Happy August!
So much has happened since my last monthly digest!
It's hard to know where to begin.
I just finished my first week at Appalachian State University, where I am teaching a class on fundamentals of music theory and two sections of a music appreciation class. So far, so good! If this week is any indication, the students and I will have a great semester together! I've already received some positive feedback from students, and I feel like a fish in water.
It's interesting being able to pull some strategies I used teaching homeschoolers and PreK-8 in a private school into the college classroom. In a lot of ways, teaching is teaching. Be organized, be prepared, be clear about expectations. Make sure you have a back-up plan if the tech fails. Visualize how every minute of the lesson will go. Check in with the students to make sure their eyes are not glazing over in confusion or overwhelm. Use visual aids, "manipulatives," and open-ended questions as much as possible to increase engagement.
I will have a video out soon about one of the tools I'm using in my theory classroom, so be sure to follow me on any of my social media or YouTube. I've already had students tell me how much they enjoy using it!
Speaking of teaching...
I've been mentioning my Piano Accelerator Program for a month or two now. I am excited to say it is on track for beginning September 1. I am also adding another level for intermediate-level students.
This program would also be good for teens. If there are a few teens interested, I will start a teen-only group.
But I need your help!
I would love to fill 5 more spots in this 1st cohort. If you are game for helping me get the word out, there are three ways to do this.
- Send me the names and emails of people you know who might be interested in getting information about this program (ask their permission first!)
- Forward the following message and link to your friends.
- Post the following message and link on your social media.
If emailing, include a greeting. If posting on social media, please tag me!
Message:
My friend, Heather, is a pianist, composer and music educator. She is running an online group piano course for adults who want to learn to play the piano. No prior experience is needed! The course starts September 1, and she is looking for 5 more people to join her group. I've known Heather a long time and can attest that she is a great teacher! If you are interested and want more information, check out this link: https://the-music-hub.com/piano-accelerator-program/
I am forming a consortium commission for a piece for flute, bass clarinet and piano. If you are interested in learning more about that, you can sign up for a webinar I will be hosting in October to explain all the details and answer any questions. You can find more details here: https://heatherniemisavage.com/three-doshas-consortium/
W. Paul Pulsipher and I finished the piece we were co-composing, Variations of Transformation. We are both quite happy with it. We definitely ended up with something neither of us would have written independently. It's a really fun piece, a little more than 10 minutes long. Now, we are working on finding places to perform it, hopefully in January. We will premiere this piece, perform 1-2 other piano duets and our own solo work. He lives in Nashville, TN which is 5 hours from where I live. We are hoping to do one concert there, one concert here and perhaps one in Knoxville, TN which is about halfway between.
My herbal tea book, Tasty Herbal Teas & Tisanes is now published!!! It contains 25 recipes for herbal teas that will boost mood and energy, encourage creativity, reduce stress, support sleep, and aid in digestion. Best of all, they TASTE GREAT! Plus, I include complete instructions to make your own cafe favorites like milk teas, chai, and kombucha. You can find it on Amazon here.
Blog, YouTube and Podcast Updates:
A podcast episode will be coming out soon. Remember, you can subscribe to The Musicking Community Podcast on your favorite streaming platform or on the website!
My latest blog post is a response to an article by Ted Gioia I read on Substack. You can find my response here:
Is "Practice" a Dirty Word?
I am still learning Reaper to do the musical track for the collaboration artwork with my friend who is a visual artist. I did buy myself some percussion instruments for this project, and they should be coming later this week. I am super excited about playing with them and getting some more sounds recorded!
I got a new logo, with or without my name. This is the one without. I love it because it combines my music with my herbalism.
Vote!
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Thank you so much for your support! Please feel free to email me anytime, whether you have questions about anything in this newsletter, want to collaborate or want to just say hi!
Email me at heather@heatherniemisavage.com. I'd love to hear from you!
Happy Music Making!
Heather Niemi Savage
