The Ballads, Songs & Vignettes (BSV) Collection [Part 10]

Found in: Miscellany & Merriment, Neil Moore

In the BSV series, each video will have a description, written by Neil–some of them are brief and some are longer. To watch the introduction, read the first installment in this series “The Ballads, Songs, & Vignettes Collection [Intro]”

Song #16: “Moonlight”

“Moonlight” is simply a mood piece – quite simple to learn, and very simple to teach. It’s one of the last pieces students learn in our Foundation Program, and although it is very simple to read, it does require a certain sensitivity to play in a meaningful way. Rhythmically, its ‘cycle of 3’ is influenced by Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”, but other than that it bears no resemblance whatsoever to the Beethoven piece.
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For me, I’m attracted to the mood of night and I like the energy of evening. This piece touches on that. I like the tension of this piece, and I like that it’s played slowly. It asks for patience. From a teaching perspective, separate from the value of playing the piece itself, it provided me with an opportunity to talk to children about the nature of patience, what ‘patience’ means to them, and how it’s a valuable quality to discover and nurture.

Song #17: “In My Eyes”

As simple as it is, “In My Eyes” is close to my heart.

Decades ago I was teaching a wonderful, 5yo student. His name was Chester. Chester was a delightful boy to teach – he was curious, intense, very smart and very naturally connected to his innate musicianship. He also could be easily distracted, and would shift his intense attention from one thing to the next. On one particular day, I was trying to get his attention and focus, and I said to him, “Chester, stay with me, look me in the eye. What do you see?” Chester shifted his focus onto me, looked me straight in the eyes, held my gaze for several seconds, and then, with a surprised look on his face, he said, “I can see me!”

I thought for a moment, then actually laughed out loud at this when I realized what he was saying. Chester had looked at me and had literally seen his own reflection in my eyes. I thought it was such a funny thing. But then I thought that this could be a simple metaphor for who we all are, and who we all could be for each other.”

Later that same day, I sat down and composed this little vignette. This tiny piece is so simple in its C-scale structure, and has only two or three notes falling together at any time. It’s a fun and easy piece to teach, and over the decades students around the world have loved to learn and play it.

In this rendition, I play the first cycle through (which is what we teach to our beginning students), then I play a second cycle, with Destiny providing the vocals. In the 2nd cycle I’m underscoring the piece with some slightly more advanced chords.

IN MY EYES
In your eyes I can see
Just a little part of me
But we don’t look the same
As each other

In my eyes I can see
Just as clearly as can be
That we’re all a part
Of one big family

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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.
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