Festival Music Samples & Listening Assignment :Jazz Rags and Blues

For each piece write the name of the piece and then click it to hear it and answer the following questions:

Teaching Basic Accompaniment Skills

What skills are needed to become a proficient accompanist?  While the majority of accompanists are pianists, not all pianists have the ability to jump easily into an accompanist role.

"We Love You Whether You Can Play the Piano or Not!"

As I listened to Sharon Eubank share her childhood stories of piano performance mishaps

Ear Training Fun with Feliz Navidad

Feliz Navidad is a fun Christmas song that most kids love because of its energetic rhythms.  But that also makes it beyond the abilities of most beginner piano students to play.  This season I created this chord challenge for my students so

Light the World Music: Teaching Chords, Rhythm and Key Signature

The background theme music of this Light the World video just puts me in the Christmas spirit! I also like the 4 focuses on different ways to serve each week...in the world, community, family and strengthening faith.



After picking out the music by ear on the piano for my own enjoyment,  I transcribed 2 easier duet versions for my piano students to play with me (or along with the video at home) that focus on different musical concepts.

Tips on How to Begin Arranging Music: Notes from Jason Lyle Black Workshop

Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way. - Edward de Bono

Inspiring my students with some Jason Lyle Black videos is just one of the many tools I have used to encourage my students to break away from the written page from time to time and try something different.

Teaching Piano with Chord Colors

I've been associating chords with colors since my childhood, but now chord colors are taking on some new off the page creative roles after inspiration from the Creative Keys Conference.