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When I was a freshman in college, my vocal instructor was about to accompany me on one of the Schubert Lieder when he suddenly turned around and asked me how old I was.
“Nineteen,” I said.
"When Franz Schubert was nineteen, he’d already written a hundred songs,” said my instructor pointedly. “How many songs have you written?” He lifted an eyebrow and gave a self-satisfied smile, then commenced the tune without waiting for an answer.
Read MoreA friend’s daughter, a first-grader, was invited to do math with the second graders at the start of the school year.
My friend was conflicted about it. She, herself, skipped fourth grade math and still remembers the feeling of being lost and confused in fifth grade math and resented for the privilege. She was worried that her daughter would have the same experience.
The way school subjects are organized in the American system contributes to these kinds of age vs. ability conflicts. Students are expected to move in lock-step with their cohort, regardless of whether they understand the material. If they don’t, they will be with kids of a different age, which has the potential to cause social problems and still doesn’t guarantee that they’ll have their academic needs met.
Read MoreWhen you push a kid on the swings, be ready for feedback.
“Faster! Higher! Higher!” It’s never enough, but they love it anyway.
To push someone in the metaphorical sense is the opposite of what it is to push someone on the swings. To push someone metaphorically is to effectively coerce them into doing something they would not normally have done, whereas the pushing that happens with respect to the swing set is invited and encouraged. It’s collaboration.
Read MoreEvery aspiring classical pianist wants to learn to play Beethoven’s “Für Elise.” Some two hundred years after its composition, it’s still irresistible. And the good news is that the well-known theme is very simple. The harmony consists of only four chords, meaning that it can be taught by rote. The hands don’t play together very much — they just overlap. In other words, you can show someone how to play it even if they don’t read music and don’t have a lot of experience.
What many people don’t realize is that “Für Elise” has two other themes that are lesser known than the iconic A-section. These parts are not for beginners.
Read MoreThe other day, I was playing with my little nephew. He was intent on going down one of those small plastic backyard slides.
Like many toddlers, he likes to carry things around with him, especially balls and toy cars. With a ball in his hand, it was challenging to climb the steps to the slide platform, but he managed.
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