I came across a great article today called “11 Sounds Your Children Have Never Heard“; a summation of 11 sounds that have all but become extinct. Check out the list below. I’m betting you’ll agree that your piano students have not heard these sounds in an authentic setting:
A rotary dial telephone, a manual typewriter, a coffee percolator, a flash cube (from an instamatic camera), A TV Channel Selector (remember that click click click?), a record changer, a gas station driveway bell, a TV station sign-off, a cash register, a film projector, and a broken record.
Now they may have heard some of these on their iPhone apps… but I’m betting that they’ve never heard them in “real life”.
And it kind of struck me as sad. I’m (gulp!) old enough to have had at least 7 of those sounds ingrained in my memory. The fact that my daughters will not have the same aural experiences really woke me up to just how quickly our world is changing.
What Have Your Piano Students Missed Out On?
And then I got to thinking about the piano. And I came up with my own list; a list of the “11 Pieces Your Piano Students Have Never Heard”. These are pieces that were a part of my own childhood… and that I know for a fact my piano students have never heard (before they met me!) Check out my list below:
1) The Music Box Dancer
2) Claire de Lune
3) Heart and Soul
4) Rondo Alla Turca by Mozart
5) Bach’s Prelude No 1. In C Major
6) Chopin’s Op. 28 No. 15 “Raindrop Prelude”
7) The Theme from “Love Story”
8) Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Brahms
9) Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
10) Any of the “Carnaval des Animaux”
Isn’t this a shame? These were pieces that were such a part of me that when I reached the point of being able to play them on the piano it was a thrill. When my piano students reach this point and I pull out my book with much fanfare and excitement… they look at me blankly.
So let’s change this!
I’ve implemented a “Piece of the Week” at my studio in an attempt to prevent this music from going the way of gas station driveway bells and film projectors. It’s simple – each Monday morning I send out a studio-wide email with the piece of the week. My students all know that if they can pick the Piece of the Week out of my “name that tune” line-up at their next lesson (and name the title and the composer) then they win a treat. Bribery… yes… but without a little encouragement we run the risk of future generations missing out on this fabulous piano music. Are you in? Give it a try at your own studio 🙂
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Leila Viss says
Nice, I agree, that’s why I have a lab with each lesson and incorporate many of these tunes in the lab as well as lessons. Like your idea of name that tune each week as yes, I have a candy jar for answering correctly as well. Thanks for sharing!
Amber says
I do something similiar to this. I set an alarm for each student’s lesson (to go off about 10 mins before their lesson ends). The ringtone is a famous classical piece like the themes from Beethoven’s 9th symphony, or Mozart’s 25th symphony..etc.. They keep the same ringtone until they can name the Title and larger work, and composer. When they get it right, they get a prize! BRIBERY is the KEY! 🙂 They are so pleased when they know the whole answer “Ode to Joy, from Beethoven’s 9th symphony.”
Susan Justesen says
Great idea Amber! Where do you find all of the ring tones?! Thx!
Ms. Susan
Susan Justesen, Founder/Director
Ms. Susan’s School of Music & Shoppe
Greenwood, South Carolina
Amber says
I have a droid phone, and in my App Store I just type in “classical ringtone” then I download the ones that are free! Each one I download has a variety of songs, and I just choose which ones I want to set as the alarm tone. If you have an iPhone, I am sure they have similar apps to download for free too!
~Amber
Andrea says
Great idea Amber! Thanks for sharing!
Melinda says
Last fall when I started sending or a monthly e-newsletter I included a”learning through listening” section. Since I teach piano and flute, there are 3 selections every month: piano, flute, orchestral. I think I’ll need to provide some sort of incentive to get more students listening, but I’ll also plug in headphones to my computer and have them listen if they are early for a lesson or if they’re parents are late for pickup. I try to make them shorter examples and link directly to YouTube selections.