Accelerating music literacy

Home Press Latest Archives Library Contact As Candida Tobin "lifts the lid" on her uniquely interesting life, she not only fascinates the reader with the contents, but also writes colourfully. Known for devising the Tobin Music System, which imaginatively combines pattern and colour, Tobin shares here tireless quest with the reader in the same exuberant manner with which she approaches her life's work. Her sheer determination shines through, as she throws 120% energy into a variety of enterprising projects, despite many discouragements. Indeed, the music establishment many times dismissed her work without even discovering what it involved! This book illustrates how Tobin's personal experiences, even from early childhood, have influenced the development of her method. Her autobiography contains around 200 stories, each with its own subtitle, grouped into three sections. Each account flows seamlessly into the next, creating a holistic impression and making it an easy, pleasurable read. Cartoons intermingle with the frequent humor of the text. I personally felt challenged after reading the life-story of this remarkable woman. We live in a world characterised by continuous change but have we become complacent? Are we content to merely absorb received wisdom? When innovative methods come along, do we cling to tradition, so threatened by departing from our 'normal' approach, that we sometimes fail to see how our methods may hold back a child's potential? How often do we 'lift the lid' and reflect on why we do what we do? Perhaps this book will encourage further dissemination of the Tobin Music System that supports a multi-sensory approach to the teaching of music literacy. I, for one, would like to know more. Sharon Mark Published in Piano Professional, April 2004, p26 EPTA (European Piano Teachers Association)

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