Learning to Read Music An Introduction for Singers

Learning to Read Music An Introduction for Singers Suzy S. Learning to read music can be a daunting task for beginner singers! Here, Ann Arbor, MI voice teacher  Elaina R. shows you how to get started Not to point out the obvious, but as singers, we don’t have keys on our instrument. We don’t have buttons that emit the same pitch every time they are pressed. Most of us don’t have perfect pitch, either. This makes learning to read music quite different for singers than for other musicians. Not only do singers deal with learning how to read what is on the page, we have to learn how each note feels in our voice. We have to learn to mentally map intervals and translate them from the page to our instruments. We have to stay in tune, even when singing a cappella (not an easy feat!). But don’t despair! Learning to read music is easy if you separate out the two basic components that make up music: rhythms and pitches. Feel the Beat Drums or clapping can keep rhythm because rhythm is independent from pitch. This is helpful, since you can practice the rhythm of a song before you sing a note simply by clapping or speaking it. If you do this work in advance, you don’t have to deal with learning the pitches and the rhythms simultaneously. Rhythm is controlled by several elements on the page: • Time Signatures: The time signature usually consists of two numbers, one stacked on top of the other, that come before the first note in a song. The one on top signifies how many beats are in a measure, while the one on the bottom signifies which note gets one beat. For example, 4/4 fits four quarter notes into each measure, 2/4 fits two quarter notes into each measure, and 2/2 fits two half notes into each measure. • Notes and Rests: Notes have different durations depending on how they look. They can look like round holes (a whole note, go figure), a filled-in note with a stem attached (a quarter note), a note connected to a bunch of other notes by a single line (an eight note), etc. Rests also have durations. Learning note and rest duration helps you with the rhythm of the music. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the different kinds of notes, rests, and time signatures, try to put it all together. Start by speaking or clapping with the time signature. For example, for a piece in 4/4, start by marking time in four (one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four, etc.) Then add the notes and rests into the structure of the time signature. The Keyboard is Your Best Friend Once you’ve learned the rhythm to your song, you will need to know a little more musical theory to read the pitches. The basic gist of it is simple: the staff is made up of five lines and four spaces. Each line or space represents a specific pitch. A note placed in a particular line or space means that you have to sing that pitch. Here are some need-to-know terms for reading pitches: • Treble and Bass Clef: These determine which line and space corresponds to which note. Treble clef is generally used for higher voices, bass clef for lower voices. • Sharps and Flats: Sharps raise the notated pitch by a half step, while flats lower it by a half step. To illustrate, if there is a note on the lowest line of a treble clef staff, it is an E. Stick a sharp sign next to it and it becomes E sharp. A flat sign changes it into E flat. As I’ve already pointed out, singers are at somewhat of a disadvantage as compared to musicians with instruments that aren’t body parts. We can’t press a key and expect to hear the same note every time. Therefore, we can’t pick up a piece of music and read it perfectly without a starting pitch. This is why, for singers, the keyboard is the best tool for learning to read music. Learn your pitches at the keyboard, listening to each one and repeating it in the context of the rhythm of a song. Learning to Read, Learning to Sing Of course, it’s important to reinforce learning to read music with learning to sing it. A voice teacher can help you hit those high notes easily and comfortably, create nice phrases, and breathe in the right places. And if you get stuck trying to read the music, your voice teacher is there to help you learn the notes! Elaina R. teaches opera voice and  singing in Ann Arbor, MI, as well as through online lessons. She is currently  working on a Master of Music at the University of Michigan, and she has a B.M. from the University of Southern California.  Learn more about Elaina here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by Jennifer Brandel

Les Misérables

