Impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 winter break was exceptionally long. However, the teachers and students of the "Happy Keys" music classrooms spent a fulfilling holiday accompanied by music: a series of online live lectures helped improve teachers’ teaching skills; continuous online music lessons aided students’ progress.
During the school suspension due to the pandemic, the Lang Lang Arts Foundation, in collaboration with the internationally renowned piano brand Steinway, organized multiple online live lectures by renowned music teachers for project teachers, making full use of the holiday time to enhance teachers' teaching abilities and self-improvement. Many renowned music teachers shared their educational and teaching insights online, interacting and answering questions from participating teachers. Project teachers engaged in and found the sessions highly beneficial.
The lecture content was very rich and covered a wide range, including learning methods for beginners and explanations of performance techniques, satisfying the learning needs of many piano teachers and learners." — Wang Fang, Huaifang Primary School, Fengtai District, Beijing
I believe that teaching with a scientific method will help children avoid detours and go further on the road of music. These piano trainings have helped me summarize the following points:
Develop students' habits of correct posture and Teach Proven Piano Practice Tips;
Establish emotional bonds between teachers and students, eliminating students' tension in class;
Teach according to student’s ability — Teacher, Hantai New Education Experimental Primary School, Erdos, Dongsheng District Eighth Primary School Branch
Professors shared their extensive teaching experience , addressing challenges we face in daily instruction. Their insights greatly benefited us in piano learning and teaching. We feel and appreciate their teaching ethics.
— Liu Tiantian, Nanhu Central Primary School, Rizhao
Like their teachers, students in the “Happy Piano Keys” music classrooms also continued their piano practice during the winter holiday. The melodious sounds of the piano accompanied the children’s home learning and daily lives. To ensure uninterrupted piano learning and solid progress in basic skills, the music teacher at Hangzhou Wenyuan Primary School meticulously designed a dual-mode online piano learning system, combining both teaching and practice support.
Teachers consistently provide weekly video instruction, offering demonstration performances and explanations of key and challenging points, so students can practice effectively at home. Students submit daily video assignments, and teachers provide prompt feedback, ensuring that online learning remains as interactive and personalized as face-to-face instruction. This approach not only makes piano learning more engaging for students but also introduces a highly effective practice method.
In addition to routine skill practice, teachers carefully select pieces to spark students’ interest. The “cloud collaboration” method, where students and teachers or peers perform together remotely, significantly enhances students’ grasp of rhythm and pitch. To facilitate collaborative playing, students practice more diligently and enjoyably at home. By having parents capture videos of students playing from multiple angles, teachers can accurately assess both rhythm and technique, providing a more efficient learning experience for the children.
