How Traditional Piano Lessons Cripple Our Children

[lenkaolenka]

1.Piano as a starting point for learning music
2. "Practice makes perfect" - what exactly is improving our existing music pedagogy
3. Does Every Good Boy really do fine?
4. How the 'traditional' way of teaching piano damages the development of the fine motor skills of beginners.
5. How 'traditional' ways of teaching piano hold back the music ear development of children.
6. The 'Traditional' Grand Staff - is like 'War and Peace' for beginners
7. "Playing with sheet music," or the apotheosis of struggles.
8. The Suffering, that became a law.

Read more here: https://www.emusicguides.com/info/Music-Education/How-Traditional-Piano-Lessons-Cripple-Our-Children.html

[lenkaolenka]

The arrangement of notes on the Grand Staff constitutes a harmonious 'mirror' system, but the majority of students have no idea about it. This system is so vivid, simple and understandable, that it can always solve the question of memorizing and finding any note of any octave on the fly.

The system per se is a music visual combined with an articulate alphabet, and to know the system is as important as knowing your multiplication tables in math, or the table of elements in chemistry.

Thanks to this system, it is possible to find any key related to any note and to understand the logic of music space in general. But the majority of the 'traditional' methods prefer to teach music notes and music keys separately, one by one, without any reliance on the music system, denying our children any prospective.

[lau]

if you scroll up and down really fast that picture looks cool, like it moves or something

[lenkaolenka]

if you scroll up and down really fast that picture looks cool, like it moves or something

Never looked at the picture this way before! 

[counterpoint]

Too bad, that the inventors of the piano grand staff didn't use two alto-clefs, octava bassa for the left hand and octava for the right hand. Then the names of the notes were the same in both hands. But now, generations of piano students have to bother with this unconvenient and confusing system.

lenkaolenka, okay, you found a method that makes the traditional music notation look a bit more "logical", but in reality, it is not! It is a coincidence, that the note names of the bass clef and the note names of the treble clef are displaced by a third (+ 2 octaves).

I prefer to teach the different c's in bass clef and treble clef and find the other note names from there. You don't have to learn every single note's name, if you know, that C D E F G is the same from every C on the keyboard.

[lenkaolenka]

I prefer to teach the different c's in bass clef and treble clef and find the other note names from there. You don't have to learn every single note's name, if you know, that C D E F G is the same from every C on the keyboard.

This is exactly what I do, too!
If you would look at the picture above, you would see that all, what you have to memorize – is three Do's (C's) of Treble or Bass. Other C's look the same like in mirror reflection and all you have to do – to count any notes.
In order to teach how to count forward and backwards on the fly by notes' names we developed interactive software game 'Note Alphabet' -https://-https://www.doremifasoft.com/notealphabet.html
In order to count also with consideration to spaces and lines we created software game 'Fruit lines' -https://-https://www.doremifasoft.com/fruitlines.html
Both games have free demo versions.

[Bob]

if you scroll up and down really fast that picture looks cool, like it moves or something

(Darth Vadar voice)  Impressive... most impressive.


I think they have to start someone.  There is the ideal path(s) of teaching and that gets tempered by reality.  We could start them all off in a conservatory setting from an early age, but that's not practical.  I think a lot of teaching theories must have some correctness, from a certain point of view (Obi Wan logic).  At least they learn something.  That teaching method might be just right for their situation -- They may need the results immediately.  They might not be doing any more in music, so long term learning methods mean nothing.

[jpianoflorida]

I'm open to all new ideas, however does anyone else have problems with someone saying "traditional piano lessons cripple our children" .    I can't agree with that.  I"m all for new ways of doing things, but I don't like anyone saying that what we already do is wrong.   If you want to say "try this" or "supplement your way with this new system" then fine.   But people have been playing the piano for ages and have learned the traditional way.    So new is great, but please don't put down old systems that still DO WORK.   Plus not every way works with every student!   I guarantee there are some students that couldn't learn using the computer system! Just like there are some students that can't learn from traditional piano methods.     There can't be generalization! Anyone agree with me on that?       Some businesses still keep their records manually,but most use computers.   Can i say that manual bookkeepers are wrong? No, I can't.   It's and individual thing.

jay

[lenkaolenka]

Dear Jay,
I think, you have a good point here! Yes, 'old' system worked for centuries. Yes, we taught many great musicians and performers. But my concern is: musically illiterate masses. It is like in poor countries: no middle class.

