Angela Bowles's Page

My friend and I have been sharing motivational ideas for our students.. since we are both piano teachers. She lives in Michigan, and I'm in Indiana.. so we have put an interesting twist on some of them. Most of the children think it's pretty cool, so I thought maybe some of you would like to try some and see how they work for you. We have put them in competition against each other, and they think it's the greatest thing in the world to beat the other state! HOOSIER'S RULE!!! :) One of the things… Continue

How do you deal with a child that has talent to play by ear, and therefore does not pay attention to a new piece of music, but rather tries to figure it out according to how he has heard it in times past. I have a very talented young man… about eleven years old, and he can play just about any tune that he has heard before without any music in front of him. It takes him awhile to figure it out, but he gets it eventually. When he reads music from his lesson books, he does fine; but, when I give hi… Continue

Well, my recital is just two days away, and as I have had the final lessons with the students, I have had a few surprises. Some of the students are super confident, some are not, and others, well…I don’t even know what to call it. I thought a little four year old girl getting ready for her first recital would be hesitant, scared, and maybe not even willing to participate. But oh was I surprised when a week before her recital she demanded that she be able to play five songs at the recital instead… Continue

I have had an idea that I want to put to good use, but I think I need some advice first! I would just love to have a composing contest with my students. I have never done anything like that before, but I have so many of them that always want to play me a little tune here and there that they have made up on their own. Do you think it is too difficult of a task for them to actually “write” their composition down? I would love to make a contest out of it and have them all play their pieces at the n… Continue

How do parents expect for their children to have a profitable piano lesson if they don’t come with their books. I am sure any parent would agree whole heartedly that if they sent their child to school without their books, that their level of learning would be hindered. So, what makes it different for a piano lesson? What do you do when you have an hour long lesson with a child, and they have no books. I do have a few extra books here and there, but not all of my students are in the same books. I… Continue