Piano for Kids

We all know how important note reading is in music.  It is the first concern of every teacher.  However, as adults who have known and understood this complex part of music for many years, we probably have forgotten how difficult it was when we first learned.  For the majority of people note reading of both clefs is not an easy challenge to conquer.  I have taught some adults that are as confused by it as my young students.

For this reason alone, it is so important to step back in time and view this challenge through the eyes of a child.  Notes are ovals, some are black, some are formed by an outline leaving the space in the middle white, some have sticks and flags, but one doesn’t.  Sure they are on different lines and spaces, but how to remember which one is which.  For so many beginners it is just a bunch of spots on a sheet of paper.  Trying to make any sense out of these spots can become extremely frustrating and lead to the student wanting to quit.  Who wants to work at something that just does not make any sense and only brings sadness, not a feeling of achievement?

The animal notes presented in these books were the answer to my struggle with this complex problem.  They allow the student to have a way to easily separate the various notes.  They are fun and easy to talk about, easy to find memory clues that work for each individual and allowing the student to successfully play a piece well enough to bring that encouraging praise which keeps them trying.
 

Music is such a wondrous part of our lives.  When we teach music to young children they not only learn about notes, timing and all the other important parts of music, they learn to appreciate what goes into music and what it takes to perform it.

Some of my students and I had a terrific opportunity to experience this last week.  When I arrived at the student’s home I teach at on Thursday, I was introduced to, Boris Olah, a young high school exchange student from Bratislava, Slovakia.  He is 17.  His is a concert pianist.  He was delighted to play for my students and some of their parents.  He also talked to each student about his experience, from learning piano; playing in European piano competitions and what he must do to prepare for the big competition he has been invited to perform in this next summer.  He will return to Slovakia later this week to work with is teachers in selecting the music to be preformed and preparing the pieces.  All this gave my students new insight into music from a very different view point than normally any of us have an opportunity to receive. 

Boris was a wonderful example to my students and he shared so very much with them.  Each watched with awe, their eyes sparkling with excitement.  He seemed happy and was enthusiastic as he answered every question given to him.  It was easy to understand he loved what he was doing.   He has a great deal of natural ability, but he gives all credit to the teachers he has had.  The last seven years he had studied at a music school after his regular school three days a week.  He truly appreciates the education in music he has received from them. 

We sincerely thank you Boris.  It was a great afternoon for all of us.  There is such great joy in music!!!!!

The method I use to teach very young children note reading and timing developed over several years as I struggled to find ways to help my young students understand these difficult concepts.  It is a lot like teaching a foreign language to the individual trying to learn, it is strange and intimidating.  At times I would draw animal faces for a note to make it familiar and friendly.  Twelve years ago one of my student’s mothers asked me why I did not make music books using my funny, kids friendly note animals.  She had watched me work with them with each of her four children that had all started piano at age five.  The last of these wonderful young people played her senior recital this fall with two of her three bothers in the audience.  All four children continue to play today delighting any and all who are fortunate enough to hear them.

Creating the books was not an easy task.  I want to thank my niece and Russian son for coming up with the computer programs that made it possible to write and produce these unique books.  For all the children and a couple of adults, who had real difficulty mastering note reading, the books have been a great blessing.  It has allowed them to continue with music lessons long enough to find music fun and rewarding, because note reading and timing were not problems for them.  The books have been used in elementary music classes with great success as well.  They make each note an individual that has a special identity which is fun to be creative with.

I want to share with you a very special story about Kyle.  I would love to share his picture with you, but I have not found a way to post it on this site.  Hopefully I will be able to share pictures with you sometime in the future

Kyle started taking piano lessons from me when he was four and a half.  His beginning books were the two introduced to you on this site.  He loved the animals and enjoyed his lessons.  In late summer of 2006 he turned seven. 

After his piano recital in early November Kyle brought me his new Christmas book and asked me to teach him all the song before Christmas so he could play them during the holidays and have his family sing along with him.  He was so excited.  I showed him that there were a lot of songs and they were going to be more difficult than last year, but he was determined.  Some weeks he had to study three songs to reach his goal, and did really great on every one of them. What a joy it was to watch his face as he mastered the songs and felt the success in his efforts.  The greatest joy came when his mother called to tell me how proud he was and how much joy the family had at their Holiday Song Feast.

Thanks to the animals, Kyle reads notes very well for his age and he also has a good understanding of timing.  I want to encourage you to try these books with young children you want to teach piano too.  I am delighted with the success they have brought to my students.