Jerry B. Shefelt Blogs: October 2018

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Structured Piano Practice for Beginners: 10 Tips

Several readers have recently written requesting a post on structured practice ideas for beginners. I scrolled through my archives (you can browse them here) and realised that I hadn’t written anything on structured practice for this vast and significant group of piano students. I’m very sorry about this, and in order to redress the balance, I hope you find the following of interest!

Beginners, particularly teenagers and adults, might benefit from setting goals. Decide what you wish to achieve by next week, next month and next year. When goals are in place, you are working towards a tangible outcome. It will help focus your mind and encourage you to keep going during those less than fruitful practice sessions.
Stick to that routine. Find a time of day which works for you, then you can look forward to practising at the same time everyday or whenever suits your timetable. Piano practice might not always be possible, but if you can mark it in your schedule and are keen to do it, then you’ll be sure to make it happen.
Little and often can work well. A beginner really doesn’t need to practice for more than 20 – 30 minutes a day. You may find it easier to work in two sessions. Aim to practice regularly as opposed to a couple of rushed sessions before your lesson (if you have one).
Studying with a teacher is much more productive than learning alone. Find a suitable teacher and a beginner’s tutor or method book which is user-friendly and well organised (your teacher will probably advise here). Use this alongside other resources; it’s best to explore a variety of material as opposed to relying on one piano method book.
Try to start your daily practice with a brief memory session on note testing. Practice writing the notes on manuscript (music) paper, and follow this by naming and locating them on the keyboard. Repetition will prove key. Learning to read music is a prerequisite when studying the piano. In my piano course, Play it again: PIANO Book 1, there is a music theory section at the back of the book with note-reading and rhythmic exercises.
Begin your practice with a few relaxation exercises. Relax your shoulders as much as possible, and try to ensure they don’t rise up during practice. Keep your wrists loose, and arms, light and fluid. Fingers need to be firm, but the hand, wrist and arm should ideally be loose and flexible.
Rhythmic reminders are vital. Clapping or tapping on the piano lid may prove beneficial, as will counting out loud along to your playing. Always keep a steady pulse, and aim to ‘feel’ a regular beat which might be described as similar to that of a ticking clock or heartbeat. It can be helpful to clap along to either a metronome or stop watch in order to become aware of the regularity and steadiness required. Clap or tap the pulse and rhythms in your pieces before learning the notes.
Find and play the notes in your piece (or pieces) without the rhythm. Learning to coordinate both hands whilst grasping note patterns can take time, so try to do this before you add the rhythm. Write your fingering into the score, and ensure you use it! Take time moving around the keyboard and aim to find the notes with your fingers before you need to play them. Name the notes as you play, and keep your wrist and hands loose and relaxed.
Repetition is important when getting to grips with note patterns. When combining the notes and rhythm together you may need to work at each bar many times. Keep your fingers close to the keys, eliminating any possible errors. Set an extremely slow pulse at first. When confident, add speed and repeat the phrases using a different tonal colour (try playing softly, then much more powerfully, for example). This precludes mindless repetition, encouraging focus on dynamics, phrase shape and other important musical features.
Spend a maximum of 5 to 10 minutes on each little piece (similar to those in length in a piano method or tutor book), and in that time, concentrate fully until you can play fluently. The sense of achievement will feel monumental when you can skip through your piece with no errors. Play each piece from beginning to end after your practice session. This will channel your concentration, and illustrate what needs to be done at the next session.

And finally, make a note of each practice session in a notebook. It can help to write down what was achieved and how you did it.

For more practice ideas for beginners, check out my book, So You Want To Play The Piano? published by Alfred Music.

My Publications:

For much more information about how to practice piano repertoire, take a look at my two-book piano course, Play it again: PIANO (Schott). Covering a huge array of styles and genres, 49 progressive pieces from approximately Grade 1 – 8 level are featured, with at least two pages of practice tips for every piece. A convenient and beneficial course for students of any age, with or without a teacher, and it can also be used alongside piano examination syllabuses too.

