Frequently Asked Questions
If you can't find the answer to YOUR question in the FAQ list below, feel free to contact us.
Buying
Where can I purchase Celebrate Piano!®?
Can I buy Celebrate Piano!®
books from this website?
Do you ever offer special discounts on Celebrate
Piano!®?
How much will my student have to spend on Celebrate
Piano!® materials?
Website
How do I register on the Celebrate Piano!®
website?
How do I become listed as a Celebrate Piano!®
teacher?
How do I receive the Celebrate Piano!®
e-newsletter?
How do I receive email updates from Frederick Harris Music?
How do I join the Celebrate Piano!®
forum? How do I post messages?
Teaching
What is Celebrate Piano!®?
Why use Celebrate Piano!®?
How do I use Celebrate Piano!®?
For what age group is Celebrate Piano!®
designed?
Is Celebrate Piano!® a good method
for adults?
How quickly should my student progress through each level of Celebrate
Piano!®?
Can I use Celebrate Piano!® in group
lessons?
When can my student start playing classical repertoire?
Components / Materials
Why are there no theory or ear-training books for Celebrate
Piano!®?
What is meant by the comprehensive approach of Celebrate
Piano!®?
Can I use one Lesson and Musicianship book for multiple students?
Do I need to purchase the accompaniments?
How do I use the accompaniments in my teaching?
What equipment is required for me to use the MIDI disks?
What supplementary materials can I use in conjunction with Celebrate
Piano!®?
Buying
Where can I purchase Celebrate Piano!®?
Celebrate Piano!® books can be purchased at your
local print music retailer (music store). For a list of retailers that carry
our products, visit Frederick Harris Music Online and click on “Find a
Store” in the top menu.
Can I buy Celebrate Piano!®
books from this website?
No, there are no e-commerce functions on celebratepiano.com. However, US customers
can purchase Celebrate Piano!® books from Frederick
Harris Music Online at anytime. Canadian customers must visit their local print
music retailer.
Do you ever offer special discounts on Celebrate
Piano!®?
On occasion, Frederick Harris Music will make Celebrate Piano!®
available online as a SPECIAL PROMOTION to teachers. In Canada, this happens
occasionally during the teaching season, usually in the fall. Special offers
are distributed by mail and email, and are for a limited time only. In the US,
SPECIAL PROMOTIONS occur in September/October and again in January/February.
Members of the Teachers Online Club, a loyalty program for teachers, receive
25% off ALL regularly priced items at any time throughout the year. The Teachers
Online Club is available to US customers only.
How much will my student have to spend on Celebrate
Piano!® materials?
In the first year of study, a typical student will complete Levels 1A, 1B, and
2A. The Lesson and Musicianship books for these levels cost $12.95, $12.95,
and $14.50 respectively (in US dollars). The solos books cost $6.50 each. Supplementary
items, including the CD or MIDI Accompaniments and Flashcards,
are recommended but not necessary for instruction. Without supplementary items,
the cost for one year of materials is $53.40 USD.
A complete pricelist is available here.
Website
How do I register on the Celebrate
Piano!® website?
To register for the Celebrate Piano!® website, simply
fill out the registration form online. Click on Teacher
Registration in the Community menu. Within seconds, you will receive a confirmation
email with details of your account activation. Log in with the information provided.
How do I become listed as a Celebrate
Piano!® teacher?
During registration, you will have the opportunity to choose whether or not
to be listed online as a Celebrate Piano!® teacher.
If at any time you would like to change your mind, simply click on the “Change
my info” link on the blue bar above and click “Yes” next to
the question “Do you want to be listed in our teacher directory?”
How do I receive the Celebrate Piano!®
e-newsletter?
To receive the Celebrate Piano!® e-newsletter, you
must first be registered on the Celebrate Piano!®
website. In your user preferences, click “Yes” next to the question
“Do you want to subscribe to our newsletter?”
How do I receive email updates from Frederick Harris
Music?
To receive quarterly email updates from Frederick Harris Music, you must first
be registered on the Celebrate Piano!® website.
In your user preferences, click “Yes” next to the question “Do
you want to receive quarterly product updates?”
How do I join the Celebrate Piano!®
forum? How do I post messages?
