Reflections on My First Year of Teaching Musikgarten

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This has been an interesting and rewarding year of teaching for me.  I’ve been teaching music to children for 16 years and have loved every minute of it!  This is my first year of teaching the Musikgarten program and I am seeing some positive changes with my students that I would like to share. 

At the Family Music for Toddlers (15 months to 3 1/2 years) and Cycle of Seasons (3 to 5 years) levels, I am enjoying the children joining in with the rhythm and vocal patterns.  This is the first step toward music literacy, so it’s very exciting to hear how they learn to repeat the patterns given to them.  They love to echo their teacher's vocal and rhythmic patters, but I know it’s so much more than that!  Their developing brains are holding on to this information as a stepping stone for the next level of what those patterns will mean in music.  The children in the Music Makers program are continuing to explore the rhythm and vocal patterns in games, songs, and echoing during class time.  I’ve gotten feedback from a number of parents saying that their child is able to recognize the sol-mi-do solfege pattern in music they hear outside of the classroom (very exciting!)!  Moreover, I’m seeing more controlled movement in the children when dancing and playing the Orff instruments.  It is important that your child has experience in controlling their large motor skills.  This will allow them to be successful in controlling the fine motor skills that are so crucial in learning to play an instrument.  Also, I’ve noticed that the children are having an easier time playing a repeated steady beat when we are doing a class ensemble.  This is a direct reflection of the movement activities done in class.  Perhaps the most important benefit I have noticed in my Musikgarten classes is the excitement and interest the children have in playing in musical ensembles.  They especially love to play the metalophones and xylophones!  This hands-on learning helps them to understand and feel music at a much deeper level. 

Your child’s Musikgarten education is money well spent.  It is a gift that will have long-term benefits and enjoyment!

Ann Engberg, Musikgarten Teacher at Hunterdon Academy of the Arts

The Joy of Being a Piano Accompanist

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Remember the game of jump-rope? As a youngster, it was one of my favorites! There were so many fun ways to play, but I especially enjoyed the "team" aspect of the game. Two people would hold the "reins" on either side and slowly begin a circular motion, hopefully together. That would "set the tempo" for the line of eager participants, just waiting to jump-in! Once a good "rhythmic flow/pace was established, you could enter that ongoing motion by jumping, hopping, twisting and turning! As long as that "ever steady rhythmic foundation" was provided beneath your feet (and you kept in sync!) a great feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction followed! Of course, that would lead you to get back in line quickly, to try it again...with even more "gusto!"

The Value of Experiencing Live Music Performances

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The recent death of Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, has made clear just how much we rely on technology in virtually every aspect of our lives.  This reliance is especially clear in regards to our musical experience; whether checking out a taping of a concert or music video on YouTube or downloading a favorite song on iTunes, we constantly use electronic media as a means of learning and experiencing music.

Influential Guitarists (Thomas Amoriello)

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Influential individuals and/or teams in the areas of sports, politics and the arts have pushedmen, women and children to achieve what some believe to be unobtainable goals.   Michael Jordan, Mickey Mantle and David Beckham have filled the dreams of thousands of youngsters wanting to attain a higher plateau in their chosen sports just as our founding fathers and political activists have done for those wanting positions that serve our citizens better.  In many ways, musical performers have done the same to inspire the daydreams of the readers of this article. 

Many NJMEA members have completed some type of music education program or are currently enrolled in one and part of the curriculum requires a music history course or two for graduation.   These classes generally focus on the study of the “significant composers” of western music sometimes ignoring jazz as well as non-western styles.  In the applied music studio, students focus on the required repertoire that is chosen/pre-determined by the instructor with some creative input from the student and it can be understood that equal credence is given to the study of the key interpreters (performers) of their chosen works.  How many fewer musicians would have graced the important concert halls if there were no James Gallway, Yo Yo Ma, Denyce Graves, Buddy Rich, John Coltrane, Itzhak Perlman, Vladimir Horowitz and a list that could fill this entire issue. 

