Celebrate Piano Sampler

exploring

®

A Comprehensive Piano Method by Cathy Albergo J. Mitzi Kolar Mark Mrozinski

Introduction Celebrate Piano!® sets young students on the path to lifelong success in music with its innovative approach, exceptional repertoire, and engaging activities. This comprehensive method builds a solid foundation of musicianship, preparing students for the study and enjoyment of a wide variety of musical styles. With Celebrate Piano!®, students are assured a complete, inspiring, and well-rounded music education.

Celebrate Piano!® is the first piano method designed to prepare students for the curricula of The Royal Conservatory of Music and the National Music Certificate Program.

Highlights

Integrated Approach

“We had three goals for the music of Celebrate Piano!®: the pieces had to appeal to teachers and students, they had to stand alone as compositions worthy of performance in their own right, and they had to be carefully designed so that students could experience selfexpression through music without being frustrated by technical difficulties.” Mark Mrozinski, Co-author of Celebrate Piano!®

Celebrate Piano!® integrates five major areas of study into every level: Rhythm Ear Skills Musicianship Technique Creativity

“With both repertoire and musicianship activities in each lesson book, students are exposed to delightful music at every lesson while simultaneously developing a solid musical foundation.” Dr. Reid Alexander, Professor of Music, University of Illinois

Superior Repertoire

Celebrate Piano!® incorporates contemporary and classical compositions as well as folk songs and popular styles.

Sound Pedagogical Approach

Celebrate Piano!® embraces an experiencebefore-symbol approach to learning using the principles of preparation, presentation, and follow-up to introduce new concepts.

Preparation for Piano Literature

Celebrate Piano!® gradually introduces students to the challenges of elementary classical literature. Beginning in Level 3, students are ready to explore the extensive range of music found in Celebration Series Perspectives®.

2

Integrated Components Lesson and Musicianship

Accompaniments

Celebrate CD 1A Piano!

LESSON AND MUSICIANSHIP

™

Celebrate Piano!

MIDI 1A ACCOMPANIMENTS

Accompaniments 1

Accompaniments 1

Units 1–6 from Lesson and Musicianship 1A and Solos 1

Units 1–6 from Lesson and Musicianship 1A and Solos 1

CD 1A

™

Celebrate Piano!

Level 1

1B

ACCOMPANIMENTS

Ric Iannone

Ric Iannone


Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Teacher’s Guide

3

Solos

Flashcards

Integrated Approach: Rhythm Rhythm activities develop a sense of steady beat and reinforce rhythmic concepts.

Right from the start of Celebrate Piano!®, students are taught to recognize the importance of the concept of steady beat.

Lesson and Musicianship 1A, page 3

Night in the Jungle is a fun, rhythmic piece that may be performed as an ensemble by the teacher and student, parent and student, or with a group divided into gorillas and monkeys. This activity and others using clapping, marching, and other off-bench actions encourage students to feel a steady beat.

Lesson and Musicianship 1B, page 32

4

Integrated Approach: Rhythm

Students are encouraged to use syllabic counting to establish a secure sense of pulse and duration and reduce confusion between finger numbers and counting numbers.


F Icons indicate when flashcards can be used to review and reinforce specific concepts in the Lesson and Musicianship books.

Writing activities provide opportunities for students to identify elements of music and demonstrate comprehension.

Lesson and Musicianship 3, page 19

5

Integrated Approach: Ear Skills Ear Skills activities are crucial to the development of aural awareness, good sight-reading skills, and general musicianship.

Listening Game is an example of pitch dictation in which the student is asked to add one new note to each example. In later dictation activities, the student will write three or more notes before combining pitch and rhythm in melodic dictation.


Echo Game—Clapbacks are ear-skills activities in which the student echoes patterns that the teacher claps or taps using various rhythms. Clapbacks are also used as preparation tools for new rhythmic concepts that have not yet been formally introduced. In Echo Game—Playbacks, the student copies or echoes a short melodic phrase played by the teacher. Playbacks are a part of the long-term plan for developing aural awareness and response.

