12‑Month Overview (15‑year‑old)
- Months 1–3: Foundations — Daily Hanon‑Faber warmups; Scale & Chord Book Level 1; Piano Adventures Technique & Repertoire; introduce Hildegard chant (simple modal melody) for ear and phrasing. Assess: weekly recordings, monthly technical tests.
- Months 4–6: Expansion — Increase Hanon complexity; Scale & Chord Book Level 2; learn two Piano Adventures pieces at late‑intermediate level; study a chanson de geste excerpt and minstrel melody for ornamentation practice. Assess: term recital, transposition exercise.
- Months 7–9: Integration — Hanon routines for endurance; Scale & Chord Book Level 3; tackle advanced Piano Adventures repertoire; explore German Minnesänger songs and modal harmonization; begin improvisation on medieval modes. Assess: portfolio of annotated scores and recordings.
- Months 10–12: Performance & Creation — Polished recital program combining canonical Piano Adventures works and two medieval pieces (one sacred, one secular); composition project using medieval modes and Scale & Chord patterns; final recorded exam and reflective response. Assess: public performance, written reflection on stylistic choices.
Weekly Structure (example)
- 6 days/week practice: 10–15 min Hanon‑Faber warmups; 15 min Scales & Chords (focus on pattern + transposition); 30–45 min repertoire (Piano Adventures pieces + medieval selections); 10–15 min sight‑reading or improvisation; 1 recording/week for teacher feedback.
Resources
- Piano Adventures (Technique & Repertoire books)
- Hanon‑Faber: The New Virtuoso Pianist (warmups and healthy technique)
- Scale & Chord Book Level 1–3 (progressive technical/theoretical foundation)
- Selected medieval scores and reliable modern editions: Hildegard chant transcriptions, chansons de geste excerpts, Minnesänger/minstrel repertory.
Assessment & Milestones
- Monthly technical tests (scales/arpeggios at tempo, Hanon routines)
- Quarterly recitals (studio or online) with at least one medieval work each
- Term portfolios: annotated scores, recordings, short reflection connecting practice to medieval style and theory
- Final: 20–25 minute program combining modern and medieval works + composition using modal material
ACARA v9 Alignment
- Creating and Making: composition project using medieval modes and Scale & Chord vocabulary.
- Performing: progressive technical outcomes through Hanon‑Faber and Piano Adventures; regular recitals and sight‑reading targets.
- Responding: reflective written responses, annotated scores, peer/teacher critique cycles.
- Musicology/Understanding: study of medieval sacred and secular forms, modal systems, historical context and stylistic practice.
Teacher Comment (ACARA v9‑mapped, Amy Chua cadence — 100 words)
You will practise six days a week, no excuses. Begin each session with Hanon‑Faber warm‑ups for technical precision, then scales and chords to build theory and transposition skills. Apply these to Piano Adventures repertoire and monthly medieval studies (Hildegard chant, chansons, Minnesänger) to develop phrasing, modality, and stylistic awareness. Record weekly, submit for critique, and correct errors immediately. Sight‑read twice weekly; sight‑transpose once weekly. Aim for clean, musical performances at term recitals. This plan targets ACARA v9 strands: Creating and Making, Performing, Responding and Musicology—skillful, disciplined, and measurable progress. I expect documented daily logs and monthly technical tests without exception.