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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September 29 Thursday Lessons – Erin P
Hello hello! It’s almost October!! *ghost noises*
Fiona
Missed you this week, excited to reunite next Thursday :) You can show me your beautiful floaty two-note slurs.
Marita
Missed you this week – we will revisit The Infinity Session and Celebration Time next week.
Sara
You’re working on the entirety of Arctic Voices. The fingering is there to help you and make it smooth, practice the fingering spots I circled until they’re comfy. The new section is the 2nd line this week. Great job on the dynamics with this:) Feel free to refer back to the video of this I linked last week if you want inspiration.
You’re also working on your D Formula pattern. Up – Out – In – Up – Down – Out – In – Down. Standard D Major fingering is important! 123 1234 5 in RH and 54321 321 in LH.
You’re also working on the Be A Songwriter handout. Use the chords they give you, but if you wish to stray from the written rhythm feel free. Show me it next week!
Daily practice: 25-30 minutes
How parents can support: Have Sara play what she has prepared of Arctic Voices and tell her what you imagine while she’s playing. This is an imagery-heavy piece so this will be inspiring.
Julien
You’re working on Bach’s Minuet, all of it this week. Notice which phrases go all one direction, and which ones’ change direction. I drew arrows on the ones that change direction to help you. Great work on your theory today:) Our knowledge of snowmen made of notes will help us forever and ever!
You’re going to continue working on 5 finger scale patterns. Can you play the same major and minor patterns but starting on G this time? Use your ear to tell you whether it’s major or minor when you add the black key with finger 3 and tell me next week. Play it hands seperate.
You’re also working on the It’s Your Choice! song. Make the choices like the instructions say and then play your piece. Remember to add the sharp signs by ALL the F’s if you choose to make your song major. I’m so excited to hear what you made next week!
Daily practice: 15-20 minutes
How parents can support: Ask if he has made the choices on his choose your own adventure piece and ask to hear it once he has.
Sina
You’re working on the first 6 measures of The Magic Man. Both hands use only the notes we practiced in our G minor pentascale. You learnt all the notes and how the melody goes in the lesson, at home make sure you’re doing it all in steady time. The new symbol we learnt is called the 8th rest, which means our RH shouldn’t be playing any note where it is written. Take your hand off the keys after playing the word “hat” in the opening line. The LH is staccato and marked piano, it’s quite sneaky sounding! You did a great job creating this sound today.
You can also continue to play A Cowboy’s Song. I’m very impressed you put it hands together! The LH can be played lighter, like it’s just background music for the cowboy to sing overtop of.
Try playing your G major and minor pentascales from bottom to top without stopping at the top, and without repeating the top note. One smooth line like a rollercoaster.
Daily practice: 20-25 minutes
How parents can support: When listening to the opening bit of The Magic Man, listen for short and plucky LH notes played quietly, and a nice smooth RH melody that is louder.
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