The Celebrate Piano!® discussion forum is accessible
from the celebratepiano.com homepage. Visitors can read any and all postings
but cannot post a topic or reply to a posting without first registering as a
forum member. This can be done by clicking on “Register” in the
top menu. Users are required to supply basic contact information to receive
permission to participate in the forum. Once activated, posting messages and
replying to posts can be done by clicking on the appropriate icons in the forum.
Please note: registration for the Celebrate Piano!® discussion forum is separate from the registration process for the Celebrate Piano!® website. Users must register for BOTH sites.
Teaching
What is Celebrate Piano!®?
Celebrate Piano!® is a beginner method of four levels
that combines an intervallic and multiple-key approach to reading. By transposing
pieces from white keys to black keys and vice versa, students experience a wide
variety of keys in their first few lessons. The “preparation, presentation,
reinforcement” approach is emphasized throughout the books. Students experience
a new concept before it is formally introduced. (For example, a student will
actually play 5ths in a “Finger Gym” exercise prior to learning
about the interval of a 5th). New concepts are presented in a “concept
box” that explains and illustrates the concept being taught. New concepts
are immediately reinforced in written activities and in new pieces. A “Practice
Plan” that leads the student through a variety of activities—such
as tapping rhythms or naming intervals—is included for every piece.
Why use Celebrate Piano!®?
Celebrate Piano!® combines everything a student
needs to study piano in one Lesson and Musicianship book. There are six
units in each book. Each unit includes activities in the following five areas:
ear skills, rhythm skills, musicianship activities, creative activities, and
finger gymnastics. Ear training is developed through the singing of interval
songs—each interval is associated with a different animal. The pieces
explore a wide range of the keyboard. As early as Unit 2 of Level 1, the student
is asked to transpose in order to experience a variety of keys. The CD and MIDI
accompaniments for each piece in both the Lesson and Musicianship books
and Solos albums introduce the student to a wide range of musical styles.
Hand independence is developed early on—the left hand does much more than
just play accompanying chords. Musicianship and creativity are encouraged from
the very beginning. Early creative activities that may be as simple as drawing
a picture to represent an improvised tune evolve into the completion of “Question
and Answer” phrases and short improvised melodies. Celebrate
Piano!® fosters the development of a well-rounded musician.
How do I use Celebrate Piano!®?
Celebrate Piano!® includes pieces, written activities
(musicianship), technical exercises (finger gyms), rhythm activities, creative
activities and ear skills. Each Lesson and Musicianship book is organized
into six units that include all of these activities. As a teacher you can create
your own lesson plan that incorporates activities from all of these areas or
you can use the lesson plans that have been designed by the authors and included
in the Teacher’s Guide. Lesson plans can be geared to an individual
student’s needs. The finger gymnastics always appear at the beginning
of a unit, usually followed by the “Interval Safari” songs. Other
activities appear throughout the unit. The pieces are grouped together in the
middle of the unit and each unit ends with “Clapbacks,” “Playbacks,”
and creative activities. Encourage your students to play along with the accompaniments
to reinforce rhythmic stability and for fun! Pieces in the Solos books
can be used to further reinforce concepts learned in the Lesson and Musicianship
books or as special recital pieces.
For what age group is Celebrate
Piano!® designed?
Celebrate Piano!® was written with the average-age
beginner (6 – 7 years old) in mind. The text and illustrations reflect
this choice. However, some teachers have experienced success with Celebrate
Piano!® with younger students, who may perhaps take longer to progress,
and with older students who may in fact move more quickly. The artist, Bill
Kimber, has received praise for creating illustrations that appeal to a wide
audience and are not babyish.
Is Celebrate Piano!®
a good method for adults?
Celebrate Piano!® is not recommended for adult beginners.
While the method of instruction is indeed sound and the sequencing valid for
all ages, the adult student does not require the same level of preparation,
presentation, and reinforcement as a younger beginner. An adult would move through
the units very quickly.
How quickly should my student progress through
each level of Celebrate Piano!®?
Students typically progress through each unit of Celebrate
Piano!® in two weeks. Some students may need an extra week in some
units, while others may progress more quickly. An average student will complete
each six-unit book in twelve to sixteen weeks.
Can I use Celebrate Piano!®
in group lessons?
Celebrate Piano!® is perfect for group teaching.
This method was tested in group lessons by the authors of the method and by
several teachers who tested the series throughout its development.