You wrote: ' I guarantee there are some students that couldn't learn using the computer system!'

How you can guarantee, if you don't have any research? All the students in our study in fact LEARN with computer system! Talented students pass the beginning stage many times faster, all others learn at their own pace. We checked the device with autistic kids, kids with dyslexia, kids with down syndrome, kids with different learning disabilities. It works! 

I wish you could come to our studio and see all that with your own eyes. Texas is not fare from Florida.

[keyofc]

I think the road to Texas is much further than Texas to Florida

[jpianoflorida]

I think the road to Texas is much further than Texas to Florida

?

[Mozartian]

I'd be more receptive to the article if it was actually well-written; as it stands, I'm skeptical. I can't be bothered to take someone seriously if he/she doesn't even proof-read his/her article.

Example:

We've forgotten how literacy was earned in the Middle Ages long ago. More than that! Even recent existing methods (for example, the popular method in which children were required to memorize the shape of letters, rather than the sound, developed by Scott Foresman in the 50's-60's) are considered absurd.

Um, hello? Sentence fragment, anyone?

Example 2:

Playing piano has the ability to develop symphonic thinking, like in an orchestra of multiple sounds.

I'm sorry, who is this "Playing piano" that you speak of? He sounds quite talented.

The whole thing is so clumsily written. UGH...

-moz

[lenkaolenka]

I'd be more receptive to the article if it was actually well-written; as it stands, I'm skeptical. I can't be bothered to take someone seriously if he/she doesn't even proof-read his/her article.

Example:

Um, hello? Sentence fragment, anyone?

Example 2:

I'm sorry, who is this "Playing piano" that you speak of? He sounds quite talented.

The whole thing is so clumsily written. UGH...

-moz

I am sorry, but English is my second language and I learned it only when I came to the USA
All the time I was busy with lessons and research and had volunteers helping me with polishing articles.

[keyofc]

Jay,
just meant that there seems to be a larger gap in the repoirte here than the regional distance.

[lenkaolenka]

I'd be more receptive to the article if it was actually well-written; as it stands, I'm skeptical. I can't be bothered to take someone seriously if he/she doesn't even proof-read his/her article.

Example:

Um, hello? Sentence fragment, anyone?

Example 2:

I'm sorry, who is this "Playing piano" that you speak of? He sounds quite talented.

The whole thing is so clumsily written. UGH...

-moz

PS In fact, English is my third language, not the second

[jpianoflorida]

Jay,
just meant that there seems to be a larger gap in the repoirte here than the regional distance.

so what's your opinion on this topic?  I always enjoy reading your input.

[lenkaolenka]

I think the road to Texas is much further than Texas to Florida

Russians use to say:
You overpower the road by making first steps.
I have two accomplished world-renowned pianists, which learned and endorsed my research and Soft Mozart:
1.   National artist of Russia, Yuri Rozum (https://www.yurirozum.com/ )
2.   Vice dean of Madrid conservatory Victoria Lypez.

Yuri learned SM from me in Moscow and now teaching his daughter with the system.
https://newsblaze.com/story/2006102508300200001.ew/topstory.html
Victoria found time to fly from Madrid to study SM and to get certification. Now she opened her first SM school and training other teachers:
https://www.accionpiano.com/index.htm

Here is a list of SM schools and piano studios all around the world:
-https://-https://www.doremifasoft.com/pianoclasses.html

Here is what letter Yuri Rozum wrote for educators: -https://-https://www.softmozart.com/Site/discussion.php?discussion=97
Here is Victoria's letter and other music teachers' testimonies:
-https://-https://www.softmozart.com/Site/discussion.php?discussion=89

recently Moscow conservatory ( the place, where Peter Tchaikovsky, Sergey Rachmaninov, Igor Stravinsky, Dmitri Shostakovitch, Sergey Prokpfiev  were teaching or/and studding ) published theses of Soft Mozart in book for educators named
'The best educational ideas of 21st century'.

