Audition Preparation in 60 Minutes: Will It Be Sucessful?
May 28, 2010 at 8:48 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: audition preparation, audition secrets, private music lessons, private voice lessons, singing lessons, vocal instruction, vocal singing lessons, voice lessons, voice teachers
Audition Preparation is a unique service Learn Piano In Your Home offers. Many of our voice teachers have long performing resumes and lots of audition insights to share with their students. However, is it possible to “cram” for an audition? Is Audition Preparation going to help?
Most voice teachers have experienced this at least once in their teaching career: A person calls asking for last minute vocal singing lessons to help them prepare for an audition. They want to have two 30-minute lessons over the next two weeks to get them ready. The conversation usually goes something like this:
“When is the audition?” I ask.
“Two weeks,” says the caller.
I ask, “Have you ever taken private voice lessons or had any kind of vocal instruction?”
“No, I’ve never had lessons before. But I really want this part,” they say, inevitably referring to a lead role.
Since we teachers have a hard time disappointing someone, we usually respond with something like, “Well, lead roles usually go to those with a lot of vocal experience and skill. However, 60 minutes of preparation is better than no preparation. I’ll help you out as much as I can in those two 30-minute lessons, but you have to understand that the people you are up against have been training for years!”
The caller will usually say something like, “Oh, I understand. I just need an extra push in the right direction so I know what to expect at an audition.”
Having done several “audition cramming” sessions with my students over the years, 99% of the callers with similar stories as mentioned above do not get a callback or a part. The sad truth is, these “audition crammers” usually get discouraged and never try out for an audition again. Most of them do have good voices that could blow people away if only they were trained. Most of them are natural actors and could have a good shot at lead roles if only they trained.
I have to blame shows like American Idol, America’s Got Talent and the like for the attitude of these students. Where else do you get the impression that you can “make it” with little or no experience or training? Where else are we told that education doesn’t matter? Where else are we told that time and dedication isn’t a factor?
Well, maybe we all have these attitudes from time to time. I’ve met many recent grads who complain that they aren’t making $60K a year yet, having been in the work force “for an entire year?”
I’ve met parents of 8-year-olds who can’t seem to figure out why their child hasn’t progressed on the piano yet. After asking the parent if the child has practiced, the answer is always “no.” And, admitidly, I see the same attitude in myself often (“Why hasn’t anyone responded to my job ad for new teachers. It’s been online for a whole hour now!”).
When is audition prepration cramming successful? The answer lies in an example from one of my students. She is currently preparing for an audition with Casa Manana’s Sound of Music. It’s a pretty big audition, semi-professional performers and all! Two weeks ago this student’s mother contacted me to tell me about the audition and what was required. Since the family is going out of town, we only had two lessons left to prepare for this audition.
Audition Preparation Cramming at its finest!
So the student, her mother and I took a big breathe and went for it. This is to be her first big audition of this magnitude, so a positive experience (despite the casting outcome) is imperative! Well, this student and I were able to pull together a beautiful 16-bar passage of “Whistle Down the Wind” from the Andrew Lloyd Weber Musical of the same name. She’s ready to audition, complete with gestures, acting the song, solid vocals and a couple of extra audition secrets only my students are privy to.
How was this student able to cram her audition preparation and others aren’t? This student has been taking voice lessons for three years. So in essence, she has been preparing for this audition for three years. No amount of cramming can compare to what you learn in weekly voice lessons. It never will. While I’m sure that there will be some students there with more experience (4-5 years of voice lessons and maybe a musical or two under their belts), I am very confident that she has what it takes to make a good impression on the director, despite the casting decision.
While some preparation is far better than no preparation, audition cramming only works when the student has been preparing all along through regular, weekly instruction. There are so many people I’ve run across through the years who I wish would grasp this concept. “Even Mozart had to practice,” I tell them!
If you’ve been considering auditioning for a musical, play or show, don’t wait until you receive the audition notice from the director! I beg you! Good, Successful, Effective Audition preparation is a long process and should be started on as soon as the desire hits you. Not when its too late.
Break a Leg!
