Songbird Piano Lessons

(For those of you wondering what on earth this is, it's a competition that happens every week in my studio. Students memorize the word and its definition. Each word gets their name on my brag wall and earns them a point towards a small prize. I think they've all been enjoying this -- no one's been slacking off on it.) This week's word is: Accelerano Becoming faster

(To learn more about my piano studio,  click here .) "What happened ?" my sister exclaimed. She had just walked into the studio as I was putting the finishing touches . . . on this. My very own masking-tape grand staff, complete with all the earmarks of "homemade." Real professional, right?     I grinned. My next student, a cute, high-energy, young beginner was about to practice note-reading in a way that would be different than normal.     When he came in, I explained to him what was up with the masking tape. I'd call out note names. His job was to "hop" on the corresponding space or line -- left foot for the bass cleff, right foot for the treble clef.   Here he practices "A."     Why the trouble? Because drilling gets old fast, and little boys have too much energy to sit on a bench for half an hour. Why not harness that energy towards learning, rather than trying to curb it?    Truth . . . I had fun teaching this w

   Snow swirls around the streets of Leningrad, Russia. Pedestrians pull winter coats tighter around themselves. Car lights shine through the flurries. In one large, multi-story building, a window on the corner of the building is lit. Inside the room, frost decorates the window panes. The only occupant – a young man, with a spark of life in his blue eyes – turns out music, gorgeous music, on the upright piano against the wall. He wears a heavy overcoat and plays with a pair of medium-weight, knit gloves – for his dormitory room has no heat.    At this point in the narrative, the music teacher jerks his enraptured student back into the present – modern Edmonton, a warm and very comfortable music studio, and the two Yamaha baby grands sitting side by side – with this question:    “ Have you ever practiced with gloves on?”    Ahh . . . no, I hadn’t. My house always had heat?!     My music teacher, undeterred by my blank look (which he had undoubtedly seen many times before!), resp