I think, road to Texas should be short and enjoying.

[Mozartian]

I am sorry, but English is my second language and I learned it only when I came to the USA
All the time I was busy with lessons and research and had volunteers helping me with polishing articles.

I understand your position. But if you really had volunteers help you polish that article, never use them again- they clearly don't know English. 

I don't mean to offend, but clear and concise writing is so necessary- especially when you're trying to instruct!

[lenkaolenka]

I understand your position. But if you really had volunteers help you polish that article, never use them again- they clearly don't know English. 

I don't mean to offend, but clear and concise writing is so necessary- especially when you're trying to instruct!

What do you think about this article?
-https://-https://www.doremifasoft.com/sowaytomoast1.html

[Mozartian]

What do you think about this article?
-https://-https://www.doremifasoft.com/sowaytomoast1.html

It still has errors, though it doesn't seem quite as bad as the other. I'd recommend hiring an English teacher or someone equally qualified to proof-read and correct your articles. Grammar errors always make an article look unpolished and unprofessonal, definitely putting you at a disadvantage- especially when you're trying to sell expensive software.

[lenkaolenka]

It still has errors, though it doesn't seem quite as bad as the other. I'd recommend hiring an English teacher or someone equally qualified to proof-read and correct your articles. Grammar errors always make an article look unpolished and unprofessonal, definitely putting you at a disadvantage- especially when you're trying to sell expensive software.

When I read about 'expensive software', I smiled. A lady from Russia purchased our software a year ago. Compare to the USA, Russians do not earn much money a month. $300 for them like a $3000 here, even more, because average income in Russia is $300 a month. So, the lady borrowed money to buy our software in order to help her kids to learn music reading, because they struggle in music school.
Year later this lady wrote a personal letter to us saying: ' When I was buying this program, I thought it is expensive, year later after seeing how much my kids learned, I think, it is pretty cheap. No way they would learn as much just with lessons!'

I appreciate your time and advice, but look at the bright side: with all the English errors we give people much more education and information, then some articles, which is written in pure English. My advice to you – try to see behind the wraps.

[Mozartian]

I happen to value good writing. It shows clear thinking, respect for the author's readers- in a word, professionalism. The lack of it makes me very suspicious as to the value of the product. Why should I value a product when the author clearly doesn't think enough of it to bother proof-reading his/her article, which he/she wrote with the intention of selling this product?

Maybe most people don't think this deeply about something before shelling out $120, though. 

[lenkaolenka]

I happen to value good writing. It shows clear thinking, respect for the author's readers- in a word, professionalism. The lack of it makes me very suspicious as to the value of the product. Why should I value a product when the author clearly doesn't think enough of it to bother proof-reading his/her article, which he/she wrote with the intention of selling this product?

Maybe most people don't think this deeply about something before shelling out $120, though. 

Good point! Don't! Russian have a proverb:
'I would buy a ticket for a bus, but would walk instead to spite bus driver'

PS. Also it does not have any sense to use any SONY, PANASONIC, PHILLIPS, YAMAHA and other foreign products. Their English instructions really suck! UPHHH!
If to think DEEPLY! – MOST IMPORTANT is perfect English! Nothing else is matter! 

[pianowelsh]

Pardon my apparent ignorance but what exactly is considered 'traditional piano' and what is wrong with it. Im not saying I agree or disagree. I just think it would be helpfull to know what this product is seeking to replace and why/how?

[jpianoflorida]

Pardon my apparent ignorance but what exactly is considered 'traditional piano' and what is wrong with it. Im not saying I agree or disagree. I just think it would be helpfull to know what this product is seeking to replace and why/how?

good points as always pianowelsh!    supplement is fine, but to REPLACE? I don't get that.   

[jpianoflorida]

so bottom line, lenka.   Someone wants to be one of your teachers, what do they do?   Throw everything they are already doing out the window?   Pay you how much?  and then what?    Give us the details of what you think we should do.  I'm curious.

