We've been taking music lessons with Gabriel for two weeks now (about 5 sessions), and I had an opportunity to film the boys playing with their teacher at the most recent lesson. It took about two hours to load a 37-second video, so let's hope it works, hehe...
First is Alex playing 3 parts of a 4-part piece (I wasn't quick enough with the camera-phone to catch the first part), then Simon plays a little jazzy bit with his right hand while Gabriel plays the bass line.
First is Alex playing 3 parts of a 4-part piece (I wasn't quick enough with the camera-phone to catch the first part), then Simon plays a little jazzy bit with his right hand while Gabriel plays the bass line.
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Gabriel is challenging me to think in new ways about how music is taught and learned; he's studied a wide array of methods of teaching music to children, and is developing his own approach, based on the philosophy that music should be fun (if it's not, the kids won't practise anyway!), and that parents should play an integral role in the learning.
Where correct finger technique and reading music from the staff were things pounded into me within my own first three lessons as a child (and constantly revisited by my RCM teacher for years thereafter), my children are learning to listen, respond and create music, often with their pointer fingers only. What's more, they're being encouraged to record their work on paper or iPad in a way that makes sense to them. We've not drawn a single staff since starting, and when I questioned Gabriel, he said he probably wouldn't do so before we leave in May.
With the boys having so much fun and sounding great so quickly, I must say, it's a lot easier to keep an open mind about these blasphemous music teaching methods. :)
Where correct finger technique and reading music from the staff were things pounded into me within my own first three lessons as a child (and constantly revisited by my RCM teacher for years thereafter), my children are learning to listen, respond and create music, often with their pointer fingers only. What's more, they're being encouraged to record their work on paper or iPad in a way that makes sense to them. We've not drawn a single staff since starting, and when I questioned Gabriel, he said he probably wouldn't do so before we leave in May.
With the boys having so much fun and sounding great so quickly, I must say, it's a lot easier to keep an open mind about these blasphemous music teaching methods. :)