“Celebrate Piano!® is the best piano method I have used in my twenty-eight years of teaching. I am looking forward to having students complete the entire series, because I believe they will be the most musically well-rounded students I have taught.” Carole Noel, Piano Teacher, Louisville, Kentucky 6

Integrated Approach: Ear Skills


Activities like Pattern Detective reinforce the student’s ability to discriminate rhythms, intervals, and patterns.

Chord Progression Hunt is an ear-training activity in which the student learns to discriminate between the I and V7 chords.


7

Interval Safari Interval Safari Songs M2 M3 P5 P4 M6 P8 M7 m3 m2 m6 m7

Middle C Safari Busy Bee Song Cuckoo Bird Song Owl Song Kangaroo Song Elephant Song Donkey Song Giraffe Song Panda Song Quiet Little Mouse Song Lizard Song Calico Cat Song

Level Level Level Level Level Level Level Level Level Level Level Level

1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4,

Unit Unit Unit Unit Unit Unit Unit Unit Unit Unit Unit Unit

2 3 5 10 12 5 8 10 3 4 6 1

Students enjoy learning essential aural skills with Interval Safari, activities that are part of a longrange ear-training plan. Each interval is identified with a particular animal character that has its own special song for students to sing and play. Throughout the series, illustrator William Kimber has cleverly created a storyline in which the characters follow clues leading to new interval animals.





8

Integrated Approach: Musicianship Musicianship activities reinforce reading and theory. Celebrate Piano!® combines intervallic, landmark, and multiple-key approaches to ensure that students achieve a secure foundation in reading. Students experience a wide topography and a variety of keys.

The student begins by reading off-staff notation in Units 1 and 2 of Level 1.


“I can say without reservation that Celebrate Piano!® is the most pedagogically sound, exciting course of piano instruction for children I've seen to date. It is a perfect blend of sound intervallic reading skills, multi-key work, ear training, harmony, composition, technique, and theory. All this is coupled with a wonderful array of interesting, motivating pieces and inviting artwork that encourage rapid learning. Celebrate Piano!® stimulates me to be a better teacher as a result.” Kevin M. Coan, Piano Teacher, Newington, Connecticut

9

Intervallic Reading

Intervallic and directional reading is introduced in Level 1, Unit 3 with the presentation of the staff, line and space notes, and the interval of a 2nd. Students begin their reading experience by recognizing that notes move up or down and that they move a certain distance.


Letter clefs are used in Units 4 through 7 of Level 1 to identify the first note of the piece and relate the music alphabet to the staff. After finding their starting note from the letter clef, students can easily read the interval direction and distance.


“I found Celebrate Piano!® to be a comprehensive, user-friendly piano method. Each unit has an excellent sequence of activities; there are fine musical and pianistic compositions and the flow of important ideas for student development is carefully worked out for maximum learning. The delightful illustrations create a fun visual environment while enhancing the learning experience.” Monica Gaylord, Piano Faculty, The Royal Conservatory of Music

10

Landmarks

The introduction of the Grand Staff, Treble and Bass clefs, and the Landmark C’s in Level 1, Unit 8 is an important step for students as they begin to combine intervallic reading with landmarks.


By Level 1, Unit 10, students should recognize the Landmark C’s and be able to visualize and name the notes a 2nd or 3rd away from each landmark. The introduction of Treble G and Bass F gives students a new set of landmarks within the Grand Staff. Lesson and Musicianship 1B, page 43

The landmarks High C and Low C are presented in Level 2 to expand the reading range of students. Familiarity with the ledger lines above and below the Grand Staff will serve students well when they approach early classical music.


11

Transposition Transposition, a musicianship skill that reinforces reading and the multiple-key approach, is introduced step by step throughout Celebrate Piano!®.

