Micek Music

-- My teaching schedule for the month of October will be interrupted. -- The Certificate of Merit 2010-2011 cycle is about to ramp up. During the first week of October I will distribute a handout regarding C.M. to students/parents who I think the program can benefit. -- The  Ear Power  song for the months of October 2010 is: "Bulletproof" by La Roux -- I think it's worth reminding my students that once we reach the end of a month's work on the Ear Power  songs I invest my time in transcribing and notating the music. Archives of these songs - includes September's selection, "Live Like We're Dying" by Kris Allen - can be found in pdf format on my main website here . And yes, again I remind you : -- I have opened a new teaching studio at my home in Castro Valley and am teaching from home weekly, every Wednesday and Thursday. If you know anyone who lives in the C.V. area and is interested in piano lessons, do encourage them to contact me - I am s...

The  Ear Power  song for the months of September 2010 *was*: "Live Like We're Dying" by Kris Allen No, I'm not putting an end to this program, but in future months I will cease posting weekly (or bi-weekly) updates on our progress learning the "Ear Power" song of the month. I'm looking to diminish my workload. In all truth, if participating students are on top of things they will be fully equipped to keep track of the progress themselves. Meanwhile, several students ask me again and again, "What's the Ear Power song for next month??". And every time I respond the same way: "Be patient, and it shall be revealed." It's always posted on the front page of my website on the first of the month. Have a happy day, Jesse

Arthur Russell was a fascinating man who wholly  devoted himself to his chosen work: music. He faced personal tragedies and  obstacles along the way but never strayed from his quest for  musical perfection. Very cool to witness footage of the guy  performing, singing and accompanying himself on his cello. Prior  to his premature death he dipped his toes into every genre of  music imaginable: country, punk, classical, & disco. Despite never  receiving wide acclaim during his lifetime, his music lives on in  the shape of the thousands of recordings he left behind.  **This  amazing thumb piano rendition of  Russell's song "A Little Lost" by Swedish musician Jens Lekman is in the Extra features on the DVD. It is a remarkable performance. 

Here is an excerpt from an article written by a music teacher in Bakersfield, CA. She entitled it " Why Music? ": I often hear from parents about your frustration in having to constantly remind your children to practice.  As my Mom says, here you are trying to steer these young lives into beneficial directions, but they all have their own motors!  So it’s easy to begin to question if it’s all worth it.  Well, here are some things to consider. Diligent practice of music will make your children prosperous…successful in life.  To support this idea, think for a moment about the requirements of successful music practice.  To be successful you must: 1. Be willing to work hard. 2. Be faithful on a consistent basis, even when you don’t feel like it. 3. Pay attention to details - not skipping over things. 4. Have the ability to work on your own and not rely on others. 5. Use your creativity to solve problems (i.e. tricky fingerings or new interpretations) 6. Be pers...

We piano teachers pursue our chosen career for a variety of reasons, one of which is the autonomy the work offers. As self-employed business owners, we don't have to answer to anyone! Right? Well... this is not so when you are a member of the MTAC. This morning's meeting was mandatory. Then in the spring every active member is required to commit a full day working an assigned job for the CM Exams. Draconian punishments are threatened if either of these requirements are not met. All this is fine. I recognize the pros and cons of being an MTAC member. I'm willing to put in the necessary time.  The new president of our branch is very soft-spoken and this leads to many teachers being disrespectful and chatting incessantly while she tries to address the room. This behavior is so childish. Anyone who occupies a position on the board does so as a volunteer and receives minimal pay, if any. So the least we can do is give them our attention for a few minutes. Some things are pre...

Everyone is obsessed with something. Joe Bussard's obsession happens to be collecting old 78 records. His enthusiasm is infectious. This documentary is simple: it is an invitation to hang out in Joe's basement and listen to him expounding the virtues of his mammoth collection of rare sides.  In the words of Neil Young: Are You Passionate?

From a 9/6/10 post on a Music Teachers' blog by Chris Foley entitled " Building Practice Habits That Work ": As music teachers, how can we help our students to take advantage of these techniques and create more effective practice habits? 1.  Changing locations . This might be a bit difficult for piano students, but is remarkably easy for just about every other instrument. Getting students to practice in different locations within their house might be a way to create a constantly changing learning environment, whether they’re in the living room, basement or their bedroom. The effectiveness of this technique will come as no surprise to university students, who are used to constantly changing quarters in their frantic daily quest for a practice room. 2.  Alternating activities within one session . Most teachers probably teach this way already, carefully budgeting their teaching time between repertoire, technique, ear training, sight reading, and theory. However, it would ...

A highly emotional, filmed reunion of the singular musicians who crafted the "Motown Sound". Informative interviews and group banter are intercut with performance footage, and the balance of these two elements is just right. Unfortunately some of the guest vocalists are less than stellar, but Chaka Khan redeems them all with a tremendous reading of Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On".

-- I will  not  be teaching on  Monday, September 6 (Labor Day) , or on Tuesday, September 7 . Besides those 2 days, my teaching schedule for September will be interrupted. -- The  Ear Power  song for the months of September 2010 is: "Live Like We're Dying" by Kris Allen And once more : -- I have opened a new teaching studio at my home in Castro Valley and will be teaching from home weekly, every Wednesday and Thursday. If you know anyone who lives in the C.V. area and is interested in piano lessons, do encourage them to contact me - I am now accepting new students! My bio can be found  here , and I can be reached by email at  jessemicek@yahoo.com . Have a happy day, Jesse