How to Embrace the Digital Age in the Piano Studio

What kind of digital teacher are you?

Generally, there are three categories of digital teachers:

Digitally Resistant: You recognize that parents are NOT paying for screen time, they’re paying for time with a teacher who can successfully lead their child to become a confident musician. You feel there’s no reason for devices and gadgets; a fine instrument is all you need. But…you also know that certain apps could be beneficial and it bothers you that you’re in the dark about how to use them.

Note: I hear you and appreciate your stance. We teach digital natives who are unaware of what life was like back in B.S.—before smartphones. It’s the age of “screenagers” and thanks to the power of social media, texting, etc. it's a struggle to monitor and develop responsible use of screen time. Let’s be honest; students (and their parents!) are more inclined to forget their music books before they forget their smartphone when they arrive at a lesson! Technology permeates just about every part of our lives, and it’s not going away.

Digitally Tentative: You’ve decided to branch out of your comfort zone and commit to using apps in your teaching. You know many other teachers are using them, and their students are benefiting. You’re just not sure which one to try first, how to use it, and when to use it.

Digitally Fatigued: You’re all in, enjoy integrating technology into your teaching, and like to supplement with savvy activities, but you get overwhelmed when sifting through and organizing all the clever apps.

3 Recommendations for All Types of Digital Teachers

1. Never “should” on yourself. If you're happy and your students seem happy and are making progress, then stick with what works for you.

2. When you integrate an app to assist your teaching, think of it as a tool just like flashcards, animal erasers, rhythm sticks, method books, cups, etc. Explore ways that the app can enhance your teaching toolbox and…

• Don’t just ask “what can this app do?”
• Instead ask, “what can this app do for me?”

3. Use these three questions as criteria when considering an app:

• Is it easy to use?
• Does it add value to precious lesson time?
• Is it customizable to suit my needs?

If the answer is yes to all three questions, then get the app. Remember, too many apps can lead to digital overload. Practice restraint, use one app at a time, and slowly mix in others when you’re ready.

Which apps should you consider first?

Back in 2013, I wrote and co-published The iPad Piano Studio . The iPad revolutionized my tech-savvy teaching—no more bulky computers, floppy disks, and expensive software! Ever since I purchased my first iPad, I’ve enjoyed terrific tools and apps at my fingertips, usually for around the price of a mocha latte—or less! I just couldn’t help but write about it.

It had been a while since I paged through my book, but I recently flipped through it wondering if the information might be outdated. Although the book was written when iOS 6 was released, I was pleasantly surprised to see that most of the apps featured in the book are still available, widely used (by me and many others!), and are actively supported by the developers.

I firmly believe it’s because all of these apps are easy to use, add value to lessons, and are customizable to suit curriculum needs. Below, I’ve chosen a just a few of my favorites to share what they continue to do for me.

Flashnote Derby

What does Flashnote Derby do for me? It helps me help students develop confidence when reading pitches on the grand staff.

In order to read from the grand staff, it’s necessary to memorize the look of pitches on the grand staff and their location on the keyboard. This takes a fair amount of repetition, and that’s why flash cards were invented!

Flashnote Derby provides virtual flashcards with racing themes—horse, unicorn, reindeer, or spaceship (see screen captures below!). You can isolate drills down to two pitches on the grand staff, including ledger lines and chromatics. The app comes with important upgrades that flashcards don’t have: immediate gamification, scorekeeping, and feedback. This means that students can drill, assess, and track their progress without your help!

In my studio, all students are asked to memorize landmarks and their names:

• Treble Clef: Middle C, Treble G, Face C, Outer Space G, and Cloud C.
• Bass Clef: Middle C, Bass F, Cow C, Basement F, and Deep Blue C.

I give them a chart with the landmark names which we discuss together on the bench. Then, during Off-Bench Time, we choose a staff, select at least two landmarks, and start a race in Flashnote Derby. The graphics below display the screen where players choose which pitches to review.

Players may choose how to enter their answers: On the screen with letter buttons. On the screen with a keyboard. On the screen with piano keys with letters. On an acoustic piano and the app listens to the answers. On a MIDI keyboard with a USB to Midi cable.

Once they get a high score, students add another landmark or two and begin another race.

