“This is my Brain on Music” Instructions
The purpose of “This is my Brain on Music” is to provide a fun way to set goals for learning to play the piano better. These goals are not meant to be tests to see what level a student is at but rather to have the student set goals that will challenge their abilities over the year. If a particular goal is causing a student stress, please remind them that my goal is to help them achieve their goals. That’s by far my favorite thing about being a piano teacher! Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
FRONTAL LOBE - Thinking, Creating and Problem Solving
1. Complete a rhythm packet. This can be done at home and with help during lessons.
2. Create a short composition (original song), an arrangement (changing a song or combining two or more songs with a bridge between them), or any other creative project. Compositions and arrangements will be done with my help. Other projects, which would be done without significant help from me, could include the student making a video of them playing a song, making a slideshow with one of their favorite songs, or doing any kind of small creative project about a composer, music genre or song. The students will be welcome to demonstrate or display their project in our Spring 2014 Recital. Please decide on a creative project by the first lesson in October. This does not have to be an elaborate project, but just one to get your creative juices flowing.
3. Complete ___ Perfect Practice Weeks. A perfect practice week occurs when the student practices each assigned song or scale exactly as directed on the "How To Practice" form for 5 or more practice sessions in a week. These need to be checked off on the "How to Practice" form and I would appreciate the parents' initials on the Assignment Sheet in the front of the book when a perfect practice week occurs.
PARIETAL LOBE - Building Patterns and Sensory
1. Complete Chord packet. This can be done at home and with help during lessons.
2. Memorize ___ scales. This should be long-term memorized, not just short term. For example, I expect that the student will not need to review the fingering before playing it for me memorized.
3. Develop 3 types of dynamics & articulation. This includes dynamics (p, pp, f, ff, mp, mf, crescendos, decrescendos/diminuendos) and articulation (accents, sfz, ritards, staccato, legato, etc.) Write which dynamic or articulations they would like to master and I will make sure we choose songs to accommodate.
TEMPORAL LOBE - Hear and Remember
1. Complete Listening Packet. This will be done during lessons.
2. Memorize 1 Important Song for each year you have taken lessons. “Happy Birthday” must be on the list, but the others are up to the student. Other songs might include Jingle Bells, Auld Lang Syne, Chopsticks Duet, This Land is Your Land, and shortened versions of Beethhoven’s Fifth and other famous classical songs. These should be important songs to the student.
3. Have ____ Repertoire Songs Ready. These can be former recital songs or other songs the student enjoys playing and have fine-tuned.
OCCIPITAL LOBE - Visual Recognition of Objects
1. ___ Second Anchor Note Challenge. The challenge is to place the 7 Anchor Note cards on the correct note in under ___ seconds. Fill in the time. If you are daring, you will make it 30 seconds or less, but you don’t have to be daring.
2. ___Second Note/Rest Challenge. The challenge is to recognize all 12 notes and rests values from whole notes/rests through sixteenth notes/rests in under ___ seconds. Fill in the time. Hopefully these will be under one minute.
3. Complete Sight Reading Packet. These are short songs that will be completed during lessons.
CEREBELLUM - Physical Skills and Balance
1. ___ Lessons with Perfect Posture. These are lessons where the student has perfect posture while playing. The time when we are discussing things or doing other activities will not count.
2. Demonstrate Recital Etiquette. This requirement can be met in the Christmas 2013 Recital. Recital etiquette includes clearly announcing the song, approaching the piano from the correct side, waiting to play until properly seated, leaving the piano appropriately and bowing to show the audience your appreciation for their applause.
3. Demonstrate Relaxation Breathing. This will be the easiest task. We will practice breathing in for a count of 5 and then breathing out for a count of 5, 3 times in a row. This helps oxygenate the body to help calm the nerves before playing a recital song or other performances…or a test at school.
The purpose of “This is my Brain on Music” is to provide a fun way to set goals for learning to play the piano better. These goals are not meant to be tests to see what level a student is at but rather to have the student set goals that will challenge their abilities over the year. If a particular goal is causing a student stress, please remind them that my goal is to help them achieve their goals. That’s by far my favorite thing about being a piano teacher! Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
FRONTAL LOBE - Thinking, Creating and Problem Solving
1. Complete a rhythm packet. This can be done at home and with help during lessons.
2. Create a short composition (original song), an arrangement (changing a song or combining two or more songs with a bridge between them), or any other creative project. Compositions and arrangements will be done with my help. Other projects, which would be done without significant help from me, could include the student making a video of them playing a song, making a slideshow with one of their favorite songs, or doing any kind of small creative project about a composer, music genre or song. The students will be welcome to demonstrate or display their project in our Spring 2014 Recital. Please decide on a creative project by the first lesson in October. This does not have to be an elaborate project, but just one to get your creative juices flowing.
3. Complete ___ Perfect Practice Weeks. A perfect practice week occurs when the student practices each assigned song or scale exactly as directed on the "How To Practice" form for 5 or more practice sessions in a week. These need to be checked off on the "How to Practice" form and I would appreciate the parents' initials on the Assignment Sheet in the front of the book when a perfect practice week occurs.
PARIETAL LOBE - Building Patterns and Sensory
1. Complete Chord packet. This can be done at home and with help during lessons.
2. Memorize ___ scales. This should be long-term memorized, not just short term. For example, I expect that the student will not need to review the fingering before playing it for me memorized.
3. Develop 3 types of dynamics & articulation. This includes dynamics (p, pp, f, ff, mp, mf, crescendos, decrescendos/diminuendos) and articulation (accents, sfz, ritards, staccato, legato, etc.) Write which dynamic or articulations they would like to master and I will make sure we choose songs to accommodate.
TEMPORAL LOBE - Hear and Remember
1. Complete Listening Packet. This will be done during lessons.
2. Memorize 1 Important Song for each year you have taken lessons. “Happy Birthday” must be on the list, but the others are up to the student. Other songs might include Jingle Bells, Auld Lang Syne, Chopsticks Duet, This Land is Your Land, and shortened versions of Beethhoven’s Fifth and other famous classical songs. These should be important songs to the student.
3. Have ____ Repertoire Songs Ready. These can be former recital songs or other songs the student enjoys playing and have fine-tuned.
OCCIPITAL LOBE - Visual Recognition of Objects
1. ___ Second Anchor Note Challenge. The challenge is to place the 7 Anchor Note cards on the correct note in under ___ seconds. Fill in the time. If you are daring, you will make it 30 seconds or less, but you don’t have to be daring.
2. ___Second Note/Rest Challenge. The challenge is to recognize all 12 notes and rests values from whole notes/rests through sixteenth notes/rests in under ___ seconds. Fill in the time. Hopefully these will be under one minute.
3. Complete Sight Reading Packet. These are short songs that will be completed during lessons.
CEREBELLUM - Physical Skills and Balance
1. ___ Lessons with Perfect Posture. These are lessons where the student has perfect posture while playing. The time when we are discussing things or doing other activities will not count.
2. Demonstrate Recital Etiquette. This requirement can be met in the Christmas 2013 Recital. Recital etiquette includes clearly announcing the song, approaching the piano from the correct side, waiting to play until properly seated, leaving the piano appropriately and bowing to show the audience your appreciation for their applause.
3. Demonstrate Relaxation Breathing. This will be the easiest task. We will practice breathing in for a count of 5 and then breathing out for a count of 5, 3 times in a row. This helps oxygenate the body to help calm the nerves before playing a recital song or other performances…or a test at school.