beats & pieces

ArticleIntroducing

Suzuki’s Parent-Child

Teacher Trialngle

interview ABRSM ExaminerAlison Havard on

Basic Essentials

EDITOR’S NOTE

EDITORKaris Crawford

MANAGING EDITORMufu Luvai

Kenon Court, KileleshwaP O Box 20319 - 00100, Nairobi020 202 59 77 .tel0770 64 12 52 / 0737 23 21 44 .cellEmail: [email protected]

Disclaimer: All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without written permission. The views expressed in Beats & Pieces are not necessarily those of Music Gallery neither are the products or services appearing in advertisements endorsed by The Music Gallery.

CREATIVE DIRECTION& PUBLISHINGTOPLINE COMUNICATION

CONSULTING PUBLISHERPaul Omondi

DESIGN & LAYOUTRosalia Mumo Kinyua

Tel: +254 729 796333,[email protected]

s a parent, you may feel a little intimidated when tackling your child’s musical development; it appears to be a daunting task: is my child ready? Where

do I begin? Who can I ask? That’s because we don’t think ourselves qualified enough to answer these questions.The good news is that you don’t have to play an instrument to help your child. We are all musical beings; each and every one of us, parent, carer and child alike. Just because you may not be able to read music doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. Every now and then you find yourself singing in the bathroom, humming a tune in the car or nodding to the beat of a practicing neighbour. Whether it’s pop or Popp, Hot Chili or Hot Chili Peppers, Beethoven or Beatles, it doesn’t matter. If you’re passionate about music, your enthusiasm is likely to come through when helping your child. Besides, no one else knows your child more than you do. You are best placed to nurture, encourage and assist them get the most out of music. Beat & Pieces is here to help. We’ll hold your hand and walk you through it with information and resourceful tips. There are so many ways to help your child’s musical development which we shall share with you through articles, interviews as well as musical games and quizzes, to stimulate their imagination and creativity. Beats & Pieces provides parents with sound advice from professional instrumental teachers based in Kenya, Uganda, UK and USA. While every effort is put in place to ensure that the information is accurate and well-researched, we would like to remind parents that all children are unique individuals who respond differently and at their own pace. We shall soon set up a website to provide more useful links. Meanwhile, parents are encouraged to interact through our Facebook page. Please email us for any enquiries. Let’s help nurture our children’s talents.

Beats and Pieces

tOP tiPS• You don’t have to play an instrument to help your child

learn• Beats & Pieces is here to help

a

c

EVERY PARENT CAN HELP

oming back after the long holidays, sometimes it takes a while to get into a regular

routine again. For those of us with children, it may seem like starting over with music practice and rekindling the love of the instrument again! We have various new methods of learning for you to look at in this issue of Beats & Pieces, including a new Vamoosh app for learning violin, a sight reading app for piano and LCM theory past paper information. We also are starting to take a look at the great method teacher, Shinichi Suzuki, with an introduction to his life and a book review on “Nurtured by Love.” Mufu Luvai conducts an excellent interview with piano teacher, Alison Havard, who offers great advice on practicing, music technology, and exams.

We hope you enjoy our current issue of Beats & Pieces and do feel free to write to us with comments or suggestions as to how we can improve the magazine for you!

Karis Crawford, LRSM

2 NEWS New ABRSM Piano and Brass syllabi

Technology - Vamoosh App

3 NEWS Pianos! Pianos! Pianos!

4 BOOK REVIEW nurtured by love: The Classic Approach to Talent Education

DIARY DATES

6 ARTICLE An Introduction to Dr. Shinichi Suzuki and the Suzuki Method

8 INTERVIEW ABRSM Examiner Alison Havard

on Basic Essentials

12 PICTORIAL Little Fingers Concert

14 ASK LIZ

15 FUN PAGE

NURTURING YOUNG TALENT 1

6

8

CONTENT

3

NEWS

NEW ABRSM PIANO AND BRASS SYLLABIBRSM has published new Piano and Brass syllabuses which will take effect from 1 January 2013. The new syllabuses feature exciting new repertoire for piano and brass teachers and learners.

ABRSM’s new Piano syllabus comprises 158 newly selected pieces from a range of classical and contemporary composers. The syllabus is supported by new Piano Exam Pieces sheet music and recordings. The Piano syllabus offers a colourful range of works from a diverse array of countries including Chinese pieces at Grades 2 and 6, a piece by Venezuelan composer, Federico Ruiz at Grade 4 (his first appearance on an ABRSM syllabus), and a rare Chopin arrangement of a Polish song at Grade 3.

