includes keeping the same format of coming in quietly, taking off shoes and placing them neatly on the shoe stand, washing their hands. sitting quietly, etc. This care creates awareness and importance. The knowledge of what is happening and what to do creates confidence and calmness. With this structure in the environment, the students can concentrate and learn fully.
On the Class Time: Please sing solfege at home with the recording so that the children are becoming more and more familiar with the notes. You can do this casually as the recording is playing. It is fine if you only know some of the solfege. Little by little it will become easy. If you sing this way with the recording it encourages the children to try to sing even if they don't know all of the solfege. It is fine if they do not sing. They will join in when they are ready.
On the Lesson:
Do finger numbers at the beginning of the practice. Begin with knowing finger # 1 and finger #5. Next Add finger # 2. When this is clear, focus in on finger #4. This is necessary to play Twinkle as it is the next finger they have to get ready on after the thumb.
Please have them get ready on each note of the twinkle before they play. Please have them wait for "go" . Especially give attention to finding ready on the note "So" with finger #4. Once the ready position on finger #4 is good, the other fingers are easy. Have them listen for short sounds.
The main point this week: Please work with your child at home in basically the same way you observe me working with them in the lesson. It is good for you to observe what is particularly successful in working with your child and also what is not. Every child responds according to their own sensibility. Being able to watch your child in the learning situation as the observer is such a critical part of being able to help them.
Thanks so much for your dedication to your child's progress and your attention to the lessons.
Leah Brammer
Click for link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
I continue to be amazed at how much learning is going on. So much more than meets the eye of an adult. Watching the video is very informative.
The bows were so much better this week. I noticed that just doing the good bow made the students more serious about learning.
I put the new photos we took of each student on the Twinkle video blog section of the site, and also in the Current Studio Photos. We will do this again as their ready positions get better and better. Next class I will take a group photo.
I hope the boys enjoyed the little pumpkins and that they will remember the lesson this way.
It is very good to teach the children to give small gifts. It teaches respect and caring, and the gift of giving.
"What does not exist in the environment will not develop in the child. By no means only words or music, but everything, good or bad, is absorbed by the child." Dr. Suzuki
On the schedule/Creating awareness and importance in the environment:
They are all doing great. Because of this the lessons are getting longer and it is just too long to be in the environment now that the time is extended. Therefore, from this week forward the individual lessons will be divided into 2 groups. One group will go before the class time, and the other group will go after the class time. This will allow us to have the solfege singing, rhythm and other activities all together, but have a smaller group for the individual lessons.
With this new schedule it is really important that the students know exactly what to expect.
We need to continue to provide the structure in the environment for the students. This includes keeping the same format of coming in quietly, taking off shoes and placing them neatly on the shoe stand, washing their hands. sitting quietly, etc. This care creates awareness and importance. The knowledge of what is happening and what to do creates confidence and calmness. With this structure in the environment, the students can concentrate and learn fully.
On the Class Time: Please sing solfege at home with the recording so that the children are becoming more and more familiar with the notes. You can do this casually as the recording is playing. It is fine if you only know some of the solfege. Little by little it will become easy. If you sing this way with the recording it encourages the children to try to sing even if they don't know all of the solfege. It is fine if they do not sing. They will join in when they are ready.
On the Lesson:
Do finger numbers at the beginning of the practice. Begin with knowing finger # 1 and finger #5. Next Add finger # 2. When this is clear, focus in on finger #4. This is necessary to play Twinkle as it is the next finger they have to get ready on after the thumb.
Please have them get ready on each note of the twinkle before they play. Please have them wait for "go" . Especially give attention to finding ready on the note "So" with finger #4. Once the ready position on finger #4 is good, the other fingers are easy. Have them listen for short sounds.
The main point this week: Please work with your child at home in basically the same way you observe me working with them in the lesson. It is good for you to observe what is particularly successful in working with your child and also what is not. Every child responds according to their own sensibility. Being able to watch your child in the learning situation as the observer is such a critical part of being able to help them.
Thanks so much for your dedication to your child's progress and your attention to the lessons.
Leah Brammer
Click for link to the next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Practice Sheets
Dear Parents,
I have uploaded the practice sheets so that you can print them at home as you need them. They are on this post, and I will also put the links on the sidebar for easier access in the future.
If the students and parents establish the habit and response ability to complete what is on the practice sheet each week, mark it on the sheet, and return it to the lesson, the practice time will become much easier and the progress will be much faster and more secure.
Please write out the assignment on the assignment sheet after the lesson. It is good if you can do this together with your child using the notes and video from the lesson. The main purpose of the lesson is to establish what and how to practice. So, as the teacher I first establish the core learning to be essential for the most effective learning, (the what) and next try several different ways of accomplishing that goal. (the how)
When the student can do well what is being asked in the lesson, then ability is being developed. This is assignment: to practice what they can do well. It is good to use the exact words that are effective at the lesson as ques at home. For specific spots, please also mark the spot in the score that you are using, and I will usually also have the student mark the spot in their score.
Of course practicing what they can do well also means learning new pieces. When the assignments on the pieces they are working on are accomplished the student is able to learn the new piece without struggle even if it involves challenge and focus.
There is also a main point to each lesson. This could be "follow and mark the assignment sheet". It could be "move your thumb", or "prepare for the recital" . Having one point to come back to is very useful, especially if you begin to feel overwhelmed!
I hope this helps.
Leah Brammer
Core Twinkle Practice Sheet
Core Book 1 Practice Sheet
Core Books 2 and up with daily boxes
Core Books 2 and up with daily boxes and more lines
Core Books 2 and up no daily boxes
Core Books 2 and up no boxes, wider format
I have uploaded the practice sheets so that you can print them at home as you need them. They are on this post, and I will also put the links on the sidebar for easier access in the future.
