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Some constructive criticism
22 Sep 2017 15:53 #26951
by telu
Replied by telu on topic Some constructive criticism
Elena,
I'm not questioning your background. As a matter of fact, I probably know better than most Westerners that university education in "my second home country" (Ukraine) has a high standard. This is especially true for the mathematical sciences, but also for music. To be honest, I even have a PhD from a NIS/CIS country myself. People often ask me how I could be such a jackass (or even kamikaze pilot...) to enter aspirantura there when I already had my Master's degree with good grades from a good Western university. The main reason I did it was because I considered the benefits stemming from the quality of education (especially in mat. modelirovanie) to be higher than the costs of corruption and red tape.
[Here, it should be said that I certainly do not recommend any sane person from a rich Western country to study in Ukraine without having consular or political contacts beforehand, as I did. He or she will most likely be seen as a wandering wallet: extorted, blackmailed for bribes and "eaten alive" by faculties, departments and authorities.]
...which brings us to the point: Everything in this world - be it higher education in Ukraine or the Soft Mozart package - carry costs and benefits; advantages and disadvantages. Soft Mozart is a great system. Its biggests strength are the visuals, no doubt. The fact that it starts which solfeggio is also great. In many countries musical education doesn't start with solfeggio, which I think is bad.
But what I'm trying to say is the following: Gentle Piano would be the perfect system, even the ultimate one, if you could just add the finger notation feature in the software. If you did, the system would have everything. Therefore, for your own sake, I think this would be a very competitive and welcome improvement for many people. Without it, on the other hand, I personally would probably not be willing to extend my subscription for another three years when this one runs out.
The logic is as follows: In the Suzuki method, the parent plays the most important role when influencing the child how to play the piano. This is why Suzuki classes start with a course for parents, extending over a few months, before the child is even allowed to sit by the piano. As I understand it, this is your philosophy as well (Mozart and Leopold and all that...)? Here, I have to admit, I simply can't learn how to play the "higher" pieces in Gentle Piano (even some intermediate ones) without knowing which fingers to use. If I don't know this, then I won't be able to teach my child, and if my child doesn't show any progress because of this problem, then why should I pay for the software?
As for the keyboard issue: I personally think that the difference is enormous when playing on a digital piano with weighted ivory or wooden keys, and so does my daughter, obviously. Comparing such equipment with a cheap keyboard is like day and night. If a child plays on a cheap keyboard with plastic keys and bad sound/pitch that may even distort her ear for music for a few years and then switches to a good digital piano, I'm afraid it would be like a bad habit that might be difficult to wash away. (Here, I keep thinking about Suzuki's anecdote in "Nurtured by love" about the nightingales they train from birth in Japan: If the birds hear "bad" sounds they will sing badly themselves.)
Actually, I found a third issue with the SM educational program that I would like criticise as well (you may call me a stariy vorchun if you like...
): You teach children that "girls live on the black streets, boys live on the white streets". This you have adopted from Montessori. Or not. You see, the problem is that in Montessori, things are exactly the other way around: Girls live on the white streets. When my daughter, who attends a classical Montessori pre-school and has actually become a good flute/recorder player, was told that "Anna (A) lives on the second floor", which was white, she became quite confused. From Soft Mozart she had been told that the boys live there.
I doubled checked this with the Montessori teacher, who is probably one of the most experienced in my country, having worked as she has for over 40 years in traditional Montessori schools. And yes, that's the way it is taught. Therefore, my policy recommendation to you is that you simply change this, so that it would harmonize with the Montessori system.
I'm not questioning your background. As a matter of fact, I probably know better than most Westerners that university education in "my second home country" (Ukraine) has a high standard. This is especially true for the mathematical sciences, but also for music. To be honest, I even have a PhD from a NIS/CIS country myself. People often ask me how I could be such a jackass (or even kamikaze pilot...) to enter aspirantura there when I already had my Master's degree with good grades from a good Western university. The main reason I did it was because I considered the benefits stemming from the quality of education (especially in mat. modelirovanie) to be higher than the costs of corruption and red tape.
