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I’ve come to the realization that although it does take some amount of work to get a website started, it has become one of my personal joys and passions. There is a feeling of freedom and independence that comes from running your independent music studio website, without the need to hire a website designer!

I’d like to share this feeling of freedom and independence with you.

In the coming weeks, I plan to start blogging about the ways YOU can design and maintain your own music studio website. As an independent music teacher, you might already have a website. GOOD FOR YOU! But if you don’t, this free DIY Website e-course might be just what you’re looking for to start up your online music studio – a central HQ where your students and parents can visit to access the information you would like them to have.

Wouldn’t it be so cool to have your own website to:

• display your music teaching schedule, studio calendar, policies, fee information?
• have your music studio website accept online registrations for new or transfer students?
• be a resource to other music teachers by sharing your thoughts, advice and tips on teaching and performing?
• post audio, video and images of you and your students in performances, as learning tools?
• make scales and arpeggio charts as well as practice charts available for your students to download?

I can think of many practical reasons to have your own music studio website – and many MORE important reasons why you should run the website by yourself! If you have a working knowledge of how to use a word processor, you probably could handle this challenge!

What? For Free?

Wordpress: It will run your website - for free!

All my websites are built on an amazing publishing application called WordPress. While WordPress may have started out being an ‘engine’ for bloggers to use to create online blogs, it has successfully become one of the most important platforms on which major websites build their websites, including CNN, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal,  Volkswagen, Ford and Sony – to name just a few.

And the good news is: this amazing publishing platform is FREE. Absolutely FREE.

Before I start this free e-course on DIY Websites for fellow independent music teachers, why not take some time to familiarize yourself with what WordPress is and what it can do for you?

Stay Tuned

Stay tuned on my blog, and join me on this exciting course on how to build your own music studio website – and experience the freedom I have!

Here’s to your future independent music studio website online!

Best Wishes,

Alex Thio

PS: If you have any suggestions on what I could include in this e-course that would benefit you in your aims to build your own website, let me know by including them as comments below! I’ll seriously consider them!

It was a privilege and honor to be invited as one of the official accompanist for the 2010 IWBC held in Toronto, Canada by the gracious hosts at Humber College.

The International Women’s Brass Conference (founded in 1990 by former principal trumpet, Susan Slaughter) aims to educate, develop, support & inspire all women brass musicians and organized its 6th conference this year.

William Hess (and friend): Grand Prize Winner

The conference featured many talented and internationally renowned solo brass artists, ensembles and bands. Solo brass competitors also gathered to compete for the prestigious Susan Slaughter Solo Brass Competition. I had the best of time learning up the competition pieces to collaborate and accompany some of the competitors, including William Hess (euphonium) of the Fountain City Brass. William executed his competition pieces with flair and mature musicianship – and grabbed the Grand Prize for his category!

It was a pleasure to work with the organizers and volunteers at the IWBC and Humber College. It was obvious that every individual was giving their best to make the Conference a success.

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Members of the Bella Tromba with Julie Angelis (percussionist) on my left

One of the highlights of being involved in conferences like these is the opportunity to collaborate and perform with excellent musicians. SymbiosisDuo (for which I am accompanist) performed two brief programs at the IWBC. I was also invited to collaborate with the youthful and talented Bella Tromba from across the pond in Britain. We performed the Khaldis by Hovhaness, the Op.91 Concerto for Piano, 4 Trumpets and Percussion in one of the evening concerts at the conference – a true treat to tackle!

Premiering new works is always fun. We have a chance to introduce a new musical masterpiece to excited listeners. Together with  Lin Foulk and Deanna Swoboda (hosts of the 2012 IWBC in Michigan), we premiered Canadian composer Elizabeth Raum‘s new work, Color Code. The 3-movement work for horn, tuba and piano depicts colors: Clash of Gold and Silver, Shifting and Shimmering Shades of Violet and Grey, and Champagne and Chocolate. VERY accessible for the collaborative pianist and certainly fun to perform!

With composer Elizabeth Raum, together with Lin Foulk and Deanna Swoboda

The 2012 International Women’s Brass Conference will be held at the Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I can’t wait to be a part of this gig again!

View more photos of the 2010 IWBC here

The SymbiosisDuo is a tuba-euphonium duo consisting of Gail Robertson (euphonium) and Stacy Baker (tuba). They premiered their album of the same name in the Fall of 2009. It was my first collaboration with the tuba-euphonium duo with repertoire arranged for both instruments.