If the students and parents establish the habit and response ability to complete what is on the practice sheet each week, mark it on the sheet, and return it to the lesson, the practice time will become much easier and the progress will be much faster and more secure.
Please write out the assignment on the assignment sheet after the lesson. It is good if you can do this together with your child using the notes and video from the lesson. The main purpose of the lesson is to establish what and how to practice. So, as the teacher I first establish the core learning to be essential for the most effective learning, (the what) and next try several different ways of accomplishing that goal. (the how)
When the student can do well what is being asked in the lesson, then ability is being developed. This is assignment: to practice what they can do well. It is good to use the exact words that are effective at the lesson as ques at home. For specific spots, please also mark the spot in the score that you are using, and I will usually also have the student mark the spot in their score.
Of course practicing what they can do well also means learning new pieces. When the assignments on the pieces they are working on are accomplished the student is able to learn the new piece without struggle even if it involves challenge and focus.
There is also a main point to each lesson. This could be "follow and mark the assignment sheet". It could be "move your thumb", or "prepare for the recital" . Having one point to come back to is very useful, especially if you begin to feel overwhelmed!
I hope this helps.
Leah Brammer
Core Twinkle Practice Sheet
Core Book 1 Practice Sheet
Core Books 2 and up with daily boxes
Core Books 2 and up with daily boxes and more lines
Core Books 2 and up no daily boxes
Core Books 2 and up no boxes, wider format
Friday, October 2, 2009
6_Twinkle Lessons #5
Dear Parents,
I loved showing the children the bird nest from my yard and playing the two different Cuckoos for them. They will probably recognize when Cuckoo comes on the recording this week.
Here is a recording from 1994 when Kelsey, a 6 year old student of mine at the time who is now in college, traveled with me to Japan to study, homestay with a Japanese family, and perform Cuckoo and Chant Arabe from Book 1 in the 10 Piano Concert:
Here is a Youtube link to a recording of former student Lauren Schommer who now studies with Cathy Hargrave in Dallas Texas and is a senior in high school performing The Cuckoo from Book 6 for a graduation recording in my studio circa 2004:
Lauren Schommer performing The Cuckoo by Daquin
Here is another link to a recording of The Cuckoo performed by famous pianist/composer Sergei Rachmaninoff recorded in 1920:
Rachmaninoff performs The Cuckoo by Daquin
The recording is obviously very old, but the playing is so great it is worth it.
On the lessons:
The Listening: Identify which Twinkle is playing (A, B, C, D-Theme) on the disc as you are listening.
The Bow: Please work on balance at the end of the bow. They may be bowing too fast or going too low. It takes daily attention.
The Ready: All of the students ready positions were so much better this week! They can really do ready position well now especially with a little help. By practicing it many times they will be able to have good body balance and concentration immediately upon sitting at the piano without any tension, and without any help.
Twinkle: The Twinkle A rhythm on thumb is coming along. It is good to do only a few of these each day.
Finger Numbers: Please practice finger numbers in different ways. It is good to practice knowing the finger numbers by touch and not only by looking at the finger. So, have them close their eyes and say the finger number that you touch. When they can feel the specific finger on the note they are getting ready on they will not have to try to look down or hold the other fingers in a stiff way to see which finger is on the key.
Keyboard recognition: Have them find all the do's and the so's. It is good to do this standing up. If they like to play the notes while singing Do a deer this would also be good.
Main point: Practice and affirm what they can do.
This is nurturing with love.
Click to link for next Twinkle Lessons Blog
I loved showing the children the bird nest from my yard and playing the two different Cuckoos for them. They will probably recognize when Cuckoo comes on the recording this week.
Here is a recording from 1994 when Kelsey, a 6 year old student of mine at the time who is now in college, traveled with me to Japan to study, homestay with a Japanese family, and perform Cuckoo and Chant Arabe from Book 1 in the 10 Piano Concert:
Here is a Youtube link to a recording of former student Lauren Schommer who now studies with Cathy Hargrave in Dallas Texas and is a senior in high school performing The Cuckoo from Book 6 for a graduation recording in my studio circa 2004:
Lauren Schommer performing The Cuckoo by Daquin
Here is another link to a recording of The Cuckoo performed by famous pianist/composer Sergei Rachmaninoff recorded in 1920:
Rachmaninoff performs The Cuckoo by Daquin
The recording is obviously very old, but the playing is so great it is worth it.
On the lessons:
The Listening: Identify which Twinkle is playing (A, B, C, D-Theme) on the disc as you are listening.
The Bow: Please work on balance at the end of the bow. They may be bowing too fast or going too low. It takes daily attention.
The Ready: All of the students ready positions were so much better this week! They can really do ready position well now especially with a little help. By practicing it many times they will be able to have good body balance and concentration immediately upon sitting at the piano without any tension, and without any help.
Twinkle: The Twinkle A rhythm on thumb is coming along. It is good to do only a few of these each day.
Finger Numbers: Please practice finger numbers in different ways. It is good to practice knowing the finger numbers by touch and not only by looking at the finger. So, have them close their eyes and say the finger number that you touch. When they can feel the specific finger on the note they are getting ready on they will not have to try to look down or hold the other fingers in a stiff way to see which finger is on the key.
Keyboard recognition: Have them find all the do's and the so's. It is good to do this standing up. If they like to play the notes while singing Do a deer this would also be good.
Main point: Practice and affirm what they can do.
This is nurturing with love.
Click to link for next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
5_Twinkle Group Class #4
Dear Parents,
Thank-you for taking the time to come to the parent meeting. I hope that the discussion of the terms "mother tongue method", "Natural learning" , and "Ability Development" in regards to your questions was useful so that you can refer often to these in your thinking about education and environment for your children. The discussions about the class environment were useful too and I hope that you are feeling comfortable in the class and also in how to work with your child.