[lenkaolenka]

Pardon my apparent ignorance but what exactly is considered 'traditional piano' and what is wrong with it. Im not saying I agree or disagree. I just think it would be helpfull to know what this product is seeking to replace and why/how?

'Traditional ways' - ways to present Grand Staff the way it is with no visual support.

Here is some exerts from my article 'Soft Way to Mozart as a Table of Musical Elements'
Before the 'Soft Way to Mozart' system came into existence, music education worldwide was searching for a point of support in the development of music literacy. One can compare this search to learning to read, say, the letters of the English alphabet. When children learn many separate letters, some of them even manage to read independently. They do so because they have a point of support in learning English. When children play with cards and pictures of cubs with an unfamiliar abstract letter appearing in the same frame, they can figure out its name by looking at the corresponding picture. In this example, experience in recognizing pictures and speech are the natural point of support for children to learn to read.
In learning to read musical notation, however, we teachers do not know the point of support for children to read music, for to date there has not been an established system by which to assess students' abstract music notation skills before the beginning of their music lessons.
The authors of 'Soft Way to Mozart' have created the ABC's of music language, where colors and pictures are used to decode music notation in the same exact way as they help to decode abstract letters of the English alphabet. The essence of this remarkable innovation lies in its basic simplicity: If the human eye is unable to catch the difference between similar-looking music notes and piano keys, then the music notes and piano keys must be highlighted, marked and underlined in order to develop the students' music vision.
Concert pianist Yuri Rozum (www.yurirozum.com)  has shorter explanation: SM – is a missing visual link of music education.

[pianowelsh]

So is it possible to give a step by step progression of how you get from no grandstave reading experience to being able to read. Very clearly.  Im really not getting the difference between what I do and what you do except im pc illiterate so I do with pencils and colours etc.

[lenkaolenka]

so bottom line, lenka.   Someone wants to be one of your teachers, what do they do?   Throw everything they are already doing out the window?   Pay you how much?  and then what?    Give us the details of what you think we should do.  I'm curious.

I am classically trained musician and I didn't through all my education out in the window!  SM does not conflict with all the traditional ways of teaching music – it just adds to the previous knowledge.

I train private music educators absolutely with no charge. But on another hand they have to train other teachers with no charge. SM is education first of all, knowledge, that every professional have to have in modern time. After 2-3 days of training, they pass some tests and getting certified.

Our goal is to support teachers and improve music education. With the system out teachers getting more students and they have better teaching experience. On the top of that they are getting cut of any software that students buy for home practice.

[lenkaolenka]

So is it possible to give a step by step progression of how you get from no grandstave reading experience to being able to read. Very clearly.  Im really not getting the difference between what I do and what you do except im pc illiterate so I do with pencils and colours etc.

I described the system here with pictures:
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,22270.0.html

I was teaching with pencils and colors from 1980 to 2001. I was very successful teacher in former Soviet Union and in the USA with winners of competitions and waiting list of students.

However, I state: with computer technology effectiveness and enjoyment of my work grew so much, that I compare effectiveness of teaching with Soft Mozart to riding a car verses walking.

[pianowelsh]

can you put your finger on the difference though. im not seeing what the difference between pen and paper  and a computer really is?? could you explain this in a bit more detail for those of us who really dont deal with computers much.

[lenkaolenka]

can you put your finger on the difference though. im not seeing what the difference between pen and paper  and a computer really is?? could you explain this in a bit more detail for those of us who really dont deal with computers much.

Many educators confuse music writing with literature. But notation is like a spatial map. In order to 'read' notation we have to 'push buttons' to get to the certain pitch in certain time. It is more like navigating.

We effectively train pilots with 'flight simulators'. This is exactly what we developed – a device, which train beginners to read music and develop coordination by interaction with computer.

We developed ways to teach people to SEE notation and build coordination on intuitive level with the help of interactive computer graphics. It is very unfair for teachers to sit at the students' side and to repeat the same words over and over again like parrots in order to build certain skills. Also it is not very effective. But when the students interact with Soft Mozart, they see what they do right or wrong and develop skills faster.