Les Misérables The Grace of Redemption: Les Misérables ChaptersThe Misérables StoryProduction NotesThe Most Evocative SongsRecognition of Les MiserablesCreating an engaging musical from classic literary works is nothing new. From that perspective, the stage show based on the work of French poet and novelist Victor Hugo is but one of many musicals.It is a complex story with many elements â€" drama and humour, tragedy and romance… plot twists and parallel lines that make it seem nearly impossible to condense the entire story into a couple of hours and a few songs.The classic novel, though written in the Romantic period when passionate stories fairly littered the literary landscape, was initially not considered for staging by English show writers… that is, until the gift of a music album.The French composing team of Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil had put together an album of songs for their adaptation of Les Misérables, which graced a Paris stage for only three months, in 1980.The initial leap from written word to musical w as that concept album, from which the show derived â€" a complete reversal of the normal order of things. Usually, the show comes first and, based on popular demand, recordings follow.The English-speaking world might not have ever experienced Les Misérables had it not been for stage director Peter Farago gifting producer Cameron Mackintosh the French concept album.Mr Mackintosh, riding the wave of success derived from Cats opening on Broadway, was initially reluctant to embrace Mr Farago’s idea of creating an English adaptation of the French show.Aren’t we all so glad he changed his mind!Your Superprof now transports you back in time to pre-revolutionary France, to a time when a man could be convicted to life in prison for petty theft and women were in turn victimized and stigmatized. TraceySinging Teacher 4.92 (13) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PortiaSinging Teacher 4.91 (11) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolaSinging Teacher 5.00 (11) £40/ h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JazzSinging Teacher 5.00 (6) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PerrineSinging Teacher 5.00 (3) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TiemSinging Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TomSinging Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MiriamSinging Teacher 5.00 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Misérables Story Colm Wilkinson is a legend of music theatre and is renown for his interpretation of Jean Valjean Source: Wikipedia Credit: Adam SchwabeSentenced to years of hard labour for the reprehensible act of stealing a loaf of bread for his starving nephew, prisoner 24601 finally earns parole after 19 years. As a condition of his release, he must display the yellow ticket that proclaims him an ex-convict everywhere he goes.That visual leaves him shunned by the public and turned away from respectable employment. No decent lodging house will give him room. He finally finds relief from a Bishop who feeds him and shelters him in the church.Jean Valjean, formerly 24601, is embittered by the treatment he receives from society at large and concludes that if he will be treated as a criminal, he must become one to survive. He takes a few silver pieces â€" a chalice and a platter from the church and steals away in the night.When caught, a scruffy, emaciated figure with such riches in his bag, he is auto matically suspect but, upon being dragged to the church by the police, instead of being denounced by the bishop, he is not only validated but rewarded.That redemptive act changes Valjean. When next we see him, he is prosperous and respected.He has cast away the yellow card that indicted him and changed his name, a clear violation of his parole which puts Javert hot on his heels.Even though they now live in the same city, Javert does not recognise Valjean, now cloaked in respectability and fashionable clothing. Instead, a wretched figure thought to be Valjean is arrested.The former prisoner realises this case of mistaken identity could be his ticket to permanently casting away the shadow of suspicion against him but cannot bear the thought of an innocent man being sent to prison in his place.He confesses his identity to Javert but pleads for time to arrange his affairs and those of Fantine, the gravely ill woman whose child will soon be orphaned. The two fight; Valjean then runs away .When he discovers the conditions the child Cosette is kept in and how she is treated, he takes the girl and raises her himself… at a cost, of course. Thénardier would never let his golden goose go free!Set against the larger backdrop of the June Rebellion of 1832, this human drama is as relevant today as it was 200 years ago when it was written. Les Mis holds the record for the second-longest running Broadway musical Source: Wikipedia Credit: Andreas PraefckeProduction NotesAs soon as The Artful Dodger came onstage, Gavroche came to mind â€" Alain BoublilThe French lyricist had been attending a showing of Oliver! in London when the idea occurred to him that he should adapt Victor Hugo’s novel for the stage. All at once he visualised all of the story’s characters, even