I am very happy that the boys are so eager to come to the piano and all are doing their very best.
They really just need time to really absorb the physical/mental/emotional/spiritual skill of "ready". Physically this means arms above the keyboard with thumb on the note "do" and the other fingers relaxed but not touching the keys. I think all of the students can be more above the keyboard and you can observe my helping them with this on the lesson video. Once they can do this playing the piano will be infinitely easier with a much better tone/sound. So, if you can have them get ready 5 or so times during practice (each time counting to 5 or another number) that would be great. When you look at the video you will notice how each time I had them get ready the position improved. Then with some of the lessons there is the point where the ready was not as good. That is because I asked too much. So, it is good to know that "too much is the same as not enough". This is the kind of research we have to do as parents and teachers.
The seeds are planted. We can cultivate with care. Remember the old adage of the farmer who was so eager to assist his crops that he went out at night and tugged on the new shoots.
Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is the same thing with faith that ability is accumulating.
The following video from my Youtube channel would be great for the students to watch as they can really see hands over the keys, and a beautiful sound. Zak studied Suzuki Piano Basics in my studio for many years.
Zak Beard performing Mozart Concerto #20, 1st mvt. part 1
Zak Beard performing Mozart Concerto #20, 1st mvt. part 2 -(it will also come up as an option on the screen at the end of part 1)
At the parent meeting we discussed playing a Mozart Concerto for your children as recommended by Dr. Suzuki to develop an aural understanding of the language of music:
Here is a link to Amazon for the Mozart Concertos #20 and #21 You can buy the disc or the MP3 download. I recommend the disc however as you can always upload it to your computer and then still have the disc and the information insert. It is only $7.98!!
you all are doing a great job,
all the best,
Leah Brammer
Click for Link to next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Thank-you for taking the time to come to the parent meeting. I hope that the discussion of the terms "mother tongue method", "Natural learning" , and "Ability Development" in regards to your questions was useful so that you can refer often to these in your thinking about education and environment for your children. The discussions about the class environment were useful too and I hope that you are feeling comfortable in the class and also in how to work with your child.
I am very happy that the boys are so eager to come to the piano and all are doing their very best.
They really just need time to really absorb the physical/mental/emotional/spiritual skill of "ready". Physically this means arms above the keyboard with thumb on the note "do" and the other fingers relaxed but not touching the keys. I think all of the students can be more above the keyboard and you can observe my helping them with this on the lesson video. Once they can do this playing the piano will be infinitely easier with a much better tone/sound. So, if you can have them get ready 5 or so times during practice (each time counting to 5 or another number) that would be great. When you look at the video you will notice how each time I had them get ready the position improved. Then with some of the lessons there is the point where the ready was not as good. That is because I asked too much. So, it is good to know that "too much is the same as not enough". This is the kind of research we have to do as parents and teachers.
The seeds are planted. We can cultivate with care. Remember the old adage of the farmer who was so eager to assist his crops that he went out at night and tugged on the new shoots.
Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is the same thing with faith that ability is accumulating.
The following video from my Youtube channel would be great for the students to watch as they can really see hands over the keys, and a beautiful sound. Zak studied Suzuki Piano Basics in my studio for many years.
Zak Beard performing Mozart Concerto #20, 1st mvt. part 1
Zak Beard performing Mozart Concerto #20, 1st mvt. part 2 -(it will also come up as an option on the screen at the end of part 1)
At the parent meeting we discussed playing a Mozart Concerto for your children as recommended by Dr. Suzuki to develop an aural understanding of the language of music:
Here is a link to Amazon for the Mozart Concertos #20 and #21 You can buy the disc or the MP3 download. I recommend the disc however as you can always upload it to your computer and then still have the disc and the information insert. It is only $7.98!!
you all are doing a great job,
all the best,
Leah Brammer
Click for Link to next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Monday, September 21, 2009
Fall Performance Recommendations
Click on the links below for more information and tickets:
#1 Recommendation not to missed concert!
October 11 -Sunday 7:00PM -Davies Symphony Hall
Murray Perahia in solo piano concert
Other Great Concerts:
October 7-9 -Davies Symphony Hall
Yefim Bronfman plays Brahms Concerto #2 with the SF Symphony
December 5-Saturday 8:PM -Stanford
"From the Top" a live radio recording featuring young musicians-very fun
December 15 -Tuesday 8:00 PM -Herbst Theatre in San Francisco
Marc Hamelin in Solo Piano Concert
See you there!
#1 Recommendation not to missed concert!
October 11 -Sunday 7:00PM -Davies Symphony Hall
Murray Perahia in solo piano concert
Other Great Concerts:
October 7-9 -Davies Symphony Hall
Yefim Bronfman plays Brahms Concerto #2 with the SF Symphony
December 5-Saturday 8:PM -Stanford
"From the Top" a live radio recording featuring young musicians-very fun
December 15 -Tuesday 8:00 PM -Herbst Theatre in San Francisco
Marc Hamelin in Solo Piano Concert
See you there!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Recital Announcement
Invitation to all Atlanta Friends!
You are Invited!
You are Invited!
What: Solo Piano Recital by Peter Carter
Why: Senior Recital to share his music with family and friends
When: Saturday October 3 at 4:00 PM
Where: Southern Keyboards
Program
Prelude in D (WTC II) JS BACH
Sonata no. 8 (Pathetique) BEETHOVEN
Suite Bergamasque DEBUSSY
Ballade no. 1 CHOPIN
Everyone is welcome! Refreshments following program
Hope you can come.