You can find out more about my other piano publications and compositions here.

from Melanie Spanswick https://ift.tt/2PquRYb

Friday, October 19, 2018

At The Piano: a study series by G. Henle Verlag

Many will know G. Henle Verlag as a sheet music publishing company with a difference: they are one of the few publishers who can claim to produce world-class Urtext editions. From music students through to professional musicians, G. Henle’s volumes are probably the most popular worldwide, with the familiar smoky deep blue covers adorning a fair few music desks.

Henle has always been my edition of choice and I have a rather substantial collection, including all thirty-two Beethoven piano sonatas in both the hardback and soft cover editions!

Günter Henle was a keen amateur pianist and he formed his company in 1948. Based in Munich, Henle specifically focuses on publishing Urtext sheet music. ‘Urtext’ is characterised by using the correct musical text according to the composer, drawn up from following strict scholarly principles, often including extensive commentaries about the original sources and details regarding the readings. G. Henle publishes all the major composers, including the complete piano works of J. S. Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Debussy, J. Haydn, W.A. Mozart, Schubert and R. Schumann.

More recently, Henle have added a study edition series (smaller study formats) to their score library, as well as facsimile editions of composer’s manuscripts. They have also created a pedagogy (teaching or study) programme intended for a specific student demographic. The first venture in this direction, the At The Piano series, features a collection of twelve volumes, each focusing on a particular composer. This series is primarily designed for those returning to the piano; predominantly more mature students who have played the piano to a considerable level, and who wish to return to this enjoyable but exacting past-time.

Each At The Piano volume contains a selection of original works which are generally considered to be amongst the composer’s more accessible, ‘easier’ piano compositions. The progressive nature of At The Piano encourages a carefully gauged return to playing the instrument, and a reintroduction and familiarization with a composer’s style and technical attributes.

The books follow the same format and they all begin with facts about the content, Urtext score, historical context, and information about the composer’s stylistic traits. This is all beneficial and interesting, particularly regarding the Urtext commentaries.

There are twelve composers from which to choose: J. S. Bach, W. A. Mozart, J. Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, F. Mendelssohn, Grieg, Chopin, R. Schumann, Liszt, Brahms, and Debussy. The number of pieces included in the volumes differ depending on the length and difficulty of each work, but typically they contain between 10 – 15 pieces, a large proportion of them well-known; a vital component when enticing the returner.

Placed in order of difficulty, the pieces are beautifully laid out, as might be expected. Henle’s scores are lavishly presented with pristine, clearly defined print, set on rich, thick cream paper. And they are past masters of ‘spacing’ the music carefully, providing a sense of space between the notes. This might not appear obvious at first glance, but it cleverly leads us to believe the music is possibly slightly simpler than it really is, enabling students to learn with more confidence.

The levels of difficulty are displayed on Henle’s website and at the front of the books: level 1-3 (easy), level 4-6 (medium), and level 7-9 (difficult). This general guideline doesn’t adhere to the usual British graded exam system, and therefore, At The Piano would undoubtedly seem advanced for those expecting to see traditional examination levels. Some volumes that I examined began at around Grade 4/5 level (ABRSM), but others were more challenging. However, this may suit the returning pianist, who will probably be adept at note reading and will already know their way around the keyboard.

The pieces have been selected to complement one another, and they are also designed to prepare students for more advanced repertoire written by that particular composer. At the beginning of every piece is a commentary, commencing with a paragraph or two highlighting historical facts, informing readers about how or why the work was composed. This is followed by suggested performance notes. These practice notes vary in length depending on the complexity of the piece, and they tend to be a ‘walk-through’ with helpful guidance on phrasing, articulation and dynamics. Edited, annotated and fingered by German pianist and professor Sylvia Hewig-Tröscher, every publication contains reproductions of a page of the autograph or engraver’s copy. These are interpolated at various points throughout; an imaginative touch which extends the historical value.

At The Piano is an excellent series for students and teachers. Those who fancy learning a major composer’s ‘piano favourites’ will really enjoy working their way through each book. G. Henle have combined a scrupulous ‘pure’ score with plenty of valuable information, offering a fascinating glimpse into the history and style of each composer.

You can find out more about the pieces included in each volume, and purchase the scores here: At The Piano

My Publications:

You can find out more about my other piano publications and compositions here.

from Melanie Spanswick https://ift.tt/2J5Sakw

Sunday, October 14, 2018

How loose are you? Piano teaching in Asia

Returning from another enjoyable and successful book tour, I find myself reflecting on a perennial piano teaching issue; one which seems to occur all over the world.