ABRSM’s new Brass syllabus features new set pieces for Horn, Eb Horn, Baritone/Euphonium and Tuba. New publications and recordings are available to support teachers and learners.

The new set pieces include a range of more instrument-specific pieces and a selection of pieces from brass band repertoire appears towards the syllabus’s higher grades. These include repertoire associated with Gordon Higginbottom, Robert and David Childs and Steven Mead. Titles from Salvationist Publishing also appear for the first time on ABRSM’s Brass syllabus.

a

amoosh beginner book for violin is finally up on the App Store. Hopefully this will empower

parents when helping their children practise. Clear demonstrations and great material will hopefully motivate, if not remove any excuse for not understanding what they were supposed to do. There’s even an option to film yourself playing, either for granny’s and friends’ pleasure, or for feedback from your teacher. No more excuses!

Download Vamoosh app here (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vamoosh-violin-1/id516910629?mt=8)Source: www.violinist.com

technOlOgy - vAmOOSh APP

essar International has developed an application to develop sightreading in piano playing. The SightRead4Piano app trains the brain and the eye to achieve CONTINUITY as

the music disappears bar by bar, forcing the player’s eyes to the right. With this iPad app, teachers can effectively help pupils to improve sight reading ready for the next exam or, more importantly, so that they can explore a wider repertoire on their own. On the app you will find over 1,000 pieces of sample sight reading for beginners up to professional student level. There is music from six different examination boards: Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, London College of Music, Royal Irish Academy of Music, Rockschool, Australian Music Examinations Board and Yamaha.Source: http://www.wessarinternational.com

wv

2 NURTURING YOUNG TALENT

NEWS

NEWS

ractising with past exam papers can provide ideal preparation for your LCM music theory exam.

Past papers also provide you with a clear example of the type and format of questions that may appear in the exam.

Music Theory Past Papers LCM music theory exam past papers are available here as low-cost digital downloads, and as the past papers are downloads there are no postage charges – you can have them on your computer within moments of placing your order. You can order Grade Past

Papers (Preliminary to Grade 8), Diploma Past Papers and a set of Sample Answers for Preliminary Grade to Grade 5.

Theory Of Music Handbooks Also available on this website

are the LCM Exams Theory of Music handbooks in an easy to download digital format, allowing you to save time and money by downloading the LCM Exams music theory handbook for any grade with just a few clicks of your mouse. (Currently, only the Step and Grades 1 to Grade 5 music theory handbooks are available as downloads). www.lcmebooks.com

etherlands’ recognized piano dealership has come to Kenya. Bol Holdings Africa Co. Ltd, a

flagship of Bol Holland, is a distributor of world renowned brands such as Yamaha, C. Bechstein, W. Hoffman, among others. Piano playing is a growing practice among Kenyans and Bol Holdings hopes to satisfy the need for new pianos. Located in Parklands (Nairobi), the showroom displays an array of uprights, grands and silent systems - a new technology used to digitize acoustic pianos on a need basis (good for late night practice). Bol Holdings Africa Co. also stocks slightly used pianos. Other piano outlets in Kenya include Credible Sounds and Piano

Experts Centre. Remember, when shopping for a piano, whether new or used, it is wise to seek the assistance of an experienced pianist or tuner to verify on quality. This may be rated by its tone, touch, durability and appearance. Also consider practicality; a 9ft concert grand may not be what you need for domestic use in an apartment.

LCM Theory: handbooks and PasT PaPers

p

nPIANOS! PIANOS! PIANOS!

Bol Africa showroom in Parklands


This book by Shinichi Suzuki is part-description of the principles of his Talent Education method, part-snapshots of personal history, part-statements on his philosophy of life. It is written with great optimism and love for humane

development of children into noble people. Based on his observation that all children speak their mother tongue fluently (and are thus highly capable to be educated in many disciplines) and on his belief that talent is not inherited but learned, Suzuki’s method concentrates on creating the best environment for child development. His famous violin teaching method incorporates parent involvement, listening to the same piece many times and extensive practice, among others. Importance of memory training and good mentors (Einstein was one of Suzuki’s mentors) is stressed. Many real-life stories illustrate his points. In spite of some shortcomings, I would recommend this book. Not as a practical guide, but as an inspirational material for parents.