My Piano Studio is a Double LOL
May 27, 2010 at 2:52 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: beginner piano lessons, music lesson, piano studio, piano teacher
Tales from the Field: Our Master Piano Teacher Cathey shares that her piano studio is a Double LOL: Lots of Love and Lots of Laughs.
One of the many things I love about being around children is their unabashed truthfulness at times. When a child starts beginner piano lessons, method books have them put their hands around a central note, (usually middle C) and leave them in that position for the entire song. This means that the student can look at the page without looking at their hands, and it eliminates the confusion of looking back and forth from the keyboard to the page and losing their place in the music. It takes a lot of discipline for the child to do this, but is important to develop a feel for the distances between notes on the keyboard.
Diana, age five, was trying to read a piece of music for the first time, and after ascertaining that she had all fingers on the correct keys and her hands were in the right place, I asked her to begin. She played a few notes, but then for some reason, began to look at me, and inevitably got lost and stopped. I reminded her of the importance of looking at the music, because “the fingers will do whatever your brain tells them to do, and the brain can only get the right notes by looking at the page.” “Besides,” I continued, “why would you want to look at my face? There aren’t any notes up here on my face to play, are there?” She looked very carefully at my forehead, bare of bangs, and most sincerely said, “Well no, but there are a lot of lines there that we could put some notes on!” After laughing with her mortified mother, I left the music lesson with a smile on my face, lines and all.
Out of The Mouths of Babes
May 27, 2010 at 2:45 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: piano lessons at home, piano recital, piano teacher, Private Piano Lessons, Private Piano Lessons At Home, Private Piano Lessons in my home
Tales from the Field: Our Master Piano Teacher Cathey shares that her piano studio has LOL: Lots of Love and Lots of Laughs.
I recently gave a “challenge” piece to one of the brightest five-year-olds I have ever had. A challenge piece is one that has to be worked on for several months, and is clearly too difficult for the child to play right away, but is within reach after several weeks of practice.
Paul was doing really well with his challenge peice in preparation for a piano recital performance, but two measures were clearly a mental block for him, and I decided to entice him with a few gummy bears I had brought to the lesson. I told him the deal: if you can play this section correctly just once without stopping or making a mistake, I’ll give you this whole pack of gummies.
He was in. He wanted them, and was ready to go for it, but after five unsuccessful attempts, he was clearly frustrated. Trying to make him feel better, I told him that it really was going to take a lot of work, but when he finally got it right he would feel so-o-o good and it would be the most fun he could ever have. He sat in stony silence for a few seconds, looked up at me in all seriousness, and gave me his reply: “Well then, why don’t you grow your own kids then and you can have fun with them instead of me!”
Post Recital Update: The student performed this peice at our May 16th Piano Recital … and had fun showing the audience that he had perfected his challenge peice.
Private Piano Lessons: Succuss or failure Depends on One Thing
May 27, 2010 at 2:22 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: music lesson, music lessons in your home, piano lessons beginners, piano lessons in your home, preschool music lesson, Private Piano Lesson, Private Piano Lessons, Private Piano Lessons At Home, Private Piano Lessons in my home
So you’ve decided to make the investment and sign up for Private Piano Lessons. What do you do now? How can you make your Private Piano Lessons as successful as they can be and get the most out of your hard-earned money?
Whether you are taking piano lessons in a studio or piano lessons in your home, if you are the one taking private piano lessons as well as the one paying for them, what I am about to say will probably come naturally. People always take the things that they pay for seriously, especially in this economy. You will have a natural desire to practice, since you will automatically want to make the most of your investment. And, if you’re an adult taking adult piano lessons, this is probably something you’ve wanted to do for quite some time. You can’t wait to get started!
But what do you need to know if you are the parent of a student taking lessons? One of the most common things I hear mothers say is, “I don’t know how to get them to practice!” They are worried that if they force the child, he or she will no longer enjoy lessons. However, there is no other alternative—the child must have some measure of success in order to enjoy the lessons. The only way to achieve success is to practice. Therefore, the child must practice in order to enjoy the lessons.
Even if there has not yet been an established practice routine, it won’t take long for the practicing to pay off in a tangible way that every child will recognize. All of a sudden, things will click and become easier and more enjoyable. They will begin to like what they hear, and even better, they will know that they were the one producing such a wonderful sound, not the CD player or radio!
