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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December 18 Make-up lessons – Erin P
Marco, Daniel, Julian:
Marco
Keep working on your C and also G major one octave HS scales :) RH fingering is 12312345 and LH is 54321 321 for both. G major is all white keys except for F#. Focus on having as little movement in your arm as you tuck your thumb under. Pretend that tucking your thumb under is the easiest thing in the world and that you can do it without anyone even noticing. A relaxed arm and wrist will achieve this.
Daniel
Keep working on your C, F, G major triads. A broken triad is a lateral movement like a crab where your fingers only play the triad notes (1,3,5) over and over. for example: CEG EGC GCE then CEG. You should use the most ergonomic fingering which is RH: 135 125 135 135. LH it’s 531 531 521 531. The same fingering is used for the solid version also – it is played in a “quarter note, quarter note rest” alternating pattern.
Julian
I’ll hear your pieces on Thursday:)
Today we did note reading, counting, and 5note scales. Great job!
You know your C major one octave scale fingering really well! This winter break, you can take that same fingering and learn the G major scale. It is all white notes except for F#. RH 123 12345. LH 54321 321.
Preferred Books for Erin Students
Click to buy them here, and they’ll come right to your house! What could be easier?
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.
Piano Safari
