Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Stretching

As if I weren't already busy...

I recently tripled my piano studio due to a teacher in my area having debilitating arthritis. I am looking forward to it, but hope I haven't over booked myself. 

I had my second piano lesson with my new teacher today. It was very interesting. I have always felt like I am a good pianist. Now, I know that I am not a concert trained pianist, but I've always felt like a solidly GOOD pianist. Today I felt like I was playing for the first time! I am basically in need of a total overhaul in technique, and I am realizing how much my theory is lacking. I basically stopped taking piano from classical teachers when I was 14. Years of playing "incorrectly" and now I'm having to strip that and rethink what it really means to PLAY the piano, to COMMAND the piano. For a split second (ok, a little longer than that) I wondered if I really was qualified to teach.  I wrote my teacher an email expressing my frustrations, and she sweetly replied with encouragement. I feel very blessed to have found her. I really think she is the right person for me right now.

It is easy to sit comfortably stagnant. While it might be painful and embarrassing at times, it is in the stretching that we find growth and movement and new life.

2 comments:

Juls said...

So what advice would you give your sister who is trying to "teach" her own children??

Celia Marie (W.) B. said...

That's a toughie. I've taught Dean some, but I don't think it counts. I will probably send my kids elsewhere for the same reason I don't home school. Having a good theory base helps. Lots of note naming. Susan Paradis has tons of free piano games you can do too. I think it's good to play/teach out of multiple books so they don't move ahead too quickly and get lost. So, the Theory, Technique, Lesson, and some fun pieces they recognize. There are some simplified children's hymns on http://www.laytonmusic.com/primary. I would expect about twice the amount of their age in minutes in practice 5 days a week. So 5 year old would only practice about 10 min. per day but a 10 year old can practice 20 min.