Private Lesson Teaching Manual A guide to teaching an inspired BMF private lesson. September 19, 2013
Nate Shaw • email: Nate@brooklynmusicfactory • Brooklyn Music Factory
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Table of Contents
The BMF Mission! A radically different approach to the private music lesson.
Teaching In Action! Lesson planning , execution, and follow through.
Lesson Administration! Behind the scenes....
INDEX!
Nate Shaw • email: Nate@brooklynmusicfactory • Brooklyn Music Factory
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The BMF Mission A radically different approach to the private music lesson. To give every student the tools necessary to communicate with others through the language of music. BMF private lessons build musical fluency and students become self motivated learners as well as socially motivated and confident communicators. How do we accomplish this? • Fun: Game based learning = Disguised learning • Curriculum: BMF created teaching tools & support materials + Consistent lesson experience • Connection: BMF created HomeRock that educates parents and inspires students. • Social: Gigs that connect BMF private lesson students, faculty members, and family members
Teaching In Action Lesson planning , execution, and follow through.
Communication Is Key The relationship between teacher, student, and parent at BMF is built on trust and trust stems from clear consistent communication. The most important skill of an effective & inspiring teacher is the ability to communicate clearly with a student and parent. Here are some examples of when, how, why, and what we communicate, both through words and actions. Welcome A Student. Steps to starting a successful lesson: We build focus through routine. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Teacher greets the student & parent in the waiting room Shoes are removed and hands are washed Teacher invites the student into the music space Teacher asks student to ‘please remember your BMF HomeRock binder’ Introduce the 5 minute warm-up and start making music ASAP! Upon completion of 5 minute warm-up Teacher/student goal for the day is announced. Speak to the student in a language that empowers & encourages WRONG: You missed these notes or rhythms; try it again. RIGHT: I thought your articulation and phrasing was wonderful. Can we try to play these notes with that articulation? WRONG: You aren't ready for the gig, you need to practice more. RIGHT: Can you show me three areas of your song that we can work on this week to get better prepared for the gig? WRONG: Do it again. RIGHT: Let's see if we can do it again, only this time with a play along track. WRONG: Do it again.
RIGHT: Let's see if we can three penny challenge just these four measures. Do you think you can rock that? Point to the measures we are doing and then count us in for penny #1. WRONG: Ok. Not bad. Nice work. RIGHT: Your count off and the fact that you kept the music in motion, never stopping even when it got bumpy in the middle were both examples of being very musically mature. Your gig is going to be great if we keep remembering to make those two musical moves. Nice work! Say Goodbye. Steps to ending a successful lesson. 1. Print out the HomeRock 2. Read out loud the Goal of the week-together. 3. Say: "Thanks for the music. I look forward to making music together next week. Have fun playing this week at home!" Educate the parents: develop a relationship with both the student & the parent/s. You can ask for 5 minutes of a parents time at the end of a lesson OR you can schedule a phone call using your ‘Schedule A Phone Call’ Google form. Here are topics to cover with parents on a regular basis: ◦ Please help student remember to put stickers on each day that he/ she works through each section of their HomeRock. We have set a goal of 3 days of HomeRock this week. ◦ I'd like to read aloud our Goal of the week. This is an easy way for you to be involved with their practicing. Simply read out loud the Goal a few times this week and let your child explain what it means and how to accomplish it. ◦ I wanted to remind you that your child’s Gig is coming up in four weeks on date & time. Please feel free to invite the grandparents or any friends. It's very informal and super fun for everyone. ◦ I'm excited to let you know about student's upcoming Gig Song. He/ She will be playing with two other students on the Gig. I have put an original recording on student's Dropbox, be sure to drag it into your iTunes and put it into heavy rotation at home. ◦ Each week can you please help student to remember to pack their BMF HomeRock binder for their lesson. It is essential that we have that each week in order to make and mark our progress. ◦ Your child has a Gig Date marked on his/her HomeRock at the bottom. Please be sure to mark your calendar when you get home tonight. ◦ I wanted to check in to be sure that you have accessed your Dropbox at home and are easily finding the music and videos that I have posted for your child. If not, I'll send out via email a short Dropbox tutorial video that BMF has made that can help you to get set up.