I think, many music teachers deserve better, then to work as 'boxing bags' 

[jpianoflorida]

I don't see how learning totally on the computer with all the colors, and sideways music ,etc is going to teach them to pick up a regular music book and play.   Just like when I have transfer students here, and they have been in one series of lesson books where all of the print is exactly the same font, etc.     , they are totally confused when I introduce them to other kinds of books.     Yes, maybe the students learn to play songs well with your system, but I want to know what really happens when they print a song off pianostreet or pick up a book and want to play traditional printed music scores.
I'm not saying it's not going to work, because apparently you have tested this, but who did you test on?  People who already knew computers well? What about someone who has never used a computer? 

[jpianoflorida]

I've mentioned this before, but I"ve used "pianosuite" software for over 10- years with great success.  It's traditional piano.  You can take out the finger numbers so the students learn to read the notes.  There is not lettering for the piano keys, the Students have to learn where the notes are by patterns on the keys etc.     It works.
The students love it.   It's a great supplement. But I don't believe you should ever totally replace learning on an old fashioned piano.   Method books of some sort at the begginning, etc.   That's my experience. I have seen it work over and over again. My students learn, they read .  They play all styles of music.  We get results.



https://adventus.com/products/psp.php

[lenkaolenka]

I don't see how learning totally on the computer with all the colors, and sideways music ,etc is going to teach them to pick up a regular music book and play.   Just like when I have transfer students here, and they have been in one series of lesson books where all of the print is exactly the same font, etc.     , they are totally confused when I introduce them to other kinds of books.     Yes, maybe the students learn to play songs well with your system, but I want to know what really happens when they print a song off pianostreet or pick up a book and want to play traditional printed music scores.
I'm not saying it's not going to work, because apparently you have tested this, but who did you test on?  People who already knew computers well? What about someone who has never used a computer? 

Did you take a look at the pictures, which I put in discussion about computer technology?
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,22270.0.html

Soft Mozart gradually develops vision of piano players to SEE music notation like professional see it.

We have 6 presentations of Grand Staff – from Elementary to traditional.

Due to the fact, that all the beginners have 2 major tasks in piano playing – coordination development and reading, the Elementary Grand Staff is introduced at the very beginning in order to let beginners to concentrate on coordination without excluding reading.

When coordination is built we take all the colors and pictures away and bring the students to traditional reading. This system provide a healthy balance between 2 major tasks.

Yes, our students end up reading off the music sheets fluently.  In fact, this is our goal.
I don't have any students, who never used computers.

[lenkaolenka]

I've mentioned this before, but I"ve used "pianosuite" software for over 10- years with great success.  It's traditional piano.  You can take out the finger numbers so the students learn to read the notes.  There is not lettering for the piano keys, the Students have to learn where the notes are by patterns on the keys etc.     It works.
The students love it.   It's a great supplement. But I don't believe you should ever totally replace learning on an old fashioned piano.   Method books of some sort at the begginning, etc.   That's my experience. I have seen it work over and over again. My students learn, they read .  They play all styles of music.  We get results.

https://adventus.com/products/psp.php

'Pianosuite' is unable to teach everyone to play piano, because it presents traditional Grand Staff to beginners. Otherwise, we would see many people, who learned music literacy today already. It works like any other methods – with prodigies and structured players. It is also very 'teacher-intensive'.

I am familiar with 'pianosuit' as well as with any other computer approaches. People, who develop this sort of product, have no clue how skills are built and developed.

'Old fashioned piano' is not a tool of teaching music, because learning music, as a language, should be interactive.

[Mozartian]

Good point! Don't! Russian have a proverb:
'I would buy a ticket for a bus, but would walk instead to spite bus driver'

PS. Also it does not have any sense to use any SONY, PANASONIC, PHILLIPS, YAMAHA and other foreign products. Their English instructions really suck! UPHHH!
If to think DEEPLY! – MOST IMPORTANT is perfect English! Nothing else is matter! 

If a person cannot present her method in a clear and concise way- if her article is written at the level of a 7th grader, why should I be so stupid as to expect her product to be better? Your analogy is so totally off the wall it doesn't even offend me.

It is blatantly obvious that there is a critical difference between a translated set of instructions and educational material.

