The PianoForte Podcast

Starr Meneely
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Starr Meneely welcomes you as she explores ways to help our students find magic in music. Starr is the creator and composer of the PianoForte method series for beginning piano students

Episodes

  1. 05/28/2025

    The Four Stages of Reading Music

    Music literacy is a topic that can take up a lot of emotional energy in music lessons. And sometimes it really feels like teaching students to read music is the most important things that we are supposed to teach. I think it’s actually quite common to feel a heavy pressure to prove that our students are progressing by showing that they can read music. However, and this what I’m talking about today - a big HOWEVER. This hyper-focus on such early reading  - creates a variety of problems. When we place such importance on reading notation, especially so early on, we start to see two different trends  emerge amongst our students -  and that it that some children can read music easily, and others can’t. In this episode Starr Meneely discusses the four stages of reading music with ideas on how to support students at each level.  Stage 1 - “Pre-Reading” Stage 2 - Looking at a Stave Stage 3 - Reading Music - Sort of. . . Stage 4 - Reading  - like a little baby flower   Learn more about the PianoForte method at www.pianofortemethod.com

    28 min

  2. 10/09/2023

    Ep. 5 Early Piano Lessons and Moveable Do Solfa

    It's wonderful when a student can analyse and read their music using moveable Do solfa. How do they learn this though? What steps can be taken in the early lessons to create develop this deep understanding of music? This episode explores this as well as how this approach to piano teaching contributes to healthy piano technique and notional reading.    www.pianofortemethod.com

    22 min

  3. 09/27/2023

    Ep. 4 Reading Music - Matching, Intervallic or Solfa

    Do your students struggle to become fluent music readers? In this episode Starr Meneely talks about the three different approaches to reading, the differences and which one is easiest and most musical. Learning to read music does not have to be a burden.   Learn more about the PianoForte method here: PianoForte Method

    23 min

  4. 09/20/2023

    Experience First, Explain Later

    How can we help our piano students understand musical notation and musical ideas by allowing them to experience music first, before we read it - and even before we play it. This episode talks a bit about philosophical linguistics and how we can help our students learn and interpret music easily.    Follow the PianoForte method here!

    21 min

  5. 09/14/2023

    Ep.2 Bring a Little Sing to Piano Lessons

    Who said this quote "You must sing if you wish to play"?  Music and singing help form who we are. This episode how the development of sound influences early cognition and how we can use this to help our students learn music.  Follow the PianoForte method at www.pianofortemethod.com

    21 min

  6. 09/05/2023

    Meeting Students Where They Are

    The beauty and value of non-prescriptive teaching. How to watch students learn and meet them where they are.

    18 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

Starr Meneely welcomes you as she explores ways to help our students find magic in music. Starr is the creator and composer of the PianoForte method series for beginning piano students

Information

  • Creator
    Starr Meneely
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The PianoForte Podcast