Helen Marlais
Dr. Marlais’ dedication to pedagogy for the young is sincere and unwavering. She has given more than 500 pedagogical presentations and master classes for pre-college students since 2002. One of the joys of her life has been creating materials to support piano teachers as they guide young musicians. The piano series that she has developed and written for The FJH Music Company have become an integral part of piano students’ repertoire across the country and abroad. Excellent external reviews have come from the European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA), Canada, and the USA. The series, Succeeding at the Piano®, and The All-in-One Approach to Succeeding at the Piano®, Succeeding with the Masters®, The Festival Collection®, and In Recital® all have companion recordings. Other series that round out The FJH Pianist’s Curriculum are: Sight Reading and Rhythm Every Day®, Energize Your Fingers Every Day®, Play Your Scales and Chords Every Day®, The FJH Intervallic Reading Series®. Write, Play, and Hear Your Theory Every Day®, the FJH Adult Piano Curriculum, and In Recital® for the Advancing Pianist. The Contemporary Keyboard Editions® focuses on piano music by contemporary art-music composers. Several of the series above have been translated for, and released in, South Korea, China, and Taiwan.
Teaching Beginner Students Technique and Musicality
In this teacher seminar, Dr. Helen Marlais’ will explain the “building blocks” of technique, present seven essential areas for beginner students, and give an in-depth clinic on teaching touch releases to young students. She will demonstrate how these important physical gestures are reinforced throughout her 2nd edition of Succeeding at the Piano and the All in One Approach to Succeeding at the Piano. Additional topics will include: reading, rhythm, and how to teach musicality. Regardless of whether you use her method Succeeding at the Piano, or haven’t tried it yet, this session will give you the tools and the materials to support your teaching.
The Essentials for Success: self-directed and intelligent practicing
Dr. Marlais will discuss how to motivate students towards self-directed and intelligent practicing and how to teach students to play standard repertoire pieces musically and with excellent technique. Dr. Marlais will share her insights into how to take a student from the first week of practice to mastery of a piece. She will discuss important practice strategies, four stages to learning any piece, the psychological aspects of preparing a piece during the week, and how all of this supports and develops musicality.
