Soo Ji Lee is a CIM graduate student currently studying piano pedagogy with Dr. Sean Schulze. The following is an article she co-authored with NEOMTA's board. Many students never optimize their ability to memorize music. This is significant. Memory lapses often serve as students' chief source of stage fright, directly contributing to pianists crumbling under the pressure of live performances. Beyond this, the ability to memorize well is intimately linked with the ability to learn music beyond a rote level. Memorization of music is divided into two subcategories—“muscle memory” and “mental memory.” The former may be attained by sheer repetition, but the latter benefits only in a limited way from it. Moreover, muscle memory is affected by nerves, but mental memory is less so. What are some ways to attain mental memory of a piece? Some suggestions are listed below. Help students divide and conquer. Chunk the music into short segments that "fit in the mind," rather than trying to memorize large amounts of music at once. A segment may be as short as a couple of notes, or as long as a measure. Different students may need to work though different segmentations, but the goal is the same: students should actively work to know the contents of each measure of music, in addition to merely being able to play from rote. Help students practice individual hands (especially the left hand). This is related to the above point. Many students can actively visualize the notes of a single hand but struggle to "fit" both hands" in the mind. Analyze the music together! An excellent question to ask students is: "why is this part easy?" If the student can explain the ideas and patterns that hold a passage together, they have "fit" the idea "in the mind." Another excellent question is: "why is this part hard?" This question encourages students to identify the points of a passage that they have not yet "fit in the mind." Emphasize preparation over execution. Students often value playing through a passage correctly, but rarely value being able to stay ahead mentally as they play that passage. A mental preparation consists of two parts—specific knowledge of specific material, and actively recalling that knowledge in time. Encourage students to practice thinking ahead during tricky sections! (Slow practice is especially important when practicing mental preparations.) Encourage students to practice performing (including bowing etc.). Students who practice performing feel more secure at live performances than students who do not. Do you have tips and tricks to help students with memory/security? We'd love to read your thoughts.

Lydia Yu is a CIM graduate student currently studying piano pedagogy with Dr. Sean Schulze. The following is an article she co-authored with NEOMTA's board. In many ways, a piano teacher's effectiveness is determined by their ability to instill good practice habits. Since students spend far more time practicing than sitting in lesson, it may be argued that the primary job of piano teachers is to teach students to practice well! Below, we list some main concepts to consider in our efforts as educators to improve a pupil's practice experience. 1. Teach a mindset that emphasizes awareness over automatic repetition. (See Soo Ji's discussion topic about secure and effective memorization.) Unless taught otherwise, most students default to repeating their pieces endlessly. Encourage students to actively target problems when practicing. 2. Break up routines by suggesting diverse practice activities, such as metronome work, practicing different rhythm groupings, setting up different "starting spots," blocking out harmonies and structures, score-study, different musical games, and so on. Some students benefit from explicit instruction. For these students, it may be beneficial to introduce a practice notebook and assign specific weekly goals and activities. 3. Use performance opportunities as sources of motivation. Students often practice better when a recital is upcoming! 4. Finally, encouragement and reward are quite important. As stated previously, impending performances can serve as motivation but may also cause stress. Other ways to encourage practice include: physical rewards such as stickers, toys or treats for younger students; practice goals (a calendar with stickers has worked wonders for many teachers); conversations about how practice went during a previous week. Encourage students to discuss challenges they faced during practice sessions! It is always good to let them know that you are thinking from their perspective. How do you help your students practice well? Please share your secrets and thoughts below with NEOMTA!

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