This particular column will be dedicated to those teachers of guitar classes who had noidea that they would be an instructor in this area as well as to those with limited guitar experience physically or socially.   The names that I will provide will consist of famous and lesser knownbut equally talented performers that your students will be in awe of.  These players have used the guitar as a vehicle of expression to encourage millions of others to follow in their footsteps.  These unique players excel in different areas of performing and will only be divided by style category.  The author has chosen these 100 musicians based on their technique, originality, superior tone, interpretations and cultural impact.  I have respectfully made an effort to include woman musicians in addition to world musicians.  It is recommended that you play an audio or visual sample of each guitarist throughout the year.  It is best to choose instrumental recordings to avoid non-school appropriate lyrics or other forms of innuendo.  The majority of these samples can be located on iTunes or cdbaby.com as ease of availability was taken into consideration.      

Classical Guitar:  Andres Segovia, Julian Bream, Sharon Isbin, Christopher Parkening, David Russell, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Jason Vieaux, Manuel Barrueco, Ana Vidovic, Lily Afshar, Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo, John Williams, Adam Holzman, Michael Chapdelaine, Narciso Yepes, Eliot Fisk, Martha Masters, Pepe Romero, Benjamin Verdery & Kazuhito Yamashita. 

Jazz Guitar: Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino, George Benson, Django Reinhart, Joe Pass, Pat Metheny, Mike Stern, John McLaughlin, Stanley Jordan, Al DiMeola, Herb Ellis, Charlie Christian, Eddie Lang, Tal Farlow & Emily Pember.

Blues Guitar: Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Albert King , Freddy King, B.B. King, Robert Cray, Rory Gallagher, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Moore, Hound Dog Taylor, Big Bill Broonzy, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Robin Trower, Danny Gatton & Roy Buchanan.

Rock Guitar: Chuck Berry, Scotty Moore, Duane Eddy, Jimi Hendrix, Edward Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen, Tom Morello, Jimmy Page, Orianthi, Brian Setzer, Eric Johnson, Mark Knopfler, Rusty Cooley, Steve Vai,  Jeff Beck, Vinnie Moore, John 5, Ritchie Blackmore, Tony Iommi, Prince, Marty Friedman, Vernon Reid, Alex Lifeson, Ace Frehley , Neal Schon, Michael Angelo Batio, Robert Fripp & The Edge.

Country Guitar : Don Rich, Brad Paisley, Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, Willie Nelson, Roy Clark, Pete Anderson, Johnny Hiland, Merle Travis & Vince Gill.

Other: Kaki King, Francis Bebey, Paco De Lucia, Ottmar Liebert, Michael Hedges, Dominic Frasca, Frantz Casseus, Les Paul & Andy Summers.

Although this list could be infinite as new talent is recognized each year, this will be a good starting point to get your students even more excited about exploring the guitar.

Thomas Amoriello, the author of this article, teaches guitar at Hunterdon Academy of the Arts in Flemington, NJ.   (A slightly revised version of this article is published in the January issue of Tempo.  We thank the Tempo editors for giving us permission to publish this piece here.)

Communicating Through Music (Amanda Prakopcyk)

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Excitement commenced as I clicked on a link to a concert page.  A Philip Glass premiere, a composer who is one of my favorites.  But as I further delved into the details of the concert I realized that this was going to be a concert unlike any other.  I had no idea what a unique and exhilarating experience it would turn out to be.

The concert was entitled “Portals: A Multi-Media Exploration of Longing in the Digital Age”, and combined music, film, dance, and poetry.  The program opened with the words of Leonard Cohen, but on a screen, as though signing onto a video call.  The video placed the audience in an intimate setting with the actor, who appeared to be in the privacy of his home.  As the concert unfolded, the violinist, Tim Fain, walked on stage.  Behind him the film crackled to life presenting Nicholas Britell, the pianist for the concert.  And this was how all of the pieces of the evening would be performed; a collaboration of a live soloist with filmed accompaniment. While at times the film presented the audience with the daily grind of preparing for a performance or showing the performers relaxing in their homes, it also paired music with visual movement. 

