The Playground

What an amazing year 2012 has been. So much has happened in the world of Simply Music. As the year comes to a close, I am reflecting on how much I appreciate not merely what has been accomplished but more so, the devotion, dedication and…

• Written by Neil Moore on Dec 4, 2012
• jy gronner, Laurie Richards, music rhapsody, neil moore, play a story, sheri reingold, simply music

  “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

When I first met with Grant Powell, the fact that he had been playing for a long time was quite apparent. He was definitely not the typical, potential student who comes to me looking to begin piano lessons. He most definitely was not a beginner.…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Dec 4, 2012
• dj grant powell, grant powell, jan davis, nightstorm, simply music, simply music piano

  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

Fourteen year-old Brie Hancock from Perth, Western Australia, has been a Simply Music student for four years and has been composing her own pieces from the very beginning. Brie is a great student who keeps all of her Simply Music songs alive and also endeavours…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Jul 29, 2012
• piano lessons, 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