Songbird Piano Lessons

 Marcato Marked or accented

 No doubt some of you are rolling your eyes at that.     "Of course you did something fun in January. Every time you post an update, it's to tell us all just how fun piano lessons are."    Yes... that's true.    What's different this time, though, is that I'm not showing off my ever-expanding collection of Wunderkeys games. Nor am I recreating photos of spur-of-the-moment kinesthetic ideas I tried out to make things stick.      Today's post actually has to do with what we played on the piano itself. Because this month, everyone got a new, not-in-your-method-book song to learn!    OK, I said it wasn't in the method book. But some of the pieces are from the Celebrations Series books, which are almost method books. Some of the students learning from the Celebration Series are competing in  Parkland Music Festival.  Some are students who've been at this for more than one year, and I figured it was time to introduce them to a broader spectrum of music.

 I had writer's block today.     So I turned to Pinterest, the never-ending source of inspiration for all souls who are only a little creative (unlike the super-creative souls creating the pins), sure that I would find something.    I did. I found music jokes.  Not sure if you can see this well enough to read it, but if you can, it's funny! 

 Allegro Quick and lively

Throughout my childhood music experiences, there were two messages regularly communicated to me:    #1. Fix your hand position .    #2. You are playing too loud.    My first teacher would bluntly tell me to stop banging on the piano. My second teacher, Mrs. A. , had gentler, more creative ways, but she had to use them frequently (e.g. "This is a lullaby," "Think of your wrists as shock absorbers," etc.). And Every. Single. Festival adjudicator I ever had told me to tone it down.     I might not have changed my playing style, but I did get the message.     Then came my very first lesson with  Mr. B.      Oh, I was so nervous. And thrilled. See, I wasn't the kind of girl who followed boys' bands or pop stars. My musical heroes were the people in my own church, those I heard play on a regular basis. And Mr. B. was one of them. In my mind, he was the best.     Naturally, I wanted to make a good impression on him during our first official lesson. (Mrs. A. had arr