Chapter 6
Wait - You're Not a Piano Player?
Of all the student teachers I've had in my classroom or observed in someone else's, the lack of this particular skill seems to be the most pervasive and problematic. It causes stress in these young people the likes of which I've never seen. Yet, the problem persists, year after year. Too many college graduates in music education don't know how to play the piano. And I'm talking about piano majors, too. They can memorize an entire Khachaturian concerto, but they can't warm up a choir from do to sol, ascending chromatically. I watched in disbelief as one of my student teachers struggled to find do in my high school choir rehearsal. Each time he'd try to take them up a half-step, he'd lose track of where he was on the previous attempt. Thank God my kids were respectful, forgiving and patient, because this poor guy sank like a stone. He knew his way around PC Gamer magazine when he wasn't conducting my rehearsals, but he couldn't be bothered with sitting down at a piano and learning how to play root position triads.
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So, what are you going to do about your less-than-desirable piano skills? I have a great idea...
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