In Level 1, pieces are transposed by simply moving the hand from a black-key group to a white-key group and vice versa. Lesson and Musicianship 1A, page 33

After the introduction of 5-finger patterns in Level 2, Unit 3, students are asked to move from one 5-finger pattern to another. Lesson and Musicianship 2A, page 36

After the introduction of sharp key signatures in Level 2, Unit 6, students are asked to move from one key to another. Lesson and Musicianship 4, page 32

12

Integrated Approach: Technique Finger Gyms are technical exercises that develop physical skills.

These finger gyms are great warm-up exercises to use at the lesson and for at-home practice.


Balancing Act prepares the student to play staccato in the left hand against the right-hand legato phrases.

“This approach to learning will create young pianists who are completely comfortable at the keyboard because they understand the language of music. There is good reason to celebrate!” Aasta Levene, Chief Examiner Emeritus, RCM Examinations Lesson and Musicianship 2B, page 32

13

Integrated Approach: Technique Down–Up Dance introduces the student to the two-note slur.


Exercises like Triple Cross are fun and challenging to play. They help prepare the student for a variety of finger crossings and scales.

“The most secure foundation in technique and musicianship of any method . . . and the kids love it!” Peter MacKinnon, RCM Examiner and Piano Teacher, Peterborough, Ontario Lesson and Musicianship 4, page 22

14

Integrated Approach: Creativity Creative activities reinforce new elements and concepts and encourage students to compose and improvise.

The Question and Answer activity is introduced in Level 1 and continues throughout Levels 2, 3, and 4. The student plays the Question and then improvises an Answer. Eventually, the student writes both the Question and the Answer, leading to the composition of short pieces by the end of Celebrate Piano!®.



Starting in Level 1, students are asked to change one or two notes or rests in creative activities to create simple variations—an important first step in stylistic and jazz improvisation.


15

Integrated Approach: Creativity

In creative activities, the student applies imagination and an understanding of musical elements and style to original improvisations and compositions.


Creative activities provide students with an opportunity for free expression and the chance to experiment. In many activities, students are encouraged to draw a song in any way they like.


Animal March as composed by David Grimm, age 5, a student of Amy Immerman from Cincinnati, Ohio.

16

Superior Repertoire Throughout both the Lesson and Musicianship books and Solos books, Celebrate Piano!® introduces repertoire that will develop a strong foundation in reading and foster a love of music of all styles. The Solos books support and reinforce key elements from the corresponding Lesson and Musicianship books with a rich and varied selection of repertoire.

Celebrate Piano!® incorporates original works by leading North American composers: Susan Alcon Anne Crosby Mark Mrozinski Susan Ogilvy Elvina Pearce

Stephen Chatman Pierre Gallant Linda Niamath Lorna Paterson Dale Reubart

Dale Reubart, Square Dance, Solos 3&4, page 33

Celebrate Piano!® also includes early elementary compositions by: Béla Bartók Hermann Berens Benjamin Carr Muzio Clementi Carl Czerny Anton Diabelli Cornelius Gurlitt Johan Wilhelm Hässler Franz Joseph Haydn

James Hook Dmitri Kabalevsky Louis Köhler Anton Krause Leopold Mozart Alexander Reinagle Ludwig Shytte Daniel Gottlob Türk

Dmitri Kabalevsky, Little Song and Polka, Solos 2, page 28

17

Superior Repertoire Throughout Celebrate Piano!®, aural awareness is developed through exposure to diverse styles and genres and through accompaniments that present a rich musical soundscape. Celebrate Piano!® Accompaniments • are available in both CD and MIDI formats • include imaginative arrangements of the student parts and teacher accompaniments for all the pieces in the Lesson and Musicianship books and Solos books • are orchestrated by Ric Iannone, a professional performer with a diverse musical background, specializing in piano and organ • incorporate diverse rhythmic patterns, textures, and instrumentation From using the Celebrate Piano!® Accompaniments, students will: • acquire an understanding of color and articulation • be able to simulate performance in an ensemble setting • develop an improved awareness of steady pulse, secure aural skills, and confident Elvina Pearce, Singin’ the Blues, Lesson and Musicianship 3, page 16 musicianship

