...that this guy
could inspire a 6-year-old to practice the piano???
Yep, that would be Ludwig van Beethoven himself.
Dallin's new piano book introduces a couple of friends to help the students get excited about music. The friends just happen to be Beethoven and Mozart. When he first saw the cartoonish pictures in his music book, Dallin wanted to know why Mozart had blue hair.
So today Dallin began work in earnest on Ode to Joy. Well at least the first two lines. Of the melody. As he plunked out the notes, I sang the words that the authors of his piano book had included:
Beethoven, a great composer wrote this joyful melody.
Beethoven, a great composer wrote this theme for you and me.
Dallin really got into his playing, which doesn't always happen. The piece came quite easily for him, and I think that helped his attitude immensely.
When he got done, he asked earnestly, "So mom, did Beethoven really write this whole song?"
"Well," I responded. "He originally wrote it for a big orchestra. You are playing the melody from that big, long piece he wrote for orchestra. It's a very famous piece of music."
I can't remember what he said after that, but it was something along the lines of "Wow!" Then he wanted me to play my little teacher duet with him so he could hear what it sounded like. This is a highly unusual occurence. Normally he does everything possible to avoid having to play the duet, since it makes him have to think harder.
Then, we went to work in his writing book. He was practicing recognizing his finger numbers, and the little example he was doing sounded a bit like Ode to Joy, but not quite. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "This almost sounds like my other piece! See, I just have to change it like this and it's like my other piece!"
Yeah, today I got to visit both Mommy Heaven and Piano Teacher Heaven--at the same time.
Thank you, Beethoven!
could inspire a 6-year-old to practice the piano???Yep, that would be Ludwig van Beethoven himself.
Dallin's new piano book introduces a couple of friends to help the students get excited about music. The friends just happen to be Beethoven and Mozart. When he first saw the cartoonish pictures in his music book, Dallin wanted to know why Mozart had blue hair.
So today Dallin began work in earnest on Ode to Joy. Well at least the first two lines. Of the melody. As he plunked out the notes, I sang the words that the authors of his piano book had included:
Beethoven, a great composer wrote this joyful melody.
Beethoven, a great composer wrote this theme for you and me.
Dallin really got into his playing, which doesn't always happen. The piece came quite easily for him, and I think that helped his attitude immensely.
When he got done, he asked earnestly, "So mom, did Beethoven really write this whole song?"
"Well," I responded. "He originally wrote it for a big orchestra. You are playing the melody from that big, long piece he wrote for orchestra. It's a very famous piece of music."
I can't remember what he said after that, but it was something along the lines of "Wow!" Then he wanted me to play my little teacher duet with him so he could hear what it sounded like. This is a highly unusual occurence. Normally he does everything possible to avoid having to play the duet, since it makes him have to think harder.
Then, we went to work in his writing book. He was practicing recognizing his finger numbers, and the little example he was doing sounded a bit like Ode to Joy, but not quite. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "This almost sounds like my other piece! See, I just have to change it like this and it's like my other piece!"
Yeah, today I got to visit both Mommy Heaven and Piano Teacher Heaven--at the same time.
Thank you, Beethoven!
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