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Piano for the Intermediate Beginner: Music Moves for Piano, Book 3

A year long course covering the songs, music theory, and keyboard skills learned in Book 3 of the Music Moves for Piano series
Heather Kirkconnell
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(283)
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What's included

40 live meetings
26 hrs 40 mins in-class hours
Homework
1-2 hours per week. 15-20 minutes of writing work a week (may vary with more involved projects) 15-30 minutes of daily piano/keyboard practice, including sending me a video of the learner's practice
Assessment
Assessments will be conducted both informally in the group and one-on-one. Assessments will include playing and discussing music the learner is studying.

Class Experience

"Music understanding as a listening and performing art can be achieved at a high level when one learns how to audiate or 'think' music." - Marilyn Lowe, author of the Music Moves for Piano series

This series of group piano classes follows a specific pattern and pathway for hearing and thinking music before learning to read music. In this level, students who have already started to hear and perform music patterns in books 1 and 2 continue to challenge their keyboard abilities while starting to read and write music patterns. ***This is a group piano class for students who have had consistent studies in piano for at least 4-8 months and who have started playing songs using both hands at the same time. To enroll in this class, students either must have been in a class of mine before or be able to show that their level and experience has prepared them to be successful in this course.*** Please contact me if you have any questions about your preparation for this course-I am happy to set-up a meet and greet!

Piano study is a great entry point into further music study, or a wonderful hobby of its own. In this 12 week semester class, intermediate beginner piano students follow the sequence of studies in the Music Moves for Piano series. In this class, we begin to read and write music while building our repertoire and improving our technique. About 30 minutes will be spent on repertoire, playing, and reviewing, with 10 minutes each week set aside for musicianship skills and reading/writing music. We will sing solfege, move to a steady beat and feel music patterns as we learn to write and play them. Students should expect to spend 15-30 minutes on the music, listening, and writing assignments daily, at least 5-7 times a week. Our first semester will cover about half the book, following approximately this arrangement:

Week 1 Unit 1 and review/introduction to this method and the writing book, practice scales and arpeggios for C/A, G/E, F/D Song: Old Woman
Week 2 Unit 2, When DO is D and LA is B Song: Monkey Game
Week 3 Unit 3 Tonic-Subdominant-Tonic Patterns in D/B, Song: Joyful Dance
Week 4 Unit 4 Improvisation and transposition day, Song: French Folk Song
Week 5 Unit 5 When Do is G, La is E, Tonic-Subdominant-Tonic Patterns, Song: Polish Folk Song
Week 6  Review and perform songs to date, begin working in Writing Book 1
Week 7 Music theory and improvisation from the book so far
Week 8 Unit 6 Major Triads, Song: Dutch Folk Dance
Week 9 Unit 7 Songs: Honeybee, and Love Somebody
Week 10 No new material, this is a flexible week for reviewing the work so far, focusing on individual difficulties, working on technique, and working on theory and music reading Introduce chosen-piece project
Week 11 Unit 8 and 9 Tonic-Subdominant-Tonic Patterns in C/a, Improvisation, transposition, and review day
Week 12 Unit 10 Chord Inversions, Songs: Cuckoo and Girls and Boys Come Out to Play
Week 13 Music theory and improvisation
Week 14 "Polish Folk Song" Transposition Project Day, additionally, a flexible week for reviewing the work so far, focusing on individual difficulties, working on technique, and working on theory and music reading, continue working on chosen-piece project
Week 15 Extra Song Project Performances
Week 16 Review of Units 1-10
Week 17 Review Major Triads and Inversions/Unit 10, Start Unit 11, When DO is A and LA is F#: Transpose songs from Part 1 class into A major or F# minor (Love Somebody, Cuckoo)
Week 18 Unit 11, Chromatics/Half Steps, Unit 12: Whole Steps, Song: Leaves Are Falling
Week 19: Finish Leaves are Falling, Start Handkerchief Dance, Transposition day and review of French Folk Song (pg 14) Choose class song for Extra Song Project
Week 20: Unit 13: Minor Triads, Triple Love Somebody, Write triads on Grand Staff
Week 21: Flex day and Writing Skills Day
Week 22: Unit 14 Song: Slovakian Folk Song, Start Extra Song Project
Week 23: Unit 15: Harmonic Minor Cadences: Tonic/Dominant, Tonic and Subdominant, Tonic-Subdominant-Dominant Projects, Writing skills day
Week 24: Unit 16 Song: Lightly Row
Week 25: Continue Unit 16
Week 26: Unit 17 Songs: Sleep, Baby, Sleep and Circle Dance
Week 27: Flex week, continue Extra Song Project 
Week 28: Finish Extra Song Project, Writing Project begins 
Week 29: Begin Unit 18, Finish Sleep, Baby Sleep and Circle Dance
Week 30: Theory and Improvisation from book so far
Week 31: Finish all Units in Book, practice, Writing, Flex and transposition day
Week 32: Final performances: Yay Book 3 is finished!