This tour was the busiest yet with visits to four countries and multiple cities; Singapore, Malaysia (Melaka and Kuala Lumpur), Indonesia (Jakarta and Surabaya), and Hong Kong. On this trip I was fortunate to have company: I gave teaching workshops alongside colleagues Samantha Ward, who is artistic director of PIANO WEEK and also a fellow Schott Music author (she was presenting Piano Junior, the new Schott beginner’s method), and Dr. Wolf-Dieter Seiffert, president of G. Henle Verlag (who spoke about Urtext editions), as part of the Arrow Vision/Schott Music/G. Henle Verlag tour, which formed the middle segment of my trip.

Whilst our workshops were open to students, teachers and parents, the majority of the audience consisted of piano teachers. It’s a real pleasure connecting with teachers around the world, sharing a few (hopefully) useful ideas, as well as highlighting the benefits of using my piano course, Play it again: PIANO. Several teachers had previously attended my workshops last year, and it was lovely to see them again. I also appreciated their feedback regarding Play it again, and it was wonderful to hear how much their students have enjoyed using the books.

Teachers are generally very receptive to this two-book course (pictured above), which, as readers of this blog will know, contains an anthology of 49 piano pieces progressing from Grade 1 – 8 level, with copious practice suggestions for every piece. I was delighted to be able to talk about Book 3 for the first time too. This new addition will focus on works of approximately Grade 8 level up to the DipABRSM diploma, and it was written due to vociferous demand from teachers! Many thanks to all who have been in contact over the past year.

At the Encore Music Centre in Melaka, Malaysia, giving a two-day workshop for piano teachers

Play it again: PIANO Book 3 will be available at the beginning of next year (2019), and it will follow the same format as Book 1 and 2, featuring a select group of pieces drawn from mostly standard repertoire with plenty of guided practice tips and advice. The practice ideas, which run throughout the books, are certainly not designed to replace teachers; piano teachers are irreplaceable. However, in my experience, students tend to ‘forget’ much of the advice we offer from week to week, therefore my suggestions, which primarily focus on breaking pieces down to enable swift, successful learning, are intended to serve as reminders and ‘extra’ help between lessons.

In Singapore and Hong Kong I gave private lessons as well as workshops and master classes. The level of playing was consistently high; many of the students were teachers, and they were nearly all advanced diploma level. This isn’t unexpected, but what I often find surprising is the amount of time I spend on teaching physical flexibility.

Physical movement at the piano is, for me, probably the most crucial factor when playing the piano, because without a flexible, relaxed technique, playing accurately and with a rich, full sound are both challenging. But, perhaps more importantly, a tight, tense technique also tends to make playing a very uncomfortable experience for the pianist.

I spend a large percentage of lesson time working with students to sort tension issues. I always pose the question: “how loose are you?” or “how loose do you feel?” as this is often the easiest way to help students understand the desired ‘feeling’ necessary in several parts of their upper torso. It’s interesting to note that tension can occur at any level or stage of piano playing, and it’s this that fascinates me. The more advanced the student, the more demanding my job! Although it isn’t a ‘job’, but rather a pleasure and privilege to help. Advanced students might have habits which are inextricably ingrained. The fun part is being able to unravel their issues, and replace the old habits with new, healthier ones.

In Surabaya, Indonesia, with piano teachers at my workshop

Repetitive strain injury and tendonitis are just two of the conditions resulting from piano playing laced with tension. Over the past few years I have worked with students who had developed quite serious pain issues, and we carefully reconstructed their technique over a period of around twelve months (it can take less time with a very dedicated pupil). Boring and painstaking work? Actually, I find it very rewarding. Witnessing a student’s progression from pain and dejection to mastery and confidence is very gratifying.

Working with a student at a master class in Hong Kong

There are a profusion of effective teaching methods which can be employed to reverse tension. I use one which is easy to understand, and one which emphasizes relaxation (or a ‘loose’ feeling). The tension/release concept is relatively simple to comprehend, and if it is implemented with a series of loose wrist and hand movements, which are all exaggerated to start with, improvement can be almost instantaneous. Although it can take a while for such movements to become an instinctive, natural habit.