“Celebrate Piano!® will especially appeal to teachers who value creativity and who use MIDI disks with their teaching. The three authors have created a method that is logically sequential and steadily develops musicianship. Ric Iannone, the orchestrator, has developed accompaniments that both inspire and enhance. Congratulations to all!” Brenda Dillon and Lynda Garcia Raindrops, Lesson and Musicianship 1A, page 6

18

Sound Pedagogical Approach Preparation, Presentation, Follow-up Preparation

Preparation activities allow students to hear and physically feel a musical element or concept before it is formally introduced in the repertoire. Preparation often occurs in Ear Skills activities, Finger Gyms, Musicianship, or Creative activities. Preparation elements are identified with a preparation icon ▲ in the Lesson and Musicianship books. Lesson and Musicianship 1A, Unit 2, page 21

Presentation

The new element or concept is presented in a highlighted box at the top of the page. It is then included in the repertoire and activities. Lesson and Musicianship 1A, Unit 3, page 32

Follow-Up

The element or concept is reinforced in the repertoire and through an improvisation, composition, or other activity. Lesson and Musicianship 1A, Unit 4, page 49

“Celebrate Piano!® is a wonderful music series. The students have many ways to practice the skills or concepts: playing, writing, listening, singing, and performing. I love the way that the series uses a spiral curriculum; students learn new concepts while continuing to build upon the old ones.” Patty Baranski, Piano Teacher, Southington, Connecticut

19

Sound Pedagogical Approach Practice Plans

A Practice Plan at the top of the page encourages the student to develop a good practice routine. Parents can use the Practice Plan as a reference for monitoring their child’s practice.

TIPPS

Students use this abbreviation before playing a piece at the lesson and during practice at home. T = Tap and ta the rhythm with a steady beat I = Say the interval direction and size P = Find the phrases and repeated patterns PS = Play and say intervals, ta’s, note names, or words


For some pieces, students write their own Practice Plan, which helps them to think about the piece, identify musical problems, and incorporate good practice habits.


You Be the Judge!

This activity encourages students to listen and evaluate their playing. If students are able to hear and relate what and how they are actually playing to the written score, they are more able to recognize errors and make corrections. You Be the Judge! was inspired by Becky Corley, a piano teacher in Dallas, Texas Lesson and Musicianship 1B, page 38

20

Sound Pedagogical Approach Planning Your Lesson Celebrate Piano!® is grouped into units of study incorporating Repertoire, Finger Gyms (technique), Musicianship (reading and theory), Rhythm, Ear Skills, and Creativity.

The repertoire pieces are grouped in the middle of the unit and “sandwiched” with activities. Teachers are encouraged to organize the material in each unit into one or two lessons according to the age and learning pace of the student, rather than teach page by page.

Sample Lesson for Introducing 3rds Lesson and Musicianship 1A, Unit 5 Finger Gym New Concept Ear Skills Repertoire Repertoire Creativity

Finger Aerobics, page 56 Discovering 3rds, page 60 Cuckoo Bird Song, page 63 Trombones, page 61 Fuzzy Caterpillar, page 62 Dancing Letters, page 66

page 56

page 60

page 61

21

Exploring Celebrate Piano! : Level 1 Sound Pedagogical Approach TM

Teacher’s Guide This resource provides an introduction to the pedagogical philosophy of Celebrate Piano!® and presents a level-by-level overview of the method. The Teacher’s Guide offers strategies for incorporating and sequencing activities during lessons including: • charts outlining the Preparation, Presentation, and Follow-up of concepts, elements, and technical skills introduced in the Lesson and Musicianship and Solos books • Teacher’s Notes and Tips

