Music Education: Piano

I prefer the Alfred Series for a number of reasons: they are thorough, cover almost everything, don't confuse children, and their songs are fun to play.

Students twelve and older learn differently than young children. The biggest concern is that the "window" for coordination begins to close around the fifth grade. That means it doesn't close all at once. You'll notice the public schools offer band/orchestra around this grade. Educators know that if you miss this window of opportunity, you won't get it back. High school students can't start an instrument at age sixteen and obtain the same level of ability they would have achieved had they started younger. That's just the way the human brain works. If your student is twelve+ and has never played an instrument, DO NOT PUT IT OFF ANY LONGER! Once the coordination window closes, just like any other learning window, it will remain closed. The hope is to catch the window and keep it open long enough to get those fingers flying. At first, adult students learn very rapidly, but most will hit a wall when their fingers stop obeying. This is why you want a method that will push your student. Catching this window of opportunity is key. in other words, buy the book, get the student into lessons, and have them practice, practice, practice.

In addition to teaching music, I am also an author. Here's a quick blip about my book, Readers Favorite Gold Medal winner in the Young Adult Coming of Age category.

Impossibly rich, ten-year-old David is arguably the most spoiled, obnoxious kid alive. That is... until he is kidnapped for ransom and left for dead. Thrown into a world he knows nothing about, he spends the next several years in an orphanage where his claims to fame and fortune bring years of torment. Finally, he escapes, hoping to make it back home. Instead, he meets Linda. Having lived among boys for so long, he doesn't know how to handle his feelings for her. She is both irritating and intoxicating. Not that it matters. With looks like hers, every boy in the county is chasing her, and David, with his scraggly clothes and long hair doesn't stand a chance. Then, when circumstances push them together, they both find that sometimes, people aren't what they seem. Can love really conquer all, or is David destined for a life of misery and pain? Find out in Class Collision. Learn to like the boy, fall in love with the man that he becomes.

Set during the Great Depression, Class Collision: Fall From Grace will transport you to a simpler time, filled with heartache and unexpected love.