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Can we take five minutes at the end of this lesson to chat about how HomeRock is going? I'd love to get an update on how you are feeling about the student's music life at home. (This is great to do at lesson #5, #15, & #25 of each year.) Can I ask you this week to please sit down with student and show him his Dropbox folder on your home computer, iPad, or smartphone. If needed, I'm happy to send a tutorial video you can watch together to help get you both up and running. We offer three Make-Up lessons each year. I wanted to remind you that his Make-Up has been scheduled for Sunday, date, time. Does student have her own iTunes playlist at home with her guitar songs and exercises? Did you know you can drag and drop videos as well into an iTunes playlist? Along with Dropbox, we have found this to be one of the most effective organizational tools for her music lessons. She is much more likely to want to practice if she can quickly and easily find her games and videos at home.
Action Is Key Establish Ground Rules. • • •
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The BMF studio is a playground but students are invited to play each instrument in the studio. Teacher introduces the different instruments and establishes that the student will get to play each one eventually. Empower the student to own the space and treat the space responsibly. Don’t do anything for them that they cannot do themselves: Examples: ◦ Invite the student to get dry erase boards ◦ Invite the students to pick a favorite color ◦ Ask the students to please erase the boards when finished and put everything back in its proper place ◦ Invite the students to set up their foot stools (for gtr or mini me piano) ◦ Always ask the students to put away sticks and materials It is up to the teacher to maintain a controlled space for the student (they want this!)and the teacher must establish this from the first lesson. ◦ If the teacher is messy or disorganized, the student feels messy & disorganized
Simple Lesson Template At BMF, we use a simple and clear template for each lesson. It is balanced between games that encourage expression (5-Minute Warmups), exercises that build motor skills, ie. technique (Skillz & Drillz), games that build musical fluency (Key Musical Concept Games) and games that disguise the learning of Gig Songs (Gig Song Jam Trax). Students thrive with consistency of experience. They want to enter the studio each week knowing that the experience will be just as fun and rewarding as the week prior. And when they trust the teacher to create that experience consistently, they relax and begin to open their mind and spirit to the possibilities of learning. They trust the teacher to act as their guide. Architecture of a 60/45/30 Minute Lesson
60-Minute Lesson Architecture Length of Time
Activity
Goal
5 minutes
5-Minute Warmup
focus, listening & improvising
10 minutes
Skillz & Drillz
On Instrument: Technique specific to student’s instrument
5 minutes
HomeRock Review
On Instrument: Read & review student accomplishments (checks/stickers)
15 minutes
Game Time: Key Musical Concept Game
Off instrument: Develop musical fluency & move student around studio
Length of Time
Activity
Goal
20 minutes
Gig Song Jam Trax
On Instrument: Use support materials (Jam Trax + chart). Listening to what student practiced, making suggestions to improve & assigning next section
5 minutes
Parent/Guardian HomeRock Review
Connect the family with the student experience. OR have the older student read through HomeRock
45-Minute Lesson Architecture Length of Time
Activity
Goal
5 minutes
5-Minute Warmup
focus, listening & improvising
10 minutes
Skillz & Drillz
On Instrument: Technique specific to student’s instrument
5 minutes
HomeRock Review
On Instrument: Read & review student accomplishments (checks/stickers)
10 minutes
Game Time: Key Musical Concept Game
Off instrument: Develop musical fluency & move student around studio
10 minutes
Gig Song Jam Trax
On Instrument: Use support materials (Jam Trax + chart). Listening to what student practiced, making suggestions to improve & assigning next section
Length of Time 5 minutes
Activity Parent/Guardian HomeRock Review
Goal Connect the family with the student experience. OR have the older student read through HomeRock
30-Minute Lesson Architecture Length of Time
Activity
Goal
5 minutes
5-Minute Warmup
focus, listening & improvising
10 minutes
Game Time: Key Musical Concept Game
Off instrument: Develop musical fluency & move student around studio
10 minutes
Gig Song Jam Trax
On Instrument: Use support materials (Jam Trax + chart). Listening to what student practiced, making suggestions to improve & assigning next section
5 minutes
Parent/Guardian HomeRock Review (last week + this week)
Connect the family with the student experience. OR have the older student read through HomeRock
Time Management is Everything!! It’s easy to get sucked into a single game, jam session, drum beat, or composition exercise and find the entire lesson disappear before you know it. Time flies when your having fun OR when you are not paying attention. Having fun = the game was a success. Not paying attention = one fun game is all the student gets to experience. Each BMF studio has both timers available to help a teacher with a visual cue for when it is time to move to the next part of a lesson. Confident and organized teachers use timers.
