INTRODUCTION: OVERVIEW TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE EXPLORE AUDIATION

AND MUSIC MOVES FOR PIANO - 2014, Updated

Marilyn Lowe, marilyn@musicmovesforpiano.com

This workshop explores ways to develop audiation skills with piano/instrumental students. We will examine in depth the
sequenced “parts” of music/piano study, one at a time: rhythm, tonal, keyboard skills, and reading and writing music
notation. Improvisation activities are included in each category.

I. Music is an aural/oral art. Audiate. Learn how to audiate. Understand music.

Music is in the mind. We visualize scenes. We think thoughts. We audiate music.
Body movement develops rhythm audiation. Singing develops tonal audiation.

II. One of Gordon’s “rules.” Teach sound before sight.

Suzuki said, “You don’t need notation to learn how to play an instrument.”
Schumann Quote: “The most important thing is to cultivate the sense of hearing……”

III. The second of Gordon’s “rules.” Teach practice before theory. This is one of the American educator
Lowell Mason’s public school curriculum guidelines for how to teach music.

IV. Preparatory Audiation: Readiness for learning music (for any age student):
Acculturation – Imitation – Assimilation

V. Questions the teacher should ask/answer about teaching material:

A. What am I teaching (content)?
B. Why am I teaching it (rationale for the content)?
C. When am I teaching it (sequence)?
D. How I am teaching it (curriculum)?

VI. How do we learn? Basic principles:

A. Gestalt: Whole-Part-Whole. The second whole has new meaning.
B. Discrimination Learning: Teach the student. Demonstrate/Answer.
C. Inference Learning (Generalization): Students use their knowledge. Improvisation.
D. Explore same/different. Use contrast and variety.
E. Learn one new thing at a time.

VII. Compare the “language learning model” with learning music (listen, speak, read, write):
A. Functional rhythm and tonal patterns are the foundation for learning how to audiate.
B. Build a large music pattern vocabulary.
C. Use labels (names) and terminology.
D. CONTEXT is essential for understanding: Tonal context and rhythm context.

VIII. Teacher skills - How to teach/help students to learn:

A. “Hybrid” or “group” instruction. Individualize instruction. Easy Moderate Difficult.
B. Pattern instruction. Achieve flow. Breathe.
C. Rote solos. Songs to sing.
D. Improvisation activities.

IX. Students/Lessons:
A. Age and experience of students.
B. Differences in aptitudes: strength and weakness.
C. Student groupings: pairs, three, overlap, hybrid instruction, age.
D. Activity oriented lessons. Movement is important for learning to take place.
Students learn through “doing.” Use everything learned for improvisation.

X. The goal is for students to become musically literate through developing and applying audiation
skill to music learning, listening and performing. During the audiation learning process, students
improvise, compose, analyze, discuss, listen with understanding, learn new music, perform with
comfort in both solo and ensemble, and read and write music notation. It takes time and patience
to learn how to audiate. Follow the sequenced curriculum. Focus on a long-term view.