We will be performing in concert at the 2011 Southeast Regional Tuba-Euphonium Conference (SERTEC) hosted by the University of Tennessee (Chattanooga) on March 10-12, 2011.

The concert program has yet to be finalized. Gail Robertson is in the process of arranging some new tuba-euphonium pieces including piano.

If you would like to listen to some audio samples of Gail’s arrangements on the new SymbiosisDuo CD, click the link.

Call me a Geek. I’m pretty proud of it! I decided long ago that technology and the Internet was here to stay – and if I didn’t incorporate it in my daily life, I was going to be left behind. (Although, I didn’t ever own a pager, and I let that technology slip by without so much as a whimper.)

3 reasons why I have embraced my Inner Geek as a music teacher and musician:

1. To increase my productivity

You’re busy. I’m busy. We’re all busy. Why not use technology to add productivity to your life? Whether they be iPhone or Android apps, or useful gadgets, technology can give us that extra breath of relief we need.

It’s true what they say: There’s an app for that too. In a day where almost all of us have a mobile device, why not add more functionality to these devices by making them slaves to our cluttered and busy existence? For instance, my iPod Touch is my best friend as a piano teacher and serves me well in my daily teaching routine:

• metronome
• digital tuner
• music flashcards
• audio recorder (for recording lessons, music examples or reminders)
• ledger (to record tuition payments)
• task sheet and reminder

AND, it handles my email, teaching and gig schedule and contact list!

2. To identify with my students

You’ll be surprised when I tell you that my students think I’m just plain cool. We share our scores in Angry Birds, the latest viral videos on YouTube and how many friends we’ve accrued on Facebook. Technology has become one of the common grounds I’ve sought to establish with my students – and to some extent, it has become a way for me to enter into their world.

3. To be part of a bigger community

If you are an independent (private) music teacher, you know how lonely and detached this industry can be. If you’re not part of a greater community of music educators, like a regional music teacher’s forum or club that gets together often to discuss all things music education, you can feel alienated. At least, I did … until I realized that there were music teacher forums and blogs on the Internet to which I could belong and contribute.

Take time to search for online blogs and forums that you can participate in. You’ll find that there are many folks out there who are willing to give you the best tips in the industry so willingly – and where you too could contribute to the greater good by offering your expert (humble) opinions, advice and suggestions.

Conclusion

Embracing technology as music teachers needn’t be stressful at all. In fact, it can be pure fun. It’s an investment worth the while, and you’ll reap the benefits of being a Geek Head like I have – and perhaps get a few more students to call you cool.

It was nothing less than a joy working with this talented duo. Gail arranged many of the pieces you’ll hear on the CD. I even had the opportunity to arrange the piano parts for several of the tracks on the CD, including a whimsical rendition of Handel’s The Harmonious Blacksmith. Here’s an audio sample of the final cut.

If you would like to hear more audio samples of the SymbiosisDuo CD before you make a purchase, click here.

This past summer, it was an equal thrill to work with two incredible brass artists: Dr Stacy Baker (tuba) and Gail Robertson (euphonium). In collaboration with these talented brass musicians, we completed a project entitled SYMBIOSIS. The audio recording consists of various pieces arranged for tuba, euphonium and piano including the title track Symbiosis, by composer Chris Sharp. Some of these pieces were arranged by Gail Robertson, herself an amazing arranger!

Gail, Stacy & Alex

We had a truly enjoyable time rehearsing and recording the album. And in between recording sessions, we’d enjoy another activity quite different from music making: FISHING!

The audio CD is in the midst of production and will be released in the Fall 2009. Dr Baker, Ms Robertson and I will be promoting the album in our debut performance tour in October 2009.

]]> http://www.themusicianscoach.com/latest-news/symbiosis-project/feed/ 0 http://www.themusicianscoach.com/tips/piano-adjudicator-tip/ http://www.themusicianscoach.com/tips/piano-adjudicator-tip/#comments Wed, 06 May 2009 21:47:32 +0000 Alex Thio http://www.themusicianscoach.com/?p=57 Being called upon as a judge and adjudicator for a performance event is a distinct honor. Having had the opportunity to adjudicate in such events, I have gleaned certain ‘pearls of wisdom’ from the experience. I’d like to share just five essential tips for being an effective adjudicator; tips that will help you critique performances with confidence.