One mistake parents often make is to believe the child when he says that he no longer wants to play piano. Granted, there are cases where a child has tried it and, after giving it a fair trial for several months, has decided that it’s not for them. But if the child wants to quit after a few battles over whether or not to practice, the parent should never let it happen. I’ve seen it time and time again—the going gets rough, and the child wants to run away from defeat or hard work. If the parent gives in, they are setting the child up for a life-time of half finished projects and jobs, simply because they did not have the determination to see it through.
Even if the parent has doubts over the right course of action, they should never express them in front of the child. The moment he knows that his parent is wavering in their judgment, the child will do anything they can to sabotage the lessons, just as a way to control the situation. In reality, if a parent so much as talks to the teacher about quitting while in the presence of the child, the battle is already over and lost.
So how does a parent avoid some of these pitfalls before they happen? There is no magic trick, just one tried and true technique that has close to perfect success with all types of children—establish a manageable and consistent practice routine. If the child is young and never had lessons before, start small, perhaps ten minutes a day for a few months. Then, try two different ten minute sessions, spread out at different times of the day. As long as the practicing is consistent, the child will not feel overwhelmed or burnt out. One sure way to make sure the child feels exhausted from their piano lessons is to have them practice three or four days worth just a day or two before the lesson. Trust me when I say that this method will only serve to frustrate all parties involved. Consistency is always better than quantity.
Parents are very aware of the fact that playing the piano grows both the intellectual and artistic parts of the mind. What parents often don’t realize, however, is that the determination and perseverance produced by practicing the piano will also be valuable lessons in their own right, applying to every aspect of their life from that moment forward. Private Piano Lessons is one of the greatest gifts one can give their child. Dedication and hard work are two of the greatest gifts music can give to us.
Article By: Kelly Cone
Raising a Music-Savvy Preschooler
January 29, 2010 at 5:24 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: music lesson, music lessons in your home, preschool music lesson
Between the ages of 2-4, children begin reacting to, imitating, and creating music. While the sounds your toddler or preschooler are making might not sound like Mozart or Pavarotti, your child is learning and expressing in a far more sophisticated way than we could ever imagine.
Consider the following three facts:
1. Children are like “sponges” soaking up everything they see and hear. They are very fast learners.
2. Studies show that by the age of 5, your child has already developed the habits, behaviors, priorities and personality traits that he or she will have for a lifetime.
3. All children like and enjoy music!
Now imagine the benefits of giving your child opportunities that harness the power of the three ideas mentioned above. When these three concepts work in harmony with eachother for your child, he or she will be developing skills and intellegence that will positively impact them for a lifetime!
So how do we harness these three ideas in one activity? Music Education!
Children who are exposed to music at an early age have, what experts call, a rich sensory environment. According to scientists, music creates neural connections to the brain, and research claims that children who are actively involved in music are:
· better in reading and math
· able to focus and control their bodies
· confident and energetic
Here are the steps on how you can help your child become greatly involved in music at home:
1. Although off-key, children can already sing their favorite piece. This can be a good sign that your child is learning fast. Preschoolers can already keep a steady beat. You can help your child master this skill by helping him or her determine which sound is steady or not.
2. It’s true that children are great entertainers. You can help your child develop rhythm and tempo through dancing. Try to put on a lively music, and dance with your child. Take a couple of minutes for “copy dance” — this is an exciting activity where you will start a movement that your child will imitate.
3. Teaching music is not limited to using songs and dance; in fact, you can also use visuals and a few props. Scarves can be used in explaining scales. Raise the scarf up as you sing up the scale and then drop it down as you go down. Your child can also create movements based on the sound. Ask your child to stomp his or feet when the music is soft, and jump when the music is loud or fast.
Combining music and movements can help improve preschoolers’ motor skills. They will learn to coordinate their body movements to the rhythm of the songs. It will also develop their body control and concentration skills.
You can also improvise musical instruments with the use of plastic containers, empty plastic bottles, or film canisters. You can make guitars from rubber, strings, and shoe boxes, while coffe cans and oatmeal containers can be used as drums.
