The Playground

So you’re having an extended break from music lessons, over summer holidays or for whatever other reason. What happens to your playing? Will that Playlist you (and your Teacher and Life Coach) spent the whole year growing and nurturing ever survive? Will you return in…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Dec 4, 2013

As Simply Music’s first blind piano teacher, Dodie Brueggeman has had to face many challenges, yet she is a thoroughly successful and greatly loved teacher, familiar to all who know her as unfalteringly optimistic and generous. This profile is a little different in that for…

• Written by SM Admin on Dec 4, 2013

Madison Abrams is a multi-talented, 10 year old, Simply Music Piano student taking lessons through her home-school co-op in Waterford, Michigan. Madison excels in many areas of playing the piano but her specialty is at composing and accompaniment pieces. Her first composition, “Seasons”, was written with lyrics even before her first piano…

• Written by SM Admin on Dec 4, 2013
• composing, fur elise, madison abrams, piano, rachel geans, simply music, student

Christmas time has traditionally always been a time for the gathering of loved ones and the playing of music. I felt it would be great to have a collection of carols that anyone in the family could pick up and play, even if they only…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Dec 4, 2013
• jingle bells, piano, piano tutorial, simply music, the playground, tutorial

  The Magic Island, the latest album in the Hush Collection, will be released in early November 2013 and is the boldest and biggest undertaking for the Hush Music Foundation yet, featuring a full symphony orchestra and twelve outstanding composers. The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and…

• Written by SM Admin on Dec 4, 2013

Geoffrey Williams grew up with the soul music of the 60’s, singing around the house and dreaming of being signed to the Atlantic label like his idols. He achieved that, and a whole lot more, including performing at major venues worldwide and writing songs for the likes…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Oct 27, 2013

Here’s a Simply Music way you can learn What Now by Rihanna. Gordon Harvey shows you how to play a version of the catchy piano riff to this great song, as well as an even simpler piano accompaniment. Watch the video and download the diagrams below.   Diagram One   …

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Oct 27, 2013

Gypsy Wulff lives in Fremantle, Western Australia and has been teaching Simply Music to private students for 15 years. Although she was originally focussed on teaching literacy and numeracy to students with learning difficulties, her relaxation and enjoyment was playing the piano. In the late 90’s,…

• Written by SM Admin on Oct 27, 2013

Freddie Loeffler loves playing the piano, and it’s evident whenever one has the chance to listen to him play. He can play for hours at a time at home, according to his mother. Although 15-yr-old Freddie took a couple of years of traditional lessons in…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Oct 27, 2013

In our rush to idolise our favourite singers or composers, we miss some other great contributors to musical culture. One such unsung hero is the American ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax. Armed with a portable tape recorder, Lomax spent several decades from the 1930’s travelling the United…

• Written by SM Admin on Oct 27, 2013