If you’re looking for something fun and creative to do, if you always wanted to play the piano but didn’t think you could, if you want to simply try out the revolutionary Simply Music method before enrolling in ongoing lessons, our workshops are perfect for you! Taught by Mark S. Meritt, New York State’s only Accredited Simply Music Teacher, you can choose from:

Introduction to Simply Music Piano Lessons: A special abridged version of the standard first level program. Learn to play several great-sounding contemporary, classical, gospel, blues, and accompaniment pieces, as well as improvisation. Just $99 for 6 lessons, including materials — over 33% off regular tuition! (Price is for group workshops. For private workshops, price is $135 — nearly 40% off regular tuition!)

Introduction to Piano Improvisation: Learn techniques for creating your own music, including basic blues improv. Just $84 for 6 lessons — over 33% off regular tuition! (Price is for group workshops. For private workshops, price is $120 — nearly 40% off regular tuition!)

• Learn great sounding material
• Immediately!
• Great for all ages
• Only a small time commitment
• Scheduled at your convenience, anytime year-round, not just when we’re offering classes through continuing education programs or other organizations…
• … and at big discounts compared to regular lessons!

Enroll now or learn more about our Beginner Piano Workshops or the breakthrough Simply Music method in general.

In addition to talking about the Simply Music method, I demonstrated it by teaching Beethoven’s Ode to Joy to Linda and one of the show’s sponsors, Susan Simon of Third Eye Associates. The piece is covered as part of the regular Simply Music curriculum‘s first level as well as my Introduction to Simply Music Piano Lessons workshop.

Linda and Susan both did really well, especially when you consider how different the situation was from regular lessons! We were going at a pretty fast past since we only had so much time for the show, and we were also all sitting pretty motionless in a tiny studio with few opportunities to interact the way we normally would be able to during lessons.

You can listen to the episode at the Swing Shift Radio Show Library Archives.

No experience or instrument necessary! Simply Music is a revolutionary, Australian-developed piano learning method that offers a breakthrough in music education. This remarkable approach has students of all ages playing great-sounding contemporary, classical, gospel, blues and accompaniment pieces — immediately — from their very first lessons. Led by New York’s only Accredited Simply Music Teacher.

Learn more about Simply Music piano lessons and beginner piano workshops.

Beginner Piano Workshop — “Introduction to Simply Music Piano Lessons”
Day/Time: Mondays 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Dates: 4/11/11, 4/25/11, 5/9/11, 5/16/11, 5/23/11, 6/13/11 (6 lessons)

Learn more and register through Continuing Education at the Red Hook Central School District.

No experience or instrument necessary! Simply Music is a revolutionary, Australian-developed piano learning method that offers a breakthrough in music education. This remarkable approach has students of all ages playing great-sounding contemporary, classical, gospel, blues and accompaniment pieces — immediately — from their very first lessons. Led by New York’s only Accredited Simply Music Teacher.

Learn more about Simply Music piano lessons and beginner piano workshops.

Choose from these offerings:

Red Hook Continuing Education

Beginner Piano Workshop — “Songs & More”
Day/Time: Mondays 7:10 p.m.-8:10 p.m.
Dates: 10/25/2010-11/29/2010 (6 lessons)

Piano Improvisation Workshop
Day/Time: Mondays 8:15 p.m.-9:15 p.m.
Dates: 10/25/2010-11/29/2010 (6 lessons)

Learn more and register through Continuing Education at the Red Hook Central School District.

Rhinebeck Continuing Education

Beginner Piano Workshop — “Songs & More”
Day/Time: Wednesdays 7:15 p.m.-8:15 p.m.
Dates: 9/15/2010-10/20/2010 (6 lessons)

Piano Improvisation Workshop
Day/Time: Wednesdays 8:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Dates: 9/15/2010-10/20/2010 (6 lessons)

Learn more and register through Rhinebeck Central School District’s Continuing Education Program.

SUNY Ulster Continuing & Professional Education

Beginner Piano Workshop — “Songs & More”
Day/Time: Fridays 7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Dates: 9/24/2010-10/29/2010 (6 lessons)

Piano Improvisation Workshop
Day/Time: Fridays 8:05 p.m.-9:05 p.m.
Dates: 9/24/2010-10/29/2010 (6 lessons)

Learn more and register through Continuing & Professional Education at SUNY Ulster.

Musical education has many benefits for children with special needs. The Simply Music method actively engages campers in piano instruction, using an interactive and hands-on approach that fosters positive group dynamics. By breaking down each song into easy to grasp patterns, music becomes an accessible language. As they build upon these patterns to master songs, children gain self-confidence and learn problem solving skills. As in all of Ramapo’s activities, this workshop stresses the importance of listening and learning from others, a commitment to do one’s best, and gives campers a unique experience from which they can further pursue musical instruction and expression.