Of course, the best way to ensure your child is receiving all of the benefits of music eduation is to enroll them in music classes or piano lessons. Taking music lessons in your home will give your child the benefit of learning in an non-intimidating environment.
Above all, find ways to harness the three key factors we talked about, and you are on your way to raising a Music-Savvy Preschooler!
Instruments for Beginners
January 29, 2010 at 4:48 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: guitar lessons, instruments for beginners, piano lessons beginners, violin lessons
Choosing the right instrument for beginners is important. It’s crucial to provide a suitable instrument for beginners to help them enjoy playing music and hone their potentials.
While music education is valuable regardless of the instrument your child plays, there is one instrument that tops the list when it comes to education, direct and indirect benefits, and versitility: that is the piano.
Learning Benefits
The piano is traditionally considered the best instrument to start on, due to its visual nature. There are a lot of musical concepts that will be easily understood looking at a piano, but are extremely difficult to understand on any other instrument. Ideas like pitch fluctuations, staff reading, half steps, whole steps, octaves, scales, sharps, flats (and more) are much easily understood on the piano.
Cost Benefits
The piano is one of the most versatile instruments that children will love to play. While a traditional, acqoustic piano is ideal, students can also learn on a well-designed keyboard when first starting out. This makes your “start up” costs lower, giving you time to try out learning your instrument before purchasing something more expensive.
Availability Benefits
Since piano lessons are popular, it’s easier to find piano teachers and piano studios in your area.
Versitility Benefits
While learning the piano, students can explore endless musical styles. The piano is usable to play almost any musical style, unlike other instruments. So while your child is learning the piano, he or she can explore styles until they find their niche.
Improves Future Learning
Since the piano provides the best way to learn basic musical concepts, the student can then take what they have learned and easily apply it towards learning another instrument, like guitar lessons or voice lessons. This strong musical background will help the student pick up any other instrument much quicker than they would otherwise.
Are you at the right age to take piano lessons?
January 13, 2010 at 12:46 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: piano lessons in your home
Most parents and adults considering piano lessons share the same question: what is the right age for taking piano lessons?
Parents are concerned about starting lessons too early or too late.
Adults wanting lessons for themselves often worry that they are too old to learn (you’re not!).
There is no such thing as a universal “right age” for everyone to start piano lessons. However, there are simply questions and guidelines to consider prior to start.
Before you take piano lessons in your home or piano lessons in the studio, adult students and parents of students should ask if now is the time to start.
Piano for Kids
Piano teachers have debated for years about the best age for students to start piano lessons. The answer that the individual teacher gives will tell you if the teacher is right for your family or not.
Many teachers love working with pre-school children and will start students as young as three years old, if they are ready. “Ready” usually means being able to read letters A-G and numbers 1-5, being potty-trained, and able to carry on a conversation.
The teachers who insist on students waiting until the age of 7 or 8 usually hold this philosophy for one simple reason: they either don’t know how to work with young children, or don’t like it. What they are forgetting is that Mozart not only played the piano as a toddler, but wrote an intermediate peice at the age of 5! Granted, Mozart was a genious. But most parents aren’t asking that their pre-school be trained as a genious: they simply want their child to enjoy the benefits of music education during the pre-school years, when students are most likely to benefit from it.
This is not to “knock” those teachers who won’t start students until mid-elementary school age. They are simply more comfortable and effective with older students.
Piano For Adults
Adults often doubt their own capabilities. All too often we hear from adults who say, ”I really want to learn how to play, but you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!” No insult to the author of that old familiar saying, but it’s WRONG!
Generally, adults possess the strengths needed for piano instruction more abundantly than children:
- better concentration
- highly developed motor skills
- better mental and judgment skills
- abilty to understand complex concepts more readily
Often, adults start lessons with unrealistic expectations and busy schedules. The busy schedule issue can easily be remedied by taking piano lessons at home. As far as unrealistic expectations is concerned, I tell my adults students this: “Be as patient with yourself as you expect me to be with you.” You will learn in small, steady steps. If you are patient and play the piano consistently, you’ll meet your own expectations quickly!
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