Piano Safari: Katherine Fisher and Julie Knerr

Katherine Fisher: One of the first questions we receive when we meet new teachers is ‘Why is your method different than others currently available?’ One of the defining characteristics of the Piano Safari pedagogical approach is that pieces are taught in a variety of ways, rather than solely from notation. Reading Pieces are taught from notation, but we also include pieces that are taught by modelling the teacher and by listening. We call these ‘Rote’ or ‘Pattern’ pieces. Rote Pieces are more difficult than the student can currently read, so they provide more sophisticated harmony and rhythm than the simpler ‘Reading’ pieces. Music learned by rote benefits students’ overall development as musicians by enabling them to focus solely on the technical and musical aspects of the piece. Rote Pieces also sound more advanced than the typical beginning Reading Piece, which provides motivation and confidence for beginning pianists. As the Piano Safari method progresses, the student's reading level gradually increases to match the level of their Rote Pieces. By Piano Safari Level 3, the student's reading ability has increased to the point where Rote Pieces are no longer needed. To summarise, Reading Pieces develop visual literacy, while Rote Pieces promote aural and technical literacy. These skills combine to form students who are well-rounded musicians.