Alice

In October, Marshmallow Avenue played a Halloween party show at the studio. We brought "Alice" as a decoration, and I guess we forgot to take her back because she was still there on Monday for lessons. Students were quite intrigued by this glittery skull bust wearing a pink wig. I told them her name was Alice, and then at some point when a student made a mistake I said "Alice! Knock it off!" And explained to the student that she likes to try and mess people up when they play piano. "How?" "She uses her sparkles to distract you," I said. Then I used Alice as a competitor in games: where students would earn points for doing something correctly, if they made an error Alice would get a point. Previously, it would be me who took the points for the students' mishaps. Playing against Alice turned out to be much more fun, and then I could root for the student also!

Kids delight in having this nemesis. They are excited to take on challenges when they are presented by Alice, or when Alice is standing in their way trying to trip them up. They feel extra good when they avoid Alice's trickery. When Alice DOES trick them, they can laugh and say "Alice! You won't get me next time! I'll be ready!" Instead of feeling bad that they made a mistake. In group lessons, students high-five each other when they defeat Alice in a game.

Alice is certainly weird, and kind of creepy looking. When students first meet her, they are very curious. "Did Alice lose a tooth?" A student asked once. "Is she a kid?" If a student wants at any time, I will put Alice in the closet. Over time, however, I've found that most students grow to love Alice. Just the other week, Alice wasn't there. "She's on vacation," I said (she was put in the closet for an event at the studio). "I hope Alice is back next time," the student said.

Every so often I'll remind students that Alice is not real. I think they know, though.

Telling Left from Right

In early childhood music and movement training, I've learned that kids shouldn't be expected to distinguish left from right until 2nd grade or so. From experience, I know that many adults still do not know their left from right. But, in piano, how can we avoid this concept? I find that it's a waste of time to try and get kids to remember which is left and which is right consistently, and then expect that they'll always know the correct hand to use. Piano method books give some cues such as stem direction in pre-reading, but it's still so easy to get mixed up.

I find that having visual cues on the piano can help to quickly solve any momentary confusion:

On the left side we have "Mr. L." L is often used to help kids remember their left hand. In piano, L also stands for "Low notes", which the Left hand plays. On the right is a character named Alice. Alice is a lady who sings high notes. She's on the high side. Whenever I need someone to find their right hand, I might say "Right hand, hi, Alice!" Students can hold both hands out in front of them and quickly find the hand closer to Alice, and they'll know that's the right hand for high notes.

When students start to learn treble and bass clef, I'll put a picture of treble with Alice, and bass with Mr. L.

Alice is rather strange-looking, and, perhaps to some, creepy. In another post, I'll talk about Alice's role beyond helping students identify high notes and their right hand.

Two of my favorite pianists

Here are two pianists I love. Both of them play music that is lighthearted yet full of soul, and they both sing, each with a uniquely expressive voice.

1. Tipitina - Professor Longhair

This is one of my favorite tunes that is based on the twelve-bar blues. His playing style is emblematic of New Orleans Piano, which, incidentally, is the name of his first album. Tipitina is a song that could go on forever without getting boring.

2. Your Feet's Too Big - Fats Waller

This video showcases Fats Waller's sense of humor and incredible facial expressions.

3. Handful of Keys - Fats Waller

This song really represents the stride piano style of which Fats Waller is the original master.