Robin Blankenship
Thursday, September 17, 2009
4_Twinkle Group class #3
Dear Parents,
In the moments of the class this week I felt very busy with taking care of the students and making good decisions about the environment. After viewing the videos I am so impressed with how the students are responding. Thinking through this carefully and remembering raising my own children I realize that often this is the feeling a parent has. It is in the looking back we are able to realize how much the child was learning. This is because children learn in a very different way from adults. They are able to take the whole environment in at a time. So while they are busy moving around and looking everywhere they are learning at a very high rate.
I traveled with my daughter to Japan regularly from the time she was 7 years old. From the very first trip she was able to communicate with our home stay family. The children and her immediately began running around and playing together while the adults tried to talk to each other without much success. When our Japanese host family would speak English with a very strong accent I could not understand them at all. My daughter however was immediately able to understand "Japanese English" So, I would say something in English and she would "translate" it into Japanese English-that is should would say it in English but with the Japanese accent. Suddenly they understood! How could she do this so easily and I was completely in the dark? Next she picked up a few Japanese words/phrases and began saying them over and over. One of them was "cheese-e-wa doku deska" which is part English, part Japanese and means something like "Where is the cheese?". (Obviously I still don't know Japanese) Anyway they kept buying more and more cheese for her! Mostly I was just concerned that we were offending them and didn't realize how incredible it was that my daughter had figured out how to get what she wanted while I couldn't understand the first thing...
And so it goes. Now she is fluent in Japanese and I still can only say "Thank-you" and 'I'm sorry" in Japanese. This story is not unique. Children in a foreign country will always will pick up language and accent faster than their parents. This is the natural learning process we want to preserve and nurture.
Children are so amazing. Please know they are learning even when it seems they are not "paying attention".
Next, we balance this with building skill step by step and affirming that which they are doing well. The general assignment this week:
Bow
Ready position- 2 0r 3 times
Twinkle A on thumb-3 or4 times if it was presented in class for your child
Please make sure the thumb is moving sideways, the sounds are short and the tone is clear. Soft is fine, Too loud means tension
finger numbers - begin mixing up which ones you ask, or have them point to your fingers and you answer
make-up sounds/song -black keys are great for this
Bow
mark the assignment sheet
Total time-definitely under 10 minutes, probably around 5 minutes with the make-up song
The following link is to the book "How to teach Beginners" by Dr. Kataoka. It was intended for teachers and is also great for parents to refer to as they are going through the process. Please keep the following link for reference and read the first part:
http://core.ecu.edu/hist/wilburnk/SuzukiPianoBasics/KataokaSensei/HTB.htm
From this point forward the lessons will be individualized according to the child's readiness on lesson day. So the exact assignment will vary from child to child. This is natural. As Dr. Kataoka says in "How to teach Beginners": " The difference is inconsequential."
We will discuss this and more at the parent meeting next Monday night at 6:30.
see you then,
Leah Brammer
Click for link to next Twinkle Lessons blog
In the moments of the class this week I felt very busy with taking care of the students and making good decisions about the environment. After viewing the videos I am so impressed with how the students are responding. Thinking through this carefully and remembering raising my own children I realize that often this is the feeling a parent has. It is in the looking back we are able to realize how much the child was learning. This is because children learn in a very different way from adults. They are able to take the whole environment in at a time. So while they are busy moving around and looking everywhere they are learning at a very high rate.
I traveled with my daughter to Japan regularly from the time she was 7 years old. From the very first trip she was able to communicate with our home stay family. The children and her immediately began running around and playing together while the adults tried to talk to each other without much success. When our Japanese host family would speak English with a very strong accent I could not understand them at all. My daughter however was immediately able to understand "Japanese English" So, I would say something in English and she would "translate" it into Japanese English-that is should would say it in English but with the Japanese accent. Suddenly they understood! How could she do this so easily and I was completely in the dark? Next she picked up a few Japanese words/phrases and began saying them over and over. One of them was "cheese-e-wa doku deska" which is part English, part Japanese and means something like "Where is the cheese?". (Obviously I still don't know Japanese) Anyway they kept buying more and more cheese for her! Mostly I was just concerned that we were offending them and didn't realize how incredible it was that my daughter had figured out how to get what she wanted while I couldn't understand the first thing...
And so it goes. Now she is fluent in Japanese and I still can only say "Thank-you" and 'I'm sorry" in Japanese. This story is not unique. Children in a foreign country will always will pick up language and accent faster than their parents. This is the natural learning process we want to preserve and nurture.
Children are so amazing. Please know they are learning even when it seems they are not "paying attention".
Next, we balance this with building skill step by step and affirming that which they are doing well. The general assignment this week:
Bow
Ready position- 2 0r 3 times
Twinkle A on thumb-3 or4 times if it was presented in class for your child
Please make sure the thumb is moving sideways, the sounds are short and the tone is clear. Soft is fine, Too loud means tension
finger numbers - begin mixing up which ones you ask, or have them point to your fingers and you answer
make-up sounds/song -black keys are great for this
Bow
mark the assignment sheet
Total time-definitely under 10 minutes, probably around 5 minutes with the make-up song
The following link is to the book "How to teach Beginners" by Dr. Kataoka. It was intended for teachers and is also great for parents to refer to as they are going through the process. Please keep the following link for reference and read the first part:
http://core.ecu.edu/hist/wilburnk/SuzukiPianoBasics/KataokaSensei/HTB.htm
From this point forward the lessons will be individualized according to the child's readiness on lesson day. So the exact assignment will vary from child to child. This is natural. As Dr. Kataoka says in "How to teach Beginners": " The difference is inconsequential."
