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- In Praise of "The McClintock Piano
Course"
- A Review of "The McClintock Piano
Course": From Piano and Keyboard Magazine
- To Order "The McClintock Piano Course"
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"The McClintock Piano Course: A New Experience in
Learning"
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever set out to do something and found, after you finished, that you
had been so intent on the goal of "getting it done" that you had
missed the experience of doing it? Doesn't this frequently happen when we set
out to learn something? We would prefer to "already know," and
therefore, we are apt to impatiently rush ahead, thus depriving ourselves of
the joy of the experience of learning.
We often think of learning or of "getting an education" as a means to
an end, and we may have a tendency to look upon the process of learning as a
kind of drudgery to be endured until we have arrived at our goal. In school,
did you ever have as your sole aim the grade or credit? And instead of enjoying
the experience of learning, did you frantically stuff your mind with facts and
formulas and data and rules, thereby limiting the experience to one of mentally
cataloging information so that you would know all the right answers? Of course,
such an experience is totally superficial, and after the examination, we seldom
remember what we "learned."
The real purpose of education is quite the opposite. The word educate comes
from the Latin word educare, meaning "to draw out" or "to
bring forth." The word "education" is one of the most
significant and powerful words in our language, because it implies that there
is already something within us to be drawn out. The poet Robert Browning gave
us the secret, when he wrote:
"Truth is
within ourselves; it takes no rise
From outward things, whate'er you may believe.
. . . and, to know,
Rather consists in opening out a way
Whence the imprisoned splendor may escape,
Than in effecting entry for a light
Supposed to be without." *
* From Paracelsus
Inherent in each of us are principles and truths that can be awakened
and drawn out through every realm of experience. Throughout this Course, you
will be developing a musical consciousness by responding to principles as they
apply to the study of music. As you respond to a principle, your awareness will
increase and expand, and you will find that there are unlimited applications of
the same principle to other areas of your daily life. And to the degree that
your awareness increases and expands, each experience will become deeper,
broader, and richer.
" In this Course, you will be given all the principles that I
have discovered, and you will be led in a simple and direct way through the
application of those principles as each experience of your study unfolds. Often
you may find yourself saying something like: "Why, of course, that is
true! I never thought of it in quite that way before." And then you will
know that you have responded to a principle.
I hope you will find, during your study of this Course, that the act of
learning — every stage of it — can be one of the most joyous and
fulfilling experiences you have ever had."
- Lorene
McClintock © 1992
What Is "The McClintock Piano Course"?
The Course comprises 201 lessons. The music and text are arranged in
progressive order for use by teachers as well as by individuals for self study
in their own homes. It consists of 3 volumes of music and 8 volumes of
corresponding text, plus the McClintock Keyboard Concealer and the McClintock
Interval Keyblocks.The Course is packaged in two handsomely boxed sets.
The Course requires no previous knowledge of music or the keyboard.
A piano is not required when the student begins the Course. The student is
taught to create his own keyboard in his imagination, and therefore, he is able
to practice in the air or on any flat surface. As a matter of fact, it is
recommended that the student practice each lesson on an imaginary keyboard
before going to the piano. The text of the Course is a guide that engages and
inspires students, leading them step by step through a series of procedures
that enables them to understand and play classical and popular music, and jazz.
The Course includes compositions from folk music and the classics, with
examples from such composers as Bach, Handel, and Chopin, as well as
compositions by the author that were written to explain and teach specific
aspects of music. (Note: Three of these compositions appear in the Course, and
can be heard on the author's CD and cassette, "Reflections of the
Soul.")
The Course employs two unique devices — the McClintock Keyboard Concealer
and the McClintock Interval Keyblocks (invented and patented by the author)
— which help students establish coordination between their eyes and hands.
The Course teaches the principles of rhythm, melody, and harmony as well as
sight-reading, legato playing, phrasing, tone production, and rubato —
thus developing the student's sensitivity for playing the piano musically.
The Course teaches theory from the beginning, as students are learning to read
music, and proceeds through advanced work in composition, which students
(including those at the graduate level) have found invaluable.
The Course is designed to give the student the unique experience of actually
being the student and the teacher at the same time. The sense of observation is
developed to such an extent that students are able to catch themselves in the
act of violating a principle and therefore can easily recognize and correct
their own mistakes. The philosophy and approach have a wide application to all
areas of learning.
"The instructions in the Course provide the student with an
immediate experience in depth rather than information and rules, which must
later be translated into an experience. Underlying each experience is a
principle to which the student innately responds. During the development of
this Course, I made many discoveries about the principles involved in reading
music and playing the piano musically. These principles not only will enable
you to learn music, but also will affect every phase of your daily life —
intellectually, culturally, and spiritually."
- Lorene
McClintock
Who will
benefit from the Course?
- Beginners of any
age who want to learn to read music and play the piano with or without a
teacher.
- Adults and
Teenagers.
- Homeschooling
families.
- Children with
the help of a parent or teacher.
- Advanced
students seeking a structured approach to theory, sight-reading, harmony,
analysis and composition.
- Choir members
and anyone studying voice or a musical instrument other than the piano.
- Band and
orchestra students, rock and jazz musicians who need to increase their
knowledge of music, and who would benefit from a knowledge of the keyboard. The
rhythmic, melodic and harmonic principles taught in the Course apply to any
area of music study.
- Students
preparing for college entrance examinations in music; college students majoring
in Music Therapy; piano teachers who wish to prepare for certification.
- Elementary
school teachers who require a general knowledge of music and would be helped by
being able to read music and play the piano.
- Teachers in all
areas of general education who would benefit from the innovative ideas
presented in the Course: "A New Experience in Learning."
- Piano teachers
seeking a new approach to teaching individuals or students in groups.
- Retirees with an
interest in continued learning.
- Business men and
women looking for a way to unwind from the stress of the workplace.
- The physically
handicapped who can improve their coordination and confidence.
- Anyone who
attends concerts, the opera, the ballet, and who enjoys musical broadcasts,
telecasts, and recordings, but has had little or no education in music.
"Students who have worked with the Course have found that they
have been given insights into every area of their daily activities. The
experience of studying the Course not only has made the students aware of their
own capabilities and potentialities in relation to music, but has given them
courage and inspiration to develop and pursue other interests as
well."
- Lorene
McClintock
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