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Welcome
to Music Teachers Insightful Practices (MTIPS)
Newsletter!
May
5, 2000
Table
of Contents:
1.
MTIPS Theme
2. Welcome Notes
3. MTIPS Development
4. Notable Quotables
5. Notable Birthdays
6. Recommended Sites
1.
MTIPS Theme
Developing
the Freedom of Choice … when we allow the student the
opportunity to choose in this manner, we are giving him
the greatest gifts, that of choice and freedom. And, we
are showing him how to grow without the critique of a
teacher.
2.
Welcome Notes
Welcome
to Music Teachers Insightful Practices (MTIPS)!
Welcome
to our new subscribers! And thank you to our friends and
colleagues who forward MTIPS to their friends. That's
how we grow and have a greater impact on the music
community. THANKS!
My
goal is to create a newsletter that you find valuable
and above all, assists you in growing as a teacher. I
always welcome comments and suggestions. Is MTIPS
valuable to you? Please take a moment to hit reply to
send me a quick line on how I can better assist you in
reaching your goals. We all know, the last thing we need
in our Inboxes is more junk mail!
You
may contact me at: NickAmbrosino@musicsimplymusic.com.
I look forward to playing with you through this
newsletter. Let's have some fun!
Be
sure to check our web site at: http://www.musicsimplymusic.com.
We
have lots of information, and resources you can use.
We're constantly adding and up-dating, so check it
often!
3.
MTIPS Development
Developing
the Freedom of Choice.
In
last month's edition, I posed the suggestion that of
"remembering the magic" and allowing our
students, young and young-at-heart, to explore the
sounds of the piano as a child would explore the colors
in a box of crayons. In this, as well as the next couple
month's issues, I will be sharing ideas on how to direct
these explorations, so they become valuable musical
experiences for your students.
One
of the most valuable concepts in learning anything, is
awareness. If a student is not aware of the sounds they
are making, changing the sound (fixing wrong notes,
adjusting inappropriate dynamics, etc.) can be a lesson
in frustration for both the student and the teacher!
For
musicians, awareness means listening and then making
adjustment while they play. This is not an easy skill
for all students. As a matter of experience, I have
found that many students find it very challenging to be
both the performer and the audience.
I
have also found that if the teacher directs the student
with appropriate questions, the student can develop this
skill in a very short time. There is one key question
that will reveal to both you and the student, what it is
that he/she is hearing. The question is…"How did
it sound to you?"
If
a student's goal is to create a "sad" song,
and the student chooses notes/tempos that do not relay
this feeling, it is easier for the teacher to "fix
it" so it sounds more sad. But then, we, as
teachers, are increasing our student's dependency on us.
Instead, try asking, "How did it sound to
you?" "Did it sound sad enough?"
"What would you change to make it sound
sadder?" "What did you like/dislike?"
When
we allow the student the opportunity to choose in this
manner, we are giving him the greatest gifts, that of
choice and freedom. And, we are showing him how to grow
without the critique of a teacher. "Give a man a
fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and
you feed him for a lifetime"
Have
a great week!
4.Notable
Quotable
"If
you hear a voice within you saying "you are not a
painter," then by all means paint and that voice
will be silenced." - Vincent Van Gogh
5.
Notable Birthdays
Johannes
Brahms 5/7
Gabriel Faure 5/12
Alessandro Scarlatti 5/2
Peter Tchaikovsky 5/7
Richard Wagner 5/22
6.
Recommended Sites
http://www.philiphumbert.com
Visit this site for over 200 pages of articles, Top
10 lists (everything from motivation to romantic things
to do for your partner!), humor, quotes, and tools for
your success! Philip Humbert also publishes a FREE
monthly newsletter to which you will want to subscribe.
Check it out!
Copyright
© 2000 Nicholas Ambrosino. All rights reserved.
Permission is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute
MTIPS so long as this copyright notice and full
information about contacting the author is attached. The
author of this article is Nicholas Ambrosino and he may
be contacted at:
http://www.musicsimplymusic.com
director@musicsimplymusic.com
To
subscribe/unsubscribe, send an email to: Mtips-list@musicsimplymusic.com
With either words "subscribe MTIPS" or the
words "unsubscribe MTIPS" in the body of the
email.
"We
enjoy what we do, and so will you!"
phone: 631-863-2354
fax: 631-471-8311
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