Learning Goals

Audiate or 'think' musical patterns in major, minor, and harmonic minor keys/tonalities
Confidently play beginner-intermediate songs using both hands together
Transpose learned repertoire
Improvise and create music 'on the spot' in a fun, relaxed, and supportive environment
Pick and learn appropriate-level repertoire that interests your learner
learning goal

Other Details

Pre-Requisites
Students must have completed Music Moves Book 2 successfully and be able to identify simple key signatures, specific notes on the grand staff, and perform basic written rhythm notation in two and three.
Supply List
A piano or keyboard with at least 60 keys, or 5 octaves. A weighted keyboard with pedals is preferred. A bench or chair at a proper height is required, as is the lesson book, Music Moves for Piano, Book 3, by Marilyn Lowe ($18-20).
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
Music Moves for Piano, Marilyn Lowe The Ways Children Learn Music, Eric Bluestine
Joined November, 2020
5.0
283reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Foreign Language from Oberlin College and Conservatory
Bachelor's Degree in Music from Oberlin College and Conservatory
Bachelor’s of Music in Performance, Oberlin Conservatory, USA
Diplôme de Perfectionnement, Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Versailles, France

15+ years working, performing, and teaching piano, general music, choir, and organ all over the world

As a professional musician and a mom, I put a high value on exposing children to music in fun, uplifting, and creative ways. I particularly enjoy introducing music in ways that support and affirm a student's own innate musical understanding, and help bring that out from the start. I believe in whole child education, understanding that a learner brings their whole self to the lesson, and that my role is to affirm and support their WHOLE self. My ACE Educator workshops focused on different ways to engage the whole child-whether cultural, emotional/SEL, neurodiversity, or other difference, I care about your learner having the best possible introduction to music.

My own musical training included studies overseas, where exposure to a different culture surrounding musical education broadened my own training and goals in teaching beginning students to play. Although I have an affinity for starting students off right as beginners, I have worked with music students of all ages and levels, and value the changing needs and goals when helping intermediate or advanced musicians grow and hone their skills. When I'm not making music and teaching, I'm probably knitting and designing unique knitwear and clothes to wear and gift :-) I also enjoy pottery, painting, and sewing, to name a few things.

Studio policies:
All my classes are currently autoposting recordings. If there's ever a safety reason for a recording to not be posted, you will not be able to view it. If you miss a class, you are encouraged to watch these recordings. I follow all of Outschool's policies regarding refunds and make-up classes.

If you are taking private classes with me, I will always wait at least 20 minutes before closing the section. I otherwise follow the same refund and absence policies as set forth by Outschool: students must be logged in by 10 minutes after the start of class. Given the nature of the classes I teach, I will not teach to an empty classroom, but practice videos will be available when the class listing calls for it.

Many parents are curious about where to start their learners. Here's a quick rundown/sample course of studies:

Younger beginners 3-5:
Ready for Piano->Introduction to Piano and Music Book A, Book B, Then begin Book 1
5-7 Year Olds: Start directly in Book B

Older beginners (8 and up): Beginning Piano Lessons, Book 1. For those who prefer an ongoing course offering, I now offer a class called Piano Level 1, where we cover some of the same materials in Beginning Piano Lessons, but with more abstract concepts of music theory and improvisation. It still includes a lot of fun games, however! :)

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Live Group Class
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$19

weekly

1x per week, 40 weeks
40 min
Completed by 2 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-13
2-7 learners per class

This class is no longer offered
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