We will discuss this and more at the parent meeting next Monday night at 6:30.
see you then,
Leah Brammer
Click for link to next Twinkle Lessons blog
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
3_Twinkle Group class #2
Dear Parents,
Great second class! Here is a review:
Listening: The students are becoming familiar with the songs on the recording. Please keep up the listening and find more places/times to have the recording on. You can make extra copies of the recording from your computer so that you can have a copy in every room as well as the car and can put it on an MP3/Ipod type player as well. It is good to begin casually saying the names of the pieces as you hear them.
Also, please listen to the "Do a deer" links from the last blog entry if you have not already done so. This children will really enjoy this. They can begin to memorize the words to the song. We will continue to sing it every week. We will use this song to learn the names of the notes. Also you can sing the solfege for Twinkle when it comes on the disc. We will begin adding more songs to our solfege singing next week.
The Bow: Please read the Please and Thank-you article listed in the last blog entry if you have not already done so. Please bow at home together with your child in the same way that I bow with them during their individual lesson. This will be at the beginning and at the end of your practice time each day. So this week the children can bow (with you), find the ready position and hold, then bow again (with you) at the end.
Rhythm clapping and finger numbers: We are doing these as part of the class activities.
It is best to keep the actual practice to the bow and ready position for this week. We will add to the assignment gradually.
The Assignment Sheet: Please have the child put a mark, drawing, sticker, or color of some kind on the sheet for each day after the practice. This way they are being empowered by the accomplishment. The mark is a recognition and not a reward. This is an important distinction.
About the Ready Position: Ready is focus and intention. It is the point of integration of body/mind/emotion/spirit. This is the most important point for beginning. The body is still in balance with the hand above the keys without tension. The mind is in a place of no thought (words) which is present moment awareness. The practice of counting in the ready position is a way of centering the mind. This will enable the child to become still/ready.
Later, this is not necessary and the word "ready" will suffice to mean focus/intention-body posture/mind still.
The lesson videos are up on the Twinkle blog site. This last week was focused on helping you know how to adjust the bench and footstool for you child, and the beginning of finding the ready position.
You are all doing a fantastic job of supporting your child's progress. It takes real dedication to be a Suzuki parent! Your children will thank you for it - I promise.
Leah Brammer
Click for link to next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Great second class! Here is a review:
Listening: The students are becoming familiar with the songs on the recording. Please keep up the listening and find more places/times to have the recording on. You can make extra copies of the recording from your computer so that you can have a copy in every room as well as the car and can put it on an MP3/Ipod type player as well. It is good to begin casually saying the names of the pieces as you hear them.
Also, please listen to the "Do a deer" links from the last blog entry if you have not already done so. This children will really enjoy this. They can begin to memorize the words to the song. We will continue to sing it every week. We will use this song to learn the names of the notes. Also you can sing the solfege for Twinkle when it comes on the disc. We will begin adding more songs to our solfege singing next week.
The Bow: Please read the Please and Thank-you article listed in the last blog entry if you have not already done so. Please bow at home together with your child in the same way that I bow with them during their individual lesson. This will be at the beginning and at the end of your practice time each day. So this week the children can bow (with you), find the ready position and hold, then bow again (with you) at the end.
Rhythm clapping and finger numbers: We are doing these as part of the class activities.
It is best to keep the actual practice to the bow and ready position for this week. We will add to the assignment gradually.
The Assignment Sheet: Please have the child put a mark, drawing, sticker, or color of some kind on the sheet for each day after the practice. This way they are being empowered by the accomplishment. The mark is a recognition and not a reward. This is an important distinction.
About the Ready Position: Ready is focus and intention. It is the point of integration of body/mind/emotion/spirit. This is the most important point for beginning. The body is still in balance with the hand above the keys without tension. The mind is in a place of no thought (words) which is present moment awareness. The practice of counting in the ready position is a way of centering the mind. This will enable the child to become still/ready.
Later, this is not necessary and the word "ready" will suffice to mean focus/intention-body posture/mind still.
The lesson videos are up on the Twinkle blog site. This last week was focused on helping you know how to adjust the bench and footstool for you child, and the beginning of finding the ready position.
You are all doing a fantastic job of supporting your child's progress. It takes real dedication to be a Suzuki parent! Your children will thank you for it - I promise.
Leah Brammer
Click for link to next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Thursday, September 3, 2009
2_Twinkle Group class #1
Dear Parents,
Congratulations on a great first class. The videos of the lesson are on the video blog. I am sending you an invitation for that blog. They will be put each week after the lessons.
This week is up now so that you can view it. If you have problems viewing it please send me an e-mail.
The notebooks which were given out at the lesson for each student contain the calendar, assignment sheets, the first pieces in Book One with the solfege written above the notes, staff paper for writing notes on, and a disc of selected pieces in the Suzuki repertoire which you can use in addition to listening to the Book One disc most hours of the day/night.
The listening is the most important part of providing the optimum environment for learning. There is no such thing as listening too much! It is important to keep the volume down low so that it is in the background. Pretty soon you will find yourself humming the pieces when you are in the grocery store. This is a good sign.
When the children do this that means they are internalizing the sound of the pieces. This is the readiness for actually playing those sounds on the piano. This is natural learning.
The assignment sheet can be used this week to mark off each day they practice the bow. You can also mark the listening box. Please bring the assignment sheet back to the lesson so that they can show it to me.
It is good if they want to go to the piano to make sounds after the bow, and then bow again at the end of the piano time. Just a bow is good too. Each week as practice evolves you will bow at the beginning and the end of the practice in the same manner that the child bows with me at the lesson.
Please read the post in this blog entitled "Please and Thank-you". You can just click the link, or search it on the top by name or find it under Past Posts on the right side of this blog. Go to 2008, then down to October, and then you will see the title "Please and Thank-You".
