The simple things...

Teaching in the classroom this year has taught me a myriad of things about the way we learn, and possibly why we don't learn.

The thing is, my theory is that most humans are capable of learning most concepts, but it's just a matter of having them explained to you in a way that is accessible.  Concepts are just regular old thoughts, but they seem foreign to us because they are either overcomplicated, or all too often, just badly presented.  Let me use music as an example...

Imagine yourself in your third-grade music classroom watching your teacher explain that the "line notes" of the treble clef are "Every Good Boy Does Fine," and that the space notes spell "FACE."  Raise your hand, boys and girls, if you thought these were just random phrases your teacher wanted you to mindlessly memorize along with "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally," "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue," and so on...

Did you ever stop, as a kid, to realize that those phrases you learned were simply spelling...uh...the ALPHABET?  (Refresher course: there are line and space notes, so starting on the bottom line "E," you go line-space-line-space, and say the alphabet through "G."  When you get to "G," start over at "A" and keep going.)  I discovered as I was teaching the treble clef notes that many kids thought that the letters of the musical alphabet were randomly placed and had more to do with the phrasing of the mnemonic devices than with the order of the alphabet.  SO many of my kids have had these revelations like, "OH!  It's just the alphabet!" and I have even heard, "Finally, someone's teaching me how to read music!"

The point is, kids are capable of understanding most things we may throw their way.  We just have to find a way that makes it make sense.  Maybe it's academia that taught us to overcomplicate things in the first place.  Who ever said that learning had to be difficult to be meaningful?  I would argue that the learning environment that is the most inspiring is often the simplest.  Often, when kids don't know they're learning, they are learning the most.  My job as a teacher is to, as Plato said, "ignite a flame," not fill them up with cluttered ideas that never intersect, only filling up their minds and making them replicas of our educational curriculum, and not letting them become who they need to be.

And finally, as adults, we can learn from this as well -- we are capable of learning most things, if we put our minds to it.  Never be intimidated by the world's "fluff," because most of the time people over-complicate things to sound impressive, and not because they actually want you to understand a concept.  If you want to learn how to sing harmony, and someone has told you, "Oh, you have to have a good ear for that," hear none of it!  It's a skill like any other -- it can be learned.  I've seen it done.  If you want to learn how to crochet, then learn how it works!  I have found that most things are a system that can be broken down into a logical process or pattern.

So I'll get off my platform.  It's just that lately I've had these revelations about the capabilities of the human mind, and how much we underestimate our own potential.  Be inspired!  Go learn!  Reach your potential!

Or,  you can get some sleep...as I'm about to do. :)

Tips on Memorization and Practicing

This is more of a practical post -- I offered a short session for parents last week on how to help their kids practice/memorize more efficiently, and wanted to give anyone who missed it a chance to catch up.

First, we discussed what I called "The 9 Essentials of Practicing Piano":

1. Always look at the assignment book. Half the time, this is the reason progress is not made!
2. Respect your child's practice time. Give them an uninterrupted length of time to practice.
3. Create a positive practice environment. Make sure that there is adequate lighting, that the surroundings are neat, etc. As you know, kids (and adults, if you're like me!) need help focusing as much as possible!
4. Set a specific time to practice each day. If you don't make it a part of your routine, you'll push it out of the day all together.
5. Learn in sections. If your child is getting overwhelmed, suggest that he/she break it up into smaller sections at a time. Success is gradual, not instant.
6. Encourage them to take it slowly. I would rather hear a student play something "too slow" but with correct notes and timing MUCH more than something "up to speed" but full of starts and stops. If you hear this happening, encourage your child to take it slower!
7. We usually practice "hands separately" until we're ready to put our "hands together." Avoid letting your child play both hands' parts at the same time too soon, or it will result in frustration.
8. Stop them from repeating mistakes over and over. If you hear your child repeating mistakes, it's time for you to help him/her devise a new strategy. Suggest that they break it down into sections further. Go back and play it hands separately. Locate the problem. Repeating mistakes only reinforces them, making them even harder to overcome.
9. Make sure they're still having fun. Tell your son/daughter to play something enjoyable after working hard on a new piece. A sure way to lose interest in piano is never to have fun with it.

Next, we discussed memorization and how to overcome fear of playing without the music. I hope you find this helpful:

What you should know about memorization...

1. Good sight-readers tend to be bad memorizers, and vice versa. In other words, visually-oriented students will have it tough when trying to memorize, while auditory/kinesthetic types will tend to have it easier.
2. Set out from Day 1 to memorize -- you haven't fully learned a piece until you've memorized it, in many people's opinions. The goal is to internalize the music so you can be totally comfortable during performance.
3. "Fingering" refers to what fingers you use to play the notes (the kids know this) -- if they don't pay attention to it and use different fingering every time, memorization will take much longer.
4. If you are a kinesthetic (hands-on) learner, don't fall into the trap of relying on "muscle-memory" to memorize a piece of music. Try to visualize the music in your mind as you're playing it -- this is really the best way to keep track of where you are in the song.
5. Try playing without the music every now and then as you're learning a song. That said, make sure you look back at it to make sure you're memorizing the right thing!
6. For more really great memorizing tips, go to www.colorinmypiano.com - "12 Tips for Memorizing Piano Music."

That was pretty much all we discussed...my goal is to try to inform parents, especially if they don't know how to play themselves, how to help their kids practice.

I will write again soon...