It was fascinating to realize how much emotion was emerging out of the screen.  Although the film was seemingly in a different world, it connected the audience to the performers on a personal level. The Partita for Solo Violin by Philip Glass combined beautiful poetry and dance with the sounds of a live violin.  The movements of the dancers mimicked the emotions that Fain created through Glass’ music. 

As I looked back onto the concert I found it remarkable that we usually view music and film in the opposite way.  When viewing a film, the scenes and the actions that are in front of us take precedence and although we are aware there is music playing, it is not at the forefront of our minds.  But if we take a minute to listen, we would realize the emotions that we are feeling wouldn’t be the same without the music that is playing in the background.

Amanda Prakopcy teaches piano at Hunterdon Academy of the Arts.

Two New Piano Teacher Appointments!

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We're delighted to welcome two new piano teachers to the faculty of Hunterdon Academy of the Arts: Charisse Baldoria and Walter Aparicio.  Both join us with stellar professional credentials that include teaching at the college level. 

Charisse Boldoria graduated with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan.  Dr. Baldoria has won prizes and awards at numerous piano competitions, including Fourth Prize in the San Antonio International Piano Competition (2003); First Prize in the Society for Musical Arts Young Artist Competition in Ann Arbor, and First Prize in the University of Michigan Concerto Competition (2002).  She has performed in the United States, the Philippines, and Prague.  Before joining Hunterdon Academy of the Arts, she taught at Kutztown University, where she served as Assistant Professor from 2003 through 2011; the University of the Phillipines (2006-2008); Ateneo de Manila University, Phillipines (2006-2007); and the University of Michigan (2000-2003).

Walter Aparicio graduated from Manhattan School of Music with a Master of Music degree.  In addition to teaching piano at HAA, he also holds a teaching appointment at New York University.  Professor Aparicio made his New York Recital Debut at Weill Hall as part of Artists International Special Presentation Winners Series and received First Prize in the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition, Duo Division in 2007.  He was also First Place Winner in the Empire State Piano Competition- Collegiate Division in 2003.  Professor Aparicio has been featured on Vermont Public Radio and on Channel 21-Gigavision in Bolivia.  Moreover, he has been affiliated with the World Piano Pedagogy Conference and regularly adjudicates for NYSSMA [New York State School Music Association]. 

We are thrilled to have Charisse Baldoria and Walter Aparicio join HAA.  They will be a great asset to our distinguished faculty, offering an outstanding educational value to you and your children in the program.

My Life as an Accom...pianist

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When I started taking piano lessons at the age of seven, I had no idea that I’d still be playing 21 years later, much less that I’d be on the other side of that equation too, as a teacher myself. When I went through a rough musical patch in middle school, I had no idea that I’d be infinitely thankful for my mom keeping me in lessons and encouraging me to continue to practice. And when I started to play pieces involving piano and other instruments or voices around that same time, I had no idea that would someday be the focus of the master’s degree I earned.

A collaborative pianist, for those of you unaware, is what I like to call the “politically correct accompanist.” I say that not to poke fun, but to acknowledge that both “accompanist” and “collaborative pianist” (I frankly prefer just “pianist”) are professional names to which I’ll answer. I even once had a pay stub that read “accompianist,” which was a strangely insightful neologistic typo. It’s the musical world’s way of attempting to alter perception through language: “accompanist” connotes subservience; “collaborator” connotes equality. “Accompanist” implies that the one behind the huge behemoth of an instrument is the follower and the one out front is the leader, the one who really matters. “Collaborative pianist” attempts to put the two (or more) on equal footing. And frankly, there are situations when I feel very strongly that I’m an accompanist and others where I’m collaborating in the truest musical sense of the word.

