Hello, everyone! My name is Lauren. I'm an Ohio-certified music teacher, and I'm hoping to better serve the home school community. I love homeschooling and actually spent two years touring all over the country designing and implementing a custom curriculum for three children while also performing as a musician. Currently, I teach lessons for piano, voice, and violin. I want to better understand homeschoolers' needs, desires, and challenges with music lessons. I also want to understand some different methods of teaching/learning and why some students come-and-go. If you have a moment, can you share your opinions and experiences for any of these questions? Please think about these in regards to your homeschooling family. 1) What role does music play in your homeschooling? 2) If you're not studying, what's keeping you from learning to play? (Expense? Time? Something else?) 3) Why do you want to play? What are your hopes, dreams, and goals with the piano? 4) What kind of music do you like/want to play? 5) What methods have you tried/explored to learn piano? (Private lessons? Group lessons? Self-teaching?) What were the pros and cons in your experience? 6) Have you tried online resources or lessons? What did you like/dislike? What was missing or could be improved? 7) What do you struggle with the most musically? (Technique, rhythm, literacy, something else?) 8) How do you organize your practice time? What types of things do you practice? Do you have favorite resources or tools that you use in your practice? Thank you so much for any insight! Please let me know if you have questions for me and if I can share in return.
I used to be a certified music teacher, but I let my certifications expire. Since I homeschool, I don't need them, and since I live in TX, I'm able to teach privately and in private schools without a certification. That said... I teach my own kids. If I were clueless about music, I'll be honest, it would be on the back burner, because of time and expense. I don't allow my kids to get involved in more than two activities, because I don't want them getting over-scheduled, taking time away from school and God, and besides that, too many activities would be expensive. I want them involved in things that I think they'll be able to use on a continuing basis when they grow up. I'm teaching my older child piano, and after his voice changes, I'll teach him voice. I want him to be able to lead the singing worship at church. I'm not teaching the younger one anything right the moment, because he's mostly interested in "playing" with his guitar (not real music), and because he has progressive hearing loss, I want him to enjoy whatever music he wants for as long as he can. If the progression slows down, he'll also learn piano. I think piano is the foundation for all other instrument/voice training, so it's the most important in my mind. I'll gladly teach them other instruments if they want to join a community band in the future as well. Sorry - that probably wasn't very helpful to you, was it?
I'll give your questions a try: 1) What role does music play in your homeschooling? We listened to music A LOT! All types. Made musical instruments out of found objects. Went to concerts, music festivals, live arts events...etc We very much enjoy African hand drums. Djembe, etc. 2) If you're not studying, what's keeping you from learning to play? (Expense? Time? Something else?) Too many other interests, primarily. Also, a lack of natural talent. We do have people in the family who are musically gifted...and compared to them...we're really...not. LOL. Not that we don't enjoy collecting music and messing around with insturments....just no major aspirations. The family already has that covered. We wanted to do something else. 3) Why do you want to play? What are your hopes, dreams, and goals with the piano? My hopes, dreams and goals with the piano? LOL. Wow! Well, actually I do HAVE a piano. I found it for free on Craig's list. It was built in Chicago in the late 1800's (we think!), and the guys we got it from loaded it into our trailer, GAVE us expensive industrial tie downs...and ran us out before we could even agree to taking it! They were massively motivated to get rid of it, and we really don't know why. We think it might be haunted, as it possibly predates the turn of the century. My biggest goal with that particular piano, is to learn more about it and find someone to tune it! I never intended to play it, I just thought it was a gorgeous antique and my extended family would enjoy playing it. Sometimes I play Eric Satie's Gymnopedies on it...and it's lack of tune makes it sound sadder and even more haunted. 4) What kind of music do you like/want to play? I have an acoustic guitar. I play bad hippy music on my porch in the rain, and enjoy myself very much even though I really really stink. (and yes, I know the humidity isn't good for it!) 5) What methods have you tried/explored to learn piano? (Private lessons? Group lessons? Self-teaching?) What were the pros and cons in your experience? I have not done any of the above. I am slightly afraid of my haunted piano. LOL. 6) Have you tried online resources or lessons? What did you like/dislike? What was missing or could be improved? I have for my guitar. 7) What do you struggle with the most musically? (Technique, rhythm, literacy, something else?) Enough interest to master it. Too many other interests compete. 8) How do you organize your practice time? What types of things do you practice? Do you have favorite resources or tools that you use in your practice? I pretty much just play whatever. Go on youtube and look up some techniques, find easy chords to songs I like. I sing a lot when I play guitar. I don't have a great voice, but I enjoy singing very much...so I sing quite a lot. I can carry a tune and have a fair range, but my voice quality is a little blah. Community theater musicals? Yep, I would get a singing role. Anything beyond that? Nope.