By Gene Zafrin Source: www.amazon.com

nurtured by lOve: THE CLASSIC APPROACH TO TALENT EDUCATION

t

BOOK REVIEW

DIARY DATES

1. ABRSM Theory Exams – 10th October

2. Voices for Hospice ‘Messiah’ – 13th October

3. Turi Orchestral Weekend – 26th – 28th October

4. Conservatoire Orchestra concert – 3rd November

5. Butterfly Trust Concert – 10th/11th November

6. Nairobi Orchestra – 10th and 11th November

7. NMS Concert – December 8th and 9th

8. Conservatoire Musical – 15th and 16th December


hen signing up children for music lessons, parents often surrender to the tutors to handle the teaching

and learning process. Dr. Shinichi Suzuki found a way to include parents in the equation. Through a three-part series, Beats & Pieces editor Karis Crawford introduces us to one of the world’s most influential music educators and the revolutionary Suzuki Method.

The Suzuki Method is now known all over the world and has been used to teach many different instruments. Starting out as a violin method, it has expanded to the piano, harp, voice, flute, and many other instruments (including the mandolin)! Suzuki Talent Education or the Suzuki Method combines a music teaching method with a philosophy, which embraces the total development of the child. It’s guiding principle is: “Character first, ability second.”

Shinichi Suzuki, the man who developed the Suzuki Method, was born on October 17, 1898, in Nagoya, Japan. He was one

of twelve children and his father owned a violin factory where Shinichi learned to set up sound posts. When he was seventeen, Shinichi heard a recording of Schubert’s Ave Maria, played by a famous violinist named Mischa Elman. He was amazed that a violin could make such a beautiful sound because he had thought it was just a toy!

After this, Shinichi brought a violin home from the factory and taught himself to play. He would listen to a recording and try to imitate what he heard. A few years later he took violin lessons from a teacher in Tokyo. When he was 22 years old, he went to Germany and studied with a famous teacher named Karl Klingler. Shinichi also met his wife, Waltraud, in Germany. They married and moved back to Japan, where he began to teach violin and play string quartet concerts with his brothers.

During World War II, his father’s violin factory was bombed by American planes and one of his brothers died as a result. The family was left penniless and Shinichi moved

AN INTRODuCTION TO

w

dr. Shinichi Suzuki And the Suzuki methOd


ARTICLE

to a nearby town where he constructed parts for seaplanes and gave lessons to orphaned children in the outer cities of where he lived. He adopted one of his students, Koji, and started to develop his teaching strategies and philosophies, combining his new teaching applications with traditional Asian philosophy.

Shinichi had always loved children and became very interested in teaching them. He thought that children could learn music just as they learned to speak—starting when they were very young and hearing music all around them.

His struggles with learning the German language gave him an epiphany: if all Japanese children speak Japanese, and all German children speak German, and neither are given a book to learn their language, how then do they learn? They learn by listening to the people around them and then attempting to speak the language for themselves. After they have learned to speak the language, they then learn how to read and write. Shinichi decided that this may be a way to teach music as well. Rather than teaching children how to read music first, why not have them listen to music and learn to play their instrument before learning how to read?

He believed that all children have the talent to learn if they are taught well from a young age by loving parents and teachers. These were very unusual ideas at that time. If children did play an instrument, they started learning when they were ten or eleven years old, not three or even two years old using the Suzuki Method. Also, most people thought that musical talent was a special thing that

only a few people had.Dr. Suzuki’s young students learned to

play very well and everyone was amazed when they performed. No one had ever seen so many young children playing music so beautifully. At first people thought all the students were musical geniuses. They did not understand Suzuki’s idea that all children can learn if they are taught in the right way.

For many years Dr. Suzuki continued to work on his teaching method. He chose music that would help children learn to play. He even wrote some pieces himself (like the Twinkle Variations, Allegro, Perpetual Motion, and Etude). Teachers from many countries came to Japan to learn about his method of teaching, and Dr. Suzuki and his students traveled to play in other countries. Over the years, more and more teachers and parents became interested in Suzuki’s ideas and began to teach children with his method. Now there are thousands of children around the world who have learned to play instruments through the Suzuki Method.

Shinichi died on January 26, 1998, at his home in Matsumoto, Japan. Though he lived to be 99 years old, Dr. Suzuki always seemed young. He was full of energy, and was cheerful and loving to everyone he met. Through his teaching, Dr. Suzuki showed teachers and parents everywhere what children could do. He also believed that hearing and playing great music helped children become good people with kind, peaceful hearts.

Some information taken from suzukiassociation.org

FOR MANY YEARS DR. SuZuKI CONTINuED TO WORK ON HIS TEACHING METHOD. HE CHOSE MuSIC THAT WOuLD HELP CHILDREN

LEARN TO PLAY.


