Our Online, International Piano Project

It's been a while since we last wrote anything, but during that time we've been very busy!
Over the next few weeks, we'll be blogging about our current charity project Alice, and about everything else that's happening at Greenside Music, but today's blog is about Piano Studios Unite. 

The Piano Studios Unite noticeboard at Greenside Music


 

Piano Studios Unite

Over the summer, we mused how it would be lovely if our students could have a
piano buddy in a different part of the world, with who they could share videos of their performances, and talk about learning the piano. 

We thought it would be a good motivator for practice (and who doesn't want their students to be more motivated!), and would provide a wider audience for everyone involved to perform to. 

Lessons resumed in September and our plans were put on hold, but the idea was still in the back of our minds. In early November we decided to take a leap, and we posted our idea in the Facebook group Piano Teacher FunMakers. We were pleasantly surprised at the response we received! We were hopeful that just one piano studio would join in, but the Piano Studios Unite Facebook Group currently has 32 studios! 

We suggested that students could share videos of themselves performing Christmas pieces, which would then be compiled into YouTube playlists. Despite the short notice, 8 piano studios took part, and overall we have 63 videos in 4 different playlists (organized by age-range)!

The playlists can be viewed here. 

We were extremely happy with this - our little idea from the summer turned out to be such a big success! We had lots of positive feedback from piano teachers who were involved, and our students thoroughly enjoyed being videoed knowing that they were going to be watched in America and Canada!

Following the success of the first project, and as many of the group members (both those who took part, and those who were unable to be involved) requested another online event, we have created:

International, Online Mid-Year Piano Extravaganza 2015

Invitations were sent to the Piano Studios Unite group members

By Monday 1st June, we hope to have several YouTube playlists of performances from students from different countries, including: Canada, America, England, Cambodia, and Belgium. Students of any age and any ability are invited to share videos of them playing a piece of any style; the only requirements are that they are playing the piano, and are wearing black and/or white (we felt this would create a concert feel, and would encourage the students to feel unified).

We've had one submission already, and our students are all busy preparing their pieces in order to be videoed in the next few months.

To keep up-to-date with Piano Studios Unite, follow our blog, and subscribe to Piano Studios Unite on YouTube (and while you're there, check out Greenside Music too!)