Guest Writer: Suzan Pleva

Author: admin

21 Jul

A big welcome to today’s guest writer, Suzan Pleva, of www.melodypiano.net and www.melodypiano.blogspot.com!

Hello Everyone! I feel so privileged; Rebecca gave me the honor of inviting me to guest post today! I need to let everyone know how exiting this invitation was for me. I knew that this meant that I would be getting lots of great advice and feedback from fellow colleagues.

I would first like to introduce myself. My name is Suzan Pleva. I am new to the piano teaching world. I began teaching piano lessons in February, so it’s been a little less than a half of a year for me now. I am not sure what happened, one day, something just “clicked” in my head. I love working with children, I love to teach, I love the piano. Why not put them together! This is what I did. I am now proud to say that I am the owner/Instructor at Melody Piano!

I have played the piano for 17 years now. I am classically trained. I would have to say that my forte is my ear for music. I have always had a passion for the piano. I am not sure what it is, I just get this wonderful feeling when I can play my heart out. I was the kid that WANTED to practice everything that I could to get better.

Today, one of my students (11 year old) was having trouble with her hand structure and seemed as though she couldn’t keep her body straight when doing her scales. When she finished her F major scale, I said to her, “Do you ever play video games?” “Yes”, she said. “Me too” I told her. “It’s so funny how I always want to move with the character on the screen, if he needs to go left, I lean left. If he needs to turn right, I move my body and the controller to the right! LOL!” I told her. You should have seen me, I must have looked like a fool. I stood up and was acting out everything that I was saying. She was laughing, “I do that too!” I said, “You know what’s really funny about it, I always think about how no matter how much I move my body, it’s not going to affect my video game character a bit. The only thing that matters is what is going on with the controller.” I then directed this analogy towards the piano, elaborated a bit more than that, but she totally got it! I was AMAZED! She immediately improved! At the end of lesson, I always go over our “What to work on this week” sheet. I told her, “When it comes to hand structure and posture, think video games!” I even wrote that on her sheet. She responded to this really well!

Now, some questions:

1. What would you say was the best financial investment you have made in your career as a piano instructor?

2. As a new teacher, how long do you think that I should wait to have my first recital? When did you have your first? Any helpful tips for me when I get to this point?

3. What is the best scheduling device/planner that you have come across? Do you prefer to create your own? What accommodates your scheduling techniques best? Are you an organized instructor?

4. What do you use for a timer for your lessons? Are you subtle about it? Do you prefer for a ringer to go off for both you and your student to hear when your lesson is finished?

5. I am an independent instructor. Have students both come to me, and I travel. If you are also a traveling teacher, what is your policy on this?

I hope that you visit Melody Piano’s home; www.melodypiano.net. I would love for you to sign my guestbook! I look forward to hearing great advice, and meeting more fellow piano teachers!

I think that we should all give Rebecca a big round of applause for bringing us all together here too!

Suzan Pleva Melody Piano “Understanding is key!”www.melodypiano.net

If you would like to write a guest post for Piano Teacher’s Retreat, please email Rebecca at pianoteacherblog{at}yahoo{dot}com.

Filed under: Guest Posts

4 Responses for "Guest Writer: Suzan Pleva"

Mindy July 22nd, 2009 at 10:10 pm 1
Not exactly sure where to leave my thoughts on the guest post, but here goes…
1. Absolutely #1 hands-down- invest in your local music teachers association. What you gain in your blog is wonderful, but when you need a shoulder to cry on, a kick in the pants, or a pat on the shoulder, your local association will provide this for you. The best teachers are always learning and MTNA provides one of the best resources for “continuing education”.
3. Get organized! It will help you function better and looks great to the “customer”. Take a summer and revamp if you have to.
4. I don’t have a timer. I have a clock clearly visible from my vantage point. The lesson is over when I say its over.
6. HAVE FUN! Music making is a wonderful thing and I love teaching and try to communicate that to my students. Good luck!!
Suzan Pleva July 26th, 2009 at 8:29 pm 2
Hello Mindy!

Thanks so much for the advice. I really appreciate your input!
Dana July 30th, 2009 at 9:13 pm 3
Hi again, Suzan — we met at the Piano Teaching Forum (online)!

1. The BEST INVESTMENT I EVER MADE was Finale — the music-writing program. It accelerated what I love doing best, turning out arrangements of music for my students, chord charts, exercise sheets. Don’t know what I’d do without it.

2. Baby songs are okay. Simple songs can be beautiful if they are played well. Have a recital when your students have 2 – 3 songs polished, and no two kids are playing the same piece! (I’ve broken that rule a number of times…) Parents like to see their children perform… it looks like their dollars at work! Drill the students on stage presence, and it won’t matter that they are beginners.

3. To organize my schedule, I use my own blank spreadsheet template from a Microsoft Works Excel – type program. I start with blank cells, and fill in the name, phone numbers, and address of each student. When schedules change each year, it’s easy to copy and paste from one cell to another.

4. Like Mindy, the lesson’s done when I say it’s done. I have a big clock on the wall, not too easy for the student to glimpse.

5. I hated travelling — haven’t done it since before I had kids (a long time ago!. If students are in a bad mood, they aren’t quite as polite in their own homes as they are in my studio, I think. A couple of times I felt like a servant in the house — won’t do that again.

Thanks for the guest interview!

Dana
Suzan Pleva August 1st, 2009 at 11:51 am 4
Hello Dana!

It’s nice to hear from you! I will definitely have to check this program out. From what you say, it does sound like a good investment. I think that we are on the same page about when to have my first recital. I can’t wait for this to happen. I know what you mean about students playing the same piece! I remember this happening when I was taking lessons! I remember how exited I was to play my piece when I was about 13. The next years recital, another boy played the same thing, and I will NEVER forget it. I wouldn’t want this to happen with my students.

I actually let them pick their main peices. This seems to help them work harder on them. I have also noticed that there is a much larger sense of self accomplishment when they do have their peices polished. I actually just recently had one of my new students pick the same piece as another one of my students. I did let her know about this. She was still okay with it. I will definitely make sure that when it comes to a recital, they will play different things though. People are unique; their talent should be showcased in the same manner. I also told my other student that she picked the same piece. I asked her to play it for her at our next lessons (which seemed to work out great because their lessons are back to back). She was VERY happy about this. They both were really. So all is well and every one is on the same page. No surprises.

I appreciate your and Mindy’s feedback on “The lessons done when I say it’s done”. I completely get this. I am just a very “chatty” person and need to work on my timing. An hour lesson can easily turn into an hour and a half with Miss Suzie, LOL!

The idea of using a spreadsheet of your own template is a wonderful idea. I will be looking into this for sure.

Thanks again Dana! It was nice to hear your input!

Suzan