I've said my piece, and I have nothing more to say about this- since you clearly are too full of self-importance to realize the importance of good writing and clear thinking.

[lenkaolenka]

If a person cannot present her method in a clear and concise way- if her article is written at the level of a 7th grader, why should I ge so stupid as to expect her product to be better? Your analogy is so totally off the wall it doesn't even offend me.

It is blatantly obvious that there is a critical difference between a translated set of instructions and educational material.

I've said my piece, and I have nothing more to say about this- since you clearly are too full of self-importance to realize the importance of good writing and clear thinking.

Dear Mozartian,
Thank you for your input and have a nice day! 

[pianowelsh]

Hi Lenka, sorry about that unpleasantness. Language shouldnt be a barrier, your english is very good and these are not easy concepts to explain in a foreign language...keep working at it. I would still like to know How you propose to develop the spatial element. I can see that this may be an area not well covered by traditional methods BUT Im intrigued by your constant insistance that all previous educators have no clue as to how to develop these skills.  I would be carefull to use such sweeping statements Lenka - for your own sake because people are less likely to take you seriously. I think we would agree that there have been many great educators in the history of piano teaching and indeed many great Russians. Neuhaus being one, who clearly takes a very different stance from your own. So please if you could talk more about how you devlop the skills and less about how other teachers cant this would be more profitable for the general forum users.  Im sure you will appreciate what I am saying Lenka. We are interested in what you have to say but be aware that the English you are ussing is coming across quite strongly as if everyone else is wrong and only your method can teach children to play the piano...This could come across as being a bit arrogent on a forum where a huge percentage of users are piano educators.

[lenkaolenka]

Hi Lenka, sorry about that unpleasantness. Language shouldnt be a barrier, your english is very good and these are not easy concepts to explain in a foreign language...keep working at it. I would still like to know How you propose to develop the spatial element. I can see that this may be an area not well covered by traditional methods BUT Im intrigued by your constant insistance that all previous educators have no clue as to how to develop these skills.  I would be carefull to use such sweeping statements Lenka - for your own sake because people are less likely to take you seriously. I think we would agree that there have been many great educators in the history of piano teaching and indeed many great Russians. Neuhaus being one, who clearly takes a very different stance from your own. So please if you could talk more about how you devlop the skills and less about how other teachers cant this would be more profitable for the general forum users.  Im sure you will appreciate what I am saying Lenka. We are interested in what you have to say but be aware that the English you are ussing is coming across quite strongly as if everyone else is wrong and only your method can teach children to play the piano...This could come across as being a bit arrogent on a forum where a huge percentage of users are piano educators.

Dear pianowelsh,

Thank you for your understanding! It is really very difficult to explain the research in words. I would try my best, though.

Neuhaus' school was one of the best piano teaching system in the world. We were really honored to get endorsement from Yuri Rozum – the follower of this school – to Soft Mozart. I was invited to present the program in Moscow last summer and was given 2 hours for presentation. There were Yuri, another Yuri (Bogdanov) – also a concert pianist, composer and conductor and a lady – a principal of Yuri Rozum's music school in Moscow. They kept me for 7 hours and I almost missed my plain to St. Petersburg, because they have so many questions. It was very funny to watch these world-renowned artists standing on their knees and playing 'Hot Cross Buns' on the vertical Elementary presentation. I noticed, that Rozum never tried to turn his neck in order to see Grand Staff the way he used to. It said a lot to me! I understood, that the most talented people always ready to learn new things.

Any way, I know, that a lot of my statements sound arrogant. But it is an abyss between people, who tried our device and people who read about it. It is like to explain someone in 19th century, what is computer.

We developed a computer device, which helped us to understand the nature of music perception and building skills in precise numbers. Before I started to work with the device, I was like anybody else. I believed in intuition and artistic ways of teaching music and I had no clue, how it is all happening, because never had control over the situation. I had talented students and students below average. I tried my best to teach all of them. After developing SM and working with it for a while I went to the deepest roots of music learning and understood much more about it.