Anticipate & Prepare Each lesson requires the teacher to anticipate the needs of his/her student and the needs of the community and to prepare accordingly. What does that mean? What does that require? • Knowing how to play & the objective of each Key Musical Concept Game (see Index for example) • Creating & Updating a Song One Sheet for the student’s Gig Song (see Index for example) • Requesting a Gig Song Jam Trax package & BMF Gig Song Chart (see Index for example) • Consolidating all needed listening materials in the students iTunes Playlist & Dropbox folder (see Index for example) • Preparing HomeRock (see Index for example) • Referencing Gig Repertoire Tracker to know who is playing on your student’s song & to assign players to perform with your student (see Index for example)
Set Gig Goals & Work Backwards Each year, a teacher follows a clear path to success on the gigs with every student. Here they are:
1.
Assess the student’s level: • Ground Floor • Limited to a single chord (maybe two). • Rhythms are limited to quarter, half & whole notes. • Form is limited to a single section. • Melodies are limited to a single hand position or limited vocal range. Melodies include mostly steps with some skips. • Basic rock beat in 4/4. Basic beat in 3/4. • Second Floor • Expanding to multiple chords but limited to select key centers/hand positions. Some modulation can occur. Bar chords introduced. Keyboard voice leading introduced. • Rhythms now include eighth notes. Triplets introduced. Syncopation introduced. • Form expands to include verse & chorus.
• Melodies can cover the entire scale and multiple hand positions. Melodies include both steps & skips with minimal leaps. Simple chromaticism is introduced. • Soloing begins to happen with major, minor, pentatonic and blues scales • Drums expand to include variations on basic beat & fills. Begin to explore different styles music and associated beats. • Third Floor • Multiple chords in multiple key centers. Freely modulating, regardless of hand position. Voice leading is expected. Guitarists moving freely between open and bar chords. • Rhythms now include sixteenth notes. Syncopation with all note values. All tuplets introduced. • Melodies cover a wide range and freely include steps, skips & leaps. Melodies move between diatonic and chromatic & can modulate to new key centers. • Soloing is expanded to include all scales & modes. • Drums expand to include advanced variations on rock beats & fills. Freely explore all styles of music. Odd time is introduced.
2.
Select A Gig Song
When selecting a song, use the assessment guide above to help narrow down choices. The PL Gig Song Library (found in Google) is where the teacher is able to quickly reference choices available as well as add a song choice of their own. It also lists what support materials are available currently or what may need to be requested/created. Every Gig Song should ultimately have the following support materials: • Artist Recording • Chart/Lyrics • Gig Song One Sheet • Transcribe file (more on this in chapter V: Software) • Video Clips/Links • BMF Gig Song Jam Trax • Teacher created jam trax
3.
Update The Gig Repertoire Tracker
This is the document that keeps the entire community of BMF musicians connected. The teacher simply lists the song choice and then requests other musicians from within the community to prepare and ultimately perform the selected Gig Song (just put NEED in the appropriate column). This is one of the most powerful tools the community has because it takes the teacher and student out of the insular world of the private lesson and puts them in a virtual band. This
document can motivate and inspire creative teaching. Look at it every week, keep it updated, and stay connected.
4.
