Category: Basics

The new Wunderkeys primer is here!

By Studio News,

I cheated a little and ordered a bunch from the United States, because these books aren’t even going to be published in Canada for another few weeks, but I really couldn’t wait. So I now have a little glossy pile of Primers waiting for their owners, with a copy having already gone to 6-yr-old Alex. And as I was recently able to confirm with the creator of this series, Andrea Dow of British Columbia, Alex is officially the first kid in all of Canada to be taught from this book. So congratulations to Alex!

But really, why AM I so excited about a Wunderkeys Primer?

It’s exciting because it’s the first piano primer to target kids younger than six as well as those who are six and up. Before, Wunderkeys kids were graduating the program knowing and counting quarter, half and whole notes, and being able to read a bit directionally as well, yet traditional primers were starting them back from scratch, not even identifying quarter notes for weeks or months. As well, traditional primers assume the students can write and maybe read a little, but a child of four generally will not have the fine muscle control or knowledge to complete the workbook exercises that accompany a primer.

Wunderkeys, on the other hand, takes this into account and has developed a primer that is age-appropriate for the youngest preschool graduates, that is also engaging for older students. Over the course of 10 to 12 weeks, primer students can go from no keyboard knowledge to sightreading short pieces on the Grand Staff. That’s real piano music, in a very short time, and my favourite part of teaching–the moment when a student realizes they can now play any song they want with a little practice. It’s an amazing thing, well worth sharing.

New Semester!

By Studio News

Intermezzo Music is gearing up for another great year of piano, beginning on September 11, 2015. Some exciting changes have been arriving at the studio, the biggest of which is, of course, this website! The blog will share important studio updates, tips for home practice, and complementary activities and games.

A new Wunderkeys primer is expected to arrive in September, along with new piano friends that include Maxine the Skunk and Sheldon P. Squirrel. But for now, Intermezzo will be continuing with the My First Piano Adventures primer series, with complementary games from the Piano Games Club.

New half-year and full-year rates are now available, replacing the older discount structure. 10-week terms are also available. Please contact me for details if you are interested in any of these options. The monthly payment option remains unchanged at $88/month for half-hourly lessons.

Also new to the studio is the Square Reader, which will allow the studio to accept payments by credit card.

Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new students. See you all soon!

 

Practicing (Yikes!)

By Basics, ,

So…practicing.

That single word that so many people have come to dread, but which is so much a part of learning piano–or any instrument. You have to practice to to get better, but how much practice is reasonable?

We’ve all heard stories of professional musicians practicing two or more hours a day, but, unless you actually ARE a professional or semi-professional musician, that’s really not necessary at all. When your repertoire consists of multiple pieces over ten minutes in length, two hours can actually start to feel short!

But for the beginner pianist, there’s no point in practicing that long, nor is there for the very young pianist. Intermezzo’s very youngest students, in the Wunderkeys program, should be practicing their new skills for five minutes, three to five times per week. From there, beginner practice increases by skill level and age to 15 minutes per day, 5 days a week. More complex repertoire will eventually require more complex practice, and the details of this can be discussed when the time comes.

In the meantime, if you’re an adult or adult child beginner, try building up to 15 minutes per day, 5 days per week, and see just how fast you can progress!

My Piano Story

By Basics

I don’t remember what it was like to take my first piano lesson. From what I was told, my grandmother had me at the keyboard as soon as I could walk and put me in lessons with a friend of hers by the time I was three. Similarly, while I can remember learning to read in Kindergarten, I don’t recall when I learned how to call a quarter note, or the treble clef. Music has simply always been there for me.

Not to say it was always easy. Practicing becomes tedious at any age, and 15 minutes can seem like forever when you’re eight! On top of that, I was less than enthusiastic for many years, finally quitting when I was seventeen. What was a the point, I wondered, when there were so many people so much better than me? At that point, I had just finished my Gr. 7 piano exam with the Royal Conservatory of Canada.

Years later, I inherited a piano from my grandmother. Built between the years of 1901 and 1906, you can see its keyboard in the picture at the top of the page. It called to me, sitting there in my living room, and I tried to play it, but no longer could. I made the difficult decision at 23 to resume piano lessons–I say difficult, because boy did it challenge my pride to hear kids less than half my age playing better than me now! I had been embarrassed at 17 to play at the Gr. 7 level. Six years later, I had to return to the Gr. 3 level and re-learn what I had lost.

It was hard. A full-time job, a boyfriend, later marriage, but still I played until I passed my Gr. 9 exam, two weeks before my first child was born. I had to put my practicing mostly on holdthen, but I never quit. I never wanted to lose again what I had gained through music, or the chance to play the pieces that resonate with me. And now, finally, as I begin to work toward my Gr. 10, I can. Incredible pieces like Chopin’s Military Polonaise, or Beethoven’s Rondo in C are options, and I am eager to learn. And all because my grandmother shared her gift, and passion, with me at such a young age.