Oclef Q&A: EP005 - I can play perfect during practice, but not in public. Why?
Release Date: 07/17/2018
Oclef Daily | EP91 - All Great Piano Teachers Possess This Ability
Oclef Podcast
This is a great episode to share with a piano teacher friend. Push Back. It's simple, yet powerful. Don't avoid confrontation with a parent - especially if what you are pushing back on something that is in the best interest of their child. Parents want the best for their kids, but sometimes they don't realize how to think or behave - they are usually new to learning piano, just like their child. Be you, Be what that child needs. The tortoise always wins, Julian Follow us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/oclef/
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Oclef Interviews | EP29 - Jon Nakamatsu - The Story of a Great American Pianist
Oclef Podcast
Loved doing this interview with Jon! He's just a great guy and I enjoyed getting the chance, like with most guests on the podcast, to ask deep questions. Please share this with parents of piano students and other teachers or aspiring pianist. He has great insight in many areas and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Julian
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Oclef Daily | EP90 - Is there an end to piano lessons?
Oclef Podcast
Pain relievers like aspirin can be taken if you have a headache and usually within 15 minutes the headache is gone. But what if there were a product that made that headache go away and then come back in 7 days? Whenever I have new classes start I often get the question from parents…how long does it take to learn piano? And I used to think that was a really silly question. Simply because, well, I’m still learning piano. And I’ll probably be learning piano for the rest of my life. But lately the more I think about that question, I realize that there should be an answer to that question. If...
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Oclef Daily | EP89 - The musician's mindset
Oclef Podcast
Yesterday I was working with a mother and her daughter and one simple piece of teaching advice left her speechless the second she tried it. This episode dives into the "Theory Theory" by Alison Gopnik and how it explains why the "Frozen Pencil" teaching technique works so well when teaching children to read piano. The tortoise always wins, Julian
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Oclef Daily | EP88 - You're more like a therapist than you want to believe
Oclef Podcast
Today's podcast goes into the challenging world of how we as teachers help our students navigate more than just their troubles and anxieties from learning. If you want your story or question on an upcoming episode - visit www.oclef.com/podcast and leave your story or question. The tortoise always wins, Julian
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Oclef Daily | EP87 - Kaizen and the perfection of pursuit
Oclef Podcast
In the education world, teachers sometimes can be overly focused on the results and outcomes in competitions and tests. And the question I have is - “What mindset does that produce for students in the long run?” I leave you with an idea and three questions. The Japanese word Kaizen means "change for better". How do you create experiences for your students that help them change and acquire the values you believe in? How does extrinsic motivators and rewards like tests and competitions actually shape your students perspective - especially if they are their main focus? Do you instill Kaizen...
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Oclef Daily: EP86 - Small Wins
Oclef Podcast
Talking about how small wins not only motivate students but can motivate their parent coaches as they make their way on the long journey of learning music. How do you motivate parents? The tortoise always wins, Julian
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Oclef Daily: EP85 - Knowledge vs. Understanding
Oclef Podcast
Trying a different format. Share it if you love it. The Tortoise always wins, Julian
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Oclef Q&A: EP011 - How can I instill a sense of passion into my child?
Oclef Podcast
Sample. Observe. Record. The child needs to sample a variety of activities and as their parent you need to be open and observant. Try to be as non-biased towards activities and you can. Watch them and record your observations about how they respond to these activities. Once you find the right one or two activities it comes down to you being passionate as the parent. Be as involved and helpful as you can. Ask the instructor what else you can do to help. Be there for the events and stay to help out the community. Show your passion and self-drive as a parent and your child...
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Oclef Daily: EP84 - Educate Parents on the Value of Piano
Oclef Podcast
Todays episode is a follow up on the concept talked about in yesterday’s interview with Irina Gorin. She talked about “educating parents”. What she really means is show parents the value of piano and why they need to be involved and committed in the right way. Today’s episode talks about a personal story on how one of my students has allowed lessons from piano (curiosity, patience, persistence, creativity) to get him accepted into Stanford University. Learning piano is so much more than just music. Julian
info_outlineI’ll answer in two areas:
- Headspace- mistakes in performance happen and they should be expected. You have got to start focusing on the characters and audience experience you reveal through the music. Music for me is a verb. It is the act of communicating stories, ideas and emotions through sound. A small blip in the screen during a movie goes unnoticed, so don’t worry as long as you’re passionately becoming the character.
- Practical - You need to be relentless and obsessive. I don’t know for sure, but you’re probably not practicing thoroughly. Talk about this with your teacher and discuss how you should optimize your attention to preparation. How are you designing the small wins leading up to performance? Do you always have left hand memorized? Are all your voices memorized separately in the counterpoint? Can you sing each voice? Have you considered writing out the parts of all voices of your pieces. Have you practiced transposing sections to better understand the harmonic structure of the music? Have you played one hand and conducted the other? Be thorough. Be obsessed. Most students are not and that’s why they never make it as a concert artist or even as a great pianist. If you really want results, put all this extra effort in. Send me a recording after you’ve done some of these ideas above and adjusted your headspace.
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