When can my student start playing classical repertoire?
Students encounter classical repertoire as early as Lesson and Musicianship
2A of Celebrate Piano!® (“Allegretto”
by Cornelius Gurlitt and “Allegro” by Daniel Gottlob Türk).
Celebrate Piano!® Solos 2 includes six classical
pieces. Celebrate Piano!® students are well prepared
for a smooth transition into collections of standard piano literature such as
Celebration Series®, The Piano Odyssey®.
Components / Materials
Why are there no theory or ear-training books for
Celebrate Piano!®?
Because of the comprehensive approach of Celebrate Piano!®,
theory and ear-training exercises (along with technical and creative activities)
are carefully integrated into every unit of each Lesson and Musicianship
book. This organization makes it easy for you to incorporate these exercises
into every lesson and eliminates the need to coordinate several separate books
per level in order to address all areas of study.
What is meant by the comprehensive approach of
Celebrate Piano!®?
In addition to presenting a wide range of repertoire, Celebrate
Piano!® integrates five major areas of study into every level:
- Rhythm activities develop a sense of steady beat and reinforce rhythmic concepts.
- Ear Skills activities are crucial to the development of aural awareness, good sight-reading skills, and general musicianship.
- Musicianship activities reinforce reading and theory.
- Finger Gyms are technical exercises that develop physical skills.
- Creative exercises reinforce new elements and concepts and encourage students to compose and improvise.
Can I use one Lesson and Musicianship book
for multiple students?
Because each Lesson and Musicianship book contains a number of written
activities that are integral to using the method successfully, it is advisable
to use one book for each individual student.
Do I need to purchase the accompaniments?
It is not necessary to purchase the accompaniments, but they do enrich the experience
of using Celebrate Piano!®. With arrangements of
the student parts and teacher accompaniments for all the pieces in the Lesson
and Musicianship and Solos books, the CDs and MIDI disks will help
students to:
- acquire an understanding of color and articulation
- be able to simulate performance in an ensemble setting
- develop an improved awareness of steady pulse, secure aural skills, and confident musicianship.
How do I use the accompaniments in my teaching?
The Celebrate Piano!® Accompaniments, available
in both CD and MIDI disk formats, can be used at either at the lesson or at
home before, during, and after learning a piece. The CD offers two recordings
of every piece: one in a performance tempo, the other in a practice tempo. With
the MIDI disks, you can adjust tempo, key, instrumentation to suit your students
needs or to experiment with different scenarios. For additional ideas and suggestions
from teachers on using the Accompaniments, take a look at the Celebrate
Piano!® forum here.
What equipment is required for me to use the MIDI
disks?
The Celebrate Piano!® MIDI disks are compatible
with all brands of keyboards that accept 3 1/2-inch GM (General MIDI) disks.
You can also use the MIDI disks in any MIDI disk player, or a computer with
a 3 1/2-inch floppy disk drive.
What supplementary materials can I use in conjunction
with Celebrate Piano!®?
In addition to the Solos books, Frederick Harris Music offers additional
publications that are suitable for Celebrate Piano!®
students:
- Celebrate Piano!® Christmas 1 offers supplementary holiday music for students working from Lesson and Musicianship 1A and 1B.
- The Composer Library Series offers a wealth of supplementary repertoire ideal for students at all stages of study. For students at Levels 1 and 2 of Celebrate Piano!®, try Fun at the Fair and Happy Times by Elvina Pearce.
- For students at Levels 3 and 4, you can try the early elementary and elementary-level collections in the Composer Library Series—many of which are written by composers who have contributed to Celebrate Piano!®. For a complete listing of titles, visit Frederick Harris Music Online.
- Introduce your students to classical literature with Celebration Series®, The Piano Odyssey®, consisting of progressively leveled volumes of repertoire and supporting materials. The Introductory level of Celebration Series® is appropriate for students studying at Level 3 of Celebrate Piano!®, and Level 1 is appropriate for Level 4 of Celebrate Piano!®.
- For additional materials to develop ear skills and sight-reading skills, try Four Star Sight Reading and Ear Tests. The Introductory Book is suitable for students studying from Level 3 of Celebrate Piano!® and Book 1 is appropriate for students at Level 4.
For more information on all publications offered from Frederick Harris Music, click here.