ARTICLE

other, teacher, mentor and examiner, are just but a few feathers on Alison Havard’s

hat. Born and educated in South Wales, Alison went on to study piano at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). She held a variety of teaching posts including at the RNCM Junior School and currently teaches piano and keyboard skills at the Chetham’s School of Music. As a teacher Alison has produced a significant number of award-winning pianists and her private teaching practice covers a wide range of ages and abilities from beginners to Diploma level and beyond. She has also published articles on teaching the piano. So when Alison Havard came to Kenya as an ABRSM Examiner, Beats & Pieces writer, Mufu Luvai, sat with her to gain tips on how to mould the young pianist.

mufu: when teaching and learning piano in the early stages, grade 1, 2 and 3, ages 6 to 12, what’s the greatest concern or most important requirement?

Alison: That the children have access to somewhere to practise, because that’s essential to everything. So it’s got to be from day one, a very structured thing by the teacher, to organize when they’re small, what to do, minute by minute, in their practice time. I always keep a little note book with children and write down specifically what I

want them to do. It’s like someone

that’s going to play tennis; you can’t go and play a tennis match if you haven’t practised. And we’re like athletes, really. We’ve got to warm up our muscles properly, otherwise we’ll be stiff and the sound will be horrible. Very few people understand that, when you practise, it’s between the practice times that muscles settle down. So you might be working on something and it might not come that same day. If you practice regularly, one day you’ll get back to the piano and you’ll find that it’s all taken place, because your muscles have sorted it out; but if you only practise once a week in your lesson, that can’t happen. And also if you don’t have an instrument, you’re not practising enough to develop reading. I’ve noticed there’s quite a lot of very very below par sight-reading here, particularly in the lower grades. It’s a new language and we have to work hard to learn it.

m: would you attribute poor sight-reading to the lack of sufficient practice?

A: Well there are two things about sight-

ABRSM ExAMINER AliSOn hAvArdOn bASic eSSentiAlSm

INTERVIEW


INTERVIEW

reading: There’s the lack of actual practice but also a lot of children with good ears [as well as those with not-so-good ears] will commit what they’re doing to memory. So they never look at the page; they will just be head down. That will be a problem when they come into an exam and they are a little bit nervous, something suddenly goes wrong and they look up and they haven’t a clue where they are. So they can’t recover from that slip very quickly. So although it’s lovely to teach by sound, at some stage, you’ve got to teach reading. For the very little ones, I always suggest that one breaks it into rhythm and notes. Doing both of them together is a very difficult task. But if they have a lot of practice in rhythms, recognizing rhythms, clapping them, playing them on one note and then learning and practising notes, you can gradually combine the two.

m: how important is rhythm?

A: Rhythm is the thing. Before anything, rhythm is the thing. If they play all the right notes but it hasn’t got rhythm, it might as well not be played. If you think of a little folk song your pupils might know and you tap the rhythm for them, they can probably tell you what it is. If you play the notes without a rhythm they won’t tell you, they won’t know.

m: Sometimes, as a teacher, you’re focused on exams and you end up working on only three pieces through the entire year. how do you go about teaching for the exam as well as building enough repertoire for the grade?

A: That’s a tricky one, because if you haven’t got enough time with them and you

know that’s all you can get through in a year, you’re going to be very constrained by what an exam does. If you think that’s a good thing for your student and it gives them a goal, then that’s fine, but it’s nice to find little things outside that for fun. So that it’s not so serious. And although the Associated Board is a really good structure, it’s not the only way to do things. It’s there as a structure around which you peg lots of other things. It’s got technical content, scales. But you might want to teach different scales because you might be teaching in a different key. Or you might want to do technique. And technique, if you haven’t got a lot of time, is probably best done by selecting something from a piece and making your own exercises from it.

m: the exams here take place just before the long holidays. most of the students are not going to touch their instruments until they start school again in September. how does one maintain momentum after getting so good for the exams?

A: That’s a hard one. I’ve written an article on How to Keep the Student Going in the Summer Holidays. One of my students said, “You can bribe me with chocolate!” I always enlist the parent’s help saying, ‘This is a long time to be away from the piano, you are paying for these lessons, don’t let us have to go back to square one. Can you please make sure that several times a week they do something musical. If they haven’t got an instrument, even listening to something would be an advantage; also beating time and seeing what’s happening in different sorts of music.’ You could also give them a

BEFORE ANYTHING, RHYTHM IS THE THING. IF THEY PLAY ALL THE RIGHT NOTES BuT IT HASN’T GOT RHYTHM, IT MIGHT AS WELL

NOT BE PLAYED.


theory book for the summer.

m: what is your advice on learning two similar instruments at the same time? it’s common to find a situation where a student is entered for grade 1 in flute along with grade 2 on the recorder.