[Here, it should be said that I certainly do not recommend any sane person from a rich Western country to study in Ukraine without having consular or political contacts beforehand, as I did. He or she will most likely be seen as a wandering wallet: extorted, blackmailed for bribes and "eaten alive" by faculties, departments and authorities.]
...which brings us to the point: Everything in this world - be it higher education in Ukraine or the Soft Mozart package - carry costs and benefits; advantages and disadvantages. Soft Mozart is a great system. Its biggests strength are the visuals, no doubt. The fact that it starts which solfeggio is also great. In many countries musical education doesn't start with solfeggio, which I think is bad.
But what I'm trying to say is the following: Gentle Piano would be the perfect system, even the ultimate one, if you could just add the finger notation feature in the software. If you did, the system would have everything. Therefore, for your own sake, I think this would be a very competitive and welcome improvement for many people. Without it, on the other hand, I personally would probably not be willing to extend my subscription for another three years when this one runs out.
The logic is as follows: In the Suzuki method, the parent plays the most important role when influencing the child how to play the piano. This is why Suzuki classes start with a course for parents, extending over a few months, before the child is even allowed to sit by the piano. As I understand it, this is your philosophy as well (Mozart and Leopold and all that...)? Here, I have to admit, I simply can't learn how to play the "higher" pieces in Gentle Piano (even some intermediate ones) without knowing which fingers to use. If I don't know this, then I won't be able to teach my child, and if my child doesn't show any progress because of this problem, then why should I pay for the software?
As for the keyboard issue: I personally think that the difference is enormous when playing on a digital piano with weighted ivory or wooden keys, and so does my daughter, obviously. Comparing such equipment with a cheap keyboard is like day and night. If a child plays on a cheap keyboard with plastic keys and bad sound/pitch that may even distort her ear for music for a few years and then switches to a good digital piano, I'm afraid it would be like a bad habit that might be difficult to wash away. (Here, I keep thinking about Suzuki's anecdote in "Nurtured by love" about the nightingales they train from birth in Japan: If the birds hear "bad" sounds they will sing badly themselves.)
Actually, I found a third issue with the SM educational program that I would like criticise as well (you may call me a stariy vorchun if you like...
): You teach children that "girls live on the black streets, boys live on the white streets". This you have adopted from Montessori. Or not. You see, the problem is that in Montessori, things are exactly the other way around: Girls live on the white streets. When my daughter, who attends a classical Montessori pre-school and has actually become a good flute/recorder player, was told that "Anna (A) lives on the second floor", which was white, she became quite confused. From Soft Mozart she had been told that the boys live there.I doubled checked this with the Montessori teacher, who is probably one of the most experienced in my country, having worked as she has for over 40 years in traditional Montessori schools. And yes, that's the way it is taught. Therefore, my policy recommendation to you is that you simply change this, so that it would harmonize with the Montessori system.
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22 Sep 2017 18:15 - 22 Sep 2017 18:23 #26952
by hellene
Well, people can be extorted, blackmailed for bribes and 'eaten alive' in any field. The strongest will survive regardless.
You remind me a story about first cars. People opened the trunk checking for hidden horses. Yes, initially I was also under the impression that it is very needed feature. I was wrong. Fingering can be different for people of different age. The worst thing about it also is that it is 'Pandora box' for abuse. Teachers/parents have little to know understanding how skills are getting build and how attention span is being delivered, but they start pushing a beginner, especially child to use 'right fingers' to add more stress to his/her muscle system. After that people have phantom pains for life time (and I am not talking about scars on their self-esteem). Enough nonsense already! Beginners develop fingers management. It is natural process. The fingers management develops organically. Give me the numbers that your child gets after playing a song and I will tell you, is your child ready for this step.