1. Write Concisely

Like mastering an instrument, practicing writing concisely is an art that should be developed conscientiously. Often, you are called to adjudicate many performances in a short time and writing relevant and practical critiques is essential. While complete sentences are favorable, they are certainly not necessary. Practice truncating your thoughts in meaningful phrases:

Good: “Your performance today was certainly entertaining and displayed much confidence”

Better: “An entertaining performance exuding confidence”

TIP: Be prepared for the event you are to adjudicate with a “Useful Comment Sheet” you would have readied beforehand. This sheet would include categories like Technique, Tone, Rhythm, General Musicianship etc, and under which you would list descriptive words or phrases that you would find handy and useful at the time of adjudication. It also helps in preventing writer’s block!

TIP 2: Ready, Set .. GO! Soon after the performance begins, gather your thoughts fast – and start writing! You’ll stay on schedule, and organizers will thank you for doing so!

2. See the Big Picture First

There is a strong tendency for many of us to address issues (musical or otherwise) during a performance and while we are adjudicating. In my earlier experiences of judging competitions, I would spend too much time critiquing the details and missed out on opportunities to mention the more important issues that might have contributed to the success (or failure) of the performance. Seeing ‘the big picture first’ is a practice worth developing. This is how I realize this concept (in a Q & A format):

Q: What is the general music concept I would like to address?
A: Technique
Q: What specifically about the performer’s technique need I comment on?
A: Fluidity of scales, brilliance in tone – commendable; unintended accentuation – needs work

Remember: your first responsibility as adjudicator is to critique a performance and provide a score/rating deserving of the performance. Be careful not to step into your “teacher shoes” and focus too much on pedantic comments.

3. Give Praise

Developing a habit of praising others genuinely comes easier for some of us. (It really isn’t that hard – it comes from an inward appreciation for life and all that’s good in it!) Be fluid, genuine and generous in your praise when it is deserved. Furthermore, your compliments may not only serve to motivate the performer, but affirm what his/her instructor is teaching.

For younger musicians, I have even found myself including comments like: “It is most obvious that you have a wonderful foundation in music. Please be sure to thank your teacher for investing in your success!” It’s a double-blessing: the student is happy that you noticed the hard work, and the teacher is grateful that he/she is on the right track.

A word of caution: Be sure that the final score reflects your comments. If your critique is riddled with generous praise and your final score reflects a less than desirable performance, it not only confuses the performer (and teacher) but your scoring method may be called to question.

TIP: As much as it is easy to write “Good Job” or “Nice Work”, stay away from those phrases. Craft your own unique “praise phrases” that show you put some genuine effort! Here are some examples:

Commendable performance
Truly inspiring
Such poetry in your phrases
Performed with poise and elegance
A generous offering indeed

4. Listen Carefully

Epictetus, the Greek Stoic philosopher offers this advice:

“Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear twice as much as we speak.”

As an adjudicator of a live performance, your critique is based on your active participation as a listener. Exercise active listening skills and you will find it easier to judge a performance. Here are some practical ways you can develop active listening skills:

• YouTube is a great resource for videos of live music performances. Type the title of a piece you are familiar with in the YouTube search box, and select a video performance of the piece. Listen carefully to the performance. Initially, critique the performance by speaking your comments out loud. Later, practice noting your observations on a piece of paper.
• Develop a sense of focus by choosing a musical aspect you will comment upon BEFORE listening to a recorded performance. (For example, tone production or phrasing) Discipline yourself to listen for and comment ONLY on this predetermined musical aspect. This not only aids in aural focus but provides you an avenue to develop different ways of critiquing a single musical aspect. (This might be an opportune time to start making that “Useful Comment Sheet” I mentioned earlier!)
• Record your own students performing their repertoire under study at their lesson time or recitals. Use these recorded performances as a source for your active listening skills. Not only will you benefit from it, but your students will to, in their next lesson!

5. Know Thyself

Knowing and establishing what your standards are BEFORE you begin adjudicating is essential for being an effective adjudicator. For example, in an adjudicated event with a rating system of Superior, Excellent, Good and Fair, would you reserve the rating of Superior solely for performances which are virtually perfect? What constitutes a superior performance according to your standards?

At times, you will be asked to judge a competition in collaboration with one or more adjudicators. Knowing what your standards are become more vital in this situation as you may encounter differing opinions and standards proffered by the other adjudicator/s. In most cases, you will collaboratively come to a consensus as to a final score. At times though, your individual score is independent of the scores given by the other adjudicators.