A: I think it’s best to do less things well, than just to take up as many instruments as possible purely because you’ve got a lot of instruments at your disposal. And if you play the flute, do you need to play the recorder as well? You can pick that up later after you’ve got your flute up to a certain standard.

m: there are number of scenarios here, whereby a student has a music tutor at school and second one at home. maybe it starts out as a practice partner, and then it develops into a full lesson…does that happen in the uk?

A: It does, but usually with students that are at a very high level, because they can take advice from many sources. But at the lower level, even up to grade eight, a student

should have one music tutor. A practice partner would be good, but a parent could do that even if they don’t play. They can say, ‘Let’s see what’s written in your notebook, this is your half-hour practice slot, I’m going to come and listen, explain to me what you’ve got to do, your teacher says x, y, z…’ Have you heard of Suzuki? That’s where they teach the parent along-side the child and it has fantastic results. I never teach like that, but I encourage the parents to be a part of it and to understand it.

m: what is your opinion on the use of technology, such as the internet and applications, in teaching?

A: I think it can be quite useful, because you can download a lot of things for Aurals. I downloaded something interesting recently, a sight-reading app. It puts it up on your iPad, you can alter the metronome and put any speed you like, and as the person plays, it removes the bar you’ve played so you’ve got to look ahead. So I take my iPad sometimes.

INTERVIEW


Music to grace your occasion

[email protected] Tel: 0710 261 527


PICTORIAL

What: Little Fingers ConcertWhen: June 17th 2012

Where: The Kenya Conservatoire of MusicPhotos: Courtesy of Conservatoire


PICTORIAL

ASK LIZ

lizabeth is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music (UK), where she studied flute with Gareth Morris and piano

with Graeme Humphrey. Whilst at the RAM she performed regularly with all the orchestras, and was also engaged in many internal and external teaching projects, a subject that has always interested Elizabeth. International engagements have taken her to both the USA and to many parts of Europe, and she has performed extensively throughout the UK as soloist, recitalist and orchestral player. From 1987 to 1994, Elizabeth was principal flute with the Sinfonia of Scotland, Dundee Opera and Dundee and Perth Light Operatic Company which complimented her work for both ‘Travel Scotland’ and a busy teaching schedule. She has recorded programmes for the Open University and other children’s programmes and gives Organ duo recitals with her husband.

Elizabeth has a broad and extensive teaching and performing career. She has successfully prepared pupils for scholarships to leading public schools, Junior Conservatoires and Specialist Music Schools in the UK and now has many ex-students working in the profession. She regularly directs summer schools and other courses for young wind players.

Currently, Elizabeth, as well as being a Mother to 3 musical Children, is engaged in a busy teaching schedule which includes UEA in Norwich, is Flautist in Quintessimo, plays

with the Aurelian Ensemble, is part of the management team for Harpenden Musicale, Flute Tutor for The National Childrens Wind Orchestra of Great Britain and directs several successful flute choirs. One of her main aims is to provide as many performing opportunities for all her pupils as possible and firmly believes that encouraging children to perform enhances and benefits all areas of their education. Elizabeth regards it as an enormous privilege to sit on the Board of BIFF (British & International Federation of Festivals) along with the role as Chair to the Adjudicators Council. Elizabeth herself is in much demand as an Adjudicator both at home and abroad.

In 2009 Elizabeth adjudicated in Sri Lanka and in 2010 she spent a month at the 62nd Hong Kong Schools Festival. In September 2010 she presented a presentation for an ISM Seminar about Musicale and its role in the community and in October 2010 she was invited to undertake some teaching and performing work at the Conservatoire in Nairobi. Elizabeth is also a full member of the ISM, a committee member of the Hitchin Festival of the Arts and in any spare time that exists enjoys cookery and literature. One of her latest projects is helping to support both pupils and teachers at the Conservatoire in Nairobi where she herself performed and directed some schools’ workshops in October 2010 and where she hopes to return in 2012.

Elizabeth Childs GRSM (Hons) LRAM

Is my child ready to take music lessons? Which instrument would you recommend? How do I motivate my son to practise? As parents, we often worry about our children’s musical development. Beats & Pieces is here to help. Send your questions to [email protected] and Elizabeth Childs will try to answer them. Some of the questions will be shared on this page to help other parents facing the same situation.

e


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