UNIT BY UNIT DISCUSSION

UNIT BY UNIT DISCUSSION

LEVEL 1—UNIT 3: PLANNING FOR PREPARATION, PRESENTATION, AND FOLLOW-UP

LEVEL 1—UNIT 3: INTEGRATED MUSICIANSHIP AND POSSIBLE SEQUENCE

Preparation • 2nds • Music alphabet • Dotted half note • Legato • Hands together (HT) • Independent fingers 1, 2, 3

Presentation • Music staff • Line notes and space notes • Interval: 2nd or step • Dynamics: p and f • Phrase

Follow-up • Up/down/same • Low/middle/high • Black-key groups • Steady beat • Quarter and half notes • RH and LH • Finger numbers • Middle C

UNIT 3: OVERVIEW PAGE ACTIVITY

PRESENTATION

PREPARATION ▲

SPECIAL ACTIVITY

DIV.

Div. 1 27 36 28 28 29 30 31 27 36 37 32 6—Solos 1

Repertoire 31 32 33

Deep Blue Sea Whisper or Shout Brass Band

2nds p, f; 2nds f; 2nds

Transpose YBTJ! Transpose

1 1 2

34

Clouds

Phrase; p; 2nds

Transpose

2

39

Prairie Song

Phrase; p; 2nds

YBTJ!

2

Solos Carousel Waltz Lullaby

f; 2nds Phrase; p; 2nds

6 7

16

27

Finger Gyms Left–Right–Both Workout!

35

Fun Thumb Phrases!!

28

Musicianship Line Note or Space Note?

28

Drawing Notes

Music staff; line and space notes Line and space notes

29 30

Discovering 2nds Stepping Along

2nds 2nds

35 35

2nd Chance Alphabet Cheer!

2nds

36

Rhythm Rhythm Taps

27

Ear Skills Middle C Safari

36 37 37

Interval Safari: Busy Bee Song 2nd Game o’ Listening Echo Game—Clapbacks!

37

Echo Game—Playbacks!

38

Creativity My Day at the Circus

Phrase; p; 2nds

1

Legato; ind. fingers 1, 2, 3 Transpose

2

Reading Intervallic and directional reading is introduced in Unit 3 with the presentation of the staff, line and space notes, and the interval of a 2nd. Students need to begin their reading experience by recognizing that notes move up or down and that they move a certain distance. Saying the interval direction and size before they play, becomes a regular part of the Practice Plan. Students may play the piece in their lap, on the keyboard cover, or “in the air,” as they chant (“start, up a 2nd, down a 2nd,” etc.). These activities give students a physical sense of direction and highlight the fingers they will use before they play their piece on the piano.

1 1 F2

By using the principles of intervallic and directional reading, students can read quickly and easily anywhere on the keyboard, and transpose with ease. Teachers and parents are cautioned to avoid naming the lines and spaces as this slows down the reading process and interferes with the student’s ability to concentrate on the interval and direction. Note naming should be introduced and reinforced with flashcards after the presentation of the Grand staff and landmarks in Level 1B, Unit 8.

1 1 2 2

Music alphabet Create

1 1

Phrase; p; 2nds

1 2 Dotted half note

2

Dotted half note

1

Movement When singing or chanting interval direction and size, students can use large arm motions to draw the directional shape of pieces in the air.

2

Level 1, Unit 3

C

iv. 2 37 37 33 35 38 34 35 39 7—Solos 1 35

Echo Game—Clapbacks! Game o’ Listening Brass Band 2nd Chance My Day at the Circus Clouds Fun Thumb Phrases! Prairie Song Lullaby Alphabet Cheer!

