This was Kim’s song for the North Peace Piano Winter Recital 2020. She usually prepares a classical piece, but this time, she did a cover mashup of a few “fun songs” that she taught her students this year. When you can make music, you can collab with your friends! In this project, Kim included her sister, Hazel, and her friend, Paul (who also mastered this track)! Kim started out with piano, and everything else followed! Enjoy!
We just had our very first virtual recital just over a week ago! I collected performance videos from our students and I hosted the recital live from my living room. All the viewers were encouraged to type in comments to the students DURING performances (without worrying about distracting the student!) I was apprehensive at first, but after having gone through this, I realize that there are certain perks to having a virtual recital, namely:
Through making the “perfect video,” students end up practicing A LOT for this… Even more than they do for an in-person recital, where they’d practice, hope for the best, and it turns out however it turns out (and there’s little incentive to practice more to perfect it afterwards)... For a virtual recital, they have control over how it goes, and could do it over as many times as they want (which they all took advantage of)
Students / parents invite their relatives from all over the world, who can tune in on the live feed and enjoy it with them!
Remote students (our's as far away as Iqaluit, NU) are able to participate without travelling.
Most students who will not perform in front of a live audience are willing to participate in a virtual recital, which is huge.
They can participate even if they can’t be present during the live stream. After the fact, they can also watch it.
I am able to really use this media and make little videos about our journey, which is an extra entertaining perk
There are several ways to do a virtual recital, and I chose to MC it live with pre-recorded performances. I don’t consider myself very tech savvy, and this option seemed to present the fewest number of variables (eg. Students’ internet connection / tech issues). It was worth all my research into software and pre-recital prep (2 nights of which I stayed up til 4am making sure everything scripting, editing video, and making sure things are ready to go).
Our first virtual recital went basically seamlessly!!!
It’s not the same as performing live; you don't get butterflies in your stomach awaiting your turn, and there's no immediate reward of huge applause from an admiring audience afterwards (and no appie / dessert buffet!). However, video’ing yourself gives the same jitters (“on-the-spot” feeling) as doing a live performance, so it still helps prepare students for multiple situations throughout life where they need to present something; in fact, before quarantine, we used video’ing as training to prepare for live performances. Our parents and students have shared that they enjoyed the process (of making their performance videos as well as watching it on the couch in their PJ’s on Saturday morning!) Some students have shared that they enjoyed virtual better, and some prefer performing live.
Overall, I’m glad that we tried this. A virtual recital fulfills the purpose of showcasing students' hard work over the term and giving students a goal to zealously practice for, as well as preparing them for performance / presentation opportunities in the future. So it’s a new viable option. Born out of quarantine!
You can check it out here!
Reborn out of quarantine, North Peace Piano moved from a solely in-person “regular” location-bound studio limited to the Spruce Grove / Stony Plain, Alberta region to an entirely online studio, without geographical limitations. Make music where you are.
2.5 months into live online lessons (since our Spring Break here in Alberta), we're settled in. 🤗 It’s a way of life now, and we've settled into this new reality, without counting on when things will return back to "normal." Online teaching will always be at least a part of how we do things, even if we make in-person lessons available when it's safe to do so. It's been determined: There is nothing we taught in person that we can't teach online. It just takes a different way of thinking about teaching (not better or worse, just different, sometimes even more innovative).
One thing that took some getting used to that comes almost naturally now: Looking at the camera while speaking to the student, instead of at the student's face on your screen 😅(which to them looks like your gaze is just slightly off, and can be unsettling if it's for the whole lesson).
😀For your entertainment, here's Kim taking advantage of her setup of camera angles while practicing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata 3rd movement! Because why not...? 🤷♀️
With summer around the corner, I want to let you know that lessons are available! But should you take summer lessons? Well… It depends! On how you feel… Read on!
Kim in Quebec playing piano in the summer
You should consider a break from lessons if you think any of the following:
“I’m mentally fatigued. I love my instrument, but I feel like I’m at my limit for cramming things inside my head.”
“I have summer activities and then school year learning activities!”
“I’ve worked hard this school year! I’d like a break!”
“I want to spend the summer playing fun songs in my level, and just play around without thinking about whether I’m progressing.”
If you feel any of the above, then you should take an honest break, feel completely awesome about it, and come back in the fall refreshed and ready to go! If you don’t, then you risk burning out! Yes, we do work you hard throughout the school year!
Summer lessons are for those who feel any of the following:
“I’ve worked so hard to get here, and I don’t want to break my momentum. I want to keep progressing if possible, and see no reason to stop!”