Break Down the Steps
The Gig Song One Sheet is where the teacher captures their ideas of exactly what, why and how to teach a Gig Song. The GSOS opens with all the essential facts and then a summary of why the teacher chose the song. It closes with some instrument specific teaching ideas as well as related listening, ie. songs that are similar in some fashion. But the body of the GSOS is organized by Key Musical Concepts: • Rhythm • Harmony/Form • Melody • Reading/Writing • Theory • Ear Training This becomes the Gig Song Development: 2nd Key Musical Concept Game portion of every lesson. 5.
Map Out the Path to Gig
Once the teacher has brainstormed a GSOS, the final step is to look at the weeks leading to the gig and decide exactly which games will be played when. Ask yourself if there are support materials you need to create for those games, ie. programming a beat, creating a unique chart, making guitar tab, shooting a hand position video, etc. Mapping out this path ensures: • The teacher avoids the panic as they near the gig • The lessons remain balanced from week to week • The teacher can confidently move between multiple gig songs • The teacher can confidently work on only one aspect/section of a song each week • The lessons remain fun and game based • The student remains engaged with a song much much longer • The support materials required for each lesson is anticipated and created HomeRock Keeps Everyone On Track Template - Template - Template.... Every teacher at BMF uses the same HomeRock Template. (see Index for example) And the purpose for every teacher is the same: A simple and clearly stated weekly musical goal.
Explaining The Design HomeRock becomes a weekly guide for the student, the teacher, and the parents. The design is simple: • The essential administrative info is at the top, ie the current lesson #, the next lesson date/time, and the next gig. • Also, on the top and the bottom is the Weekly Goal. This reads as an action in the form of a question and can be read by a parent at home as a way to inspire the child to practice at home. The goal needs to be clear and simple enough for the non-musician mom at home to understand. • The meat of HomeRock are the check boxes that coordinate with each activity to practice at home. There are always four practice zones each week: Skillz & Drillz, Game Time (Key Music Concept), Gig Song Jam Trax, & Goal Play (an exercise associated specifically with the goal of the week). Creating And Updating Each week, the teacher copies the previous week’s HomeRock, adds a page break at the top, and copies it to the new blank page (which becomes page 1). The teacher then fills in the new lesson #, Date/time, and updates the practice zones with the new activities. Most of this is done in advance of the lesson. Each lesson, however, some changes will be needed but ideally, the teacher will want to anticipate the HomeRock whenever possible.
Student Buy In - The Beauty Of Check Boxes Each student gets a three ring binder at the beginning of their tenure at BMF. Inside the binder should be a pencil case and in that pencil case should be stickers!! The teacher trains the student to recognize the value of the lesson notes by getting them to put a sticker in each box as they complete an activity. At first, this must be done in the lesson in addition to asking the student to use the stickers at home. A teacher can expect to have this training period last up to a year before a student will fully adopt it. If the teacher does not actively participate in the process, the student will never fully adopt it. Older students (ie. middle school and up) can put a check mark instead of the stickers. Reconciling HomeRock - Sending Them Home The student leaves each lesson with a printed copy of their HomeRock three hole punched in their binder. In addition, the teacher cuts and pastes the HomeRock into Music Teacher’s Helper so an emailed copy will go to the parents. Finally, any needed support materials go into the students Dropbox. (both Music Teachers Helper & Dropbox are explained in Chapter V: Software)
Lesson Administration Behind the scenes....
Essential Administrative Software Many parents have asked how BMF is able to connect students with one another on a gig and perform without ever having rehearsed together. Many have expressed how well informed they are by receiving detailed HomeRock both via email and in printed form. And we have received countless favorable reviews of our gigs and how well run and fun they are. These types of positive feedback come because of organized systems and software we use behind the scenes. In many ways, lesson administration is equally important to teaching an effective lesson because it is an important part of what connects the family to the student. Here is how it all works! Pages: Our word processing software of choice. #1 Use=HomeRock HomeRock is the glue that keep every member of a music student’s life at BMF connected: Teacher + Student + Family. Here are a list of essential skills and shortcuts used in order to get the most out of Pages: • Each teacher has a HomeRock template located in Dropbox. Use this to create the first HomeRock for each student. • Use ‘Insert Page Break’ each time you create a new lesson note. This will keep all of the student’s HomeRock well organized in one file. This also allows for quick and easy reference when composing the end of trimester Student Achievement Report. • Use ‘Insert Date and Time’ for lesson date and next gig. • Any graphics (gtr chords, melody examples, drum beats) can be cut and pasted into the HomeRock. Be sure to select ‘Floating’ from the tool bar to ensure a clean placement.