This all really began when I was in high school. One of my good friends was a tuba player, and she and I both were leaning towards pursuing music majors in college (which we both ultimately did). Consequently, she had to put together an audition recording, and one of the pieces had a piano part. I’d played a piece or two with her before for competitions, but a recording? That’s a big deal! High pressure! So, we put the Haddad Suite for Tuba together, spent a patient afternoon with a minidisc recorder and her tuba teacher, and had a really great time doing so. We learned to figure out how to listen to one another for cues, how to wordlessly negotiate a ritardando or accelerando, how to gauge one’s volume based on the other’s volume and the room. The list goes on. I discovered that, hey, this is fun! I get to do something I already enjoy AND be around other people? What luck!

My undergraduate career was primarily focused on solo repertoire, but as early as my freshman year, I began playing for others – singers, instrumentalists, choirs. Through the guidance of some very dear and caring professors, I gained more and more experience as a collaborator. I started to discover the beauty of art song – music written JUST for piano and voice, with texts to explore (a huge plus for one who was torn between studying English and Music) and singers with whom to share opinions and discuss ideas. And other languages to study and pronounce and translate, to boot (also a huge plus for one who has a Spanish minor and has a yen for learning all things linguistic)! As you can imagine, one thing led to another, and I ended up deciding to pursue this whole collaborative thing after leaving undergrad.

And I don’t regret that decision one bit. Collaborating with others has taught me a great deal as a musician and as a human being, too. The intuition required to know when to move a piece along so the singer doesn’t run out of breath is not dissimilar to the intuition required for perceiving when a class is starting to wander in their attention and it’s time to move things along as the teacher. Collaborating helps you learn how to phrase difficult things diplomatically in communication. It forces a natural introvert (like me) to buck up and meet new people on a very regular basis. And later, it pushes the introversion even further into the background as the performance rolls around and there’s either an audience or a panel of adjudicators in the room with you. In one of my graduate classes, we had to give a presentation on a non-musical collaboration, and it was fascinating to explore the multitude of ways in which seemingly unrelated fields – architecture and biology, to name a couple – share a skill set and common experiences with those of the musical collaborator.

I once read an article about a prestigious piano competition, and the quote that’s always stuck with me was from one of the competitors who lamented the fact that, as a solo pianist, one must spend many hours alone with just a piano. As rewarding as it may feel at the end of a successful solo practice session, how much more rewarding would it be to then share that sense with someone else? Whether that someone is a singer, a trio, a choir, or even another pianist, there’s really something to be said for the exponential equation of several musicians added together to produce a far greater whole than the parts alone. 

At the Age of 30, HAA Looks to the Future

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To rise to the next level, Hunterdon Academy of the Arts has recently entered a very exciting association with Youniversity of Music and Arts in Bethlehem, PA, which is managed by the same ownership.  This institutional partnership will benefit students and faculty in both locations, who now have access to increased study, teaching, and performing opportunities.  Located in the burgeoning new Arts District on Bethlehem's South Side, Youniversity of Music and Arts ("The YOU") is only a three-minute walk from the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, a brand-new performing arts complex presenting musicians and artists from around the world in concerts and other cultural events.  

5 Things Every Music Ensemble Member Should Keep in Mind

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These are the 5 things every ensemble performer is responsible for during a rehearsal:

    1. Punctuality (be on time)
    2. A pencil
    3. A working instrument
    4. A good attitude
    5. Knowledge of the instrument

It is the  responsibility of every performer in an ensemble to know his/her instrument.   What are the tendencies of the pitch in each register?  Which register projects more?  Which less?  Which register more clearly articulates?   These are the  questions every member of a performance ensemble should know the answer to.   As a clarinetist, I know what my instrument can do.  I know the upper register of the clarinet is very brilliant, almost brass like.  I know the low register is very full and strong.  Most importantly, I’m aware the middle register of the clarinet is its weakest register.  This is one of the very unique qualities of the clarinet.  Most instruments’ weakest registers are the low registers.   The middle register just doesn’t project  or articulate very well on the clarinet, and tends to be slightly sharp as well.  When I encounter a staccato passage in a  band piece, and it’s located in the middle register, an alarm goes off.   I know I have to do a little more to get the articulation out of the instrument.   If  I  encounter  a passage  marked forte, and it’s in the upper altissimo register of the clarinet, I know I don’t need to give much at all to produce a forte.   