the seemingly secondary ones such as Marius and Eponine onstage, laughing, singing, crying.He could hardly wait to discuss his idea with composer Claude-Michel. They engaged in a lengthy discussion of character analysis â€" their mental and emotional state and the effect they would have on the audience.They also factored in the political and social climate of the story's era, along with any commentary or remarks that Mr Hugo himself might have made that he had compiled in his source novel.The part of the story when Valjean rescues the prostitute from the an gry client comes directly from Mr Hugo’s experience.He had been on his way to his editor’s office, a respected, quasi-famous citizen, when he saw that very scene play out before him: the rejected customer shoving a handful of snow down the woman’s dress and then pushing her to the ground.She raised her fists to defend herself and the man called for a policeman to charge her with assault. Mr Hugo, having witnessed the whole thing, intervened on her behalf. She became his Fantine and the scene was included in the story and the show.Once Messrs Boublil and Schonberg decided on the particulars, the latter composed the music as each set of lyrics was completed.When the entire work was done, Mr Schonberg sang the entire show, accompanying himself on the piano. The recording was a little more than two hours long.Filling the roles came next.Packing CTS Studios in Wembley with powerhouse vocals such as Rose Laurens (Fantine) and Maurice Barrier as Jean Valjean, they recorded the soundt rack for a show that did not yet exist.Discover the mysteries of The Lion King’s soundtrack…The Most Evocative SongsEnglish songwriters had half their work already done for them.The songs were already written; they only needed lyrics in English.  Herbert Kretzmer did a bang-up job of things, delivering songs that accurately reflected the mood and the actions of the characters.It is important to note that he did not simply translate the French lyrics but one might guess that he took inspiration from them. You can recognise his efforts by the song titles alone.A la Volonté du Peuple (According to the will of the people) â€" Can You Hear the People SingJ’avais Revé D’une Autre Vie (I Dreamed of Another Life) â€" I Dreamed a DreamLa Suicide de Javert (Javert’s suicide) â€" SoliloquyDonnez, Donnez (Give, Give) â€" Look Down, Look DownRouge et Noir (Red and Black) â€" ABC CaféComme un Homme (Like a Man) â€" Bring Him HomeDemain (Tomorrow) â€" One Day MoreL’air de Misere (Th e Air of Misery) â€" On My OwnMâitre Thénardier (Master Thenardier) â€" Master of the HouseMost often, the general meaning of the French lyrics was conveyed in English but sometimes it is completely confounded, such as Bring Him Home, which maintains the essential meaning of the French lyrics but offers a different perspective.Also, take a closer look at how Chicago uses its music to give the story’s characters more depth... Les Mis had nearly become an installation at the Palace Theatre Source: Wikipedia Credit: C. FordRecognition of Les MiserablesThe original French show was a hit!It had been projected to run for a minimum of eight weeks but ran for twice that long.Unfortunately, the venue it played in could not accommodate a longer run. Nevertheless, for its 107 performances, the box office sold nearly 500,000 tickets… and would probably have sold more!To say that this is a most popular piece of musical theatre would be an understatement. Les Mis, as it is known in English-speaking theatre circles, has picked awards up as though hoovering.The West End production picked up the Audience Award for Most Popular Show and Patti LuPone won the Best Actress award for her role as Fantine. It was also nominated in several other categories.The original Broadway show earned multiple Tony Awards: best musical, best book, best score; best actor, best actress, best direction and it even took a Tony Award for best lighting design!That might have something to do with the show’s creative team tightening up production during the move from London to New York; one of the aspects they tweaked was the lighting in the sewers, to make it more dramatic.So beloved is this testimony of the human spirit that, since its opening night in London in 1985, it has run continuously â€" only closing in July 2019.Likewise, it holds the record for the second-longest running show on Broadway.Les Misérables has twice been made into film, has set (and broken) box office records for ticket sales and, according to Playbill, the Les Mis Original Broadway Cast recording is the second most popular cast recording of all time.It beat The Phantom of the Opera to take that spot…Whether you have a thing for revolutionaries or the French Revolution was never your thing, there is no doubt you will find something (everything!) to like about Les Misérables.Now read all about the new Broadway sensation, Hamilton.