Welcome!!! I'm also in (central) Ohio. I am a firm believer that the best source of learning music (theory, etc.) is with a piano. All three of my children can play. Numbers one and three do very well; number two eventually stopped. She's like her mother...can read music and pound out a tune, but that's about it. My oldest is in college. She was thinking about a music minor for a while, but gave that up. She has worked with worship teams and really enjoys playing. She has also picked up guitar (especially since her sweetie is a very accomplished guitar player and drummer!) My youngest is 14. He's excited to be part of the worship band at camp this summer!!! He has written a few songs, and also takes guitar at the homeschool co-op. And recently he's picked up the Octerina, lol! Music, outside of Piano lessons, for us also incorporated listening to classical music. We liked one series, can't remember what it is right now. Our homeschool co-op has an EXCELLENT music teacher!!! She does choir (which my middle one took this year), guitar, some kind of group for younger kids (theyw ere AWESOME this year!!! Her response, "I can't wait until they're my choir in a few years!!!") an orchestra (which played at the Capital last fall during the Homeschool Day there). There are also many different homeschool bands. I'd like to continue, but my husband is ready to go RIGHT NOW. Good luck to you!
1) What role does music play in your homeschooling? My daughter LOVES music. For her, music is a part of life, although she does get school credit for it. 2) If you're not studying, what's keeping you from learning to play? (Expense? Time? Something else?) She plays the piano beautifully and is still learning. She teaches lessons, and she is working on the violin. With work on and off, we can't always afford to pay for her violin lessons, so she pays for them herself or her piano teacher helps her. My daughter is about to start playing the flute. Her piano teacher is going to lend Em the flute for free. If Em likes it, then she will start taking flute lessons, which my daughter will pay for herself. My daughters teacher is amazing. She doesn't always work with all her students the way she does with my daughter. The teacher said that she sees something in Em that she has only seen in one other student. 3) Why do you want to play? What are your hopes, dreams, and goals with the piano? My daughter doesn't have set goals for music. She takes it as it comes. She plays with the worship team at church, volunteers at senior homes, plays for a group of seniors on selected Thursday mornings, teaches, and sings in a choir. Her piano teacher has taken Emma as far as she can take her. We are looking at a concert pianist that her teacher is recommending, but right now money is a big problem because of work issues. So for now, we are remaining with her current teacher. 5) What methods have you tried/explored to learn piano? (Private lessons? Group lessons? Self-teaching?) What were the pros and cons in your experience? In the early days, I taught my daughter what I knew, which wasn't much. Once she passed me up, I had to get her an instructor. It was a win-win situation. It allowed me to see just how much my daughter loves music and it allowed me to save money by teaching her what I knew. For a homeschooler, many times money is an issue. 7) What do you struggle with the most musically? (Technique, rhythm, literacy, something else?) Honestly, when it comes to music, my daughter doesn't struggle with a lot. This isn't to say that she doesn't have to practice, but she just gets it. It took a few years for the teacher to finally be able to find something to challenge my daughter. 8) How do you organize your practice time? What types of things do you practice? Do you have favorite resources or tools that you use in your practice? Emma practices the pieces her teacher gives her, but she plays because she enjoys it. Sometimes she will print something up from the computer and practice that piece because she gets bored with what she has. When she first started lessons, she had to practice five minutes a day, then half hour, but once everything made sense, my daughter started playing/practicing because she wanted to. She plays different pieces, some old and some new. Most days she spends a good hour playing just because she wants to, or because she is practicing the music for Sunday morning service. So we no longer schedule a time for practice. Through the past few years, she went through a stage where she "knew it all" and she slowed down on practicing. Well, life gave her a reality check and she realized that just because music comes easy for her, she still needs to practice.