“I just started piano. I’m not feeling particularly mentally fatigued.”
“I want to learn more! And more! And keep learning! =D =D =D”
“I have lot’s of time to practice. I want to take advantage of this!”
“I want to take a guitar exam in August.”
If you’re in between or a bit of both, we can work with that! If you want to take only a 1 month break, that’s cool too! Or a biweekly or a lesson now and then can be beneficial to your progress if you just want to do your own thing, and then want live feedback once in a while on how you’re doing. Summer is super casual!
~Kimberly Wong
Owner
Volo Academy of Music
So you’re set up for online lessons. What do we need to prepare? Either take a pic, scan, or CamScan of the following, and send it to northpeacepianoonline@gmail.com.
1) Last week’s lesson notes.
2) The sheet music for songs that you’re working on (books AND fun songs)
3) Any Technique sheet you’re working from
4) Sight Reading:
Non-RCM students: Day 1 page of your next unit.
RCM students: The last few pages with Rhythm Reading tests, Sight Playing tests, Clapbacks, and Playbacks.
5) Theory: Your completed hw assignment and the next 2 pages.
6) Improvisation (if applicable): Current and the next assignment of your Improv Etude.
See you online! =)
Online lessons could be where we go, but how do they actually work? Let me walk you through it.
Before the lesson:
If you’ve taken lessons before, or are transitioning from in-person lessons, your teacher may ask you to email to northpeacepianoonline@gmail.com the last lesson notes or pages of what you’re working on. This is so that your teacher can see where you left off, and have a baseline to pick up from.
We can do a tech check if you’d like - just to make sure that everything’s working as it needs to and the device is positioned as needed, audio and video are working as expected, etc - and to take any mystique out of doing online lessons. Let us know if you’d like this!
The student and instrument should be in a quiet place and time where they are unlikely to be interrupted during their lesson (in a room away from siblings playing, etc).
Set up your device. If you want to see how, see this blog post.
For those who are in a Conservatory program, they should listen to songs in their book beforehand when it’s time to choose a song, so that they know what they want to work on. This saves lesson time to actually work on it.
Have all your materials ready 5 minutes before the lesson (sheet music, notebook/notes, pencil, pens, device fully charged or plugged in, turned on) so that we can get started right away.
When it’s time for your lesson, your teacher will call you.
During the lesson:
You will go through the lesson. The student / parent will be marking in the books. The teacher will instruct/show you how to do it.
The teacher will write notes and either send you a CamScan of this week’s notes or it will be in a Google Doc. We will have a shared online folder with you to keep everything organized. You’ll be able to access that for practicing.
The student / parent can also feel free to write notes!
If the parent is usually present during in-person lessons, we’d recommend them to be present during online lessons. If they’re not usually present, we’d prefer that they’re at least around the house so that if any techy issue comes up, there’s an adult to mitigate it.
After the lesson:
From time to time, your teacher may ask for a pic/CamScan of the pages the student is working on.
Like in-person lessons, we’d recommend parent involvement and for you to look through the online notes and support the student.
There are new exercises that have been made possible by the creative and now rapidly growing online music learning community that it will be possible to take part in! Online assignments and challenges are fun and engaging for students, especially those who spend a great deal of spare time on technology as is, making it a creative and inspiring experience instead of just consuming technology.
If you’re wondering how exactly to set up, see this blog post.
As always, if you have any other questions at all, feel free to ask!
If you haven’t already,
for live online lessons!
Online lessons are easy to set up, and they can work just as well as in-person lessons (even better, in some ways). In the US, many studios have gone fully online, and have been experiencing favourable results with uninterrupted music education. We have young beginners as young as 4 years old doing fantastic in online lessons, and I personally know a handful of (award-winning) RCM Level 7, 8, and 9 students who’ve opted for and been enjoying online piano and voice lessons for the past few years. The Royal Conservatory of Music and Conservatory Canada both do their piano exams online. And it turns out, setup easy! Here’s how:
Or you can use a chair or bar stool. You can also set up your tablet this way.
Prepare Your Device
You already have the equipment you need to do online lessons. Basically, your instructor just needs to be able to see and hear the student during the lessons. Your smart phone will work as a bare minimum, but bigger screens work better, so if you have an iPad or a laptop, we would strongly prefer that. Make sure it is charged or plugged in during the lesson.
