Blog 19: Independent Component 2

“I, Zihan Xu, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”
I have took 8 piano classes at Diamond bar music school ofr my independent componet #2, they offer a 2 hours long one to one classes for begineer  piano lessons, I was taught with basic informations of piano, the names of the keys, instructions on how to play, and most importanly ear training.
My teacher started with simple chords to start, and the proper hand posture, how to correctly move your fingers, I practice the scales and homwork at home with my keyboard.

My piano teacher taught me the twinkle twinkle little stars song~ 

My piano teacher told me the most important part in learning an instrument is to figure out the sounds, and break them down by know all the keys, i was taught to find out the name and sounds to different chords and scales, this isn't a one day thing, it takes long practices and experience, i had violin backgrounds before so i am able to figure out the notes of most out them, but the chords were hard to figure out. For the last class which was today, i asked him to teach me my favorite kpop song baby don't cry by EXO, it is a simple but super pretty song, he made notes for me and corrected my finger postures and helped me with the temple, now i am able to play it, i still need practice.

My essential question was how can music education maximize child's brain development, this piano class supported my first answer, children should be provided with a music rich environment, because music build your confidence and satisfaction when you successfully plays out a piece of music by yourself, and playing piano, you have to focus your left and right hands playing separate different notes while you are reading the sheet music, and also have to follow the right speed. Piano help you focus several different things at the same time and fully maximized the balance of the left and right brain.  

Extra Blog Apr.

The place where I mentor at starts getting extremely busy, new courses are coming up at this time of the year, I have been working all my time on doing the student registration, getting all the information and payments down. My mentor has been teaching a beginning violin class this month, I'm also helping her out but making copies of her class materials, and also helping the students a little bit with renting violin and etc.

Extra Blog Mar.

I was trying to get the Introduction to music class at Cal Poly Pomona, but the course I'm trying was too full the wait list is super long too, so I couldn't get into that class. However, I have found another classical piano class outside of school. The class I took is an individual one to one 2 hours long class every Sunday. I have already taken the first two classes, my teacher started with basic note reading and the simply scales like C major, and also how to play different chords, with a few finger warm-up exercise.

Extra Blog Feb.

I have completed my Indipendened component one this month and started with my second independent component. I took the certificate of merit exam level 5 for violin as my independent component 1, this exam was held by the California music teacher associate, gives you permission to start your  music class and become an actual music teacher. For my independent component 2, I'm planning on taking a music class at Cal Poly Pomona, I'm trying to feel the experience of college level music class and see college course have the same effect as outside of school classes.

Ext Blog Jan.

This month, I have completed the lesson 2, I focused on the process of how I have come up with my essential question and my answers, my mentor has helped me prepare my presentation and gave me lots of recommendation on what to say, like researches and actual experience of herself.  She also helped me came up with my activity for my presentation by choosing the songs for me. My activity was to put the student into groups and play several pieces of different music and let them discuss and present what the music have said to them or how they feel about the music. This will help students understand better how music and brain can be correlated and the effect music and bring to you. My mentor has told me music is the best way to bring emotions to people, and music can also be a great way to influence your behavior, like music therapy and etc.

Blog 18: Fourth Interview Preparation

1. What made you decided to be a music teacher ?
2. How long have you been teaching ?
3. How do you believe music affect student’s life ?
4. Do you think music is a influential towards human behavior ?
5. Does the genre of music affects people’s emotion ?
6. What is more important influential when listen to music ? The rhythm or the lyric ?
7. Is listen to music as effective as learning an instrument ?
8. What is your favorite type of music genre and why ?
9. How does music influence the society in your opinion?  
10. When is the best age children should start learning music ?
11. How can a child most effectively learn a music instrument ?
12. Should music education become a mandatory course in school?
13. Are there any negative effect when listening or learning music?
14. How does music effects the adolescence period of teenagers ?
15. How can music affects a person during medical theraption ?
16. How does learning music helps building self confidence ?
17. What is the most important thing to teach when teach music instruments?
18. Do you ever felt the changes in your students over a long period of time?
19. Do you think the influence of music education should be better spread out ?
20. What is the most effective way can music education development a young adult ?