"Recently, I had a lesson with renowned musician Pat Metheny. Throughout the lesson much of what he said reminded me of things that Maddy had already taught me. Overall, I got the sense that their musical philosophy was very similar. Even though they've never met, they seemed to be completely in tune with each other! Maddy is an amazing teacher who has shaped the way that I look at music. She is the best!" - JAMES
MUSIC: WHY BOTHER?
Music is a language: global in it's reach, timeless by all standards, and a part of human history running old as records can tell. It's both magical and inherent, intimate yet powerful, and around the world we use music in public ceremony and ritual. From christenings to commercials, royal church weddings to high school football games, music is at the core of the human experience.
Music is a language: global in it's reach, timeless by all standards, and a part of human history running old as records can tell. It's both magical and inherent, intimate yet powerful, and around the world we use music in public ceremony and ritual. From christenings to commercials, royal church weddings to high school football games, music is at the core of the human experience.
MADDY'S MUSIC METHOD
Maddy's Music Studio is designed is to produce musically fluent, self-expressive musicians who not only read and perform the music of Classical greats, but also confidently "speak" their own musical voice through the freedom of musical improvisation. What's the point in being able to recite a beautiful Shakespeare sonnet when you have no idea what you're actually saying? The personal enjoyment and cognitive performance benefits of speaking a language lie within the ability to both EXPRESS and COMPREHEND the language.
With that in mind, Maddy has designed her studio pedagogy to optimize the cognitive development and creative performance benefits of studying music. As the world of neuroscience becomes increasingly ably curious about the relationship of the human mind with music, scientists are discovering what musicians have long suspected: that musician's brains ARE different than the average person's brain, and the difference mainly lies in their ability to access and employ multiple regions of the brain at the same time, resulting in an increased ability to quickly, efficiently and creatively solve problems.
While music can often seem inaccessibly complex to our ears, the rules of music theory are actually quite simple. Music theory breaks down into a binary code of "half steps" and "whole steps." Much like a computer's programming, these simple elements can be put together in basic ways to make a simple blues song, or they may be intricately blended to compose a deeply complex symphonic work.
Maddy's pedagogy is rooted in the human brain's strongest ability: pattern recognition of the "binary code" of music. The rules of Western music theory are mathematical, absolute and simple. Once a few basic principles are understood, students are empowered to exponentially increase the speed of their musical journey.
Humans learn best through play, and Maddy's primary teaching goal is that her students are having fun "speaking music" at every lesson. Because music is a language, she models her teaching after the way we teach young humans to speak: by simply "speaking" with them! Think about it: most people become fluent in their native tongue by around age 5, but music students take years to develop into proficient players. Why? Because we let little children "babble" their native tongue, whether or not they get it right, we interact with them as much as possible.
However, most music teachers tell children they are only allowed to "speak" (play) certain "stories" (songs) an exactly certain way. No mistakes allowed, copy what someone else did. Even worse, most music students will spend years practicing alone on their instrument until they have the chance to "dialogue" with other players.
Where is the fun or efficiency in that?!
Maddy's Music Studio is designed is to produce musically fluent, self-expressive musicians who not only read and perform the music of Classical greats, but also confidently "speak" their own musical voice through the freedom of musical improvisation. What's the point in being able to recite a beautiful Shakespeare sonnet when you have no idea what you're actually saying? The personal enjoyment and cognitive performance benefits of speaking a language lie within the ability to both EXPRESS and COMPREHEND the language.
With that in mind, Maddy has designed her studio pedagogy to optimize the cognitive development and creative performance benefits of studying music. As the world of neuroscience becomes increasingly ably curious about the relationship of the human mind with music, scientists are discovering what musicians have long suspected: that musician's brains ARE different than the average person's brain, and the difference mainly lies in their ability to access and employ multiple regions of the brain at the same time, resulting in an increased ability to quickly, efficiently and creatively solve problems.
While music can often seem inaccessibly complex to our ears, the rules of music theory are actually quite simple. Music theory breaks down into a binary code of "half steps" and "whole steps." Much like a computer's programming, these simple elements can be put together in basic ways to make a simple blues song, or they may be intricately blended to compose a deeply complex symphonic work.
Maddy's pedagogy is rooted in the human brain's strongest ability: pattern recognition of the "binary code" of music. The rules of Western music theory are mathematical, absolute and simple. Once a few basic principles are understood, students are empowered to exponentially increase the speed of their musical journey.
Humans learn best through play, and Maddy's primary teaching goal is that her students are having fun "speaking music" at every lesson. Because music is a language, she models her teaching after the way we teach young humans to speak: by simply "speaking" with them! Think about it: most people become fluent in their native tongue by around age 5, but music students take years to develop into proficient players. Why? Because we let little children "babble" their native tongue, whether or not they get it right, we interact with them as much as possible.
However, most music teachers tell children they are only allowed to "speak" (play) certain "stories" (songs) an exactly certain way. No mistakes allowed, copy what someone else did. Even worse, most music students will spend years practicing alone on their instrument until they have the chance to "dialogue" with other players.
Where is the fun or efficiency in that?!
MADDY'S TEACHING TOOLS
- Piano Training
- Vocal Training (Basic or Expanded, dependent upon each student's interests)
- Basic Stringed Instrument (Ukelele & Guitar) Training
- Ear Training (Rhythm, Pitch, Musical Styles & Genres)
- Sight Reading Training
- Music History Lessons
- Music Theory & Composition Training
- Nashville Charts, Classical music, Jazz Chart reading
- Solfege Training (Interval Recognition)
WHAT DOES A LESSON LOOK LIKE?
Lessons are taken on a weekly basis throughout the school year following the TCSD calendar, with separate summer sessions beginning at the end of June. Students sign up and commit to an entire semester term.
Because music is a language, Maddy models her method after the human brain's preference for language learning --- through interactive listening and musical dialogue with her students. Beginner students spend much of their lesson time simply "speaking" music with Maddy as they develop the fine motor, listening, and creative cognitive processing skills that will become the bedrock of their deeper musical vocabulary.
Much like we teach our children to speak before we expect them to read, Maddy's students next learn musical scales, or the first "words" of music. Music literacy study begins immediately, but students learn to play songs by ear before they are asked to read songs from the written note.
Every lesson includes a variety of activities, from rhythm practice (on drums, with shakers or various other percussion instruments), ear training practice (matching pitches on the keyboard, recognizing intervals, recognizing beat patterns), music reading and writing practice, musical history lessons (from Bach to Beyonce), and often a viewing and discussion of live music performance via Maddy's studio computer setup.
Lessons are taken on a weekly basis throughout the school year following the TCSD calendar, with separate summer sessions beginning at the end of June. Students sign up and commit to an entire semester term.
Because music is a language, Maddy models her method after the human brain's preference for language learning --- through interactive listening and musical dialogue with her students. Beginner students spend much of their lesson time simply "speaking" music with Maddy as they develop the fine motor, listening, and creative cognitive processing skills that will become the bedrock of their deeper musical vocabulary.
Much like we teach our children to speak before we expect them to read, Maddy's students next learn musical scales, or the first "words" of music. Music literacy study begins immediately, but students learn to play songs by ear before they are asked to read songs from the written note.
Every lesson includes a variety of activities, from rhythm practice (on drums, with shakers or various other percussion instruments), ear training practice (matching pitches on the keyboard, recognizing intervals, recognizing beat patterns), music reading and writing practice, musical history lessons (from Bach to Beyonce), and often a viewing and discussion of live music performance via Maddy's studio computer setup.
Maddy's Music Studio
Teaching Music as a Language in Jackson Hole, WY
eMAIL: |
phone: |
address: |