For piano, your device will need to be placed near the end of the piano so we can see the student’s hands on the keys. We’d like to be able to see the student’s face as well if possible. So, you’ll need a stool or a small table to place your device on. A bar stool would likely be close to the right height. You can also stack boxes or books on top of a chair to elevate it to the right height.
Ipad or phone setup with a camera tripod and ipad/phone mount.
Setup with music stand
That’s it. You’re ready.
Setup with phone
In this blog post, I explain how it actually works.
for live online lessons!
Update from June 2020: If you’d like to see some real student setups we’ve seen, check out this —> Instagram post!
These are 2 top questions that I get when students start piano lessons. Practicing at home is as important for progression in your musical journey as attending the lessons themselves. If you are going to invest in lessons, it will go a long way if you reinforce the learned concepts regularly, especially practicing right after the lesson.
Look for an 88 key keyboard with weighted keys and hammer action. A great beginner keyboard is the STRICH from Amazon or the Casio CSF-10, which is a Costco exclusive package deal with the bench and pedal. You can also ask for it used at L & McQuade, or new, if they carry it. This ZHRUNS digital piano is also up there for beginner keyboards. It has . its own “stand” and pedals (all 3 pedals too) as it’s a digital piano, not just a keyboard, making it one of the best value based on quality and price. It doesn’t come with a bench, but you can get one new for under $50, like this Save On Many bench, or this extremely comfortable RockJam cushioned bench.
Most keyboards come with at least a few extra bells and whistles (different sounds, modes, MIDI, etc, but unless you’re looking to record, they’re not essential to our purposes for piano lessons). Check that it the keyboard you choose comes with at least 1 pedal (the damper pedal). If not, I’d recommend buying one in addition to the keyboard. If they’ve been playing some songs with pedal, they’ll really miss it if they don’t have one!
Costco has some decent (new) digital pianos, and their usual Costco return policy means that if anything breaks down, they’ll take it back / exchange it for you. Places to shop for a used keyboard include Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, and Craigslist. I’d choose Long & McQuade (or a music store) over FB Marketplace and Kijiji because it’s more of the wild west that way - and because of their warranty on used instruments. They will let you know that Amazon sells knock-offs. In fact, Amazon will never send you a knock-off of what they tell you the brand is (reviews would be all over that). The Amazon brands may be those that you might not have heard of, but function just as well for what we need it for (beginner / intermediate piano). So while it may not be a Yamaha Clavinova or a Roland (and corresponding price tag), it can still work wonderfully. Just look for the features mentioned above.
Once you find your basic keyboard, you should be set up for quite a few years! :) If you have any further questions, as always, feel free to reach out to me!
If you’d like to see how to set up for online lessons, read —> this blog post!
~Kimberly
Owner
North Peace Piano
“Fun Songs”
(requested by our students, outside of their syllabus) are our favourite things to teach! It’s all about these! After all, music should, first and foremost, be fun! =) We pick fun songs in the next level for them because we know they’ll do it! ;) (Eg. Hate counting out loud? Don’t want to learn different chord inversions?… Don’t want to sight read…?! They’ll do it for the fun song!!!) Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the top-requested from students at our studio (along with the Mario Theme), so I’ve looked for music for this one in all levels. A few months ago, I came across this version, and thought… “This looks like a fun time…!” This grown-up fun song is intense, and is every bit as challenging (technically and artistically) as the ARCT pieces, possibly more. But like anyone, I HAD to do what it takes to do it!!! ;) I made it a goal and learned it to play at our year-end student recital!
Yesterday, we had our Year-End Recital 2019! It was a fantastic display of talent! The performers and MC’s rocked it! We’re so proud of them all! This was also our biggest recital yet - there were close to 50 performers. Usually, there are about 28. It’s such an huge honour as their teacher to be playing such a big part in not only their musical development, but helping them gain confidence, work ethic, and other skills to succeed to their potential in life. We are expanding to another location in Spruce Grove as well as to Stony Plain for the fall!
The audience was so full!
North Peace Piano Teachers! Kelaila (left) and me (Kim, right)
Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the top requested fun songs by students of all ages! Its epic music is said to “rouse the blood.” Enjoy North Peace Piano student Rebecca’s performance of The Medallion Calls! This piece was one of the three that she played to earn a spot in the Provincial competition!
Read MoreHere is owner and teacher Kimberly with North Peace Piano students from left to right: Harmony, Rebecca, Alexis, and Dane, who either won scholarships, recommendations to provincials, or an invitation to play at the Parkland Music Festival Gala! Teacher Kelaila couldn’t make it that night, but was there in spirit!
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