The total number of landmarks reviewed in one session depends on the level of the student. With the help of Flashnote Derby, students become “best friends” with all the landmarks. Once this happens, they are ready to review the notes that surround the landmarks and play continues until students see their confidence soar and their need for pitch recognition drills fade.

App Summary:

• App: Flashnote Derby
• Link: https://flashnotederby.com/
• For: Pitch Recognition

Notability

What does Notability do for me? It organizes and annotates worksheets and tests, and assists me in helping students review theory concepts and prepare for theory tests.

NOTE: the intention is not to teach for the test. Instead, the test-taking provides ME with the level of understanding of students’ theory knowledge.

The best way for students to show me what they know about theory away from the piano is by annually assigning them to take a theory test written by the National Federation of Music Clubs.

I store the PDFs of all twelve levels of the tests in Notability. With a tap, I can duplicate any test, rename it and then move the copy into a folder I’ve labelled with the name of a student.

I ask students to complete the test a level up from the one they took the year before. I warn them that some questions may be difficult and that they are on a discovery mission of the unknown. Their completed tests give me a baseline of what students know, what I thought they knew that needs review, and what they don’t know.

From this information, I develop off-bench assignments and on-bench discussions to fill in the gaps so they feel prepared to take the test either at the Federation Festival or at least in the studio later in the year.

To save on paper, students periodically complete practice tests in Notability, and they enjoy using my Apple Pencil. They also complete at least one hard copy of the test to prepare for the real thing at the Federation Festival. Between tests, they are assigned activities to brush up on concepts.

With focused review and repeated practice of test-taking, students always score 95% or higher. When we review the tests after a festival, there may be a few mistakes, but the students and I usually call them “dumb mistakes”—like forgetting a sharp sign or drawing a stem the wrong way.

App Summary:

• App: Notability
• Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notability/
• For: Organizing and Annotating Worksheets and Tests

Tenuto

What does Tenuto do for me? With its ability to customize and save drills, it lets me design theory and ear training exercises for students of all levels.

The tests completed in Notability, along with my conversations with students at the bench, assist me in designing lesson curriculum and drills to help students nail concepts. Tenuto makes it easy for me to customize drills for each test level and save them with bookmarks.

I default to Tenuto because it’s a one-stop app for theory and ear training. For example, I can create drills to review the look of intervals on the staff, what they look like on the keyboard, how to construct them on the staff, and what they sound like.

Because students are given scores for each challenge drill they complete and because no one likes low scores, they are driven—not by me, but by the app’s feedback—to repeat them over and over until they get a high score. Woohoo!

It’s important to note that the drills I design in Tenuto are prefaced with instruction and review with me first. This app does NOT teach, it locks in understanding of what’s been taught.

App Summary:

• App: Tenuto
• Link: https://www.musictheory.net/products/tenuto
• For: Theory and Ear Training drills

Your Mobile Device’s Built-In Camera

What does the camera do for me? It provides accurate feedback and reinforcement between lessons.

Although mobile devices get a bad rap because they distract their owners, you have to admit that they have dramatically upgraded the accessibility of a camera. The camera does not lie. I record students’ performances, and the camera gives the most accurate, honest feedback on the planet. Watching their own performances allows students to make self-assessments and as a result, equips them to be more independent musicians.

I also like to record a small section of a piece and text it to the student. Then they can watch it during home practice when they need reminders about proper technique or correct rhythms, tempo, etc.

Oh, there are so many more apps I could list here, but I’ll stop. (Maybe I need to write another book!)

Which app is right for you?

Digitally Resistant Teacher: Start with the camera. Let your students use their own phones to record themselves or record you playing repertoire using the proper technique so that they can reference it when practicing between lessons.

Digitally Hesitant Teacher: Pull out the apps you already use like the camera, YouTube, and Spotify and utilize them in lessons. Next, make time in lessons to use at least one app like Flashnote Derby or Tenuto that can boost your students’ reading skills or ear training and theory knowledge.

Digitally Fatigued Teacher: Filter each app you own through the lens of these three questions:

• Is it easy for me to understand and use?
• Will it add value to my lessons?
• Is it customizable to suit my curriculum needs?

Integrate your filtered collection of apps one at a time, and use them when you find a gap in your students’ understanding. In addition, consider adding Off-Bench Time to your lessons so that you amplify your instruction time and “hire” these apps to assist you in helping your students progress.

Here’s to embracing technology and becoming a digitally-balanced teacher in the digital age!