5 Steps to Improve Your MBA Candidacy for 2015

5 Steps to Improve Your MBA Candidacy for 2015 The following piece was written by Linda Abraham. Linda has been featured in ourAdmissions Expert seriesand is the President and Founder of Accepted.com. Think 2015 is a distant reality? Think again! Next years MBA application season starts sooner than you realize like right now. So lets jump right to it what should you be doing now to prepare for the upcoming application season? 1. Assess Your Qualifications You need to examine your grades and your GMAT score to establish where you stand amongst your competition academically. A low GMAT score or a low GPAis not necessarily an MBA deal breaker. No adcom is going to admit or dismiss a candidate solely based on one semesters poor grades or a slightly below average verbal GMAT score without also reflecting on other numbers, as well as the rest of the non-quantitative parts of the applicants profile. Average numbers vary according to school, as well as within your demographic group. You should examine each of these aspects and weigh the strengths and weaknesses in your application as you assess your competitiveness. That being said, a GPA or GMAT score well below your target schools average will be an admissions obstacle that is difficult to overcome, so proceed with caution by making sure that the rest of your application is pristine and that you address the low numbers somewhere in your application. TO DO NOW: At this point in the game, its not too late to retake the GMAT or to enroll in a college statistics course if you feel like these could help boost your profile. 2.Evaluate Your Work Experience You need to examine your work experience quantitatively (the work experience sweet spot for most business schools is between three and six years though there are exceptions) and qualitatively (your experiences should significantly contribute to your development as a person and as a burgeoning business mind, as well as impact your company/industry). These points should be emphasized when constructing your MBA resume and writing your MBA application essays. TO DO NOW: Its early enough in the application process that you can still work on bulking up your work GIM: Growth, Impact, and Management Potential. If, however, you feel these key elements are still a far cry from where they should be, then you may want to push off applying until youve acquired more qualitative work experience. 3. Examine Your Leadership Skills and Personal Traits Perhaps more than any other personal trait, the adcoms will be mining your application for leadership. If you want your leadership skills to stand out, youll need toshowthrough clear examples and anecdotes that youre a leader not justclaimthat you are. If you cant think of specific ways in which youve exhibited strong leadership skills, then now would be an excellent time to start putting yourself in situations where you can show them, either through increased professional responsibility, greatercommunity servicecommitments, or by expanding your role in a hobby, sports team, music or arts group, etc. Other important character traits youll want to highlight in your application includepassion, communication/teamwork skills, and initiative. TO DO NOW: Bulk up your community service profile and/or your job responsibilities if you feel like they are lacking. Keep an ongoing list of traits and examples now that you can use later on when drafting essays. 4. Determine Your MBA Goals Define your goal in terms of industry and job function. Include location if that is important to you. Deciding that post-MBA youd like to go into marketing is really only the first step. Why are you interested in marketing? What sort of marketing are you considering? What skills and tools do you need to achieve those goals? Which firms would you ideally work for? Remember,nothing here is set in stone, but you should have goals that excite you and that motivate you to push forward in a given direction. TO DO NOW: Start speaking to industry experts in fields youre considering so you can think concretely about where you see yourself five to ten years down the line. 5.School Research Where should you apply to b-school? To start, look at specialtyrankings(U.S. News,Businessweek), go thoroughly through school websites, read student blogs, and talk to current students and recent alumni. Then, generate a list of schools that fall into one of the following three categoriesreasonable reaches (your acceptance is a bit of a stretch, but possible), on-pars (youre a competitive candidate and have a solid chance of getting in), or safeties (youll most likely get accepted). Its best to choose at least one school from each category, though some individuals may want to apply to more (applying to four to seven total is about average, especially when applying to top programs.). How important are school visits? While some adcoms admit to awarding brownie points and some swear that whether or not you visit has no impact on your acceptance or rejection, I believe that if you have the opportunity to visit the b-schools on your list, you should absolutely do so. And its not because of imaginary brownie points, but because you will be a much better informed applicant after you visit a school than before. Youll know more about each school, its culture, and why that particular school appeals to you. Youll learn more about its teaching style, whether it supports your goals, and how well you and yourMBA goalsmatch the program, students, and faculty. That being said, if you are unable to visit the campus, be sure to attend info sessions held in your city and learn as much as you can off-campus. TO DO NOW: Visit schools, talk to people, attend info sessions, and scour the web for details. VisitAccepted.comor find them onFacebookandTwitter. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Piano Instructors 5 Tips for Planning Successful Lessons!