TIP: If you are new to adjudicating in a competition, always make it a point to speak to the organizers and clarify what is expected of you as an adjudicator. Make an effort to know the rules of the event/festival before it commences.
In events like evaluation festivals (where the performer is in no competition with other performers), organizers may suggest that judges be “more generous” in their scoring of performances, and where the general purpose of these events is to motivate and encourage young performers in their musical pursuits.

In conclusion, these are but a few essential tips I have found most helpful in my experiences as an adjudicator in performance events. Do feel free to contribute to this article by leaving your thoughts and opinions about the subject. We could all use more tips on being more effective adjudicators!

Coaching the young and developing musician is both a joy, and an intense challenge.

No one told me that they were so impressionable.

Nothing was said about how sensitive they tend to be.

Again. Approach with caution.

I continue to be stretched and challenged myself as I coach young musicians. Yet, I am continually encouraged – even invigorated by the talent these young ones possess! (Gosh, I feel like an old pedagogue. Trust me, I’m not. I feel all of 29 years. Again, trust me, I’m not.)

I want to highlight 3 best practices when working with young musicians. Each of these have not only brought me a smile, but one for the young musician too.

Best Practice No.1: Be Enthusiastic

Take a cue from world renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

His enthusiasm as a performer is obvious – and contagious. Young musicians who have had the privilege of being in his presence at a masterclass have often marveled at this intoxicating enthusiasm of his.

Your enthusiasm for music and life will translate to the student musician you coach. They will take away from the coaching session more than just tips on performance or musicianship; they walk away envying the zest you possess and possibly even aspire to be as enthusiastic as you.

Start the session with a hearty greeting!

If you’re meeting the young musician for the first time, get to know him/her a little more than just: “So, who’s your teacher?”

Be enthusiastic over the music itself! It’s refreshing – and the student will gain something from it!

One more thing. Be enthusiastic, and you might save a young musician from falling by the wayside and wasting his talent.

Best Practice No.2 : Be a Source of Encouragement

Honest encouragement and affirmation only strengthens the young musician’s efforts. A positive, nurturing environment in a coaching session reaps its rewards in good time.

Listen when they apologize for mistakes – then assure them that they are in a “safe zone” to make all the mistakes they want. Be sure to tend to those mistakes, and provide solutions. (Make some “mistakes” of your own – and then say, “Don’t you just LOVE it when teachers make mistakes?!)

Be attentive to their playing, and offer praise for aspects of their performance you genuinely find praiseworthy. If all else fails and their performance abilities are lackluster, create little ways for the student to succeed. And then praise.

Best Practice No.3: Be Professional, not Petty

Many of us serve as music coaches to students who do not belong to our studio. Their private teachers entrust these students to us to help them polish their performance skills.

This is a trust we cannot and must not break.

By this I mean: be professional when you encounter students who might have performance issues, who might show little or no knowledge of the fundamentals.There is a strong tendency for us to point a blaming finger at their teacher – don’t cross that line. It isn’t professional, and serves only to undermine the trust and respect the student might have already forged with the teacher.

Instead, take time to BE a teacher even in the coaching session. Unlike Liszt, who told his students to “do their dirty laundry at home”, take time to suggest solutions for challenges that the student might be encountering – then and THERE at the coaching session.

Instead of criticizing, take time to CORRECT. The student’s teacher will THANK you!

Respect the fact that the interpretation or technical solution which the student has embraced may have in fact been the suggestion of the teacher. Work with it and offer your musical opinion as just that – an opinion. Ultimately it is the young musician who must make the choice.

Coaching young musicians has its rewards. Being enthusiastic, encouraging and professional only serve to secure these rewards. Happy coaching!

This obvious labor-of-love-in-a-blog is the creation of Chris Foley, a Toronto-based ‘pianist, teacher and blogger’ who has carved out his niche in the wide Webosphere by creating this all-in-one website/blog focused on all subjects and issues related to the collaborative pianist.

This important resource on the Web far surpasses a typical blog: it features up-to-date articles, interviews, tips & suggestions, videos, and even Twitter updates surrounding the world of the collaborative arts.

Posting almost daily, Chris’ Collaborative Piano Blog is indeed a labor of love.

Thanks, Chris! You’ve certainly left your mark in this world!