The fact that I take payments for my method is not making me a sale person that want to win 'customers' by fulfilling their wishes or orders. Soft Mozart is scientific project and we do everything above and beyond to keep it this way. There are many 'methods' that will be happy to please you. Check them on YouTube and see how far they can go in teaching music and piano.
Suzuki method using parents, because they are unable to deliver results by their own teaching merrits. I was witnessing abuse among parents at home and chasing children with violins in class.
If you want to achieve your mastery as parent, you should learn piece and play it with teaching videos www.softmozart.com/forum/55-teaching-videos.html . You also have to follow my lesson plans and play a lot of exercises and scales to lay out the very foundation for your own fingers management. You don't need someone to control every step you make in your personal learning journey. In fact 'correct fingering' is very subjective thing.
You are not paying just for software - you are paying for your and your child's education. In our lesson plans we have all the subjects and curriculum that none of most prestigious schools have. Here is the Progress Diary of one of our student that learning for 4 years. She was following my lesson plans. What prevents you from doing the same and achieve the same results? Let me know, if she is skilled enough to teach to your opinion. www.softmozart.com/forum/2015-2015/18948...6-level-4.html#23565
The historical fact is that most of the composers before second part of XIX century played 'bad' not touch sensitive instruments. Bach, Mozart, Hayden even Schubert didn't have any idea, what fortepiano - real fortepiano with all the functions is. Here is the article about it. I hope you will find the answers to your questions in these historical facts: pianolearningsoftware.com/pages/acoustic...-or-digital-keyboard
Haha, you compare completely different things that have no common ground. Lines and spaces of Grand staff came from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guido_of_ArezzoGuido's fingers.
He showed choir's members line notes as his fingers and space between fingers. From that historical fact I took the idea for color coded line notes as red - blood and space notes in blue - space. Association with girls and boys stemed out from this creation that took place 1000 years ago. In fact in my Method you won't find any color or shape that hadn't been used in best practices of musicology. .
Oh, really? LOL
I will think about that, when I will decide to change my career. Montessori don't teach music literacy. We do
Back to the Mozart
Replied by hellene on topic Some constructive criticism
telu wrote: Elena,
I'm not questioning your background. As a matter of fact, I probably know better than most Westerners that university education in "my second home country" (Ukraine) has a high standard. This is especially true for the mathematical sciences, but also for music. To be honest, I even have a PhD from a NIS/CIS country myself. People often ask me how I could be such a jackass (or even kamikaze pilot...) to enter aspirantura there when I already had my Master's degree with good grades from a good Western university. The main reason I did it was because I considered the benefits stemming from the quality of education (especially in mat. modelirovanie) to be higher than the costs of corruption and red tape.
[Here, it should be said that I certainly do not recommend any sane person from a rich Western country to study in Ukraine without having consular or political contacts beforehand, as I did. He or she will most likely be seen as a wandering wallet: extorted, blackmailed for bribes and "eaten alive" by faculties, departments and authorities.]
Well, people can be extorted, blackmailed for bribes and 'eaten alive' in any field. The strongest will survive regardless.
...which brings us to the point: Everything in this world - be it higher education in Ukraine or the Soft Mozart package - carry costs and benefits; advantages and disadvantages. Soft Mozart is a great system. Its biggests strength are the visuals, no doubt. The fact that it starts which solfeggio is also great. In many countries musical education doesn't start with solfeggio, which I think is bad.
But what I'm trying to say is the following: Gentle Piano would be the perfect system, even the ultimate one, if you could just add the finger notation feature in the software. If you did, the system would have everything.
You remind me a story about first cars. People opened the trunk checking for hidden horses. Yes, initially I was also under the impression that it is very needed feature. I was wrong. Fingering can be different for people of different age. The worst thing about it also is that it is 'Pandora box' for abuse. Teachers/parents have little to know understanding how skills are getting build and how attention span is being delivered, but they start pushing a beginner, especially child to use 'right fingers' to add more stress to his/her muscle system. After that people have phantom pains for life time (and I am not talking about scars on their self-esteem). Enough nonsense already! Beginners develop fingers management. It is natural process. The fingers management develops organically. Give me the numbers that your child gets after playing a song and I will tell you, is your child ready for this step.
