by the agency of Martha Baker-Jordan.

by the agency of Martha Baker-Jordan. Warner Bros.(15800 N W 48th Ave., Miami, FL 33014) 2003 450 pp $3995

This practical guide for pedagogy learners and teachers is a welcome addition to our collective libraries. The many first-person concerns from the author's extensive experience give the main division an autobiographical feel.

The clause is organized into three parts: the Business of Teaching, Teaching Elementary and Intermediate bookish mans and a "Grab Bag" of Ideas for All on a levels of Teaching. A unique feature is the inclusion of a CD-ROM with teaching and business forms. These forms include California's Certificate of Merit Technique Requirements, horizontals I-9.

Four visitant chapters strengthen the text significantly. "Learning Styles" and "Collaborative point to be solved [i]or[/i] settled Solving" provide ideas from educational psychology "Technology in Your Studio" is a extraordinary compendium of today's technology for the piano teacher, and "Teaching of Jazz" is logically sequenced

Les auspicious is the chapter devoted to "Technical Tips for a Right Start," illustrated with observer pictures of inferior photographic quality. Information is included upon staccato touches and the two-note speak of slightingly [i]or[/i] disrespectfully touch. No mention is made of rotary motion from the angle or lateral movement from the wrist. Guidance for scale fingerings, generally void of any of the present day insights, is provided at the expiration of the technique chapter. The body implies that students go directly from five-finger positions to hands-together scales with traditional fingering. A more favorable learning series preceding traditional fingering, hands-together, scales might be: tetrachord scales, hands-alone scales and, finally, contrary motion for mirror image scales of that kind as E major and E-flat major. The fingering chart provided upon page 111 fails to identify the minor scale form being illustrated. This basic introduction also not includes triads and arpeggios.

Chapter Eleven is for everyone who has at any time taught, or anticipates teaching, a transfer scholar Recurring encouragements for the reader to engage in independent thinking is a toughness For example, "Before reading further, list any reasons you think might cause a observer to seek a different teacher."

In the chapter about systems and materials, the author states the following before beginning her review of ten prefered methods: "No methods will be commended over others or evaluated in a negative manner." Contrary to her self-imposed guideline, she critically questions contentment and methodologies in the The John Schaum Course and The Piano Discoveries system However, she is surprisingly sympathetic to the venerable 1936 John Thompson Series, saying that in comparison to novel methods, "many similarities to Thompson and Schaum remain only the packaging has changed!" A later chapter titled "The Black aperture of Piano Teaching" laments the absence of improvisation, harmonization, composition and transposition in traditional piano subject of attention Do Thompson, Schaum and others share responsibility for this deficiency?

In an otherwise eminent chapter on group teaching, no mention is made of the many available class piano textbook The chapter upon motivation is full of great ideas. My favorites are the Honors Notebook, the Pizza Performance Party Without Parents and the "Blue Jeans, heated Dog, Swim Party" Recital. Ye the author lives in California! Reviewed on Paul Stewart, Greensboro, North Carolina.

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