I aim to continue my work with pupils who require such teaching, and my trip served as a vital reminder of its value. I examine the basics of flexibility in the opening section of Play it again: PIANO, Book 1, 2 and 3, and you can also watch my videos online for more ideas, here.

Huge thanks to my publisher Schott Music for their fantastic worldwide support. I look forward to next year’s Far Eastern adventures.

My Publications:

You can find out more about my other piano publications and compositions here.

from Melanie Spanswick https://ift.tt/2RN9leA

Thursday, October 11, 2018

ISB Hosts All Staff Professional Learning Day

Studies continue to show that self-care and balance in our lives lead to greater overall performance and productivity in the workplace as well as for students at school. At International School Bangkok (ISB), one of our mission points for students is for them to maintain healthy, active and balanced lives. We believe this is paramount for our staff too.

How does a busy school like ISB integrate this into the working environment? An example was seen on September 20th, when ISB closed the school campus for half a day and hosted a Whole School Professional Learning (PL) Day. ISB holds four Professional Learning days in the school year but this event was particularly unique because of the logistical feat of bringing all of the school departments together. Over 500 staff members came together as a learning community of faculty and staff to engage in shared wellness, service and role-specific workshops, and to contribute to the wider community in Bangkok.

The day, developed and run by the team in our Learning Design Center (LDC), aimed to engage our faculty and staff in a mindset of service, wellness and learning, thus modelling our new vision of ‘enriching communities’. It supported relationships with local organisations who would benefit from our support, enhanced service relationships that already exist, and further developed a collaborative and cohesive whole school culture.

The morning began with the faculty and staff taking part in one of a selection of wellness activities, including yoga, jewelry making, cycling, gymnastics, water color painting and more. Each program was managed by outside guests or volunteering staff. The participants then joined professional development sessions, relevant to their respective departments, which were valuable and informative workshops relating to their line of work.

Following on, the faculty members were invited to join outreach sessions which were prepared in collaboration with the Nonthaburi Neighborhood Reach (NNR) to support various non-profit organizations in the community. As Elizabeth Rossini, Director of Curriculum and Professional Learning at ISB, recently shared with the Thani Talk magazine, “It was an opportunity for our staff to explore further service learning opportunities for our students, engage in meaningful service themselves and to better understand the local community.”

In any organization with great aspirations and high standards, with motivated and hard-working individuals, achieving a quality work-life balance can be a challenge. Yet, more than ever, with the pressures of modern living and the never-ending demands on our attention, employee wellness is essential for ensuring long-term success. To quote the late William Powell & his wife Ochan Kusuma-Powell, well-known educational authors and consultants, “Teachers and school leaders must step back from the day-to-day focus of getting more done, of striving after ‘results’ and carve out sacred time for personal and group development. Reflection and transformational learning may seem an unaffordable luxury, or a ‘soft option’ in today’s fast-paced and results-oriented environment, but without time spent on these essential activities, schools will not become smarter, more intelligent places.”

The Professional Learning Day was a productive day of community building, enhanced cross-cultural connections and meaningful learning experiences. It has helped to reinforce our strong community spirit of openness, caring and inclusion that goes beyond our school walls, and encompasses our parents, students, staff and alumni. It’s a great example of ISB’s vision and values in action!

from International School Bangkok https://ift.tt/2yvhOdA

Saturday, October 6, 2018

“Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit!”*) – Four Famous Composers at the Wiesn**)

My guest writer this week is Dr. Wolf-Dieter Seiffert, president of the world-renowned Urtext publishers G. Henle Verlag. This light-hearted story takes place at the famous beer festival and features several rather well-known composers; written by Dr. Seiffert, it was first published on the G. Henle Verlag blog. You can read the original, here, which has been directly translated from the German version. Over to Dr. Seiffert…

Yesterday evening I was once again sitting in the party tent at the world-famous Munich Oktoberfest with a good Mass Bier***). Facing me sat four rather odd-looking men who introduced themselves as “perennial musicians”. I didn’t really quite catch their names (for the band in the tent was very loudly playing “music”). But their appearance and their speech certainly seemed somehow weird to me, in fact, “old-fashioned” – then suddenly it hit me, WHO they were, sitting at my table. Hard to believe, but for sure!!

