The Playground

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

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

  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…

• Written by Guest Contributor on May 30, 2012
• amazing grace, arrangements, chords, groove, jennifer lee, learning, lessons, music, new, piano, recording, sheet music, simply music, the playground, tutorials, variation

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…

• Written by Guest Contributor on Apr 8, 2012
• coaching, learning, lessons, mark meritt, music, piano, play, simply music, speed, the playground, time, walk