Ironically, even though the middle register (known as the throat tones) of the clarinet is the weakest register, it has the potential to be the most beautiful  register.  My old clarinet teacher was of this opinion, and I’ve grown to agree with him.  When I was a student, like most other young clarinetists, I didn’t  particularly enjoy the sound of the middle register.  It was very stuffy and didn’t project or articulate as well as the high register.  Now that I’m older, I very much enjoy playing solos within the range of the throat tones.  In my opinion, the throat tones are the pitches of the clarinet which most closely resemble the sound of the human voice.  I think Mozart and Brahms were two composers who were particularly aware of this.  

When  players in an orchestra or band are aware of these details it makes conductors much happier.  If a conductor doesn’t have to stop as much to rehearse sections because his musicians have done their homework, rehearsals become much more efficient.  This is what separates good ensembles from excellent ensembles.  This is also why private lessons are so crucial.  It’s impossible for a band director to know every detail about every instrument.  A private teacher can easily cover these details with a student.  I encourage all band and orchestral, and even choral directors to constantly remind their players of the importance of private instruction. 

Joe Pinto, Clarinet Instructor at Hunterdon Academy of the Arts

Understanding Musikgarten's Cycle of Seasons

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As an early childhood music teacher, I am often asked to recommend the most suitable music class for 3 and 4-year-olds. Answering that question doesn't take me very long at all: the most enojyable and educationally sound class for this particular age group is Musikgarten's The Cycle of Seasons. The following paragraphs, adapted from Musikgarten's official publications, describe in some detail the contents and purposes of this wonderful curriculum.

At first glance, The Cycle of Seasons looks a lot like music classes for toddlers. There are parents and children sitting around in a circle singing a hello song, doing a finger play, or perhaps echoing patterns.  But in just a few minutes, both the look and feel of the class begins to change, and the resemblance to earlier classes is much less apparent.  Depending on the personality of the class, your child may leave you and move closer to me to hear the story, for the listening lesson, or the movement activities.  S/he may engage in all of these actions on his/her own, or s/he may pull you in for one or more of them.  We encourage you to let your child set the parameters regarding your participation at this point; come willingly if s/he invites you, and bask in her/his independence if s/he does it on her/his own.  And don’t be surprised or resistant if s/he changes her/his mind mid-way through the activity!

The Cycle of Seasons is designed to accommodate the “emerging independence of the three-year-old child”, and while you may not be familiar with this term, we’re sure you are familiar with this sometimes delightful and other times maddening trait you’ve probably noticed in your child.  This is the characteristic that throws your formerly docile child into a tantrum when you try to help him/her zip up his/her jacket as you are rushing out the door to a doctor’s appointment.  This is what is at work as your child persists in dressing him/herself, right down to putting the shoes on the wrong feet, the whole time insisting that everything is perfect.  This is also the governing force when your child wants to be picked up and carried through the final circle dance in class!  Your child is caught in a struggle between wanting to be independent and wanting to experience the warmth and security of your love and nurturing that was so much a part of “toddler-hood”.  The “I want to do it myself” mantra that is so often frustrating to adults, is a driving force that compels children to gain necessary skills, but your child will only be comfortable progressing to the new stage of development if s/he is reassured that this progression does not mean losing everything about his/her former familiar life.

So go ahead and let your child set the agenda (within reason!) for the role you play in this class.  If you are watching your child participate without you, you can take credit for raising a self-assured three-year-old.  And when s/he returns to you, welcome her/him with open arms and enjoy the moment!  If, on the other hand, your child constantly wants you as a partner, relish the time together; before you know it, you will hear the familiar cry of the three year old: “I want to do it myself”!

Ann Engberg, Musikgarten Teacher at Hunterdon Academy of the Arts