Vahl Piano Studio // Passion, Excellence, Artistry

Treasures for Piano, a project of the Piano Pedagogy Laboratory Program at the University of Michigan is a repertoire guide for piano teachers originally created by Ann Bader who took great care to research the various ways that teaching repertoire has been assigned levels. She donated her original site, www.treasuresforpiano.com, to the University of Michigan so that the pedagogy program here would continue developing this guide and keep it available. Marvin Blickenstaff states: "Through the charts and lists she has graded pieces carefully and has notated all of the answers to our questions. Where can I find the piece? What are the technical challenges? Where can I find more repertoire at this level in 6/8, or with dotted rhythms, or with LH melodies? Is this book an "urtext" edition, or does it have editorial suggestions? Is there information about the composer?"

The Minnesota Music Teachers Association, founded in 1901, is a professional non-profit educational organization and is affiliated with the Music Teachers National Association, founded in 1876. Our mission is to advance the profession of music teaching through education, certification, networking, and advocacy. MMTA members are committed to the highest standards of music teaching and are dedicated to upholding and improving the standards of all music education in Minnesota. Anyone who is currently active in teaching music is welcome to join MMTA.

Founded: 1876 by Theodore Presser and sixty-two colleagues in Delaware, Ohio. The mission of Music Teachers National Association is to advance the value of music study and music making to society and to support the professionalism of music teachers.

This is the companion website for Fundamentals for the Aspiring Musician, a complete, integrated learning resource covering the essential foundations of music. Rather than using separate recording sets or software programs, it integrates a textbook with an interactive, electronic version on CD-ROM, which enables students and instructors to listen to musical examples and review definitions.

Musicards is an ever-growing collection of highly-customizable online music theory flash cards. These music flashcards can be used by beginning music students who are becoming acquainted with key music rudiments, all the way up to intermediate and advanced students who wish to fill in gaps here and there or increase fluency with existing knowledge.

A community of students, teachers and parents who know that learning can be fun ... that playing games is a great way to learn the basics of music. This website contains hundreds of learning games of varying levels, all carefully planned to gain mastery of the elements of music theory, ear training and rhythmic skills in an exciting, challenging environment.

Ricci Adams' theory practice website, containing lessons, trainers, and utilities.

The website designed exclusively for piano teachers. PianoMorning.com, offers a wide variety of supplementary material you can download for use in your studio. Student worksheets on theory, analysis and composing; history puzzles and collages, student charts for technic... new items added weekly, along with new music for both solo & ensemble student repertoire. Rates are minimal. Only $28.00 for a 6 month subscription, or $49.00 for a year.

In the upper right hand corner of this site find an inflation calculator. "If in (year), I bought goods or services for $______, then in (year), the same goods or services would cost $_____. Very helpful for determining a cost of living + tuition increase.

Online publication of the Keyboard Companion magazine.

Great resource for numerous articles on piano pedagogy, business practices, copyright, information for parents and students, questions and answers, and studio humor.

Website of the Music Teachers National Association

Teaching the adult student.

Tour and teaching videos of the new method designed specifically for 5 and 6 year olds by Nancy and Randall Faber

Nancy and Randall Faber's website, featuring teaching videos in the Faber Piano Institute master class series, an online newsletter, and resources for both students and teachers plus a link to the Piano Club, a popular discussion board for teachers.

Step-by-Step Plans, Tips on How to Be Creative, and See-it-in-Action Videos

Approximately 600 pages of information for teachers and students.

Articles on Various Aspects of Piano Pedagogy

YES! It's back! A collection of studio polices, parent letters, game and camp ideas, website listings and other great stuff gleaned from the great international group of piano teachers participating in the Pno-Ped-L. Ideas here are meant to be shared, so adopt what you like for use in your own studio.

Ideas and resources for great music lessons.

Carnegie Hall website. Learn about sound, music notation, text, and instruments in a fun, interactive exploration of musical repertoire. Designed primarily for those aged 6-12

Dr. Jason Sifford writes on the Odds and Ends of Pedagogy and other thoughts on piano teaching.