You can begin writing the solfege notes in your score. You can use the photocopies as reference. However if you can sing the solfege without the names written above the note you do not need to do this. Also please sing "Do a deer" so that the children can learn the words as we will continue to sing it for the next few weeks.
Following is a great link for "Do a Deer":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UE3CNu_rtY&feature=channel_page
Enjoy!
Link to next Twinkle Blog
Congratulations on a great first class. The videos of the lesson are on the video blog. I am sending you an invitation for that blog. They will be put each week after the lessons.
This week is up now so that you can view it. If you have problems viewing it please send me an e-mail.
The notebooks which were given out at the lesson for each student contain the calendar, assignment sheets, the first pieces in Book One with the solfege written above the notes, staff paper for writing notes on, and a disc of selected pieces in the Suzuki repertoire which you can use in addition to listening to the Book One disc most hours of the day/night.
The listening is the most important part of providing the optimum environment for learning. There is no such thing as listening too much! It is important to keep the volume down low so that it is in the background. Pretty soon you will find yourself humming the pieces when you are in the grocery store. This is a good sign.
When the children do this that means they are internalizing the sound of the pieces. This is the readiness for actually playing those sounds on the piano. This is natural learning.
The assignment sheet can be used this week to mark off each day they practice the bow. You can also mark the listening box. Please bring the assignment sheet back to the lesson so that they can show it to me.
It is good if they want to go to the piano to make sounds after the bow, and then bow again at the end of the piano time. Just a bow is good too. Each week as practice evolves you will bow at the beginning and the end of the practice in the same manner that the child bows with me at the lesson.
Please read the post in this blog entitled "Please and Thank-you". You can just click the link, or search it on the top by name or find it under Past Posts on the right side of this blog. Go to 2008, then down to October, and then you will see the title "Please and Thank-You".
You can begin writing the solfege notes in your score. You can use the photocopies as reference. However if you can sing the solfege without the names written above the note you do not need to do this. Also please sing "Do a deer" so that the children can learn the words as we will continue to sing it for the next few weeks.
Following is a great link for "Do a Deer":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UE3CNu_rtY&feature=channel_page
Enjoy!
Link to next Twinkle Blog
Friday, August 28, 2009
1_Twinkle Group -before the first class
Twinkle Group Parents:
Welcome to Twinkle class, and to this blog. I will be updating you on this blog, and also making the video of the individual lesson part of the class available for you on a private blog which will be available through an invitation which will be sent to you via e-mail. Suzuki Piano Teachers who join the East-West Teachers Forum on this site will also have access to this blog for research.
I hope all of you have been able to order the materials from the list sent to you by e-mail. The time before the first class is very important for listening to the disc. It's also nice to begin naming the pieces as you hear them.
The class will consist of 5 parts. We will keep basically the same order and activities for several weeks. We will build ability through this repetition.
First we will become familiar with and memorize each others names.
Next, I will play a couple pieces from the Suzuki repertoire.
In the third part of class, we will be singing the Book 1 pieces using solfege (Do, Re Mi) The children will catch on to this quickly. The parents can write the names of the solfege in the score. The children will sit with their parent and you can use your book 1 score. Please bring your Suzuki Book 1 score to class every week.
The next part of the class is individual lessons at the piano. For the first week we will just be going to the piano and I will be instructing the parents on using the video camera for future lessons.
The last part of the class will be floor activities with the students such as finger numbers and clapping rhythms. Parents will stay seated, but please help with the singing and clapping.
We will end with the group bow.
Please bring a notebook to write down the activities done in the class. This also sends a nonverbal message to the children that the activities are important. I will review the assignment at the end. The first assignment will be as short as "practice the bow".
I will give the students a notebook with practice sheets. Please check off on the practice record each day after you have practiced the bow. Please bring the assignment back to the next class.
Then gradually we will add to the assignment as the habit is established.
It is good to have a tote bag to carry materials back and forth to class. So, please bring a tote bag with the Book 1 score, another book to read during lessons, a notebook to take notes on, and I will give you the assignment notebook at the end of class to take home.
The beginning is very important. The main goals are to establish the relationships and the structure, help the students feel comfortable and supported in the environment, and create motivation to play the piano.
Looking forward to a great class!
Leah Brammer
*Please bring your Book 1 score to class as we will be using it.
Link to next Twinkle Blog
Welcome to Twinkle class, and to this blog. I will be updating you on this blog, and also making the video of the individual lesson part of the class available for you on a private blog which will be available through an invitation which will be sent to you via e-mail. Suzuki Piano Teachers who join the East-West Teachers Forum on this site will also have access to this blog for research.
I hope all of you have been able to order the materials from the list sent to you by e-mail. The time before the first class is very important for listening to the disc. It's also nice to begin naming the pieces as you hear them.
The class will consist of 5 parts. We will keep basically the same order and activities for several weeks. We will build ability through this repetition.
First we will become familiar with and memorize each others names.
Next, I will play a couple pieces from the Suzuki repertoire.
In the third part of class, we will be singing the Book 1 pieces using solfege (Do, Re Mi) The children will catch on to this quickly. The parents can write the names of the solfege in the score. The children will sit with their parent and you can use your book 1 score. Please bring your Suzuki Book 1 score to class every week.
The next part of the class is individual lessons at the piano. For the first week we will just be going to the piano and I will be instructing the parents on using the video camera for future lessons.
The last part of the class will be floor activities with the students such as finger numbers and clapping rhythms. Parents will stay seated, but please help with the singing and clapping.
We will end with the group bow.
Please bring a notebook to write down the activities done in the class. This also sends a nonverbal message to the children that the activities are important. I will review the assignment at the end. The first assignment will be as short as "practice the bow".
I will give the students a notebook with practice sheets. Please check off on the practice record each day after you have practiced the bow. Please bring the assignment back to the next class.
