Dum Spiro, Spero

It's nice to see that Spiro still begins every piano lesson by standing on the piano stool to reach down his music. He's also acquired a cute little American accent although it sounds like a cultured New England one to me. Why that should be when he's living in Houston Texas I don't know. When I think of Spiro I think of some of the toughest tussles I've ever had to get rhythmic points across. But we always got there in the end. Now, he's doing a good job on some of the ABRSM Grade 3 material. For instance, his version of this Bach Prelude http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1WjLjYKjuM is very cultured while his Air Cosaque by Kozeluch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TWr9bO7XFo is dashing and varied. We need to work a little bit on getting the tempi of the various sections consistent but that won't take too long now. Next, we're going to be playing Stroll on by Alan Haughton http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtJRimVoDFg Now, this is going to test Spiro's rhythmic understanding and perhaps stretch it a little. All the fingering is going to have to be exactly right, too. Fortunately, Skype allows me to have a clear view of what's going on and I can even type in reminders in the SMS messaging window. This is a great way to teach. If anybody reading this would like a FREE TRIAL LESSON, my Skype name is robyatkins It would probably be best to contact me by email first and I can suggest a book you could get. I use Pianoworks by Janet and Alan Bullard for adult beginners and the Oxford Pianotime series for children. With really young beginners I often use Thompson's Easiest Piano Course. Dum Spiro, Spero? Where there's life, there's hope.