“Well, gentlemen, shall we now order another Mass Bier?”, asked the most elegant one in a cultivated Garmisch dialect. “High time, very high time!” exclaimed the pudgy one with glasses on his nose, grinning, “I’m dying of thirst!” – “I’m not counting, valued Fugue-Reger, he he, Reger-Euguf, and go ahead, of course, indulge in your 11^th Mass Bier. But don’t you think we ought to go about it a bit mezzo-piano?” weighed in the one with the high-pitched voice, whom they fondly called Amadé (or some such). “Oh, come on, let’s still enjoy the good Bavarian beer at least once a year”, reckoned the one from Garmisch, “especially as we Bavarians do indeed drink beer so temperately” – thereupon, Amadé pipes up again: “You probably mean – dear Kapellmeister Richard – temperate in volume?” – “How do you actually like the new G. Henle publishers’ cover, esteemed Bavarian colleagues? Henle is certainly genuinely Bavarian – but don’t you think the cover is pushing it a bit too far?” asked Max in the round. His question, though, totally disappeared in the band’s A-flat major Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit! and mugs were raised all around in a toast. “Now where is our Ludwig? Wasn’t he just here?” observed Amadé, looking around. At that, Kapellmeister Richard said: “He’s probably gone searching again for his distant beloved; there are certainly a lot of really pretty Madln****) here …”. – “Next year, we’ll bring Franzl along again as a guest from Himmelpfortgrund [Vienna], he’s so much more amusing than the perpetually grumpy Ludwig from the Rhineland”, opined Max, who gratefully beamed at the waitress as she set before him a fresh Mass Bier. “Now let’s all toast the angel Aloysius who year after year has us come down here to the Wiesn. Bottoms up, gentlemen – and three cheers!”

I would really like to have toasted their Aloysius with the gentlemen, also absolutely wanted to discuss with them our new cover and Urtext basics, and just get into a conversation at all with them, but then unfortunately they somehow got lost to sight in the beer-tent turmoil.

PS: Here, but only for my hardier Bavarian readers, is the ever wonderful, original Bavarian story of the Munich angel Aloysius.

PPS: You can see Aloysius with his harp soaring in the beer-tent canopy, incidentally, in the brief video clip at the beginning of my text.

*) “Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit” = A toast to cheer and good times.
**) “Wiesn” = Oktoberfest (famous beer festival in Munich/Germany), in Bavarian dialect.
***) At the Oktoberfest beer is served in one-litre mugs, called “Mass”.
****) “Madln” = young ladies, in Bavarian dialect.

You can find out much more about G. Henle, which is based in Munich, Germany, here. For those interested in Urtext editions, the following video provides a fascinating insight into the traditional craft of engraving on metal plates which was traditionally used by G. Henle Verlag:

My Publications:

You can find out more about my other piano publications and compositions here.

from Melanie Spanswick https://ift.tt/2zUE5Dq

Thursday, October 4, 2018

5 Top Training Tips for your next IronMan

So you’ve decided to take on the ultimate physical challenge of the IronMan. Training for such an endeavour is no small feat and you need a solid plan to get you ready in the most efficient, effective and healthy way.

We asked our 3 IronMan competitors at International School Bangkok (ISB) what their top 5 training tips are. Daniel Bentley, Andy Vaughan and Dale Jamieson all qualified for the IronMan World Championship in Hawaii in October and join 2000 other athletes from around the world to embark on this courageous test of the body, mind and spirit.

The good news is, they didn’t need to quit their day jobs to achieve this. They work full time and manage their rigorous training schedule outside of that. So how do they do it? They shared some key points with us, that help to make their training successful.