Jackie: beware of drummers...they're madmen! LOL. No wonder Rachael likes him so much Totally cool your son is into the Ocarina! I bought one at a Renaissance Faire and really enjoyed it years ago. Emma's mom: The money issues will eventually resolve, hang in there. You're making the best choice investing in Emma. Good luck to her with the flute!
Crazy, Phillip's best friend had one, and Phillip wanted one. As you say, Ren Faires are about the only place to get them. Well, my dss and his wife work at the Ren Faire here in Ohio; I asked her to pick up one for me to give Phillip for his birthday. Three days after the last date of the faire, Phillip realized he could have got one through them. DARN!!! IT'S TOO LATE NOW!!! And I just sat back and grinned...! He's been working on "Concerning Hobbits", and "The Parting Glass".
1) What role does music play in your homeschooling? DD is currently taking music lessons. We have also participated in a chorus class in the past. 2) If you're not studying, what's keeping you from learning to play? (Expense? Time? Something else?) Cost always plays a role. 3) Why do you want to play? What are your hopes, dreams, and goals with the piano? At some point I want dd to learn the basics of piano. She is currently taking trombone lessons and that seems to be her gift, although she also has an excellent voice that I would love for her to develop. 4) What kind of music do you like/want to play? Not sure where she will want to take her music. This is only her 2nd year of lessons 5) What methods have you tried/explored to learn piano? (Private lessons? Group lessons? Self-teaching?) What were the pros and cons in your experience? We just got a piano and have not really done anything yet. We are looking at a video program since she seems to just get some of the musical stuff with little instruction. 6) Have you tried online resources or lessons? What did you like/dislike? What was missing or could be improved? 7) What do you struggle with the most musically? (Technique, rhythm, literacy, something else?) I do not have a music background so it is difficult for me to help her or understand. 8) How do you organize your practice time? What types of things do you practice? Do you have favorite resources or tools that you use in your practice? She just needs to do 1/2 hr a day. She spends time doing the songs she is supposed to and then what ever she wants to play. Sometimes she just makes up her own pieces. She keeps saying she needs to learn and practice how to write them down so she can repeat it. I wish there were more opportunities for local groups and chorus programs at a reasonable price. There are some big time chorus programs in the area but they are also a huge time commitment and the cost is prohibitive doing the trombone lessons
Jackie...there is a wonderful person who makes Ocarinas on Etsy...and you can buy one there any time of the year. Etsy is like Ebay....except that almost all items are handmade or artsy ...it's amazing. I but a lot of gifts on Etsy www.etsy.com
i took piano lessons three different times when I was a kid, and as an adult I tried to work on it on my own, but I had to come to the realization that my talents lie in other areas than piano. I taught myself guitar in 7th grade, but quit as an adult when I got too pregnant to hold it on my lap. Haven't had time to pick it back up. In third grade, the band director gave "a talent test" to know who to offer music lessons to. It was on audio tape that the teacher played for the whole class, and we were to mark our papers "same or different" when the rhythms/notes/phrases were played. So I started with the group taking song flute lessons -- we called them Tonettes, which were similar to recorders but no double holes, just 8. From there I "graduated" to Band, marching and concert, playing the cornet, where I stayed until I graduated from high school. I also grew up singing. I was in elementary choir where I sang alto, but somehow I didn't make the transition to high school choir - maybe because it required wearing heels and stockings, which I was philosophically opposed to at the time. But I sang with the church choir until I left home for college. That's about it.