Therefore, for your own sake, I think this would be a very competitive and welcome improvement for many people. Without it, on the other hand, I personally would probably not be willing to extend my subscription for another three years when this one runs out.
The fact that I take payments for my method is not making me a sale person that want to win 'customers' by fulfilling their wishes or orders. Soft Mozart is scientific project and we do everything above and beyond to keep it this way. There are many 'methods' that will be happy to please you. Check them on YouTube and see how far they can go in teaching music and piano.
The logic is as follows: In the Suzuki method, the parent plays the most important role when influencing the child how to play the piano. This is why Suzuki classes start with a course for parents, extending over a few months, before the child is even allowed to sit by the piano. As I understand it, this is your philosophy as well (Mozart and Leopold and all that...)? Here, I have to admit, I simply can't learn how to play the "higher" pieces in Gentle Piano (even some intermediate ones) without knowing which fingers to use.
Suzuki method using parents, because they are unable to deliver results by their own teaching merrits. I was witnessing abuse among parents at home and chasing children with violins in class.
If you want to achieve your mastery as parent, you should learn piece and play it with teaching videos www.softmozart.com/forum/55-teaching-videos.html . You also have to follow my lesson plans and play a lot of exercises and scales to lay out the very foundation for your own fingers management. You don't need someone to control every step you make in your personal learning journey. In fact 'correct fingering' is very subjective thing.
If I don't know this, then I won't be able to teach my child, and if my child doesn't show any progress because of this problem, then why should I pay for the software?
You are not paying just for software - you are paying for your and your child's education. In our lesson plans we have all the subjects and curriculum that none of most prestigious schools have. Here is the Progress Diary of one of our student that learning for 4 years. She was following my lesson plans. What prevents you from doing the same and achieve the same results? Let me know, if she is skilled enough to teach to your opinion. www.softmozart.com/forum/2015-2015/18948...6-level-4.html#23565
As for the keyboard issue: I personally think that the difference is enormous when playing on a digital piano with weighted ivory or wooden keys, and so does my daughter, obviously. Comparing such equipment with a cheap keyboard is like day and night. If a child plays on a cheap keyboard with plastic keys and bad sound/pitch that may even distort her ear for music for a few years and then switches to a good digital piano, I'm afraid it would be like a bad habit that might be difficult to wash away. (Here, I keep thinking about Suzuki's anecdote in "Nurtured by love" about the nightingales they train from birth in Japan: If the birds hear "bad" sounds they will sing badly themselves.)
The historical fact is that most of the composers before second part of XIX century played 'bad' not touch sensitive instruments. Bach, Mozart, Hayden even Schubert didn't have any idea, what fortepiano - real fortepiano with all the functions is. Here is the article about it. I hope you will find the answers to your questions in these historical facts: pianolearningsoftware.com/pages/acoustic...-or-digital-keyboard
Actually, I found a third issue with the SM educational program that I would like criticise as well (you may call me a stariy vorchun if you like...
Haha, you compare completely different things that have no common ground. Lines and spaces of Grand staff came from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guido_of_ArezzoGuido's fingers.
He showed choir's members line notes as his fingers and space between fingers. From that historical fact I took the idea for color coded line notes as red - blood and space notes in blue - space. Association with girls and boys stemed out from this creation that took place 1000 years ago. In fact in my Method you won't find any color or shape that hadn't been used in best practices of musicology. .
I doubled checked this with the Montessori teacher, who is probably one of the most experienced in my country, having worked as she has for over 40 years in traditional Montessori schools. And yes, that's the way it is taught. Therefore, my policy recommendation to you is that you simply change this, so that it would harmonize with the Montessori system.
Oh, really? LOL
I will think about that, when I will decide to change my career. Montessori don't teach music literacy. We do
Back to the Mozart
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