Alfred's Basic Piano Prep Course: Notespeller Book A Cover Image

Alfred's Basic Piano Prep Course: Notespeller Book A: Piano Book

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Alfred's Basic Piano Prep Course: Notespeller Book A Cover Image

Alfred's Basic Piano Prep Course: Notespeller Book A: Piano Book

For the Young Beginner

By Gayle Kowalchyk and E. L. Lancaster

Level: A

Item: 00-6483

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Description
Coordinated page-by-page with the Lesson Books, the Notespeller Books reinforce note-reading concepts through coloring and written exercises.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred's Basic Piano Library
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 32
ISBN10: 0-7390-0849-8
ISBN13: 978-0-7390-0849-2
UPC: 038081053233
SKU: 00-6483

More about this title

About the Authors

Gayle Kowalchyk
Dr. Gayle Kowalchyk is a piano instructor and pedagogy specialist at California State University, Northridge, where she teaches class piano, individual piano, and piano pedagogy courses. She earned her bachelor's degree in piano performance from Ohio University, completed a master's degree in piano performance and pedagogy at Northwestern University, and received her doctorate in piano pedagogy from Teachers College at Columbia University.

Her professional accomplishments include extensive experience developing piano curricula and programs. Previously, she served on the faculty at Eastern Illinois University, where she oversaw the class piano program and directed the piano preparatory program while teaching graduate level pedagogy courses. She has also taught at Oklahoma Baptist University and the University of Oklahoma. Throughout her career, she has been a clinician and adjudicator for major organizations including the Music Teachers National Association, the Music Educators National Conference, the National Piano Teachers Institute, and the World Piano Pedagogy Conference.

In collaboration with her husband, Dr. E. L. Lancaster, Dr. Kowalchyk has authored more than 300 educational piano publications, among them Alfred's Premier Piano Course and Music for Little Mozarts. During the early part of her career, she taught summer sessions at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan from 1979 to 1982. Based in the Los Angeles area, she currently serves as a clinician for Alfred Music while maintaining her teaching position.
E. L. Lancaster
Dr. E. L. Lancaster served as Executive Editor for Piano at Alfred Music and currently teaches adjunct piano faculty at California State University, Northridge. He earned degrees from Murray State University and the University of Illinois, culminating in a Ph.D. from Northwestern University.

During his 19-year tenure at the University of Oklahoma from 1979 to 1998, Dr. Lancaster was Professor of Music where he established the institution's master's and doctoral programs in piano pedagogy in 1980. He mentored more than 50 doctoral students in this field while teaching piano pedagogy courses and directing the group piano program. He also instructed pre-college students through the Piano Pedagogy Laboratory Program, blending group and private instruction. Alongside his academic work, he and his wife Dr. Gayle Kowalchyk operated a substantial independent piano studio in Norman, Oklahoma from 1981 to 1996.

Recognition of Dr. Lancaster's excellence includes the Regents Award for Superior Teaching (1984), Associated Distinguished Lectureship (1987), Provost's Outstanding Academic Advising Award (1996), and Outstanding Faculty Award in the College of Fine Arts (1996). He received a David Ross Boyd Professorship in 1991, an honor given to faculty excelling in teaching and student guidance. His leadership extended to MTNA, where he served as National Chairman of Group Piano, National Chairman of Student Chapters, and 2020 National Conference Chair. In 2013, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia named him a Signature Sinfonian, and Murray State University presented him with the 2014 Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Why we love this

Notespeller Book A does the heavy lifting that note-reading practice requires: it moves beyond rote drills by pairing coloring activities with written exercises that reinforce concepts from the Lesson Books. Young students stay engaged while building genuine fluency, and the page-by-page coordination means no guessing about what to practice when.

What to expect

Notespeller Book A feels like play disguised as practice. Coloring pages hold the attention of young learners while their brains absorb the shape and position of notes on the staff. The written exercises that follow feel like a natural next step rather than busywork, building confidence through repetition.

Who it's for

This workbook is designed for young piano students working through Alfred's Basic Piano Prep Course Level A, typically ages 5-7 or those beginning piano study. It works best as a daily supplement to lesson book work, helping reinforce note identification before students move to the keyboard.

How to get the most out of it

  • Work through the pages in the order they appear; each exercise builds on note-reading patterns introduced in the corresponding Lesson Book page.
  • Color the exercises together during group lessons, then have students complete the written work independently to assess their retention.
  • Return to earlier pages occasionally if a student struggles with a particular note or clef, since the visual reinforcement of coloring often clicks better the second time around.

How to use it

Assign pages weekly as homework alongside the corresponding Lesson Book material. The combination ensures that students solidify note recognition before moving to more complex rhythmic or technical challenges, and it gives you immediate insight into where gaps might be forming.

Skills your students will build

  • Treble clef note identification in the staff
  • Note name recognition without keyboard reference
  • Fine motor control through directed coloring activities
  • Written note transcription and staff notation understanding
  • Reinforcement of concepts from coordinated Lesson Book pages

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