Musical Mind Piano
A comprehensive method for learning to play piano when you’re a kid.
Children learn naturally from the moment they begin to become aware of their world through discovery and play. You witnessed this all the time as your child learned to crawl and walk and speak. They learn much more in the first few years of their lives, but walking and speaking are the big milestones for them. You helped them in this, but likely not through instruction so much as through modeling and interaction.
You and others are walking and talking all around them, so they become curious. And then they try to do what they see—trying to stand up, trying to make sounds, and so on. They do this again and again and again—which is practicing in the form of play. And you likely got involved, which for the child was both discovery and play. This process is not only about them learning skills, but also about them developing a relationship of trust and good feelings.
Why do some piano students struggle with learn the piano and eventually give up?
Playing the piano is a very complex activity!
Physically, it is akin to dancing ballet—if, that is, you had 2 independent bodies, each with 5 legs!
Mentally, it’s not really like anything else. It uses all the senses except that of smell and requires directing those 2 bodies & 10 legs in a single flow of movement with precise timing while also listening intently and feeling the music one is playing. Yet when teachers try to make learning fun in the beginning, kids often don’t establish a sound foundation. They often make very slow progress and have to take time to unlearn and relearn things. And that is no fun at all!
Musical Mind Piano seeks to enlist children’s natural way of learning and engage their natural abilities to develop familiarity and skill in coordinating rhythm, sound and movement at a pace that feels natural to them.
What is a sound foundation?
A sound foundation in learning to play the piano is built on 5 basic pillars:
Technique — using the body effectively and healthily.
Reading — translating what is on the page to what one does with the fingers on the keyboard.
Rhythm — coordinating the body according to the beat of the music.
Sound — making the piano make the right type of sound.
Listening — hearing the sounds & rhythms one is making.
Learning is most effective when all 5 pillars are being established simultaneously from the beginning.
Musical Mind Piano is designed to mimic a child’s natural process of learning for rhythm, reading and movement such that kids have fun laying a good foundation and are not required to remember to do multiple unfamiliar things at the same time, for that is a big challenge for anyone at any age!
What is a child’s natural way of learning?
Children learn naturally from the moment they begin to become aware of their world through discovery and play. You witnessed this all the time as your child learned to crawl and walk and speak. They learn much more in the first few years of their lives, but walking and speaking are the biggest milestones they reach. Likely, though, they didn’t learn these entirely on their own. You and perhaps others, as well, helped them. But most parents don’t instruct their children or try to motivate them in their learning process. Rather, you and others are walking and talking all around them, so they become curious. And then they try to do what they see—trying to stand up, trying to make sounds, and so on. They do this again and again and again—which is practicing. And you likely got involved, which for the child was both discovery and play. This process is not only about them learning skills, but also about them developing a relationship of trust and good feelings.
Virtually all of the great musicians and composers grew up in a musical environment. Mozart’s father was a court musician and Mozart often hung out in the room where his father was practicing or composing or rehearsing an orchestra. The young genius Jacob Collier’s mother was a violinist, conductor and music professor and he has said, “We sing Bach chorales together as a family—it’s just so much fun!” Playing around a rehearsing orchestra or a singing family enabled them to use their natural way of learning. Their foundation was laid in the same way as their foundation for walking and speaking.
How does Musical Mind Piano work differently than other methods?
What needs to be learned is broken down into much smaller steps than with other methods.
Each step is presented clearly and in a fun way, and the student has ample opportunities to use what has been learned.
Each step is also built upon in a coordinated way.
Finally, each piece and exercise was created with thought and creativity to be engaging and fun, as well as, serve its pedagogical purpose.
All of the above happens naturally when children are learning to walk and speak. In pursuing what interests them, they challenge themselves, but since they’re having fun, they don’t try to do things they find too hard. They try a greater challenge when, from their perspective, it looks doable and fun. And all of this is a combination of unconscious muscle development and movement learning and conscious understanding.
Musical Mind Piano is designed to mimic a child’s natural process of learning for rhythm, reading and movement such that kids have fun laying a good foundation and are not required to remember to do multiple things at the same time, for that is a big challenge for anyone at any age!