The Playground

  I was a beginner when I started Simply Music lessons. I had a lot of confidence issues with my musicality. I had tried to play the piano on my own for about a year and just couldn’t get it! I could not coordinate my hands; I could kind of…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Mar 27, 2013
• coaching, confidence, kevin meyer, music, piano, playing, simply music, the playground

With my Simply Music students, I do a lot of improvisation and composition. It’s one of my favourite aspects of being a musician, having been writing songs and creating instrumental pieces for most of my life. One of the most enjoyable and challenging things I do these…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Mar 27, 2013
• create, improvisation, improvise, kat koppett, mark meritt, mark s. meritt, mop and bucket, music, simply music

By popular demand, Ernest Amstalden, Simply Music Teacher and renowned ragtime player, has created a version of that perennial favorite, “The Entertainer,” that relatively inexperienced students can take on. In this video, Ernest leads you step-by-step through his arrangement. If you can read music, you…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Jan 30, 2013
• ernest amstalden, learn, music, piano, popular, ragtime, read, scott joplin, sheet music, simply music, the entertainer, the playground, tutorials, video

  “Teamwork, Teamwork, how ‘bout it?” Being a musician promotes versatility as it teaches many musical and real-life skills, such as cooperation in playing as a team, traditionally called ensemble playing. Ensemble playing in Simply Music lessons can be quite simple. Starting in Level One,…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Dec 4, 2012
• coaching, ensemble, janita pavelka, music, performance, piano, playing, simply music, teamwork, the playground

  Some of my earliest memories are centered around the piano. I have an older sister and three older brothers, the eldest being only 7 years older than me. As each of the boys turned 7 years old we began piano lessons. It was one…

• Written by Neil Moore on Sep 28, 2012
• carmen cavallaro, coaching, lessons, music, neil moore, parents, piano, simply music, students, teachers, team, the playground

  My first memory of playing the piano with others is sharing the bench with my two older siblings. Since I was the youngest in the family, I would get to sit on the end of the bench during trios with my brother and sister…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Sep 28, 2012
• coaching, duet, family, group, janita pavelka, music, musical, performance, piano, playing, recital, simply music, student, teacher, the playground

  Hello again, Simply Music community! This is the third and final article in my Soulful Grace series. Here I’m presenting an introduction and an ending for Soulful Grace that, while relatively simple to play, give a quite sophisticated (and gospelly!) sounding result. Let’s begin!…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Sep 28, 2012
• amazing grace, coaching, jennifer lee, learn, music, piano, simply music, soulful grace, teaching, tutorial

I spend a lot of time investigating online articles about music and its role, and which examine our musicality. In many cases they may be discussing research, which usually serves to confirm that we are innately musical, but I often find the comments left by…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Jul 29, 2012
• coaching, gordon harvey, music, musician, performance, piano, simply music, the playground

Hello again! This is part two in the Soulful Grace series. If you read my first Soulful Grace article in the previous issue of The Playground and spent some time learning the arrangement I presented there, you’ll have a good solid foundation for implementing the changes…

• Written by SM Admin on Jul 29, 2012
• amazing grace, arrangement, chord, jennifer lee, music, piano, playing, simply music, soulful grace, the playground, tutorial

Who likes to perform in front of others? I don’t see many hands up. It seems like there’s a rare breed of person who just loves an audience, and the rest of us recoil in terror at the prospect. You’ve probably experienced the feeling –…

• Written by Gordon Harvey on May 30, 2012
• chopin, coaching, gordon harvey, learning, lessons, music, performance, piano, playing, simply music, the playground