TEACHER’S NOTES AND TIPS

1 2 HT; 2nds

D Left–Right–Both Workout! Rhythm Taps Line Note or Space Note? Drawing Notes Discovering 2nds Stepping Along Deep Blue Sea Middle C Safari Interval Safari: Busy Bee Song Echo Song—Playbacks Whisper or Shout Carousel Waltz

elebrate Piano! ™ Teacher’s Guide

Celebrate Piano! ™ Teacher’s Guide

22

Musicianship Phrasing Expressive playing and phrasing is an essential part of piano lessons. Although students may take some time before they master the art of shaping a phrase, they can understand that the last note in a phrase should be played softly and that they should breath or lift between phrases. Have your student listen as you model beautiful phrases. Practice Plan In order to encourage good practice habits, the authors begin introducing abbreviations for specific activities. In Unit 3, the student learns: T = Tap and ta the rhythm with a steady beat. These directions should be followed both at the lesson and at home. Ear Skills Interval: 2nd The Busy Bee Song uses 2nds. Students are encouraged to sing this song several times a day, starting from Middle C. The goal is to instill the sound of a Major 2nd in the ear. Tips: Clouds (p. 34) To reinforce the performance of the phrase, add the word “lift” when chanting. For example, chant “ta, lift” on the last half note in each phrase. Drawing Notes (p. 28) Specific instructions for drawing notes have not been given because stem direction is not a major concern at this point. However, the teacher may provide some guidance regarding stem placement and direction. The stem direction rule appears later.

Level 1, Unit 3

17

ExploringPreparation Celebrate Piano! : Level 1 for Literature TM

Students will graduate from Celebrate Piano!® with the technical facility and musical understanding needed to make a smooth transition into classical literature such as that found in Celebration Series Perspectives®.

Year 1

Selected repertoire from Celebrate Piano!® serves the curricula of RCM Examinations and the National Music Certificate Program at the Preparatory A and Preparatory B Levels, and Level 1.

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Preparatory B

Grade 1

LESSON AND MUSICIANSHIP

1B

September

™

™

Celebrate Piano!

June


Preparatory A

“Students studying from Celebrate Piano!® will be well prepared and eager to approach the classical literature of Celebration Series Perspectives®. Teachers should indeed celebrate this new resource which is certain to become the method of choice for students moving into The Royal Conservatory of Music curriculum.” James F. Lawless, Chief Examiner Emeritus, RCM Examinations

23

Exploring Celebrate About the AuthorsPiano! : Level 1 TM

J. Mitzi Kolar is director of graduate studies in music and the director of the graduate degree program in piano pedagogy at San Diego State University, School of Music and Dance, where she specializes in teaching piano performance, class piano, and piano pedagogy. Mitzi Kolar is the author of Music in Education, a keyboard/ technology-based public school music curriculum published and distributed by Yamaha Corporation of America. Mitzi Kolar currently serves on the theory review committee for the Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC) Certificate of Merit program.

Cathy Albergo, a curricular expert in the field of piano pedagogy, has contributed numerous articles to professional keyboard journals. She is currently Professor of Music and Music Department Chair at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and has served as President of the Illinois State Music Teachers Association, National Certification Chair of the Music Teachers National Association, and Regional Chair of the National Association of Schools of Music. Cathy Albergo is a co-author of Celebration Series Perspectives®, Handbook for Teachers, published by The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited.

Mark Mrozinski served for twelve years as Coordinator of the Harper Music Academy, the community music school associated with William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, Illinois. He has served as both the East Central Division President of Music Teachers National Association and as President of the Illinois State Music Teachers Association. He currently serves as Dean of Continuing Education at Harper College. Mark Mrozinski maintains a studio in his home, is an active clinician and adjudicator, and has published a collection of elementary piano solos entitled Enchanted Forest.

The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited Since 1904, The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited has published educational print music materials designed to suit the specific needs of studio teachers and their students. The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited publishes the works of many of the most widely recognized creators, teachers, and performers in the field of music education.

Canada: Unit 1, 5865 McLaughlin Rd., Mississauga ON L5R 1B8 USA: Suite 882, 60 Industrial Parkway, Cheektowaga NY 14227 Tel: 905-501-1595 Toll-Free: 1-800-387-4013 Fax: 905-501-0929 www.frederickharrismusic.com 24

Celebrate Piano Sampler

Recommend Documents