Gordon Harvey, Author at Simply Music

Gordon is a busy father of two, musician and Simply Music stalwart from Melbourne, Australia. He is a composer and performer of eclectic music with his band Aquiline, a Simply Music Master Teacher, member of the Simply Music Council, blogger and tireless contributor to The Playground, long-time friend of Neil Moore, and even longer-time music tragic.

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Performance Coach Dr Don Greene Interview with Gordon Harvey

Dr Don Greene was an elite-level sports psychologist before discovering that the issues faced by top musicians were really a lot like those of sports people. Since then he has worked with musicians from major orchestras and the Juilliard School among many others, coaching them…

Written by Gordon Harvey on Jun 27, 2013

How Music Works by David Byrne – Book Review

Let me say from the outset that David Byrne is one of my all-time heroes. I may not have pursued music at all without the revelations that were Remain in Light and My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. From his early career in Talking Heads through his…

Written by Gordon Harvey on Mar 27, 2013

Are You a Musician?

I spend a lot of time investigating online articles about music and its role, and which examine our musicality. In many cases they may be discussing research, which usually serves to confirm that we are innately musical, but I often find the comments left by…

Written by Gordon Harvey on Jul 29, 2012
coaching, gordon harvey, music, musician, performance, piano, simply music, the playground

Playing for Others

Who likes to perform in front of others? I don’t see many hands up. It seems like there’s a rare breed of person who just loves an audience, and the rest of us recoil in terror at the prospect. You’ve probably experienced the feeling –…

Written by Gordon Harvey on May 30, 2012
chopin, coaching, gordon harvey, learning, lessons, music, performance, piano, playing, simply music, the playground

The Musical Brain – Documentary Review & This is Your Brain on Music – Book Review

Documentary Review by Elizabeth Gaikwad The Musical Brain – Writer/director Christina Pochmursky, producer Vanessa Dylyn, Matter of Fact Media For me this is one of the most interesting documentaries made about the scientific evidence that music and emotions are fundamentally wired into the brains of…

Written by Gordon Harvey on May 30, 2012
book review, books, Elizabeth Gaikwad, gordon harvey, media, music education, piano, piano movies, simply music

Learn Four Chord Songs

I remember hiring a car on a holiday a few years ago. We could only tune the radio to one station, playing popular music, and as the songs cycled by, I started to realize that maybe a third of them featured the same four chords,…

Written by Gordon Harvey on Apr 8, 2012
chords, learn, music, piano, simply music, songs, teach, the playground

Why Music Moves Us by Jeanette Bicknell – Book Review

Just recently, I had the pleasure of attending a concert of the Australian Art Orchestra featuring Paul Kelly and his songs, arranged by Paul Grabowsky. Australian readers might know enough to see the exciting possibilities of that combination – others will just have to hope…

Written by Gordon Harvey on Jul 20, 2011

A New Kind Of Piano

The piano’s exact birth date is lost in the haze of history. All we know is that it was invented by the Italian harpsichord maker Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700. He developed his new music machine to overcome the limitations of the keyboard instruments…

Written by Gordon Harvey on Sep 20, 2010
create, gordon harvey, learn, music, piano, playing, simply music, Stuart & Sons, the playground

Trainee	A 'Trainee' Simply Music Teacher is the first level of teacher status. Trainees have begun their journey into the Simply Music Teacher Training Program however, they have yet to finalize their training and elevate to Licensed status.
Licensed Teacher	A 'Licensed' Simply Music Teacher is the second level of teacher status. Licensed Simply Music Teachers have fulfilled the requirements for completing their Initial Teacher Training Program. Inquire with them to find out when and if they are ready to teach.
Certified Teacher	A 'Certified' Simply Music Teacher is the third level of teacher status. Certified Simply Music Teachers have successfully completed the Simply Music Certification process as well as other requirements needed to become Certified. This includes having taught Foundation Levels 1, 2, and 3 as well as all applicable Special Programs (Composition & Improvisation, Arrangements, and Accompaniment 1). Certified Teachers present the Simply Music Programs exclusively to their beginning students, and they have shown that they follow our carefully-designed curriculum authentically.
Advanced Teacher	An 'Advanced' Simply Music Teacher is the fourth level of teacher status. Advanced status is only achieved after being a Certified Teacher for at least 4 years and teaching students through Foundation Level 9 plus all associated Special Programs (Composition & Improvisation, Arrangements, the Accompaniment Programs, the Reading Programs, Blues & Improvisation, and Jazz Clues). An Advanced Simply Music Teacher has demonstrated that they are an educator with a high degree of experience. Advanced Teachers present the Simply Music Programs exclusively to their beginning students, and they have shown that they follow our carefully-designed curriculum authentically.
Master Teacher	'Master' Simply Music Teacher is an honorary position and the highest status level that can be achieved. It is offered by Simply Music's founder, Neil Moore, to members of the organization who have demonstrated, over an extended period of time, that they are teachers who possess exemplary skills and qualities. They are mentors and a model to their fellow Simply Music Teachers and are considered leaders in our teaching community.