Then gradually we will add to the assignment as the habit is established.
It is good to have a tote bag to carry materials back and forth to class. So, please bring a tote bag with the Book 1 score, another book to read during lessons, a notebook to take notes on, and I will give you the assignment notebook at the end of class to take home.
The beginning is very important. The main goals are to establish the relationships and the structure, help the students feel comfortable and supported in the environment, and create motivation to play the piano.
Looking forward to a great class!
Leah Brammer
*Please bring your Book 1 score to class as we will be using it.
Link to next Twinkle Blog
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
International 10 Piano Concert!
Suzuki Piano BasicsInternational 10 Piano Concert
Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts
Saturday, August 15, 2009 -2:30 PM
For tickets call the box office at 530-754-2787
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Intermountain Suzuki Piano Institute
Let's go to Utah this summer for the Suzuki Institute! I will be teaching there as part of the advanced piano camp along with Robin Blankenship. Hope you can join us!
Here is the link:
http://www.intermountainsuzukiinstitute.org/
Here is the link:
http://www.intermountainsuzukiinstitute.org/
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Nurturing with Attention
When the parent is focused on the lesson, the student can become fully engaged. Taking notes and making a video recording of the lesson also helps to create the environment of importance and awareness.
This quiet attention connects the parent with the teacher and the child.
Parents who are completely involved are less likely to be distracted by the other children. So it is ideal not to give any attention to the other siblings. This will help younger students want to have their turn. It is good to bring books for them to look at or read. Toys are a distraction to the child having a lesson. It is also important that the parent not help the other siblings with homework. This is a time for them to study/read/observe independently.
So, with this as our goal we can create a quiet focused environment for optimum learning. In between lessons is a good time to talk, stretch, and enjoy each others company.
During the lesson, the assignment sheet is on the teachers piano. Please take notes in a small notebook. Also, in addition to your child's book which is on the piano during the lesson, please have another copy of the musical score to look at and take notes directly onto (if you do not have one already) This is a good place to mark things like spots, notes/fingering to fix, and tempo markings.
It is good to watch the video at the beginning of the practice week. The video is useful for remembering things like how to say "ready-go", the posture, and generally good reinforcement. Children really enjoy and benefit from watching themselves too.
After discussing the lesson with your child and reviewing the video and notes, please edit the last weeks assignment sheet to reflect changes, goals, and main points.
The assignment is the basic outline and should be easy to quickly update. The details can be left on the music score.
This organization of the assignment at the beginning of the week connects the lesson given by the teacher with the home practice and helps the child be able to follow through with the assignment. Children will be much more motivated to do the assignment if it represents what was taught at the lesson, and much more able to do it well if the exact cues and words are used at home that were used in the lesson.
The continuity of completing the actual assignment is what makes the child feel successful. During the lesson I will listen first, focus on the core skill that will make the most significant developmental improvement and prescribe a point to focus on. I will give that point and reinforce it over the rest of the lesson. Each piece will have spots that reinforce that skill. At home, focus mostly on that point for the assignment during the week and you will feel less overwhelmed. Your child will feel that the assignment is much easier and doable this way as well. By applying this main point to the pieces and the spots the child is playing you are following Dr. Suzuki's philosophy to "Raise your ability on a piece you can play."
Children will concentrate much better when they practice everyday. This is primarily because the habit of practice has been established and the emotional content involved in the decision about whether or when to practice is out of the way.
The habit of practicing everyday with balanced body/mind/emotions/inspiration is the most important thing to establish in the beginning years. Our intention is on creating the right environment for optimum learning at home as well.
I am grateful to all of you for your commitment to your children. Your child will also internalize the intention and nurturing you give them.
This quiet attention connects the parent with the teacher and the child.
Parents who are completely involved are less likely to be distracted by the other children. So it is ideal not to give any attention to the other siblings. This will help younger students want to have their turn. It is good to bring books for them to look at or read. Toys are a distraction to the child having a lesson. It is also important that the parent not help the other siblings with homework. This is a time for them to study/read/observe independently.
So, with this as our goal we can create a quiet focused environment for optimum learning. In between lessons is a good time to talk, stretch, and enjoy each others company.
During the lesson, the assignment sheet is on the teachers piano. Please take notes in a small notebook. Also, in addition to your child's book which is on the piano during the lesson, please have another copy of the musical score to look at and take notes directly onto (if you do not have one already) This is a good place to mark things like spots, notes/fingering to fix, and tempo markings.
It is good to watch the video at the beginning of the practice week. The video is useful for remembering things like how to say "ready-go", the posture, and generally good reinforcement. Children really enjoy and benefit from watching themselves too.
After discussing the lesson with your child and reviewing the video and notes, please edit the last weeks assignment sheet to reflect changes, goals, and main points.
The assignment is the basic outline and should be easy to quickly update. The details can be left on the music score.
This organization of the assignment at the beginning of the week connects the lesson given by the teacher with the home practice and helps the child be able to follow through with the assignment. Children will be much more motivated to do the assignment if it represents what was taught at the lesson, and much more able to do it well if the exact cues and words are used at home that were used in the lesson.
The continuity of completing the actual assignment is what makes the child feel successful. During the lesson I will listen first, focus on the core skill that will make the most significant developmental improvement and prescribe a point to focus on. I will give that point and reinforce it over the rest of the lesson. Each piece will have spots that reinforce that skill. At home, focus mostly on that point for the assignment during the week and you will feel less overwhelmed. Your child will feel that the assignment is much easier and doable this way as well. By applying this main point to the pieces and the spots the child is playing you are following Dr. Suzuki's philosophy to "Raise your ability on a piece you can play."
