The Playground
The Simply Music blog
A New Groove for Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace is a beautiful song. And, as is apparent from Neil’s introduction of it in both the foundation materials (Levels 1 and 2) as well as in the variations, it’s also a wonderful tool for learning! In the next several issues of the…
Walk Before You Run
How many things can you think of that have nasty side effects? Medicines. Technologies. Political policies. Even just things we’ve said or done to people we know. How many times have you been thrust into a role or responsibility you weren’t ready for? How many…
Learn Four Chord Songs
I remember hiring a car on a holiday a few years ago. We could only tune the radio to one station, playing popular music, and as the songs cycled by, I started to realize that maybe a third of them featured the same four chords,…
The Art of Coaching
The term “Coaching” brings many things to mind but perhaps the most common is the image of a professional sports coach—like Vince Lombardi or soccer coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. Professional sports coaches train athletes to perform at their very best. They spend time each day…
The Ups & Downs of Learning to Play the Piano
What do raising children, going to school, holding down a job, and taking piano lessons have in common? They each start with a goal that requires a long term commitment! In Simply Music, we talk about the goal of having music as a life-long…
From Neil Moore
In January of this year my first grandchild was born. His name is Jack and he was named in honor of my father who passed away last year. Baby Jack’s birth was very complicated and he spent the first few weeks of his life…
The Final Success Factor – Importance of the Simply Music Coach
Last month, you saw how the Formula for Success could help you better understand yourself as a student and point the way toward improving your results. The 100 possible points came from ten different success factors. But the success factors actually go to 11, and so…
Dr. Karl Paulnack’s Welcoming Address
Recently a colleague reminded me of a letter that I sent out to all of our teachers in early 2009. The letter is a transcript of a Welcome Address delivered to freshmen at Boston Conservatory. The address was presented by Karl Paulnack, pianist and Director…
Dr. Karl Paulnack’s Welcoming Address
Recently a colleague reminded me of a letter that I sent out to all of our teachers in early 2009. The letter is a transcript of a Welcome Address delivered to freshmen at Boston Conservatory. The address was presented by Dr. Karl Paulnack, pianist and…
Music That Moves You
Recently I went to a wonderful concert featuring trio Ensemble Liaison. They comprise a pianist, a cellist and a clarinettist, and for a classical group, they show an admirable sense of adventure. In the first half they collaborated with Australian jazz legend Tony Gould on…
