PEAK MUSIC ACADEMY
Peery Certification
Information
Peak Music Academy is implementing curriculum developed by the Peery Piano Academy. The Peery Piano Academy was founded in 2001 by Peabody Conservatory graduate and international award-winning pianist, Christie Peery Skousen. Mrs. Skousen developed the Peery curriculum based on her own professional training and her 35 years of teaching experience.
MISSION
Peak Music Academy's mission is to offer the highest quality musical training to our students in the most efficient, fun and effective way possible. We recognize the importance of a strong foundation and provide our teachers and students the tools and support needed to build a foundation that keeps a student’s future musical options open. Whether a student eventually wants to play pop, classical or jazz, competitively or just for fun, Peery training gives its students the tools needed so they can choose to participate in music in the way that is most meaningful to them.
PATH
Peak Music Academy provides a structured, graded curriculum that includes both classical and popular skills, a proven certification system, and opportunities for our students to teach, accompany and perform - all within a supportive, friendly and inspiring community.
The Peery curriculum used in our studio is based on the reality that there are a specific set of skills that are necessary in order to play music well and to continue to progress in difficulty level. When any of these skills are missed along a student’s journey, the student will hit future roadblocks in their ability to move forward. We call these necessary specific skills the Peery Foundational Techniques and these Peery Techniques are taught and mastered in the Peak Training Program as well as Peak Adventures. Each skill is taught, practiced and then ultimately certified before the student progresses to the next skill and the next Peery level.
After graduating from the Peak Training Program, students enter the Trailblazers and Trekkers program on the path to becoming a Peak Mountaineer.
Students progress through a series of levels, with each level teaching the student how to apply the Peery Techniques to increasingly more difficult items. Each Peery level has a list of requirements. When all of the requirements from a level are completed, the student will then move to the next level. Class levels are as follows: Peak Training, Trailblazers Levels 1-4, Trekkers Levels 5-7 and Mountaineers Levels 8 and above. How long a student takes to master their skills and move to the next level is individual, but you can expect your student to spend 1 year on average per level. Students will track their progress on a Google Drive that will be shared with you upon successful admittance to the program. This spreadsheet also includes Peak Theory Objectives where students will complete challenges to grow their knowledge of theory and ear training. This unique and successful learning program has proven to progress students quickly on their path to becoming proficient musicians.
Peak Training Program - All students, regardless of age or ability level, enter Peak Piano at the Peak Training level. The focus of Peak Training is simply to learn the essential habits of great piano technique…right from the beginning. The specific Peery Techniques taught and mastered in Training are listed below with a linked example of how the technique is presented and mastered in Training. All application examples are of Peery students who graduated from the Training program. Some of the students have been in group lessons throughout their piano training and practice 2-5 days a week, approximately 30 minutes a day, while others dedicate a minimum of 5 days a week and 1 hour or more a day to piano practice. Regardless of their piano commitment, Peery certified students are able to play the pieces they want because they mastered the Peery Techniques right from the beginning. Because so much attention is focused on efficient, relaxed, natural movement, correct Peery training also supports injury-free playing.
PEERY PRINCIPLES
- Lift Wrist (technique)
- Push Wrist (technique)
- Pop Wrist (technique)
- Drop/Float – 2 note slur (technique)
- Drop/Float – muti-note slur (technique)
- Finger strength and control (technique)
- Efficient, relaxed movement (technique)
- Efficient thumb motion (technique)
For contrast, here is an example of the same pieces with and without the strong foundation Peery training provides:
German Dance performed by a Peery student using Peery techniques
German Dance performed without Peery techniques
Notice -
Hand position - thumb out, fingers in the air and flat on the key
Rhythmic control - fast notes uneven and unpredictable
Expressive details - lack of dynamics and phrasing
Fast forward 5 years and listen to the same Peery student performing Liszt’s Gnomenreigen. A good foundation makes ALL the difference!
PEERY CERTIFICATION SYSTEM
Ongoing video evaluations are unique and key to the Peery program. This is the element that will strengthen your student’s playing the very most! These video evaluations are held during the regular lesson time for Peak Training and Mountaineers when the teacher believes the student is ready so they are convenient and fit easily into your regular piano schedule. Peak Adventures students will submit weekly videos for feedback. All videos must be received by 5:00pm on Monday to be evaluated for the week. Evaluations entail no additional cost or fee, and are included in your tuition. All videos are reviewed by a Peery Master Teacher to ensure that the Peery Techniques are correctly executed and applied. Both parents and teachers receive email feedback. Items are resubmitted until they receive the mark of Peery Certified. Achieving the mark of Peery Certified is a requirement to graduating from one Peery level to the next.
(801) 361-8159
peak.music.academy@gmail.com
I love having adventures with my sweetheart of nearly 30 years! My musical journey has been an adventure and continues to inspire me as much as climbing mountains! Proud mother of 6 children who all play the piano and grandmother to two amazing grandchildren who will certainly play the piano some day!