Children will concentrate much better when they practice everyday. This is primarily because the habit of practice has been established and the emotional content involved in the decision about whether or when to practice is out of the way.
The habit of practicing everyday with balanced body/mind/emotions/inspiration is the most important thing to establish in the beginning years. Our intention is on creating the right environment for optimum learning at home as well.
I am grateful to all of you for your commitment to your children. Your child will also internalize the intention and nurturing you give them.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Rebecca Willet for winning the Richmond Symphony Concerto competition! Rebecca is 14 years old. She began Suzuki piano lessons when she was very young. She studied with Melody Diehl for many years. She also traveled to Louisville to study with Dr. Kataoka and participate in the Institutes. She also performed in the 10 Piano Concerts in Sacramento and in Japan. I first met Rebecca in Louisville and enjoyed teaching her in masterclass lessons.
She is performing the Mendelssohn Concerto in g minor.
There are two videos- I think the first one was the preliminary and the second one is the finals.
Rebecca if you read this please feel free to comment.
All the best to Rebecca when she plays with the Richmond symphony on April 1.
She is performing the Mendelssohn Concerto in g minor.
There are two videos- I think the first one was the preliminary and the second one is the finals.
Rebecca if you read this please feel free to comment.
All the best to Rebecca when she plays with the Richmond symphony on April 1.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
One moment, one day, one year, one life
Greetings on the first day of 2009!
I am reading the book Remix by Lawrence Lessig who is a professor at Stanford. He writes about the evolving RW (read/write) culture made possible by new technologies which enable people to contribute/comment/create/edit/quote/analyize/sythesize/ and thus "remix" information of all types including words/sounds/photo/visual-video into multiple mediums.
It is an exciting time for people who research learning.
Also as I was sorting through my mail I found my letter asking for a contribution to the International campaign for Tibet which each year comes from Richard Gere.
These two things led me to a short article that Dr. Kataoka wrote:
"One Day is a Lifetime!
Sometime ago while out of town, I turned on the television in my hotel room. The actor Richard Gere was on a talk show. He seemed like a very affable and natural sort of person.
He is a follower of Tibetan Buddhism. He explained in a simple, very understandable way that people in this religion are reborn every day. In other words, they believe that one is born each morning and dies every night. If this is so, he explained, then each and every day is very precious. He said that, to a procrastinator like himself, there can be no such thing as thinking, "I will do it tomorrow." Moreover each day being an entire cycle of birth and death, it happens as the blink of an eye or a single breadth. Richard Gere is also fond of Zen Buddhism from Japan and meditates faithfully for 30 minutes daily.
While we in the East, have been sitting idly by, it seems that Westerners from distant lands have been learning about Eastern Culture to the point of deep understanding. I was astonished. As I mentioned in the previous article, having taught children how to play piano for many years, I am truly aware that no matter how you look at it, each day is a unit when it comes to the human body. To think that one is born in the morning and dies at night is a wonderful perception. It makes one contemplate seriously how to face each and every day and decide how you will spend the next 24 hours.
When performing a piece on the piano, each and every note is very important. If the performer does not play every single sound in a heartfelt way with his or her soul, it is not possible to create a truly musical tone. Whether we are talking about each and every day or each and every note, the fact that every single unit is precious and important is the same. When you live each day and every day with your heart and soul in the best natural way, there is a continuum which results in a wonderful lifetime.
So therefore, is it not also true that when each and every note is felt from the heart, originates from the soul, and is played with a musical sound, that a continuum is created which results in a wonderful performance?"
Well, I can't write a better New Years message than that.
Blessings, and
Happy Continuum!
I am reading the book Remix by Lawrence Lessig who is a professor at Stanford. He writes about the evolving RW (read/write) culture made possible by new technologies which enable people to contribute/comment/create/edit/quote/analyize/sythesize/ and thus "remix" information of all types including words/sounds/photo/visual-video into multiple mediums.
It is an exciting time for people who research learning.
Also as I was sorting through my mail I found my letter asking for a contribution to the International campaign for Tibet which each year comes from Richard Gere.
These two things led me to a short article that Dr. Kataoka wrote:
"One Day is a Lifetime!
Sometime ago while out of town, I turned on the television in my hotel room. The actor Richard Gere was on a talk show. He seemed like a very affable and natural sort of person.
He is a follower of Tibetan Buddhism. He explained in a simple, very understandable way that people in this religion are reborn every day. In other words, they believe that one is born each morning and dies every night. If this is so, he explained, then each and every day is very precious. He said that, to a procrastinator like himself, there can be no such thing as thinking, "I will do it tomorrow." Moreover each day being an entire cycle of birth and death, it happens as the blink of an eye or a single breadth. Richard Gere is also fond of Zen Buddhism from Japan and meditates faithfully for 30 minutes daily.
While we in the East, have been sitting idly by, it seems that Westerners from distant lands have been learning about Eastern Culture to the point of deep understanding. I was astonished. As I mentioned in the previous article, having taught children how to play piano for many years, I am truly aware that no matter how you look at it, each day is a unit when it comes to the human body. To think that one is born in the morning and dies at night is a wonderful perception. It makes one contemplate seriously how to face each and every day and decide how you will spend the next 24 hours.
When performing a piece on the piano, each and every note is very important. If the performer does not play every single sound in a heartfelt way with his or her soul, it is not possible to create a truly musical tone. Whether we are talking about each and every day or each and every note, the fact that every single unit is precious and important is the same. When you live each day and every day with your heart and soul in the best natural way, there is a continuum which results in a wonderful lifetime.
So therefore, is it not also true that when each and every note is felt from the heart, originates from the soul, and is played with a musical sound, that a continuum is created which results in a wonderful performance?"
Well, I can't write a better New Years message than that.
Blessings, and
Happy Continuum!
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