Piano Instructors 5 Tips for Planning Successful Lessons! A Guide to Planning Piano Lessons for Teachers in 5 Steps ChaptersEvaluate the level of your studentCreating a piano lessonSelf assessment of students’ workManaging the teacher-student relationshipAssess students’ progress and gradually set challengesChoose the right lessons materials for each studentIn  a recent feature for Intelligent Life magazine, renowned children’s author Philip Pullman has chosen music as the most important school subject. He writes,of all the things the body can do, the richest, the most interesting, the most emotionally and intellectually fulfilling thing is music. Every child needs to encounter music as early as possible, and I don’t mean just listen and then answer questions: I mean make, with voice, with clapping hands and stamping feet, with instruments of every kind.Other public figures  were also quizzed which subject they thought was most important at school. Alain de Botton chose ‘Emotional intelligence’, Jessica Lahey chose ‘Cultural Literacy’, Rose Tremain chose ‘History, backwards’, H erman Koch chose ‘Basic Geography’, Deb Wilenski chose ‘Open-air Dawdling’ and Simon Singh chose ‘Physics’.You’ve just hung up the telephone, your first hour of piano classes has been scheduled. That’s right, it’s September and school is back in session. The same goes for pianists!As a private instructor, you’ve been marketing your piano lessons all summer long and are now able to reap the benefits: you've got your first student!But from now until the first day of piano lessons you’ll need to prepare!In this article, Superprof  will help you plan your individual classes, both in terms of content and how to interact with your student. In no time at all, teaching piano will become a natural habit for you. CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 ( 5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsEvaluate the level of your studentYou’ve just arrived at your student’s house for your first at-home piano lesson.You must now assess his or her level for playing the instrument. The first thing to do is simply ask the student to evaluate his or her own level of playing the piano. Good idea, right?!“Measure” your students’ levels â€" no pun intended…Ask if they’ve already practiced, if they’ve gotten in touch with you to begin piano instruction, acquire a music education, or if they already possess rudimentary music skills.Ask about his or her music theory level: as solfège and sight reading are of huge importance for learning the piano, evaluate your student’s capacity for reading sheet music (key of A, middle C, measures, sharps, etc.).Once this information is understood and discussed, you’ll be in a good position to have an honest an d clear conversation about the aims you and your student wish to achieve.The best evaluation method consists in giving the student a piano test.Seat him or her in front of a keyboard with a piece of piano music. As such, you’ll be able to observe if he or she knows how to read music.This exercise has several benefits:Detect whether or not the student has correct piano playing postureAssess their solfège knowledgeSee if he or she knows rhythmic codes and piano notes (quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, sixteenth notes, breathing and pauses, tongs, triplets, etc.)Evaluate left hand/right hand coordination and the use of piano pedalsLastly, see if the student has already learned piano chordsAs you don’t know one another very well yet, it would be a very nice gesture to teach the first class for free. (Nothing is better than free piano lessons!) This will ensure that you begin working together in the best possible conditions.What level of proficiency do you need to teach the pi ano?Creating a piano lessonWhether you’re a piano teacher of all ages, or a professor of music improvisation or introduction, you must prepare a lesson plan to present to the student who wants to learn piano. (This prep is included in the price of a piano lesson.)Solfège ExercisesAt the beginning of each beginner piano lesson,  start with ten or 15 minutes of solfège.This way, you can get the most annoying exercise for learning music over with quickly!Generally, beginner pianists hate solfège lessons, but they are mandatory!Get your students used to reading music with a  metronome. One trick consists of teaching them to tap the tempo with the foot, or hitting their hands on their thighs.This will accustom them to measure time well and to learn to be a perfectionist, precise in their playing. This is extremely important for those who wish to learn to play the piano!In developing solfège skills, your student will know if he or she is playing in tempo or not. Have them repeat the notes to a song out loud to you, or give them an informal singing lesson. Oh yes, as you know, singing is super useful for learning to play piano.In addition to reading notes, invite your students to do rhythm exercises: see if they are capable of playing music notes in tempo (quarter notes, half notes, eighth notes, etc.). This will help with their ear training! CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson f ree!