Time to celebrate 2 more winners in the 50 Piece Challenge! Two wonderful students received a book of fun, fun music and got their pictures added to the wall. The one student was just bothered that he hadn’t been the first. I gave him a copy of Beverly Porter’s Clowning Around and More. He was absolutely thrilled and couldn’t stop thanking me. After all, this is by the same composer as the (famous in some circles) Chromatic Rag – loved by students and loathed by parents because of the sheer repetition that happens when kids really like something. (Too bad I can’t end my week with this student!)
I gave another student Imagination by Teresa Richert. It’s a lovely book with imaginative drawings. It’s just easy enough for her that she can go home and play the pieces all summer without needing my help. (I’d also love to end the week with her!). Both these composers are part of the Red Leaf Pianoworks collective.
Besides their pictures, I have a few goodies – mostly from oddquartet.com – posted on my wall – the Lord of the Rings Circle of 5ths, the Field Guide to the Science of Musical Sound, and the Should You Be Practicing flow chart. The Bass Clef line notes are there (Grizzly Bears Don’t Fly Airplanes) – and I have noticed a few eyes wandering in that direction while we’re drilling flashcards. That one comes down for next week’s drills.
A fabulous bit of inspiration is hanging up there – if not for my students, at least for me. I must say, though, that the word “bash” when applied to octaves is meant in the figurative, creative sense, not as a particular technical approach 
Image: tomfoolerie
Related articles
- Seasons – by Teresa Richert (ladonasmusicstudio.com)
- The 50 Piece Challenge (ladonasmusicstudio.com)
So how many of your students actually rose to the challenge? I’m thinking of doing something similar but making it 30 pieces, or, roughly 1 a week for the teaching year. Did it improve the sight reading and the iniative that you were hoping for?
I hope your student enjoys the Clowning book. In my studio, Valentine’s Waltz and The Buccaneer seem to be the favourites with one young man using Buccaneer as a “Teacher’s Choice” study for Grade 4.
We Red Leafers do appreciate your support, LaDona.
Thanks, Beverly.
He’ll be coming for lessons in July so after the recital we’ll get going on a couple more pieces from the book.
Most students rose to the challenge but 50 is too high. If I do this again, I think 30 would be a much better goal. I’m making it really easy now in these last few weeks – but less than half will make it.
YES – huge improvement in sight reading! In all cases. And initiative, too – I think – that one’s a little less tangible. I’ll do year-in-review posts in a couple of weeks.
My student LOVES Buccaneer! And he’s so thrilled that he’s allowed to go faster than what it says – as per your comment! Students are always so impressed when I tell them that I actually know the composers
I’m glad to hear that it was worthwhile. I need to think about how to handle this over the summer but I do think 30 pieces would be realistic for more of my students. At least for the elementary, intermediate crowd and it should help the sight reading for all of them. I have so much music in my studio…..old stuff that I can’t bear to part with and new things that I just have to have to satisfy my curiosity since there’s a very limited selection in the music stores here. I’ll have to figure out some way of making it easy for students to find pieces
they’d like to try.
I also love Teresa Richerts elementary books.
The intermediate crowd didn’t rise to this one so well – next time I would cut it off younger and try something different for them. Not sure what – let me know what you figure out!
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