Today in our How To Teach Intermediate Piano Repertoire series we are looking at Burgmüller’s Ballade Op.100, No.15. While it can be challenging to teach "overplayed" pieces such as this one (we always seem to be fixing the same problems!), this is one of my favorites because of the fact that this piece is a great vehicle for expression. Students often perform best when they can focus on just that - playing expressively and communicating the drama.

The next of my Six Tips to Ensure Your Student is Ready for a Performance is to help your students practice performing.

This might seem obvious to us as teachers, and even to our students, but if my students’ practicing is evidence, then the truth of this statement is not always applied.

Practicing (rehearsing, learning, working on things, solving problems)

is not the same as

Practicing performing (playing from start to finish with the focus required to carry out all that you intend to do musically).

The next of my Six Tips to Ensure Your Student is Ready for a Performance is to help your students develop a healthy mindset for performance.

Many students who start music lessons at a young age often have a naturally carefree attitude towards performance. However, students who begin lessons at an older age, or those who have grown older and more self-conscious over time, often find themselves worried about making mistakes and concerned with the opinion of others when performing.

So, what is a healthy performance mindset?

The next of my Six Tips to Ensure Your Student is Ready for a Performance is to facilitate the student's emotional connection to the piece so that he or she can play expressively. This is my favorite of these tips!

Without embarking on a long philosophical discussion, I think this is a great point to stop and ask the question - what is art? The definition I like to work with is:

Art is the creative expression of the human condition.

Music, therefore, is…

The next of my Six Tips to Ensure Your Student is Ready for a Performance is to solve any technical problems within a piece. You can’t perform a piece well if you can’t technically manage to play it!

While the intent of this post is not to advocate for one technical system or another, I can say from years of adjudication experience that students who play with freedom and ease of movement are the ones who are most free to play expressively, and therefore have a “successful” performance.

Remember - technique is not…

The next of my Six Tips to Ensure Your Student is Ready for a Performance is to allow enough time for preparation. Less experienced teachers often underestimate how long it truly takes for students to be ready to perform at their highest potential.

Of course, it is also the student’s responsibility to practice regularly and avoid procrastination…

One of the best ways to ensure that your student will be ready for an upcoming performance is to choose appropriate repertoire. This is the first in my series of Six Tips to Ensure Your Student is Ready for a Performance. You can read an overview of all six here.

But what do I mean by “appropriate”?

Have you ever run an ensemble recital for your piano students? You know, duets and trios? (Or maybe even duos if you had access to two pianos?!)

For many years, I have run one recital per year that is entirely made up of ensemble repertoire. The pandemic threw a wrench in those usual plans, but I’m thrilled to say that this past weekend we started up the tradition again after two years off. Most students play one piece, and most of the pieces are piano duet (1P4H). If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you might have seen the three videos this week I posted of highlights from that recital. 

I think I can safely say it’s my favorite performance event of the entire teaching year. 

egular practicing and practicing for performance are two different things.

Anyone who has taught piano for more than a minute knows that most students (unless they have a lot of self-discipline) will simply play through their pieces and call it “practice.” However, doing this will not ensure reliable performance under pressure for most intermediate and advanced students.

So, we have to teach our students practice techniques that will

As musicians and teachers, I would bet a LOT of money that there is not one single reader of this post who has not dealt with “performance anxiety” or “nerves” or “stage fright” (choose your favorite term). We have all dealt with it ourselves - as students, amateurs, or professionals - or as teachers working with students. 

But before we can really learn to deal with it, either for our own good or for that of our students, we must first understand what it is. We also need to be able to understand it well enough to explain it to our students and their parents, so that we all can recognize that the physical and mental reactions to the pressure of performance are normal and to be expected.

Today in our How To Teach Intermediate Piano Repertoire series we are looking at Bach’s Invention No.14 in B-flat Major. I prefer to use this one as a student’s second invention, after learning either No.1 in C Major or No.8 in F Major.

Today we’re talking about how to teach the first movement of the Sonata in G Major Op.49, No.2 by Ludwig van Beethoven. This is a “light” sonata with a bright, happy feel. In my opinion, this is the easiest Beethoven sonata movement. Click here for my blog post and video all about the EASIEST Beethoven Sonatas.

Today we’re talking about how to teach Watchman’s Song Op.12, No.3 by Edvard Grieg. This is an evocative piece from his larger set of Lyric Pieces.

Today we’re talking about how to teach Play, which is the fifth piece in Béla Bartók’s For Children Volume 1. This is a fun early intermediate piece with two very contrasting sections.

Today we’re talking about how to teach the Little Prelude in C Minor, BWV 934, by Johann Sebastian Bach. This is a beautiful piece that can help our students learn to play Baroque music expressively.

I have six things I do every time I help a student prepare for a recital, exam, festival, competition, or any other performance, no matter how formal or informal it is.

1. Choose appropriate repertoire,

Today we’re talking about how to teach the first Gymnopedie by Eric Satie. This is a beautiful piece that ranks in the top list of most-recognized piano pieces. To that end, I have included it in my curated listening list, Piano Pieces Every Piano Student Should Know. If you have not already downloaded that, please click here.

One thing that I could have stated more explicitly in the video is this:

Today we’re talking about how to teach the Crimson from Sketches in Color by Rober Starer. I’m also using this piece as a jumping off point for discussing mixed meter and asymmetrical meter. Be sure to watch or read to the end where I give my #1 piece of advice on teaching students music in the 20th century idiom with “unusual” sounds.

Should piano students memorize their repertoire?

This is a controversial question! I’m here to give you my answer after over 20 years of experience. However, I always encourage every teacher to adapt anything that I say to his or her individual context and teaching style, as well as to the individual student arriving for a lesson each week.

My short answer is yes. Continue reading or watch the video below to find out why.

Today we’re talking about how to teach the Little Prelude in C Major, BWV 939 by Johann Sebastian Bach. This is a grand, authoritative prelude that packs a lot of punch in just a few measures.