Founded in 1922, Ramapo for Children is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit organization serving children with special needs and those at-risk. Each summer, Ramapo serves more than 550 children with special needs, providing adventure-based, residential camp programs that inspire children from early childhood through adolescence to experience success, develop healthy relationships, and learn necessary life skills.

This workshop was made possible with funding from the UJA – Federation of New York Music for Youth Program. The program’s instructor is Mark S. Meritt, New York State’s only Accredited Simply Music Teacher. Mark extends the creative approach that drives his Red Hook-based company, Potluck Creative Arts, by offering Simply Music piano lessons. At Ramapo, he is teaching songs from Simply Music’s core program as well as an improvisation curriculum of his own creation.

For more information about Ramapo for Children and the programs we offer, please visit www.ramapoforchildren.org or call (845) 876-8409. For more information about Mark and the Simply Music method of piano instruction, please visit potluckcreativearts.com.

Sing along to your favorite songs — pop, rock, standards, show tunes, TV themes and more — with a live musician!

A musician/songwriter with credits in NYC and on national TV and honors from national songwriting competitions, Mark S. Meritt brings his vast repertoire of songs in styles from Ragtime to Rock and everything in between, along with his improvisational skills. With you or even the whole audience singing along, all the songs will come to life — like a piano bar without the bar, or karaoke but with a real, live musician taking your requests.

There are few better ways for a lot of people to have a whole lot of fun together. And with a potluck going on at the same time, you can enjoy dinner and a show!

Everyone is welcome to attend this special, free event. Just bring a dish to share for the potluck, and come enjoy — and hopefully participate in! — the singing. Even bring your own favorite sheet music if you like — Mark will do his best with it!

Saturday, March 20, 2010
5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Multipurpose Room, Bertelsmann Campus Center, Bard College

Bard College Campus Map: http://www.bard.edu/campus/maps/pdfs/campusmap.pdf
Google Maps: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=&daddr=42.019713,-73.909793&hl=en&geocode=&mra=mi&mrsp=0&sz=15&sll=42.017836,-73.908277&sspn=0.023689,0.031543&g=42.020127,-73.909922&ie=UTF8&z=15
Bertelsmann Campus Center Contact Information: http://www.bard.edu/campus/facilities/bcc/contact/

We’d love to know if you’re coming. Let us know by email, or call 845.481.0479 — though no reservations are required.

Mark’s 40th birthday is three days before this event, and this is how he feels like celebrating, because singalongs and potlucks are his idea of a good time. He hopes you’ll agree.

Pass this onto anyone who you think might enjoy attending.

Learn more about Mark, his Piano/Keyboard Performance and Singalong offerings, and all the unique music, arts and creativity services he offers through Potluck Creative Arts.

Come to a HeartScrabble Shindig! — musical fun for everyone, all ages welcome!

Part of HeartScrabble — Celebratining community and helping raise funds for Hardscrabble Day 2010, Food Pantry, and Red Cross/Haiti. Cash bar and free pizza!

Join us for a number of entertaining, interactive group musical activities, including sing-alongs, dances and even playing instruments, all to some great love songs — something for everyone!

Presented by Kindermusik with Miss Beth and Potluck Creative Arts / Accredited Simply Music Piano Teacher Mark S. Meritt.

Saturday, February 27, 2010
5:00 p.m.-5:45 p.m.
Cappucino By Coppola’s
4604 Route 9G, Red Hook, NY
Directions

$10/person or $20/family gets you in for all HeartScrabble events from 5:00 p.m.-11:30 p.m.

Pass this onto anyone who you think might enjoy participating!

Sing — Dance — Play — We look forward to Shindigging with you.

Learn more about Shindig! All-Ages Music Events: http://potluckcreativearts.com/shindig/

Earlier this week, I returned from the annual Simply Music teachers’ conference in San Jose, California. It was my first such experience, and in so many ways it made me realize that the Simply Music piano method is even more remarkable than I’d already known it to be. From the ways it teaches different aspects of music to how it fosters the very learning process itself, it is just extraordinary how well is cultivates music — and personal growth — for people.

Indeed, one of the highlights of the conference was a recital put on by the two very experienced teachers who planned the conference. The founder of Simply Music said afterward that it was like nothing he’d ever seen. The morning afterward, we all learned that more than half of the students performing there had special needs. Autism. Asperger syndrome. Developmental delays. One student had just two fingers on her right hand, and another was blind and mostly deaf. Except for the blind and deaf girl who’d had to be led to the piano, we would not have known anything about the rest, other than that these were students with command over their pieces — including many very sophisticated pieces – and comfort performing in front of a very large audience. It solidified for me that if this is what’s possible for them, then truly so much is possible for everyone using this method. And by offering it as I do online in addition to in person, it’s possible for even more people than ever before.

I teach a truly remarkable piano learning method, and I’m proud to do it. It not only brings music to anyone who wants it — it changes lives. I just wanted to share that with you.

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