ARCT • Teachers’ Diploma (RCM) in-progress
Trained Music Together Teacher
Erin Plank (they/he) is a passionate young piano teacher. For their professional development, Erin received the highest exam scores in all of Canada last year for “Teaching Elementary Piano” with the RCM.
Erin’s main goal is to turn students into lifelong music lovers, not just pianists. I seek to provide them with the tools to practice efficiently at home, sight read a song at their friend’s piano, learn the melody to a song off the radio by ear, and nurture a technical foundation that lasts a lifetime so it’s “just like riding a bike” to play the piano. And even better, they’ll want to.
Get to know Erin…Beyond the Bio!
Hobbies: Piano, weightlifting, playing with my cat, and hanging out with friends
Musical influences: Ben Folds, Brad Mehldau, Edvard Grieg
Favourite food: Fried chicken sandwich
Least favourite food: snap peas, because I ate too many as a kid one time and threw up and now I dislike the smell
Favourite music: Romantic era piano music, Beach Boys and similar era music, math rock
Favourite song: “How Dare You Want More” by Bleachers
Favourite movie: Sing Street
Favouirite movie music: main theme for “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” or anything Star Wars
Favourite musical theatre/opera: Wozzeck
Best quote from your teacher: “Don’t show the audience you messed up, they won’t know! Keep going!”
Favourite quote: “That’s what life is, Happy Sad”
Favourite book: Recursion by Blake Crouch
Best thing about teaching at ABC: Getting to reach and connect with so many lovely people!
Latest Homework from Erin
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Thursday June 20 Lessons – Erin P
You all make me so happy to be a piano teacher :)
Liam
I’M SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!
*New* Cantina Band – This piece uses 1,2,3 different endings for each section, pay attention. The LH is ALWAYS on beat, which gives a good pulse to bounce the RH off of.
Today we played a 12 bar blues, and talked about “guide tones” (the 3rd and 7th). We did both the traditional V-IV-I ending, as well as the more modern ii-V-I ending. If you look up 12 bar blues in C on YouTube you will find countless tracks to play around with. No notes are wrong notes, however knowing which notes *really* change between chords will make your solos sound very linked up with the music. For example, C7 is C E G Bb, and F7 is F A C Eb – so the change between E natural and Eb is a great thing to highlight. You can also of course use your ear.
Katarina
From Now On from the Greatest Showman. We learned how to play the final page where the chorus sings almosttttt hands together. When looking at the paper, read the notes (watch the F#s and C#s), but if the rhythms are unknown – let your ear help you.
Marita
Periwinkle Twinkle – You can play both hands seperately easy, now look at it hands together. I drew vertical lines when the hands play together.
Sara
I’M SO PROUD OF YOU!!!
*New* Take Five by Dave Brubeck – this a really famous jazz tune in 5/4. Play the heck out of the LH to get the groove down, because then you don’t really need to focus on maintaining the 5/4, it just comes with the groove. Watch the key signature and don’t worry too much about the grace notes and such as they are only there because the RH melody is typically played by a saxophone.
Intriguing pop selections for level 5 –
Aint Misbehavin – I’ll print this for you next week.
It’s Hard Work – Spirited Away – Studio Ghibli Recital Repertoire 1, Intermediate Level. Piano Solo ZEN, p. 32
Marco
Castle in the Sky – Great work!!! Later on where I wrote Ab G F Eb just play those as quarter notes because that’s how the recording sounds, and then hold G for two measures. Try adding in the LH chords.
I will send or print Across the Stars for you :)
Daniel
Epic – this is coming along well! Slow down and it will be easier to get the syncopation in your hands, then you can speed it up.
*New* Fade to Black – We are using this arrangement. Watch your F#s and C#s on page 1, and then on the second line of page 2 notice how it shifts keys from B minor to E minor and thefore only has F#. You’ve got this.
Greta
*New* Moon River – as much as you can. Play the last line of page 1 hands seperate first until the fingering is comfortable. Page 2 is mostly the same as what you’ve already learnt but with a different ending. I love the tempo you’ve chosen :)
Erin Make-ups [Did you miss this?]
Hello Everybody!
We have updated Erin’s Make-ups for Monday, June 24th. Please update your availability now, and remember that make-ups do not carry over past June 30th.
Thank you!
-The ABC Team
Preferred Books for Erin Students
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BOOK TITLE
COMING SOON
Faber Piano Adventures
The 2nd Edition Level 1 Lesson Book introduces all the notes of the grand staff, elementary chord playing, and the concept of tonic and dominant notes. Students play in varied positions, reinforcing reading skills and recognizing intervals through the 5th. Musicianship is built with the introduction of legato and staccato touches. This level continues the interval orientation to reading across the full range of the Grand Staff. The 5-finger approach is presented here in a fresh, musically appealing way.