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsSelf assessment of students’ workIn this part of the class, ask your student to recite what you’ve given him or her to work on in the previous lesson.This is a quick and efficient way to see if your student has worked during the week.Wo rk on the spots the student finds challenging: if he or she stumbles over a piano chord, an arpeggio, a chord progression, or if there’s a lack of dexterity in their movement, for example, focus on it until you see progress.Undertake technique exercisesIn order to perfect your student’s music education, it’s important unknot the fingers, to make sure he or she doesn’t tense up on the keyboard for acquire a maximum dexterity.Have your student practice piano scales and chord progressions, and make sure to be strict on the position of the fingers (for the ascending scale, the passage of the thumb after a major key to the right hand, and the passage of the major key after the thumb to the left hand).Also, instruct him or her to work on octaves and harmony: this will also be a useful skill for alternating between classical piano and jazz piano.Assign work for the next lessonAt the end of each class, it’s important that the instructor gives the student work to do for the followi ng session. You’re not doing it to annoy your student, but so that he or she practices for a certain amount of time, training him or herself, when alone.This is also a way to “win the loyalty” of your student. That is, by spending their free time practicing, your students will be invested personally in their piano instruction. This will be even more the case if you let them choose the music they’d like to work on.There’s a lot in this for you, the piano instructor, too, who gets to be all proud when you point out your student’s improvement!Find out how to set competitive rates for your piano lessons!Managing the teacher-student relationshipWith all these preparations, your piano instruction session is sure to be successful.However, even the most prepared piano teacher has ups and downs: that is, external conditions may prevent an individual piano lesson from reaching its highest potential.The private instructor and the student in a piano lesson must get along well to wor k together.You might not always be on top of your game, and the same goes for your student, who might be feeling tired, sick, unmotivated or distracted.There are many factors â€" fatigue, stress, brain malfunction, personal problems, etc. â€" that explain why things don’t always work out as planned, even if you are well prepared for teaching.Personally, I’ve experienced this during my own tutoring sessions.Sometimes, nothing seems to go smoothly â€" because the student isn’t receptive to my lesson, or is tired or thinking of something else â€" even if I’ve prepared my lesson well in advance. Sometimes, it’s just the “mood” that isn’t right.To get around this, you must be creative and inventive.  Try not to show your frustration, or that the lesson’s progress has been disrupted.To get the lesson back on track, find your student an exercise to revise: a scale, some solfège, a piano chord progression, or a new piece of music to think about for the following week’s class… Or give your student a bit of breathing room. You’ll figure it out!Learn more about how to give piano lessons!Assess students’ progress and gradually set challengesIt’s super important to get a sense of the progress that your student has achieved by comparing the increments of difference in the level of piano playing as the weeks go by.We advise you to establish a means of assessing each class, and address it every two or three months. This will allow you to applaud your student if there is clear improvement, especially if he or she has progressed from a beginner piano level to an intermediate level rapidly.On the contrary, this assessment allows you to identify difficulties that persist and work harder on the aims that have not been achieved.If your student’s progress is continual, you’ll need to gradually increase the level of difficulty of piano instruction.Increase the level of difficulty little by little to motivate your student.Private piano instructors who ignore this step risk de-motivating their students in the long run, which could even prompt them to quit playing. Why not increase his or her motivate by planning a recital?When the student’s level begins to stabilize, change your music styles: for instance, if you give lessons in classical piano, why not propose an exploration of jazz piano in order to enrich his or her music education?Go from simplified arrangements to original scores. A beginner pianist doesn’t play like Beethoven or Chopin in one year of private lessons, but training on original pieces â€" the Clair de Lune Sonata or the Nocturne â€" will boost anyone’s level.How can you expand your teaching by finding more students for piano lessons?Choose the right lessons materials for each studentThe last step for planning your private piano lesson: work with good tools.As for any professional, the music instructor must use a distinct pedagogical method â€" just like for a guitar lessons, violin lessons or drum lessons . He or she must adapt didactic tools to each lesson.For instance, if your student is an absolute beginner on the piano, it’s vital that he or she buys a piano method manual for a beginner.Students’ playing and music styles will adapt to the manual. Suppose that they want to learn jazz music? You must then be aware of all the various piano jazz method books by different professors and swing virtuosos, and the available editions, in order to best guide students to become more advanced in their piano playing.And because we are in the digital age, raise your students’ awareness of online piano and well as Youtube tutorials: these are means of learning how to play the piano for free. And you’ll be sure that they are working between lessons! Happy teaching!Are you looking for a private music teacher for yourself or your child?  Piano teachers,  singing teachers,  guitar teachers  and many more  music tutors  can be contacted by  searching the Superprof database of UK tutors. Or a re you a teacher looking for jobs after teaching in schools? Why not consider private tutoring as an alternative.

