These teacher support workshops will explore the marking criteria and how to use this to develop musical understanding, connecting theory with practice. Teachers will be able to watch and mark some videos of musical performances. ARSM is suitable for musicians, of any age, who would like something to work towards after Grade 8. Candidates must have already passed ABRSM Grade 8 Practical or a listed alternative in the instrument they want to take ARSM in. We accept Grade 8 qualifications from some other exam boards.
Hopefully many of you are familiar the wealth of great resources for piano teachers on the web, but you’ve probably also realised that there is a lot of rubbish out there! Here is a list of my top picks on the web.
Firstly if you’re teaching in Victoria, Australia, make sure you are signed up to receive AMUSE emails by entering your email address on AMUSE. This will keep you in the loop with all the best PD, conferences, jobs, etc., much of which doesn’t get advertised any other way.
FORUMS FOR TEACHERS:
- The Inner Circle, my own members-only community for piano teachers, featuring one of the most vibrant forums on the net. Forget the distractions and cat videos, just get the answers, support and content you need in one place.
- PianoWorldForums – Great forum for piano teachers to post or respond to questions. Includes forums about pianos, digital pianos, etc. and those for adult learners, performers, etc. – great for advanced and adult students.
- ABRSM Exam Forums – Even if you don’t teach the ABRSM syllabus, this is a forum worth checking every couple of weeks.
- PianoStreet – Lots of different topics and another great resource for sheet music.
BLOGS:
- http://elissamilne.wordpress.com/ – Elissa Milne is a NSW-based composer and teacher well-known for her enthusiastic presentations and witty blog entries. Well worth subscribing to.
- http://practisingthepiano.com/ – fantastic blog by UK teacher Graham Fitch.
- http://crosseyedpianist.wordpress.com/– blog from another great UK piano teacher, Fran Wilson.
- http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/author/stephenhough/ – Stephen Hough writes a witty blog for The Telegraph and is an accomplished concert pianist.
- http://colorinmypiano.com/– well worth subscribing. Jo shares HEAPS of great resources and ideas.
FACEBOOK:
- Australian Piano Teachers’ Music Hub – Great resource from Hal Leonard for Australian Teachers
- Classical Music Humour – funny stuff
- Music Bumblebees – good general interest, especially for teachers of young children
SHEET MUSIC – FREE CLASSICAL:
- IMSLP – just about every piece of classical music ready to download. Best resource for out-of-copyright music.
SHEET MUSIC/BOOKS – PRINTED:
- Book Depository – free worldwide delivery. Fast too. Highly recommended as it’s cheaper and much faster than Amazon. Best online bookstore by far.
- Amazon – The everything store. Says it all, right?! Heaps of sheet music, digital instruments and accessories.
- Sheetmusicplus.com – great resource for sheet music. They have some music available for download, the rest you can have delivered. Delivery has taken up to 2 months to get to me in the past, so be aware it’s not quick, but they do have books that no-one else has at competitive prices.
PIANO TEACHING:
- http://www.rosshamilton.com.au/index.cfm – for all your general knowledge/viva voce needs
- http://www.opusmusicworksheets.com/ – online music teaching worksheets galore
- http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/07/the-40-best-sources-free-music-education-online/ – summary of all the best free music resources online
- http://insidemusicteaching.com/testing-certificates/ – great for certificates for students + heaps more
I’m sure there are other great sites out there – please leave a comment if you know of any other goodies!
About the Author
Tim Topham has one mission in life: to stem the tide of children quitting music lessons by helping teachers maximise student engagement through creativity, technology and innovation. Tim hosts the popular Creative Piano Teaching Podcast, blogs regularly at timtopham.com and speaks at local and international conferences on topics such as pedagogy, business, marketing and entrepreneurship. Tim has been featured in American Music Teacher, The Piano Teacher Magazine, Californian Music Teacher and EPTA Piano Professional. Tim holds an MBA in Educational Leadership, BMus, DipEd and AMusA.
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