Email: teacher@BrooklynMusicFactory.com All teachers have a BMF email address. This should be listed at the bottom of your lesson notes. And this must be the email used for all BMF communication. See Index for how to set up your BMF email in your email client.
Dropbox: The main branch of the BMF library. Navigating and finding what you need in 10 seconds flat! Student DB folder vs Student Lesson Notes folder Dropbox: The main branch of the BMF library.
INDEX Examples Key Musical Concept Game WordPlay Objective: To provide inspiration and structure for improvisation and teach listening skills. In Brief: Teacher and student take turns improvising based on a set of words. Ages: Any age Materials: • 1 or 2 Dry erase boards • 1 or 2 Dry erase markers • Timer, clock or stopwatch capable of measuring in seconds optional: WordPlay Words list, available in BMF Google Docs Repetitions: 4 rounds Procedure: Before the start of the lesson the teacher should choose six words, two sets of three words each, to use in improvising. Consult the WordPlay Words list in BMF Google Docs for inspiration. Round 1: 1. Teacher sits at the piano 2. Write 3 words on dry erase board 3. Say "I'm going to improvise and you guess which word I'm thinking of." 4. Set the timer for 15 seconds 5. Improvise until time is up. Play at a level that is similar to the student’s ability 6. Student circles their answer Round 2: 1. Erase the board 2. Write 3 more words and do another round the same way Round 3:
1.
Student writes 3 words on the board. Note: For younger students, do this step on the floor or away from the piano to keep them moving 2. Set the timer for 15 seconds and press start 3. Student plays until time is up 4. Teacher circles a word on the board Round 4: 1. Student writes 6 words 2. Set the timer, student plays and teacher has to guess Variation for advanced students: 1. Improvise for 15 seconds on each word in succession 2. Listener numbers the words in the order they were heard
Gig Song One Sheet Dynamite - One Sheet Title: Dynamite Artist: Taio Cruz Original Key: E-major! ! BMF Key(s): C-major Tempo(s) (List a range): 110-130BPM Genre (underline one): Pop Rock Blues/Country Soundtrack Classical Category Student(s) (underline all that apply): ! Adv. & Int. Main Instrument (underline one): Guitar or Piano or Both
Jazz/
Summary: This is a fun dance tune, with a earworm of a chorus. There is a wealth of rhythmic material to be taught, from syncopation to cross-rhythms. The chord changes remain the same between the verses and the chorus, and change during the bridge. Younger students will be drawn to the repeated words in the verses, and the “Ay-oh!� in the chorus.
Key Musical Concepts: Rhythm: Dotted notes can form cross-rhythms. Can we hear the difference between cross-rhythms and syncopation? What other songs use these kind of rhythms? (See She Drives Me Crazy)
Harmony/Form: Chords for verses and chorus are Am-G-C-F. Can we think of other songs that use this progression? What if we shift the order: C-F-Am-G? (See She Drives Me Crazy) During the Bridge, order of the chords change, the changes double in length, and C is replaced with Em: Em-Am-F-G. Can we hear the difference? Melody: In the verses, can we hear the difference between repeated words/ repeated notes and repeated words/changing or descending notes? (“dance” 4x vs. “brands” 4x) The chorus contains steps, descending skips, and descending leaps; can we find them? All scale degrees are used in this song except for one. Can we figure out what it is? Reading/Writing: Theory: Ear Training: This song is good for becoming more familiar with leaps, 4ths, 5ths, and 6ths, both ascending and descending. Can we find all the leaps and name them? Instrument Ideas: One keyboard plays block chords with the cross-rhythms and syncopation (piano part) ; the other plays arpeggiated chords (synth part), beginning students can take the bass-part on keyboards. Related Listening: She Drives Me Crazy, Fine Young Cannibals
BMF Gig Chart
Sunday Morning
Maroon 5
& c ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’’’’ D m9
DRUM INTRO.
