On 12th July 2022, Bechstein Music World had the honour of hosting the Singapore leg of the Piano Adventures Teacher’s Workshop Series with Dr Randall Faber. The session was conducted via Zoom Webinar and shared with hundreds of piano teachers across Singapore.
During the session, Dr Faber shared philosophies on teaching and the ethos behind the world-renowned Piano Adventures teaching method and series of books – that music instruction “develops the minds and hearts” of the learner. This holistic approach values music performance not only as personal and creative artistic expression, but also as a process of cognitive and emotional development, with the student as the main agent of their own active learning.
The Piano Adventure series touches on the physiological and neurological aspects of the act of practicing and playing music, which Dr Faber explains, play a significant role in learning, in developing and maintaining brain health in children, and preventing cognitive decline in adults – aspects such as physical motion, “Discovery” tasks with each piece encouraging the Left Brain (analysis), and “Creative” tasks encouraging Right Brain (Creativity) activity by allowing a student to add a twist to the existing piece to create their own new interpretation (i.e. use the same notes to create your own ending for the piece). The progression from one level to the next also strongly reflects how well the Faber method takes into account the way the human brain works and utilizes it to optimize learning and exploration.
Dr Faber also shared a few tips on selecting the appropriate material for each student, as each series has been especially paced & designed with the development at each age group in mind, and a variety of supplementary repertoire and supporting resources for teachers available within the Piano Adventures range. The Piano Adventures Atlas resource was also introduced at the session. This resource features countless technique demonstration videos, teacher guides, references and audio backing tracks to help teachers enrich their teaching even further.
The Fabers’ teaching method features a unique combination of Middle-C, intervallic, and multi-key approaches, beginning with off-staff reading, and playing across the entire keyboard on all black keys. As demonstrated by Dr Faber in the workshop session, This allows students, especially younger learners to build & develop the motor skills and dexterity, whilst not overloading information in the initial stages, allowing children to stay motivated. Emphasis on rhythm as an initial connection to music also serves as an engaging starting point for learners of any age. Notes in the Middle-C position are introduced in groups, but the student plays in these positions on white keys across the keyboard. The complete method incorporates attention to intervals, five-finger positions, music theory, and creativity in an inter-organized progression, supported by corresponding books. The series includes music originally-composed by Nancy and Randall Faber. It also includes well-known folk, pop, and classical melodies.
As pianist and educator, Randall Faber has appeared as special guest and keynote speaker at universities throughout North America and Asia, including the Beijing Central Conservatory, the Shanghai Conservatory and the Royal Conservatory of Canada. He has been Convention Artist for the Music Teachers National Association Conference and master teacher for the World Conference on Piano Pedagogy, National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference and the USA National Piano Teachers Institute.
A Steinway Artist, Faber has given recitals throughout the United States, Canada and Asia. He has appeared on international television and on public radio in live recital broadcasts.
Dr. Faber holds three degrees from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in Education and Human Development from Vanderbilt University. His research on motivation and talent development has been featured in journals and media in South Korea, China, Australia, and at the 9th International Conference on Motivation in Lisbon, Portugal.
Randall and his wife Nancy are well known as authors of the best-selling Piano Adventures(R) teaching method. Translated to seven languages, their books have sold tens of millions of copies around the world.
The Fabers are co-founders of the Faber Piano Institute located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.