Another perspective on Soft Mozart

[okietransplant]

Hi! I'm new here and thought I'd give my perspective on Soft Mozart.  I have taught piano for over 25 years (have lost count).  I currently teach 25 students, mostly traditional but a few Soft Mozart.  I was trained a year ago and have been using it for around 9 months.  Here's why I started:
1.  I was looking for a way to make money during the day when my kids were in school. I wanted to schedule young children.  I looked into Kindermusik and Musikgarten, then I found Soft Mozart was a better fit for me.
2.  I have training in Kodaly, have also used sol-feg in public school classroom and church choirs.  I wanted to find out how this program integrated sol-feg with piano.

The benefits to me so far have been:
1.  I have gained 6 new contacts of daytime students through being on the Soft Mozart website.  I have also turned down several people I could not schedule because I am full for after-school and evening appointments.
2.  I have broadened my view of a different way to approach the piano.
3.  I have integrated the program for use with my traditional students.  Depending on their level, they play the games while waiting on a sibling, or most often, they sight-read.  The use of the program for sight-reading has been very beneficial for my traditional students.

I really wish I had more Soft Mozart students. Teaching it is alot of fun.  Alot has been said here by the founder, but it is really impossible to describe with words.  You just have to try it!  It is something that you can't believe until you have the hands-on experience.

The founder of this program is a very nice person.  Yes, she is passionate, but you would hope that someone who truly has a student's best interest at heart would be passionate.  I can tell you this - yes, there are other ways to teach piano.  That is true.  But, I will say that Soft Mozart is unique in its approach and there is no way to understand it until you try it.  The training costs nothing, you pay a small licensing fee every year to get the software and the updates, and you get a rebate for each of your students that buys the software.  It is really no big deal to start. You don't have to throw away all your training and experience.  You just have to have an open mind, it will enhance what you already do.

The exciting thing for me is that this program allows even young children to start.  I have had a 3 year old attempt "Fur Elise". (I didn't encourage this, because what piano teacher wants to hear "Fur Elise!!!)  Young kids thrive on it, because they are curious and free.  I do have to say, we are all working with human beings.  That makes lessons frustrating at times!  I have a 5 yo SM student who would progress so much more if he were not so stubborn, and if he would practice more.  But, SM is good for him because it gives him the "illusion" that he is in control!  Hopefully, he will practice more in the new year.  Ha!

Hope to come back and post more, but I may be out of pocket with the holidays.  Merry Christmas to all, and hope you have some time off to enjoy your families!

[jpianoflorida]

so how do we know you are real? and not just another promo for soft mozart? just wondering. anyone else wondering that as well?

[lenkaolenka]

Hi! I'm new here and thought I'd give my perspective on Soft Mozart.  I have taught piano for over 25 years (have lost count).  I currently teach 25 students, mostly traditional but a few Soft Mozart.  I was trained a year ago and have been using it for around 9 months.  Here's why I started:
1.  I was looking for a way to make money during the day when my kids were in school. I wanted to schedule young children.  I looked into Kindermusik and Musikgarten, then I found Soft Mozart was a better fit for me.
2.  I have training in Kodaly, have also used sol-feg in public school classroom and church choirs.  I wanted to find out how this program integrated sol-feg with piano.

The benefits to me so far have been:
1.  I have gained 6 new contacts of daytime students through being on the Soft Mozart website.  I have also turned down several people I could not schedule because I am full for after-school and evening appointments.
2.  I have broadened my view of a different way to approach the piano.
3.  I have integrated the program for use with my traditional students.  Depending on their level, they play the games while waiting on a sibling, or most often, they sight-read.  The use of the program for sight-reading has been very beneficial for my traditional students.

I really wish I had more Soft Mozart students. Teaching it is alot of fun.  Alot has been said here by the founder, but it is really impossible to describe with words.  You just have to try it!  It is something that you can't believe until you have the hands-on experience.

The founder of this program is a very nice person.  Yes, she is passionate, but you would hope that someone who truly has a student's best interest at heart would be passionate.  I can tell you this - yes, there are other ways to teach piano.  That is true.  But, I will say that Soft Mozart is unique in its approach and there is no way to understand it until you try it.  The training costs nothing, you pay a small licensing fee every year to get the software and the updates, and you get a rebate for each of your students that buys the software.  It is really no big deal to start. You don't have to throw away all your training and experience.  You just have to have an open mind, it will enhance what you already do.

The exciting thing for me is that this program allows even young children to start.  I have had a 3 year old attempt "Fur Elise". (I didn't encourage this, because what piano teacher wants to hear "Fur Elise!!!)  Young kids thrive on it, because they are curious and free.  I do have to say, we are all working with human beings.  That makes lessons frustrating at times!  I have a 5 yo SM student who would progress so much more if he were not so stubborn, and if he would practice more.  But, SM is good for him because it gives him the "illusion" that he is in control!  Hopefully, he will practice more in the new year.  Ha!

Hope to come back and post more, but I may be out of pocket with the holidays.  Merry Christmas to all, and hope you have some time off to enjoy your families!

Dear okietransplant ,
I received a call from this family. I ask, why they won't take Tobin, but they said, that their daughter wants a femail teacher. I see something like that first time in my life, hhonestly. It is a long drive for them to my studio.

Any way, we just made a new video of the lesson and I am planning to place it to the SM forum also. Working on transposing songs:

[okietransplant]

Well, I guess you could wonder.  I hope you would notice my language difference.  But, I guess there is really no way I can prove it.   I wrote because we are not all weirdos, we are real people.

This program has only been around a short while, and it grows by word-of-mouth.  I honestly don't know why she doesn't market it heavily, she could probably make more money. 

I am just another teacher interested in all kinds of ideas.

[lenkaolenka]

Well, I guess you could wonder.  I hope you would notice my language difference.  But, I guess there is really no way I can prove it.   I wrote because we are not all weirdos, we are real people.

This program has only been around a short while, and it grows by word-of-mouth.  I honestly don't know why she doesn't market it heavily, she could probably make more money. 

I am just another teacher interested in all kinds of ideas.

We can't market it heavily yet
Also, as you witnessed already, we need to go through training in order to use the system fully. I noticed, that some teachers from different countries are using it and even state that they use it on their websites ( this is how I found about it!)
But I think, training adds a lot to the software and wish these teachers eventually would be trained and certified.