The Playground
The Simply Music blog
Having the ‘Blues’ Never Felt So Good – Piano Tutorial
From their earliest lessons, Simply Music students know how fun and easy it is to get into real, authentic-sounding blues piano pieces.They also learn that there are lots of ways to vary and develop their first blues projects with cool extra touches. Actually, if you…
Doing Simple Things Well – Part 1
My teenage son makes an awesome cup of coffee. He bought himself a ’70s percolator and spent a considerable time experimenting with different techniques, grinds, brewing times and who knows what else. Now that he’s got his chops down, it’s almost as rewarding for me…
Simply Music Gateway – Opening Musical Doors For Everyone
We are overjoyed to finally make the Simply Music Gateway Program available to Simply Music Teachers and their students. In this post Karen Nisenson, its creator (along with Neil Moore) talks about the benefits of musical self-expression for those with special needs. Imagine that you…
DJ Sasha – From the Booth to the Barbican
Sasha is one of the most successful and respected DJs and electronic music producers in the world. A multiple award winner and Grammy nominee, he has performed worldwide to huge audiences and remixed artists like Madonna, Seal and Hot Chip. So what does this have…
About Lead Sheets
Very early in their learning experience, Simply Music students are introduced to chord accompaniments through songs like Amazing Grace, following written chord symbols represented by alphabetical letters. What they won’t realize at that point is how many applications there are for chords. The seeds…
A Team Effort – from Neil Moore
Some of my earliest memories are centered around the piano. I have an older sister and three older brothers, the eldest being only 7 years older than me. As each of the boys turned 7 years old we began piano lessons. It was one…
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 –…
A New Groove for Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace is a beautiful song. And, as is apparent from Neil’s introduction of it in both the foundation materials (Levels 1 and 2) as well as in the variations, it’s also a wonderful tool for learning! In the next several issues of the…
Walk Before You Run
How many things can you think of that have nasty side effects? Medicines. Technologies. Political policies. Even just things we’ve said or done to people we know. How many times have you been thrust into a role or responsibility you weren’t ready for? How many…
The Art of Coaching
The term “Coaching” brings many things to mind but perhaps the most common is the image of a professional sports coach—like Vince Lombardi or soccer coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. Professional sports coaches train athletes to perform at their very best. They spend time each day…