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Piano Lessons for
Life-long Music Literacy
The PianoKids® curriculum attempts to synthesize
current
thinking in such diverse fields as child psychology, educational
theory, neuroscience, and music pedagogy. It is also an empirical
method, grown out of years of studio teaching, both one-on-one and in
groups, and on a major study of teaching methods conducted in 1996 at
the Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada.
Since 2002 the curriculum has been refined and expanded to include the
use of interactive software, and continues to be developed at the
PianoKids network of experimental studios that offer in-school and
after-school programs in western Massachusetts and Ohio.
Mission Statement - Developing the mind through music
Our main objective is not to produce musicians but to
develop
children's minds and personality through music. In the process,
children naturally acquire the necessary tools to continue in musical
activities after graduating from the program, whether on their own or
in private lessons. Our students learn to solve problems, develop their
creativity through composition, and understand and apply complex
abstract concepts.
Numerous studies have shown that music in general and piano playing in
particular are among the best ways to develop temporal-spacial
abilities, hand-eye coordination, and critical thinking in children.
But most importantly, our goal is to awake and channel the natural
creative impulse of children and foster in them a life-long love of
music.
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Improving Mathematics Skills through Music
PianoMath ® is a cross-disciplinary
curriculum developed by Peter Elyakim Taussig intended to teach
elementary grade students basic music literacy while at the same time
improving their math comprehension and performance.
The curriculum is currently implemented in a three-year pilot project
at the Washington Elementary Magnet School for Math and Music in
Lorain, Ohio outside Cleveland. The program is jointly supervised by
Taussig and Dr. Paul Goldenberg, a mathematics education innovator at
EDC (Educational Development Center) of Newton, Massachusetts.
Students at the keyboard lab of Washington
Elementary, Lorain, Ohio
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