First of all, SM is extremely interactive. It based on a very advanced mathematical formula, which calculates input of every player individually and give him/her individual unique ways of development. The numbers and research helped me to get the entire picture of what is exactly happening, when person is studding music. I am sure there are many educators in the world who can teach music and piano better then I do. But unfortunately none of them was ever equipped with the tools and possibilities, that I used in our research. 

As you know, we broke learning process in small sections. By using visual support and support of eye focus we separated tasks of reading and coordination development. With current technology we used light keys of keyboards, touch sensitive – and not, digital pianos with weighted keys and acoustic pianos. We had an opportunity to use all the perceptions in learning music – visual, audio, muscular, speech memory and voice. We could exclude some of the perceptions, we taugh with visual support and without. We use Alphabetic and Solfeggio names for learning process and we were recording every step in the process.

Gentle piano – program, which teaches to read, play and memorize music, has two measurements:  amount of correct notes and time. Time presented like in chess – if you hit all the keys in exact time, it should be zero. This device let me not to ASSUME but know, what exactly happening in the learning process. Apparently, it is not as unpredictable as many think.

When I started to work with device I know the answers to many questions and try to explain the results in my articles. The questions about cramps, technique development, music memory, music mind and other  are practically answered. This is what differ us from the rest of the world. Only the problem here: how to make this research available for the rest of people?

[keyofc]

Jay,
My opinion?  Thanks for asking!
I, too, am always open for new ways of teaching old concepts - but not from people who think they are the only one to offer something good.
I find Lenko's approach insulting.
That is why the road is too far for me.

I also realize that some people who are very arrogant still have good ideas.  Gleaning their knowledge is very difficult though.

[keyofc]

I guess I forgot to write my opinion.
Just because method books are written down does not deprive them of the ability of
being creative. 
I think of the word, 'method" as a way of doing something in a systematic or logical way.  I would hope we all have logical ways of teaching that do not preclude creativity.  Why should it be so unbelievable that these ways can be written down?

It's a well balanced professional who can take logically thought out steps and creative approaches and put them down in writing. 

[jpianoflorida]

thanks key of c, you and I think alike.

[lenkaolenka]

Jay,
My opinion?  Thanks for asking!
I, too, am always open for new ways of teaching old concepts - but not from people who think they are the only one to offer something good.
I find Lenko's approach insulting.
That is why the road is too far for me.

I also realize that some people who are very arrogant still have good ideas.  Gleaning their knowledge is very difficult though.

I want to say something about 'arrogance'
Many people confuse message with messengers.
For example, Jesus was humble, but his revolutionary ideas drove people mad and they killed him
Galileo was polite and nice, but he also 'crossed the line' – he discovered that the Earth is round.
Bruno was burned

The point is: we studied music pedagogy with tools, with latest computer technology and precice research for many years. No educator ever provided such project and discovered truth about music development with evidences and numbers. If you want to learn about it – we make it available to any volunteer. But if you want to stick to your believes, do not accuse me of being arrogant.
I think, people who killed Jesus, Jordano Bruno and put Galileo on his knees are truly arrogant.

[lenkaolenka]

I guess I forgot to write my opinion.
Just because method books are written down does not deprive them of the ability of
being creative. 
I think of the word, 'method" as a way of doing something in a systematic or logical way.  I would hope we all have logical ways of teaching that do not preclude creativity.  Why should it be so unbelievable that these ways can be written down?

It's a well balanced professional who can take logically thought out steps and creative approaches and put them down in writing. 

I agree, that word 'method' – is something systematic or logical.
But I can't find any system or logic in method books, when
1.   They start theory before developing basic and fundamental skills of students to see music notation and piano keys
2.   They exclude Solfeggio singing from teaching process
3.   They present abstract music notes with abstract letters
4.   They use muscle memory in learning music by fastening finger numbers to piano keys and learning fingering before developing music mind

Pedagogy is a science and there is a rule of thumb, which can't be disregarded: we have to develop ability to learn from concrete to abstract.

When we teach students letters of Alphabet, we follow this rule: we place picture of apple at the letter 'A'. It means, we use
1.   Visual image
2.   Phonetic pronunciation
3.   Established voice chord' coordination of humans to figure out abstract.

When we teach music notes we use abstract explanations and abstract letter's symbols.