3 Things You Must Do After an Admissions Interview

3 Things You Must Do After an Admissions Interview An admissions interview is an excellent opportunity for you to meet with a representative of a prospective school. You will be able to speak with him or her and to gauge whether your interests and values align with those of the college. These are the top 5 question to ask in an admissions interview. However, remember that your post-discussion follow-up is just as important as the admissions interview itself. Here are three things you must do after an admissions interview to leave a positive impression and to use the meeting to your advantage: Write a thank you note The first thing you must do after an admissions interviewis write a thank you note to the person you met with. Thank the interviewer for his or her time and consideration, and emphasize your interest in the school. Including a sentence or two about a part of your conversation that you particularly enjoyed will personalize your note and help it stand out from others. If there is a talking point that you did not mention in person, consider including it briefly in your note. Email is acceptable, as is traditional mail. Ensure that you thank all involved parties (if there are multiple), and reword each note so your interviewers do not receive the same stock message. Finally, remember to send the note promptly within 24 hours, if possible. A timely, thoughtful thank you will help you shine as a responsible and ideal candidate. Here are some tips for writing a thank you note after an interview. Reflect on your interview While your interview experience is still fresh in your mind, take the time to reflect on what went well and what you would like to improve upon in the future. Consider creating a list of questions that allowed you to speak well about yourself, and a list of questions that stumped you. In doing so, you will then have a document of typical interview questions that may help you at a future meeting. You can also cross-check these questions with lists you find online. Write out the key points of your conversation, especially ones where you felt a connection to your interviewer. Beyond the actual content of your interview, gauge your nervousness and state of mind pre- and post-interview. Knowing how your body responds to an admissions interview will help you mentally prepare for similar situations, and it will allow you to develop conversational skills for professional settings. Keep these notes in a safe and accessible place so you can refer to them at a later date. Complete and strengthen your application You may have interviewed during or after the application process was complete. So, if you are still compiling your application, the final thing you must do after an admissions interview is double-check the requirements specific to that school. Ensure that you have polished your essays, checked the status of your teacher recommendations, and paid your application fee. If necessary, request the help of family, friends, teachers, or writing tutors. There is nothing like an incomplete or weak application to compromise a strong in-person impression. Confirm that all of your paperwork is complete with the college, and if you have questions, email or call an admissions officer. Allow him or her ample time to respond to your inquiry. If you don't have a writing tutoryou may want to consider hiring one to help you with your applications! If your admissions interview took place after you finished applying, seek out other opportunities to strengthen your portfolio. Consider locating the email address of a professor whose work interests you, perhaps in your desired major. You might begin a casual conversation about a shared point of interest, such as his or her research or a relevant current event/news article. Do not expect a lengthy or detailed correspondence, as many professors are busy, but the fact that you have reached out may provide you with a slight advantage. It is not easy to speak about yourself in humble, yet positive, ways, as is necessary in an admissions interview. Enjoy the accomplishment of participating in an interview, and do not forget to follow up with your interviewer, as well as with your application. Reflecting on your experience will also make you a stronger applicant for both this school and others. Good luck!

