TEACHING & TECHNOLOGY: WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO LEARN PIANO ON AN IPAD?
By: Kelley Wong
When I think about my childhood piano teacher, I often associate her with 3 S’s: structured, strict, and scary. I’ve come to appreciate her (we still keep in touch now), but as a child her teaching method was just too traditional. But, that was the method of choice for European-trained pianists of the Classical Schools.
Learning the piano was learning a craft, and that meant expectations for excellence through: strict teaching, a stricter practice regime, rote memorization of notes and music concepts, and (sometimes) punishment for not showing weekly improvement; For me, that punishment was an hour of practice, after my lesson, in my teacher’s dark basement before I was allowed to be picked up. Strict and structured teaching was used regardless who the student was.
With modern times comes an awakening for the need to accommodate different learning styles and needs. A one-glove-fits-all approach just doesn’t work. In fact, this is just one consideration, before even factoring-in the time a student has to dedicate to piano (i.e. many are involved in a ton of other activities). So the question becomes: What are new ways to deliver music education while capitalizing on a student’s interest and engagement? That answer is technology.
Technology – music Apps, online/mobile music games, and even things like an iPhone metronome – engages students in ways that traditional teaching methods can’t. Music technology capitalizes on a child/youth’s interest in: being digitally connected, learning through interactive and imaginative ways, technology that uses beautiful and colorful graphics, and most of all learning on their own terms. This gives students autonomy in learning while maintaining an element of fun and engagement.
As a teacher, I see most of my students once a week. Students are left to practice on their own on the other days of the week, and let’s face it sometimes it doesn’t happen! Having a student engage musically and electronically through music Apps and games allows them to learn and reinforce key concepts while being away from the piano. These types of Apps are great for learning: note recognition, rhythm and counting, ear training, sight reading, and more. Even a simple thing like an iPhone metronome engages them visually and tactilely in a way traditional metronomes can’t. The idea is to maximize quality engagement and learning through technology as a supplement to weekly piano lessons.
Having taught for over 15 years, I’m always looking for ways to encourage students to engage musically. Learning music in any form is good musical engagement because this is a marker of musical interest. As someone who was taught under the strict European-style of piano education, I believe in the results that this can deliver. I also, however, believe that the best teaching revolves around responding to the needs and learning styles of a student. Using technology in the music lesson, and encouraging students to use this during the week, will supplement their musical education in ways that were never possible before. I say, let kids embrace their iPhones, iPads, and Android devices – musically – for educational purposes!
Kelley's Top Picks: iPad and Android Apps (purchase from iTunes or GooglePlay)
1. Note Teacher Kids ($1.99)
2. NoteWorks ($1.99)
3. Music Tutor (Free)
4. Flashnote Derby ($2.99)
5. Piano Notes! ($1.99)
Vancouver piano teacher, Vancouver piano lessons, piano lessons Vancouver, piano lessons for beginners, Burnaby piano lessons
By: Kelley Wong
When I think about my childhood piano teacher, I often associate her with 3 S’s: structured, strict, and scary. I’ve come to appreciate her (we still keep in touch now), but as a child her teaching method was just too traditional. But, that was the method of choice for European-trained pianists of the Classical Schools.
Learning the piano was learning a craft, and that meant expectations for excellence through: strict teaching, a stricter practice regime, rote memorization of notes and music concepts, and (sometimes) punishment for not showing weekly improvement; For me, that punishment was an hour of practice, after my lesson, in my teacher’s dark basement before I was allowed to be picked up. Strict and structured teaching was used regardless who the student was.
With modern times comes an awakening for the need to accommodate different learning styles and needs. A one-glove-fits-all approach just doesn’t work. In fact, this is just one consideration, before even factoring-in the time a student has to dedicate to piano (i.e. many are involved in a ton of other activities). So the question becomes: What are new ways to deliver music education while capitalizing on a student’s interest and engagement? That answer is technology.
Technology – music Apps, online/mobile music games, and even things like an iPhone metronome – engages students in ways that traditional teaching methods can’t. Music technology capitalizes on a child/youth’s interest in: being digitally connected, learning through interactive and imaginative ways, technology that uses beautiful and colorful graphics, and most of all learning on their own terms. This gives students autonomy in learning while maintaining an element of fun and engagement.
As a teacher, I see most of my students once a week. Students are left to practice on their own on the other days of the week, and let’s face it sometimes it doesn’t happen! Having a student engage musically and electronically through music Apps and games allows them to learn and reinforce key concepts while being away from the piano. These types of Apps are great for learning: note recognition, rhythm and counting, ear training, sight reading, and more. Even a simple thing like an iPhone metronome engages them visually and tactilely in a way traditional metronomes can’t. The idea is to maximize quality engagement and learning through technology as a supplement to weekly piano lessons.
Having taught for over 15 years, I’m always looking for ways to encourage students to engage musically. Learning music in any form is good musical engagement because this is a marker of musical interest. As someone who was taught under the strict European-style of piano education, I believe in the results that this can deliver. I also, however, believe that the best teaching revolves around responding to the needs and learning styles of a student. Using technology in the music lesson, and encouraging students to use this during the week, will supplement their musical education in ways that were never possible before. I say, let kids embrace their iPhones, iPads, and Android devices – musically – for educational purposes!
Kelley's Top Picks: iPad and Android Apps (purchase from iTunes or GooglePlay)
1. Note Teacher Kids ($1.99)
2. NoteWorks ($1.99)
3. Music Tutor (Free)
4. Flashnote Derby ($2.99)
5. Piano Notes! ($1.99)
Vancouver piano teacher, Vancouver piano lessons, piano lessons Vancouver, piano lessons for beginners, Burnaby piano lessons