he picture of the two girls on the cover of this issue of the magazine reminds me once again of what a joy (and yes, what a challenge and responsibility!) it is to teach young children, particularly beginners. Recently I was asked to give a talk on this subject-teaching the elementary level student. This is an assignment I always relish because it provides an opportunity to once more reaffirm the importance of a child's first experiences with music-making at the piano.

As I began organizing my thoughts for this particular lecture, I recalled a conversation that I had had a good many years ago with a woman who phoned to tell me that she was planning to start teaching piano lessons, and among other things, she wanted a few tips on how to get students.

During the course of our conversation, she revealed that because she had had only about six years of piano lessons as a child, she did not feel qualified to either play or teach advanced music. She went on to say that she had had no previous teaching experience, nor had she had any instruction in how to teach. In the final analysis, the woman had concluded that because of the limitations of her musical, pianistic, and pedagogical background, she should restrict her teaching to just beginners.

Just beginners! Who are these "just beginners?" They are the children who exuberantly come to their first lesson with great expectations-thrilled over the prospect of finding out how to make music at the piano! They are the children with highly charged imaginations just waiting to be ignited and utilized in creative musical performances. These "just beginners" are also the children who will grow up to be the audiences of future musical performances and hopefully, the champions for keeping music alive in our schools and in our culture.

Unfortunately, these "just beginners" are also the same children who, after a couple or so years of study, may become frustrated and disenchanted with the whole experience of piano study, and may talk their parents into allowing them to discontinue lessons. Thus, they join the family of all-too-numerous children in this country who begin lessons and then drop out long before they have acquired either the knowledge or the skills upon which to build a lifetime of musical enjoyment. Yes, I'm always delighted to talk or write about teaching the elementary student because I believe that what happens in a student's first several years of study is so critical!

As a beginner, the child's experience is, for some time, a series of "firsts"-the first lesson, the first book, the first recital, and of course, the first teacher. The implication that those individuals who deem themselves ill-equipped to teach advanced students should therefore limit their teaching to "just beginners" is frightening, to say the least. Because each student has just one beginning, the first teacher may, in some ways, be the most important one of all!

TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

"What is a "CD Burner" and why does my studio need one?" KBC associate editor Sandra Bowen discusses a summer project in which she guided her students in making their own arrangements using sequencers and synthesizers. You can hear audio clips of some of these creations right here on this website. Kelly Demoline's article provides a fine overview of just what you will need in the way of equipment and know-how in order to make this kind of project a reality in your own studio.

RHYTHM DEPARTMENT

Belinda Green and Kathleen Theisen answer the question, "How do you teach dance rhythms to early-level students?" Belinda Green focuses on how to teach the actual choreography that helps early-level pianists dance at the keyboard; her four video clips included in the article vividly convey her points. Kathleen Theisen discusses how the underpinnings of dance rhythms can be created in our students through large body motions and different types of chanting and singing; she includes audio clips that demonstrate effective musical ways to use the Gordon syllable system.

Barbara Kreader and
Students

Teachers from Illinois,
Iowa, Michigan,
Minnesota, Ohio,
South Dakota, and
Western Australia

Carole Flatau
Sophia Gilmson
Regina Syrkin

Judy Baker
Shearon Smith Horton
Christine Kefferstan

Belinda Green
Kathleen Ann Theisen

Kathleen Murray

Judith Aldstadter
Mercy Hwang
R. Nicholas Tobin

Sylvia Coates
Melissa Falb
Karen Bauman Schlabaugh
Benjamin Whitten

Sandra Bowen
Kelly Demoline

Michael Bates
Suzanne Guy
Tom Stampfli