Barabara English Maris: Making Music at the Piano

Making Music at the Piano: Learning Strategies for Adult Students (Paperback)

Explore Making Music at the Piano: Learning Strategies for Adult Students (Paperback) by Barabara English Maris at Amazon.com.

Book Cover photo will follow soon.

Book Description

Beginners can make music at the piano and play musically even during the earliest phases of piano study, and this books shows how. Written for beginning adult students of any age, the book enables students to play gratifying music right away while continuing to develop their skills steadily, whether they are studying on their own or with an instructor. Throughout, the book features numerous Concepts to Consider (focusing on conceptual learning) and Activities to Explore (which build on the Concepts and emphasize ways to strengthen the kinesthetic aspects of learning). The author discusses nearly every aspect encountered by the beginner, from appropriate goals and good playing habits to the basics of how people learn and how the piano works. She provides a hands-on explanation of the characteristics of music playing and suggests specific strategies for using practice time effectively and for developing rhythmic security and technical control of sound. For students who to play as well as practice, this book is the ideal guide.

My Review at Amazon.com

Have you ever started something completely new? Maybe you wanted to build your new house; or you wanted to play the piano? In either case — and because it is new to you — you need to gather a lot of relevant information, understand the facts (conceptual learning) and utilise a physical skill (kinaesthetic learning) to arrive at your set destination, your goals. "Making Music at the Piano" provides you with most of the relevant information you will need to learn about making music as well as developing learning strategies suitable for the adult learner.

The blurb on the back cover of Barbara English Maris' book is true to its words. Adults require a different learning strategy; adults like you have questions that you either think are too early to discuss with your teacher or you don't dare asking. When I started learning the piano I was wondering why I had my tune down pad at home, and at the studio it fell to pieces. You will find the answer in this book. Is the gym philosophy "No Pain, no Gain" applicable to piano training? Absolutely not, as you will learn in this book. In particular when you begin learning the piano — at least for me — I had almost an endless number of questions, such as set-up of the environment, what is loud, what is soft, what to practice, in which order; Which exercises to do, etc. When I started with piano lessons, I did a lot of research; in particular regarding body posture, finger, hand, wrist, and arm movements. Good research produces a lot of good information, but is also overwhelming for starting a new activity or project and can even be an inhibitor to start in an organised fashion. This book will bring a structured approach to your "Making Music at the Piano". I don't know where to start with the highlights in order to promote this book, because there are simply too many.

Barbara English Maris must have seen it all in her teaching career and as a result has produced a very informative piece of work with a holistic approach — beyond the mere piano playing — to Making Music at the Piano. Amongst the many sources I have quizzed, this is the book I can strongly recommend to any adult beginning or returning to the piano.

About the Author

Barbara English Maris directs the graduate degree programs in Piano Pedagogy at the Catholic University of America (Washington, DC) where she is a Professor of Music. She has worked with students from six continents and taught piano to students of all ages and stages.

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