Our Mission: Any child who has musical potential deserves the opportunity to nurture this talent to its full extent. Many children lack the chance to receive specialized music instruction due to financial need. The MusicLink

Diana Denley's Music Blog is a resource for all kinds of violin and piano sheet music, games, technique, and practice hints.

The Piano Club discussion forum of Nancy and Randall Faber's pianoteaching.com

A little 'Coffee and Sweet Shoppe' for piano teachers, with the addition of various other music/voice teachers who play piano as well. With teaching as the common interest we can get to know each other, talk about Piano, Music, Family and whatever else we choose. We offer help, support, and friendship.

An internet gathering of piano teachers who are interested in becoming better teachers by learning from and sharing with others in their field.

A list for current or future piano teachers. Discussion of teaching issues such as billing, dealing with parents, choosing method books, etc.

If you are a member of Minnesota Music Teachers Association, come join us on our own yahoo discussion board.

Pno-Ped-L, a public, unmoderated mailing list, is devoted to discussion of issues in the field of Piano Pedagogy. Any topic of concern in the field of piano teaching from A to Z would be appropriate and welcomed on this list. Topics such as teaching methods and materials, repertoire and technical exercises, both in general or at specific levels (beginning through advanced), learning styles, educational philosophies, even studio policies and procedures would be welcomed on Pno-Ped-L. Discussion of the history of piano pedagogy, various schools of piano playing, famous pedagogues of the past and present would be highly appropriate. Ideas, announcements and information of a non-commercial nature which would be of concern to those interested in the field of piano pedagogy would be most welcomed.

D'Net's website is full of games and resources that are free to download and print.

Natalie Wickhams's blog for piano teachers.

An extension of the music technology classroom at Central Park School in Birmingham, AL. Music technology links, quizzes, resources and information to all music teachers interested in using technology to enhance music instruction. As I teach in-services to our school music teachers, I will post notes and handouts. I hope that the site will serve as a valuable resource for teachers and students. I was very happy to serve as the TI:ME Teacher of the Year in 2006. Thank you for visiting this site!

Blog for piano teachers about the joys and frustrations of piano teaching.

Susan R. Paradis is a piano teacher who writes early elementary through intermediate piano music for her students and would like to share her teaching materials. Free to download and print!

Great Resources for the Piano Teacher

Good source for all kinds of music graphics; some are free.

An online metronome ideal for quick and easy use while practicing music, this music tool helps with your rhythm as well as tempo selections and it is always available for free to all students of music at metronomeonline.com

How should I best prepare to enter a conservatory, college, university as a music major? This link will give you some answers.

The mazurka (in Polish, mazurek) is a stylized Polish folk dance in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo that has a heavy accent on the third or second beat

A minuet, also spelled menuet, is a social dance of French origin for two persons, usually in 3/4 time. The word was adapted from Italian minuetto and French menuet, meaning small, pretty, delicate, a diminutive of menu, from the Latin minutus The minuet and trio eventually became the standard third movement in the four-movement classical symphony and sonata.

The lÄndler is a folk dance in 3/4 time which was popular in Austria, south Germany and German Switzerland at the end of the 18th century. It is a dance for couples which strongly features hopping and stamping. It was sometimes purely instrumental and sometimes had a vocal part, sometimes featuring yodeling. When dance halls became popular in Europe in the 19th century, the lÄndler was made quicker and more elegant, and the men shed the hobnail boots which they wore to dance it. Along with a number of other folk dances from Germany and Bohemia, it is thought to have contributed to the evolution of the waltz

The gavotte (also gavot or gavote) originated as a French folk dance, taking its name from the Gavot people of the Pays de Gap region of DauphinÉ, where the dance originated. It is notated in 4/4 or 2/2 time and is of moderate tempo. The distinctive rhythmic feature of the original gavotte is that phrases begin in the middle of the bar; that is, in either 4/4 or 2/2 time, the phrases begin on the third quarter note of the bar, creating a half-measure upbeat.

In music, the sarabande (It., sarabanda) is a dance in triple metre. The second and third beats of each measure are often tied, giving the dance a distinctive rhythm of crotchets and minims in alternation. The crotchets are said to have corresponded with dragging steps in the dance