Bösendorfer Piano Photo (c) Bösendorfer Piano Co. Image from The Piano Page .

Group Piano Pedagogy Music 425  College of Fine Arts  Illinois State University  Instructor: Dr. Carlyn Morenus Cook Hall 204 438-3470 Faculty mailbox in Centennial East 225 email Carlyn Morenus here  This course is offered only in Fall Semesters

Required Materials

• PDM: Piano for the Developing Musician Sixth Edition, by Martha Hilley and Lynn Freeman Olson
• Piano for Pleasure Fourth Edition, by Martha Hilley and Lynn Freeman Olson
• Two 3-/12 inch floppy disks

Topics/Content

• Teaching Group Piano classes
• PDM and Piano for Pleasure materials - content, pacing, teaching strategies
• Grading
• MIDI recording - how is it done? How can it be used?
• Using Powerpoint to assist students
• Getting to know the web, editing webpage materials
• Group piano texts
• Self-evaluation of teaching, evaluation of other's teaching
• Developing your own webpage
• Using technology to enhance teaching

Projects/Assignments

• Look over the portions of PDM or Piano for Pleasure to be discussed in class (weekly)
• MIDI recording projects (3 - disk recordings and presentations)
• Observation of group piano classes (6 written forms)
• Review of group piano texts (1 - written review and presentation)
• Using the Group Piano website (worksheet)
• Webpage authoring (on-line results)
• What's on the Internet? (worksheet plus additional printouts)
• Teaching experiences (for those not serving as Group Piano instructors)
• Powerpoint project
• Teaching with Technology project
• (optional) Attend Group Piano session at ISMTA Conference (November 6-7 at Eastern Illinois University)

Attendance

Attendance at all class meetings is expected.

Grading

All assignments will be given letter grades, based on completeness and accuracy, with extra credit awarded for exceptional originality and/or worth. For assignments with written or disk results and class presentation, multiple grades will be given. Assignments will be weighted equally in determining the final grade.

Class Schedule

Every Week

Questions and answers, discussion of problems and solutions, exchange of ideas and materials for classes you are teaching.

Week 1
Using the piano lab - review of available technology
Some general teaching strategies
PDM Preliminary Chapter, Chapter 1, Chapter 2
Assignment: Group Piano Evaluation Worksheets (due Week 7, Week 15)

Week 2
Using the website
Grading
Piano for Pleasure Chapters 1-5
Assignment: Website Evaluation Worksheet (Due Week 3)

Week 3
Website Evaluation Worksheet due
Introduction to MIDI recording
PDM Chapters 3 & 4
Assignment: MIDI Recording #1 (Due Week 4)

Week 4
First MIDI assignment due - presentations
What's in a jury?
Intermediate MIDI concepts
Assignment: MIDI Recording #2 (Due Week 6)

Week 5
Jury content review
MIDI problems solved
PDM Chapters 5 & 6

Week 6
Second MIDI assignment due - presentations
Grading revisited
PDM Chapter 7 & 8

Week 7
4 group piano observation sheets due
PDM Chapters 9 & 10

Week 8
Discussion of jury results so far
Review
PDM Chapters 11 & 12
Assignment: Teaching with Technology project (due Week 12)

Week 9
Working with a website - modifying a page, uploading materials
MIDI, MP3 files on the web
Assignment: Internet Worksheet (due Week 11)

Week 10
Creating your own website with Dreamweaver
Assignment: Create Your Own Website (due Week 13)

Week 11
Piano for Pleasure Chapters 6-10
Internet Assignment Due

Week 12
Teaching with Technology project due -- presentations
Final jury content
PDM Chapters 13 & 14
Assignment: Group Piano text for review (due Week 14)

Week 13
Your website due (i.e. up and running)
Additional MIDI applications
Piano for Pleasure Chapters 11-end
Assignment: MIDI Recording #3 (due Week 15)

Week 14
Group Piano text review presentations
Group Piano text written review due - bring extra copies for the members of the class
MIDI questions answered
Grading revisited

Week 15
Presentation of final MIDI projects
2 Group Piano observation sheets due
Recapitulation