50-pieces in a year: Update and Repertoire Suggestions
For all those of you who have embraced even the idea of offering the 50-piece challenge to your students, I’m here to tell you that it’s the best thing I have ever done with my students.
Each week they come along to lessons eager to get more ticks on the chart, or at least more dots, showing that pieces have been started.
But what is the reason they are so eager? Yes, they are enjoying playing more repertoire and not getting stuck playing the same three pieces all year. Yes, they are finding out how rewarding it is to experience that sense of achievement of finishing a piece in just one or two weeks. Yes, their sight reading is improving and their parents are delighted. But the most important reason they are so eager is…
COMPETITION!
The chart on my wall, next to the piano, lists every student and they can see at a glance who has the most ticks. Whilst I have never promoted this as anything other than an individual pursuit, the element of competitiveness is really pushing everyone along. There is no prize for the ‘winner’ (i.e. the person who gets to 50 pieces first). There is only the satisfaction of having done it yourself. But nevertheless, the idea of having the most ticks or dots seems to be the most motivating factor for practising more.
In one term, five students have exceeded the quarter-way mark: 13 pieces. The ‘top’ person is up to 20 pieces already! The rest have a healthy start, with most students above 10 pieces.
Here is some of the repertoire I’m using for this challenge, which is working really well for my students click here to continue reading this article.
To your music education,
Samantha
Samantha Coates
BlitzBooks
Help promote Blitz Books
Please forward this email on to your work colleagues if you think they will benefit.
Community
Australian Piano Pedagogy Conference
This is a must-see for all piano teachers. The bienniel APPC conference is on in Wagga this year. For info on the program and registration go to www.appca.com.au.
Customer Feedback
Thank you so much for all your emails and feedback - I love reading them. Here's a few recent items that I think you'll find inspiring and perhaps useful...
|
|
Dear Samantha,
My name is Luke Hynes. I thought I would love to write to you to tell you about our Music Theory Club! We started it last year, and it is open to boys in years 3-6 of our Preparatory School. We meet once a week at lunch for a 50 minute session. Each boy receives their own Blitz book, supplied by the school. Most boys start on Blitz for Beginners, and when they finish that they go on to How to Blitz Grade One. The club has been so successful that I had to increase the capacity for the 2011 year, and now we have nearly 30 boys all willing to give up their lunch time to have fun doing their theory. Due to the large number of boys in the club, I introduced the concept of our Music Theory Club Mentors. They are boys that study music in our Senior School (7-12) and they roster themselves on each week to come and help the younger boys. We have a very organised system whereby the boys finish a page then have it checked by a mentor (or they can use the mentors for help if necessary) and if the mentor says it’s ok they can join the queue at my desk and if I say it’s correct they get a stamp and then move on to the next page (we even have a reward system of lollies for completing a certain number of pages!). We also have a little chart with the boys’ names and page numbers, and they colour in a square when they complete a page. The Mentors love their job (well ok they do get a treat supplied by me as a thankyou too) and it’s a great way for the younger and older boys to interact. At the end of each session the books are packed away in your yellow Blitz bags (it’s easier to hang on to them with the younger boys rather than send them home).
Due to the success of the Prep Theory Club (and due to the demand) we have just purchased 30 more 1st-4th grade Blitz books for my new Senior Music Theory Club, which met for the first time today (I couldn’t believe how many boys came in the pouring rain in time for 7.15!)
Kind regards,
Luke Hynes
|
|
|
Hi Sam,
Inspired by your daughter’s brilliant idea of dividing students into Houses and having a House competition, I decided to try it this year. So, I told my students about it and they all seemed enthusiastic. I decided on a House Shield and divided the kids into three Houses and drew up a chart. I purchased a lovely, shiny wooden shield with the House names of The Glocks, The Troms and The Saxs engraved on a plaque at the top, along with my music school’s logo. I explained it all to the parents in an email and drew up practice logs which the kids stuck in the back of their notebooks.
I was expecting the students to be enthralled for a short time, then loose interest in keeping logs etc after awhile, but I was wrong! They are still as keen as mustard! Most have upped their practice routine to gain more House points, and one student has blown me away with how much her playing has improved, because she is practising more than she ever has in her life! (She is heading towards being awarded my school’s Student of the Year, the way she is going!!)
The first thing the students do when they arrive for a lesson is look at the House chart containing the progress points! Last term’s winner was a very close affair, and I’m hoping that will be the case every term. The winners in that House received a certificate and prizes. Thanks for the idea, it’s a winner!
Bless you,
Warmest regards,
Anne
|
|
|
Hello Samantha,
Congratulations on reaching your 10th Birthday.
I really look forward to your 'Blitz News' & workshops as they are alway full of great inspiring ideas & news for my teaching. I have been teaching for about 35 years & I still like to keep up-to-date with your information & new ideas. The Blitzing Theory/Musicianship, Blitz Sight Reading have been excellent for my students to work with.
Again Congratulations & best wishes for the next 10 years & beyond. I am sure many new music teachers will benefit greatly from your books, workshops, & Blitz News.
Regards,
Margaret Berry.
|
Thanks so much for your amazing feedback - it really makes my day to read these messages.
About BlitzBooks
BlitzBooks is the series by Samantha Coates that has revolutionised music theory teaching. Students are no longer bored with their theory books! Since January 2001, music students have been able to ENJOY their theory education with fun, user-friendly texts. The conversational, easy-to-use format has made BlitzBooks incredibly popular with students as well as making teachers' lives easier.
The BlitzBooks series covers the AMEB syllabus for Grades 1 to 5 in both Theory and Musicianship as well as offering fantastic publications in the areas of beginner music theory, sight reading (piano) and general knowledge (any instrument).
Each Theory/Musicianship workbook is complemented by a comprehensive Teacher Guide and separate Answer Book, a feature no other theory series offers. There are many additional music resources on the BlitzBooks website, as well as constant updates relating to revisions and changes to the AMEB syllabus.
BlitzBooks remains on the cutting edge of music theory education, making this series the number one choice for students and teachers in Australia and overseas.
The BlitzBooks titles are available from all good print music retailers.
You can learn more about BlitzBooks at Blitzbooks.com.au.
'Follow' BlitzBooks on Twitter.
Join us on the BlitzBooks Facebook Page.