G 13
C M9
D m7
G7
C Maj7
PIANO ENTERS
VERSE BASS ENTERS
.. ’ ’ ’ ’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’ ’ ’ ’ .. D m9 G 13
Sunday But CHORUS
7
C M9
D m7 G 7 C Maj7 D m9 G 13 C M9
D m7 G 7 C Maj7
morning... things...
D m9 G 13
C M9
D m7 G 7 C Maj7
D m9 G 13 C M9
D m7 G 7 C Maj7
’ ’ ’ ’ ’’’’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’’’’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’’’’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’’’’ all
15
% VERSE
I
need
D m9 G 13
C M9
Fingers trace things get CHORUS
crazy
D m7 G 7 C Maj7
D m9 G 13 C M9
D m7 G 7 C Maj7
’ ’ ’ ’ ’’’’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’’’’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’’’’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’’’’
23
fi D m7 G 7 ? ’ ’ ’ ’ ’’’’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’’’’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’’’’ ’ ’ ’ ’
D m9 G 13 31
all
C M9
I
D m7
38
C Maj7
D m9 G 13
C M9
need
INSTRUMENTAL BREAK
œ
G7
!#œ ! œ Œ
! œ bœ œ Œ
!œœ !œœ !œœ Œ œ bœ œ
! ! Ó œ œ
D.S. al Coda r œ ! #œ ! œ Œ ! œ bœ œ Œ ! œ œ œ ! œ œ bœ ! œ œ Œ ! ! œ Œ ‰. œ œ. œ #œ ˙ œ œ
41
fi
D m7 G 7 C Maj7
U
CHORUS
D m9 G 13
C M9 D m7 G 7 C Maj7 D m9 G 13 C M9 D m7 G 7 C M9
’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’’’’’ ’’’’
45
all
I
need
rit.
Student iTunes Playlist
Lesson Prep Sheet Nate’s Thursday Lesson Prep Sheet 5 MINUTE Warmup: Free & Easy Duet Robert Ellis: 2:30 NEXT GIG: June 10th @ Noon Songs: Honky Cat, Happy Merry 1. KMC: Word Beat 2. GSD 2: Honkey Cat: Dominant 7ths - Build and transpose 3. Book: C, D, and E Maj Scale, Alouette in 3 keys with PA Lucie Pascarosa: CANCELLED 3:30 NEXT GIG: June 10th @ Noon Songs: Fix You, 1. KMC: 2. GSD 2: 3. Book: Bella Saul: 4:30 NEXT GIG: June 10th @ 2pm Songs: Do Re Mi 1. KMC: 2. Book:
Gig Repertoire Tracker
HomeRock Template
HOME ROCK Student: Bella Saul Lesson #: 1 Date: Monday, September 16, 2013 Time: 5:45pm Daily Checklist: check off or add a sticker for each day & game Day Of The Week
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Skills & Drills Gig Song Jam Trax Game Time! Goal Play
Goal: Can you sing from memory Verse 1 + Chorus + Verse 2 of Dock of the Bay? NEXT LESSON: Monday, September 23, 2013 Skillz & Drillz: G/D/A Major (go slow and be precise) • RH alone 5x • LH alone 5x Gig Song Jam Trax: Sittin’ On the Dock of the Bay: Transcribe Verse 1 + Chorus + Verse 2 (stop at end of 2nd verse) • Write out the Lyrics Game Time! (Key Music Concept Game): Ear Olympics! - Wait A Second: Level 4 UP & Level 4 Down: 2X for each track each day • Listen - Play - Name • Listen - Name - Play Goal Play: Goal: Can you sing from memory Verse 1 + Chorus + Verse 2 of Dock of the Bay?
Date: Friday, December 6, 2013
NEXT GIG: Time: 7:30pm Location: 295 Douglass St.
Brooklyn Music Factory -nate@BrooklynMusicFactory.com - teacher cell #917-678-8915