Look at the picture to see, what foundation all the 'method books' have compare to the nature of learning.

[chocolatedog]

But I disagree that only Soft Mozart is the way to do this.......I use tutors, sure, but I have my own methods in conjunction with this, and a good music teacher uses many different 'tools' to help reinforce learning in different ways - aural, visual, etc. The picture doesn't prove anything........anyone can draw a picture to illustrate what they want to try to get across - it doesn't prove anything about Soft Mozart. I am constantly evolving and developing my methods because I believe that a teacher should always be questioning their approach and methods, and evaluating his/her teaching effectiveness. But I have to admit I'm sceptical, especially about an approach which slates all other approaches to teaching.....

[jpianoflorida]

But I disagree that only Soft Mozart is the way to do this.......I use tutors, sure, but I have my own methods in conjunction with this, and a good music teacher uses many different 'tools' to help reinforce learning in different ways - aural, visual, etc. The picture doesn't prove anything........anyone can draw a picture to illustrate what they want to try to get across - it doesn't prove anything about Soft Mozart. I am constantly evolving and developing my methods because I believe that a teacher should always be questioning their approach and methods, and evaluating his/her teaching effectiveness. But I have to admit I'm sceptical, especially about an approach which slates all other approaches to teaching.....

EXCELLENT POST . thanks!    You and I are on the same wavelength in thinking.   

[lenkaolenka]

But I disagree that only Soft Mozart is the way to do this.......The picture doesn't prove anything........anyone can draw a picture to illustrate what they want to try to get across - it doesn't prove anything about Soft Mozart. I am constantly evolving and developing my methods because I believe that a teacher should always be questioning their approach and methods, and evaluating his/her teaching effectiveness. But I have to admit I'm sceptical, especially about an approach which slates all other approaches to teaching.....

OK, everyone can draw a picture.
Now, can you please, honestly tell me, can you personally provide the same effectiveness of teaching at the same time frame with average kids as in fallowing videos -https://-https://www.doremifasoft.com/events.html :
1.   3-year-old Gracie plays Ode to Joy and more ( 3 year old child reads and plays several songs and exercises, which she learned in 3 months)
2.   Little miracles of Soft Mozart ( 16 years old Bianka NEVER had piano lesson before and in 3 weeks she learned how to read and plays Shostakovitch Waltz – 5-6 grade of Russian music school)
3.   Haily plays Khachaturyan's Waltz after taking lessons for less then 2 months from almost no experience

If you have such video proof of effectiveness of your working approaches, not 1, not 2 – but many proofs like on our videos, then I would agree with you, that Soft Mozart is not only method

[jpianoflorida]

OK, everyone can draw a picture.
Now, can you please, honestly tell me, can you personally provide the same effectiveness of teaching at the same time frame with average kids as in fallowing videos -https://-https://www.doremifasoft.com/events.html :
1.   3-year-old Gracie plays Ode to Joy and more ( 3 year old child reads and plays several songs and exercises, which she learned in 3 months)
2.   Little miracles of Soft Mozart ( 16 years old Bianka NEVER had piano lesson before and in 3 weeks she learned how to read and plays Shostakovitch Waltz – 5-6 grade of Russian music school)
3.   Haily plays Khachaturyan's Waltz after taking lessons for less then 2 months from almost no experience

If you have such video proof of effectiveness of your working approaches, not 1, not 2 – but many proofs like on our videos, then I would agree with you, that Soft Mozart is not only method

well i don't have video proof for you since i'm not that technical, however i do have students that can do exactly what your students have done.     You probably won't-but you will have to take my word for it.   It can be done with pianosuite and traditional learning.  We aren't putting your method down, we are just telling you that you are not the only right way,and we don't  like the arrogance you are coming accross with.   The whole "my way is the best way, everything else sucks" attitude you have is turning a lot of us off.  If you had come on here and been a little more diplomatic, a little less arrogant, i think you might could have sold your method to some people.    I'm sure you mean well, but you need to work on the arrogant attitude please.

[lenkaolenka]

Dear pianoflorida,
did you download Note Duration free demo version as I recommended?
If you did, what is your opinion?