Success in half an hour a week - The Short Music Lesson

American Music Teacher, April-May, 2002 by Jane Bradley

The problem with percussion is the large number of instruments and techniques to be taught. Russell is consistent about writing down assignments, often with actual times and specific instructions included.

Her lesson plan for an elementary school-aged student:

1. Warm-up--activity varies--could be drum rudiments on practice pad or even include listening to a jazz ensemble and absorbing different styles.

2. Review assignment, working on timing, technical problems and so forth.

3. New material--applying techniques studied in number one.

4. Sight reading/improvisation, which could take the form of preparation for a mallet instrument like bells or a duet with teacher and student alternating drum and bells.

Russell includes improvisation in her lessons--an important aspect of playing often neglected. Her students, like Einfeldt's and Spalding's, reap the benefits of playing in a school band or youth orchestra.

Piano

The pianist does not have this opportunity. Piano playing is solitary. A young violinist who is playing faces the teacher and can make eye contact. When a young pianist plays, he or she faces a cliff of wood and plays alone. A young drummer is surrounded by fellow players. Piano teachers have to be aware of the isolation intrinsic to piano playing and find creative ways to bring students together so their work will be less lonely, and to counteract their students' understandable tendency to view music in terms of solo and soloist. As an eight-year-old pianist once announced: "I like recitals because everybody's attention is focused on me."

If students are to grow up with the healthy attitude that music is a communal activity, duets must be part of the piano-lesson menu from the very first lesson.

My plan for a lesson for five-year-old Mike in his first year of study follows. At this young age he needs help with home practice, so his father attends every lesson, taking notes for reference during the upcoming week. Mike listens daily to a CD of a concert pianist playing his pieces.

Lesson for five-year-old Mike:

1. Warm-up--"Play all the Cs." "Play the word DAD/EGG." "Play three Fs with your second finger." "Copy me." "I'll copy you."--introducing more complex rhythms and melodies as time passes.

2. "Play any piece you like--you choose." Even at this early stage, Mike has his own "library" of memorized pieces that we review every lesson so they stay fluent. He is working on the first book of the Suzuki Piano Method, so he might choose "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

3. The main piece, focusing on the most important technical point--usually hand position/tone at this stage. This is the hardest part of the lesson in terms of concentration, but it goes along fine because dessert is coming up.

4. Duets are the most popular part of the lesson. Noona's Duet Performer Book I is a sure-fire hit with five-year-olds, who can learn it all by rote and love it. Mike's dad is not a pianist, but he has learned to play these duets too, so Mike's earliest--and probably most lasting--memories will be not of the first recital, dressed in a suit and playing a solo, but of how much fun it was playing duets with Dad.