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!
Friday, October 23, 2009
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
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