Bentley, who is currently 4th in Canada for his age group in the IronMan rankings and in the top 1% in the world, suggested that before your training even begins, have a conversation with your family and the important people in your life. Your schedule will take a lot of your free time and you’re going to need their support and encouragement throughout. Now that you’ve got your team rallying behind you, here’s what to think of next:

Training and Recovery is a balancing act. You don’t get fit only from the physical training, fitness comes from balancing training with recovery, therefore following a program that allows for rest into any training schedule is the key to success… if you don’t know how to plan, then get a coach to do this for you.
Fuel your body well. What you put in effects what you get out. There is no way that the body can work well without good energy going in, so ditch the hollow carbs.
Consistency is key. Training for a Full Ironman is not a one month venture, it is a slow long build up that allows you to cope with the big weeks as you build to the race.
Listen to your body. This is essential to make sure that you know when to say no to a workout, when to go to bed earlier and when to back off.
Be okay with suffering. let’s be honest, swimming for 3.8km, biking for 180km and running a marathon has an element of suffering, but with it comes an enormous sense of achievement and pride to know what your body can achieve. It is truly incredible what we can do and doing an Ironman allows us a snapshot of our lives in which to test our limits and, as corny as it sounds, to achieve the IronMan slogan… ‘anything is possible’

Keep in mind that you’re one of the few to embark on this challenge and aside from your informed friends and family, not many will understand why you have decided to do this. Finding yourself a training partner or a coach is a great way to keep yourself motivated. Bentley, Jamieson and Vaughan have the benefit of training together in the Nichada Thani Community and the surrounds, in Bangkok, Thailand, where ISB is based. From early in the morning they are in the swimming pool and by early evening they are out on the roads, running together, riding together, enduring together.

Competing in the IronMan requires a combination of courage and commitment, two of ISB’s core values, and a good dose of grit. Cultivating these in the process of your training is a win in its own right and will serve you in many areas in life. Coupled with the training tips above, you’ll be breezing over the IronMan finish line with pride!

from International School Bangkok https://ift.tt/2O7UVrz

Monday, October 1, 2018

International School Bangkok: A Tale of Four Campuses

The current International School Bangkok (ISB) campus in Nichada Thani is one of the most modern, well-equipped and beautiful international school campuses in Thailand and, arguably, in the entire world. This campus has been a nearly 70 year process in the making, as ISB is truly a tale of four campuses.

In October of 1950 a group of parents joined together to lay out plans for a school that would serve the growing expat community in Bangkok. The site of the new school, planned for approximately 70 students, was an old wooden building on the grounds of the U.S. Embassy off of Rajdamri Road. The name of the new school was the International Children’s Center– the first day of classes for the 50 or so students was May 14, 1951.

By the mid-50s the school had over 300 students and had clearly out-grown the wooden school house at the U.S. Embassy. In August of 1957 the International School Association (ISA) was formed. A 12-member Board of Directors was elected, and the Thai government officially recognized the school and gave permission for the operation of an international school for foreign students in Thailand. Two of the first orders of business of the ISA were to change the name of the school to “International School Bangkok,” and to find a new location for the school. Additionally, 1957 marked the first ISB graduating class of 6 seniors.

The new location was a leased property between Sois 15 and 19 off of Sukhumvit Road. The school was designed to house upwards of 700 students. Thus it was on a rainy, humid day on September 1, 1960 that ISB officially began classes at its new location on Soi 15.

By 1965 the Viet Nam War had accelerated and many American government dependents were moved to Bangkok. This greatly increased the student population to well over 3500 students, well beyond the capacity of the campus on Soi 15. Thus in 1967 a second ISB campus in Bangsue on Viphawadee-Rangsit Road was opened. The site was used for grades

4 to 8, which today you would recognize as St. John’s International School located just south of Central Department Store onLadprao Road. With such a large student body, a record number of teachers and administrators were employed to maintain the high quality educational program that ISB offered.

Enrollment at ISB fluctuated with the US military involvement in Viet Nam, but this ended in 1975, and with it the number of students greatly decreased. The Bangsue campus was closed and eventually sold, and by the beginning of the 1976 school year enrollment was around 1000 students. This number remained relatively constant throughout the remainder of the 70s and into the 1980s.

By the late 1980s, ISB once and for all had outgrown the Soi 15 campus, and built a new school in a northern suburb of Bangkok called Pakkret. The school board had a vision for a campus with the best learning opportunities and facilities in Asia , purpose-built to support students in all their endeavours. We moved into this beautiful facility in January of 1992. With the completion of the Cultural Center building, the recent expansion of the athletics facilities, the building of the Environment Wilderness Campus (EWC) and the continued improvement and modernization of the entire campus, ISB is definitely showing its commitment to excellence for now and for the foreseeable future.

from International School Bangkok https://ift.tt/2RcaUT7