I sent an e-mail message to several colleagues around the country asking for their ideas about what should be included in the "Resource" section of your manual. That’s what group teaching is all about – you share ideas a lot. You take from the best and, on the advice of my dear friend and colleague, Nelita True, you give them credit for a year and then it is yours!

So, I invite you to give these folks credit for about a year and then the ideas are yours. What we really hope is that this is the beginning of an ever-growing consortium willing to give freely of their creativeness. Add to the suggestions and give your additions to those who were your cohorts at this first Group Teacher Training Seminar. Don’t forget to include me in your cohort!

Special thanks to: Karen Beres, Janice Judy Buckner, Ann Collins, Laurel Ince, Ilana Kennell, Fred Kern, Leanne Kirkham, Phyllis Lehrer, Jane Magrath, Scott Price, Julie Romeo, Bonnie Rowe, Connie Sturm, Mary Tollefson, Carolyn True, Andrea Stennett Warren and Yu-Jane Yang.

Books:

Ahrens, Cora B. For All Piano Teachers. Ontario, Canada: Frederick Harris Music Co., 1973.

Carden, Joy. A Piano Teacher’s Guide to Electronic Keyboards. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Publishing, 1988.

Guy, Suzanne. Group Teaching and the Master Class. Loveland, OH: Baldwin Piano & Organ Company, 1988.

Harry, Doris. Group Piano Studio Operations Manual. Loveland, OH: Baldwin Piano & Organ Company, 1988.

Harry, Doris. Group Teaching and the Preschooler. Loveland, OH: Baldwin Piano & Organ Company, 1988.

Music Teachers National Association. Guide to Music Instruction Software. Cincinnati, OH: MTNA, 1990.

Rossman, R. TIPS – Discipline in the Music Classroom. Reston, VA: Music Educators National Conference, 1989.

Sheftel, Paul. The Keyboard: Explorations and Discoveries. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1981.

Cullum, Albert. The Geranium on the Window Sill Just Died, But Teacher You Went Right On. New York: Harlin Quist, 1971.

Zabrack, Harold. Creative Musical Encounters. New York: Kenyon Publications, 1978.

Dissertations:

Arrau, Connie Odette. Classroom Behavior of Exemplary Group Piano Teachers in American Colleges and Universities. Ph.D Dissertation, The University of Oklahoma, 1990.

Kim, Jamie Jung Min. Preparation of Teaching Assistants for Class Piano at the University Level. M.M. Treatise, University of Southern California, 1997.

Kim, Shin Young. Development of Materials and Teaching Strategies for Comprehensive Musicianship in Group Piano Instruction for College-Level Piano Majors. Ed.D. Dissertation, Columbia University Teachers College, 2000.

Richard, William H. Trends of Piano Class Instruction, 1815-1962. D.M.A. Dissertation, University of Missouri in Kansas City, 1962.

Skroch, Diana. A Descriptive and Interpretive Study of Class Piano Instruction in Four-Year Colleges and Universities Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music with a Profile of the Class Piano Instructor. Ph.D Dissertation, The University of Oklahoma, 1991.

Activities:

Use children’s piano method books as a resource with older students, adults and college students:

• teacher accompaniments as a source of easy sight reading
• materialsaccompany the disks which play the student partuse MIDI disks
• independent of the method – great for transposing

Teacher supply stores – fun and imaginative distractions such as large dice, spinners and other game tokens to inject fun and objectivity into a class for everyday or for testing.

• use for key selection with scales, arpeggios, chord progressions
• use for establishing an order of who plays their prepared repertoire first, second, etc.
• use to assign parts of an ensemble
• spin to see who conducts, performs, critiques
  

Instant Ensembles

• use folk song anthologies to create
• select a folk song and create an un-notated 3- or 4-part ensemble from the lead line
• Part 1: a patterned obligato, high above the melody
• Part 2: the melody
• Part 3: a stylistic accompaniment from the chord symbols, broken chords with two hands
• Part 4: a bass line with simple rhythm for interest

Use student interns in your studio. Those high school students who have shown a particular interest in learning may be the teachers of tomorrow. Let them start with small group activities with younger students. Perhaps they will turn out to be your "technology consultants!"

Using technology, create a group activity for your middle school students. Possible technology to use: PowerPoint, Finale, Sibelius, MIDI disks, keyboard with on-board arranger, etc.

Have the high school students in your studio collaborate on a group project to be included in your "End of the Year Recital." Could be a short music history presentation about the composers played that day, etc.

Do projects for Music Ed class. Students may choose from accompanying, score reading or harmonizing. Those who choose accompanying do just that – accompany a singer or instrumentalist in front of piano class. Grading includes how they set up, how they get started (nod, breath, etc.), etc. Those who choose score reading actually rehearse a small ensemble, including securing the members needed for the ensemble – they have to model parts for correct articulation, check pitches and demonstrate parts together. Those who harmonize are to compose accompaniments for the beginning band method materials for their particular instrument – singers have to create vocal warm-ups.

Have those non-music majors perform a recital as part of their requirement. Include some ensemble music on it.

Improvisation is a great teaching tool in groups.

Have students bring their other instruments to class (or to your studio) and let them actually accompany one another. Lots of high school students who study piano are also in the band/orchestra/choir.

Create supplements to your texts/method books using compositions written by your students. These might include technical exercises, repertoire pieces, harmonization, sight reading/transposition and creative ensembles.

Use imagery with your groups – for instance, young boys/men need to know that they can use very small finger movements to depress the keys. Otherwise they try to practically "hit" the keys, or their fingers jump on and off the keys from a great height. Ask them about sports – one student said he is good at basketball. He can rotate the ball from hand to hand around his body in a circle. [I] suggested that he could practice small finger movements at the ends of his arms just like he practiced large arm movements to be able to pass the ball from hand to hand.

Take advantage of the group setting by having students "teach each other." (i.e. watching scale fingerings to pinpoint trouble spots)

Have students say something when they sight read in groups – intervals, rhythms, finger numbers, note names. Saying these aloud forces them to actively think!

Use disk technology to support musicianship, not to excuse the lack of musicianship!

Software:

• Alfred Theory Games – elementary through intermediate
• Allegro 2000 – music notation; compatible with Finale
• Auralia – wonderful ear training program
• Autoscore – comes bundled with a microphone; converts sound into written music – sing or play a tune
• Band in a Box – create musical accompaniment tracks in a variety of styles
• Essentials of Music Theory – put out by Alfred; elementary up to entering college level
• Finale 2002 – notation
• Juilliard Music Adventure – ages 9 and up; teaches musical concepts
• Maestro Music – pre-reader through late intermediate
• Mibac Music Lessons – music theory and ear training; grades 3 and up
• MIDIsaurus – ages 4 to 10; teaches various musical concepts
• Music Ace I & II - beginner through intermediate; a plethora of examples!
• Music Goals by Eye and Ear – activities that test eye, ear, memory and response time in the fundamentals of music reading, theory and ear training
• Novinotes (ComposerNotes) – addresses acoustic instruments and MIDI technology
• PBJ Music Theory – corresponds with the MTA of California Certificate of Merit Piano Syllabus
• Print Music 2001 – compatible with Finale; notation
• Rhythm Tutor – sight read rhythmic notation
• Sibelius - notation