Do You Need to Know Basic Accounting Concepts

Do You Need to Know Basic Accounting Concepts Accounting knowledge is not just the asset of a business man. Even you and I need to know the basic concepts of Accounting to lead a prudent life with smart financial decisions. In that case, knowing the basic concepts is mandatory for every individual. What are the basic concepts of Accounting? Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)  These are rules designed to regulate and make most of the Accounting tasks universal. It means that the numbers within a report created by you can be factored by anyone from any corner of the earth by understanding the principles and techniques used in the report. Accounting cycle  It explains how every event creates a transaction. Suppose, you pay a bill, you write a check for it and you record the transaction in your check book. The information of your payment is accessible via your bank statements. When you learn introductory financial Accounting, you are able to understand these concepts well. You can seek the help of online tutors to learn basic principles well. Accounting journals  Accounting journals are used in the business world for keeping track of business transactions. In personal finances also, you can maintain journals like check book ledger for keeping track of checks you have written and it is useful for balancing your accounts at the end of the month. Financial statements  Income statement, balance sheets and cash flow statements are three important financial statements. The income statement shows the financial profitability of a company for a particular time interval. Financial planners use income statements for creating budgets and financial plans for their clients. Enhanced Online #Math Tutoring for Kids at TutorPace https://t.co/nBU2Bt3dam â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) February 26, 2016 Balance sheets report a company’s assets, liabilities and stockholders’ equity at a particular point of time. Students find tallying balance sheets challenging. Accounting homework help online can save their time with strategies from expert tutors in the field. Cash flow statements show how your cash changes during a specified period of time. It shows where your money goes exactly on a monthly basis (like expenses, income and investments). Learning Accounting is interesting once you use your logic to understand concepts. Still, there may be troubles lurking in the corner while doing assignments like tough problems or producing a financial statement. Accounting assignment help online solves all your learning issues and ascertains your improved scores in the subject. Contact Tutor Pace for getting excellent help online and for reaching unto the top of the class.

General Tips to Help Your Child With Homework

General Tips to Help Your Child With Homework 0SHARESShare No matter how much time you spend personally with your child doing homework, it matters a lot if you could give them encouraging environment that motivates them to spend more time in study room doing their work. Give good study space Identify your child habits to do their work in better way and give comfortable study space. Slowly and gradually as they grow, form a habit of doing their work in study room. Help your child to be focused Give your child quite place to do their homework. Put off your cell phones and TV set when your child is studying nearby. Keep school supplies close at hand Keep basic school supplies (pen, pencil, eraser, sharper, etc.) close at your child’s hand so that they can access it on their own. Set regular time for homework Set a fix time for your child to do their homework. Keep it either early in the morning or after school hours, but it should be fixed time on regular basis. Like breakfast, lunch or bed time, let your child form habit of homework time and stick to that routine. Spend quality time with your child Try to accompany them while doing homework. Give English help making them understand instructions, QA or problem statement. For theory subjects, offer Social studies and Science help by making them understand question and facilitate to prepare answer. Do not help them directly giving them answers. Review your child work Ensure that your child complete work regularly. Review their homework regularly, correct them in case of mistakes and motivate when they perform well. Build up your child confidence with little care and know how much you take care of them. [starbox id=admin]

Summer Fun Through Academic Tutoring Service - Private Tutoring

Summer Fun Through Academic Tutoring Service BobbiM Jun 12, 2013 Academic credentials can be a key differentiator for your child and could shape his or her future. You can certainly find an academic tutoring service that your children can attend in the Summer. But, that need certainly hinges on the key question: How can kids keep up on academics during the Summer? Summer time is what most school kids wait for since the first day of school. On the last day of school the bell rings and all the kids run out the door never to think of school again until it starts again three months later. But you, as parents, dont want your children to forget everything theyve learned or fall back during the summer months. So what do you do to keep them in check with schooling but still allowing them to have fun? Here are some suggestions: 1. Have them practice a couple of times a week. You decide how often, but there are plenty of websites you can print work sheets off. Even just asking your children, What was you favorite thing you learned? will help them retain the information. 2. Have your children teach others. If you ask your children to help others learn, it will make the work seem less daunting. They will most likely feel honored or proud of themselves because they were chosen for the task. Quite the sneaky way to help them remember what theyve learned! Whether you sign them up to be a tutor, ask them to teach a younger sibling, or teach the kid down the street, it will be an effective way to help them stay in check. 3. Help them retain information bu making it fun, keeping a balance. You can make them play games using skills theyve learned. Give incentives for after theyve done a worksheet, do a fun activity where they have to do their own independent thinking and solve problems. Your children will thank you for a fun time when really theyve been learning too! Then when school starts again, the transition wont be so hard.