Christmas Ornaments
Posted by: austinmusicteacher on: December 4, 2009
As a seasonal business, I create entirely handmade ornaments from wood. The wide variety of styles are personalized with names, dates, and more. When I heard the DJ’s on Majic 95.5 talking about their love of ornaments, I called to offer a couple of mine for their collection. Yesterday I went by the studio to deliver them, and was overwhelmed with their enthusiasm and gratitude. Today I am on Kim Stewart’s blog with a photo and mention of my website.
A couple of my music ornaments are below, but there are many more. Please contact me for more photos and info.
“She makes these by hand and it’s just so awesome. Thanks Marty!! ”
Student and Parent Testimonials
Posted by: austinmusicteacher on: July 12, 2009
I welcome and encourage comments from current and former students. Suggestions will only create a better program.
Marty McAllister teaches private piano to many of my students. They all LOVE her, not because she is easy on them. She actually teaches young students how to play the piano, not just practice exercises. I am proud to say I HIGHLY recommend Marty! Melody A. Long Music Specialist Bryker Woods Elementary School Austin, Texas
Marty is a wonderful piano teacher! She teaches theory and technique with a nice mix of classical music and enough stuff to keep my two children interested. She is encouraging and demanding at the same time and my children adore her. Whenever my kids play, people inquire about their teacher—a compliment to Marty. Carol Brookhart
We have been taking lessons with Marty for 3 years. She is patient and enthusiastic and can adapt her teaching style to all different personality types. A true professional. Holly Wiese
Computer Enhanced Learning
Posted by: austinmusicteacher on: June 6, 2009
The computer learning options included in my studio are games to enhance concepts, timed note flash cards games, and the Sibelius program, which has many options for composition, editing, notation and listening, beginning through advanced capabilities.
Improvisation
Posted by: austinmusicteacher on: June 4, 2009
Not every student wants to explore improvisaton but for those who do, there is ample material included in my curriculum to learn the basics of chord progressions, 12 bar blues patterns, and individual compositional techiniques. Building skills through a step by step process learning of rhythm, theory, harmony and melody enables students to create original compositions. Using the Sibelius computer program, the compositions are able to be transferred to the computer and printed in a professional sheetmusic format.
Tags: 12 bar blues, chord progressions, composition, harmony, Improvisation
Photo Gallery
Posted by: austinmusicteacher on: June 1, 2009
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Private Lessons
Posted by: austinmusicteacher on: May 12, 2009
Individual lessons are 30 minutes for young children, 45 minutes for older children and adults. Hour lessons are also available. During each lesson, the following catagories will be covered. Arpeggios, scales, review of assigned pieces, introduction of new material, a theory lesson, and tips for improving and polishing performance pieces. Aspects of music history are included when helpful with reference to current material. The amount of information in each catagory varies with the skill level.
Music Expressions Classes
Posted by: austinmusicteacher on: May 12, 2009
Music Expressions classes include a complimentary variation in musical experience. Each class is 90 minutes long, with students grouped into the following catagories: ages 5-6, ages 7-8. and ages 9-10. Each class has a piano/keyboard learning experience, a story told of a composer or music history example, a related listening example, an art activity to compliment the story and listening example, and an improvisational exercise. The degree of difficulty varies with the age appropriate group of students. Each student will finish a notebook of material completed during the 5 or 10 sessions.
The next series of classes will be held during the morning hours and will form as the demand increases. The age levels and lesson curriculum will remain very much the same. Home schoolers and kindergarteners are encouraged to add this activity to their learning experience. I will be posting curriculum synopsis soon.
History of Music
Posted by: austinmusicteacher on: January 6, 2009
Music is found in every known culture, past and present, varying wildly between times and places. Scientists now believe that modern humans emerged from Africa 160,000 years ago. Around 50,000 years ago these humans began to disperse from Africa reaching all the habitable continents. Since all people of the world, including the most isolated tribal groups, have a form of music, scientists conclude that music must have been present in the ancestral population prior to the dispersal of humans around the world. Consequently music must have been in existence for at least 50,000 years and the first music must have been invented in Africa and then evolved to become a fundamental constituent of human life.[1]
A culture’s music is influenced by all other aspects of that culture, including social and economic organization and experience, climate, and access to technology. The emotions and ideas that music expresses, the situations in which music is played and listened to, and the attitudes toward music players and composers all vary between regions and periods. “Music history” is the distinct subfield of musicology and history which studies music (particularly western art music) from a chronological perspective.
Music Literature has continually evolved throughout history, with particular changes making themselves evident through the division of music periods. Following the Rennaissance, the musical periods are as follows: Baroque 1600 – 1750, Classical 1750 – 1825, Romantic 1825 – 1900, and Contemporary 1900 – present. Each of these periods are covered in the piano literature I present to my students, with explanations of the stylistic trends and relationship to other art forms from the same time frame.
Intro to Piano 1
Posted by: austinmusicteacher on: January 6, 2009
I use the Faber method primarily for beginning students. The Piano Adventures is successful with very young children, ages 4 to 6. It comes with a CD which helpful for home practice. Having attended a workshop with Randall Faber has enabled me to better utilize the materials presented by this talented and creative resource.
Supplimentary materials are widely varied, such as Bastien’s “Piano Literature” series, Gillock’s series of solos, Mier’s supplimentary books, FJH Celebration series, FJH “In Recital: Jazz, Blues, & Rags,” and many more. I also use several online sites to print free sheet music or buy music online. Especially teenage students have special requests that are often able to be satisfied with online sites.
