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Re-Invigorating Popular Piano (and making lessons more fun!)

November 2009

Christopher Norton Seminar: Re-Invigorating Popular Piano

• expanding your repertoire
• learning to listen
• beginning to improvise

Christopher Norton, composer, producer, arranger, educationalist

Thursday 10 December 2009, 10.00 - 1.30pm
St Luke's Church, 130 Remuera Rd, Auckland, New Zealand

Presented by the Auckland branch of the IRMT.

For further information or a registration form, please contact Elizabeth Calvert by telephone (09) 630 3803 or email eacauckland@clear.net.nz

We teachers are always looking for ways to stimulate our students, be it through different approaches to the learning process or through the choice of music. The challenge that teachers often face is to find quality music that has instant appeal yet is based on sound classical techniques. Christopher Norton has provided us with a vast array of music that does just that. In the seminar on 10 December Christopher will focus on the worth of using contemporary styles that the students know, like and relate to, in developing a traditional pianistic skill set on which they can build. The concept of using “the music of the day” is not new: Bach taught his sons through the use of contemporary music: little Wolfgang and Nannerl tripped around Europe playing little “ditties’ of the day.

The first session in the seminar will be an introduction to Christopher Norton's new piano course, American Popular Piano. This series is designed to make lessons more fun, motivate the student to practice, encourage creativity through improvisation and introduce them to the joys of ensemble playing through duets and CD backings that accompany pieces at every level. It is a graded series and the albums focus on different skills: repertoire, technique, the development of aural and sight reading skills and improvisation.

The issue of improvisation is often quite daunting for classically trained musicians but American Popular Piano promises a user-friendly, easy approach that will achieve performance level outcomes. The “how-to” and the “why” is covered and all will be revealed in the seminar.

The second session will focus on the Microjazz series and will demonstrate how teachers can make better use of this unique series in their teaching. Apart from the obvious pleasure that students get from playing “popular” styles, the spin-offs are enormous. Because Christopher has a “traditional” musical background himself, the series aims for a sound “traditional” technique but added to that is the development of a strong rhythmic sense, good co-ordination skills and the sheer pleasure of profitable practice.

Learn more about the Community of St Luke in Auckland.