Success at the Piano

Introduction

Some might say that receiving awards or winning competitions constitute success at the piano. Others might say that easy facility of playing whatever piece is placed in front of you means that you have been successful. Does success mean that people pay to hear you play or that you get thousands of “likes” on youtube? There are only a handful of people who reach these levels. But, there are many levels of success that can be accessible to anyone who is willing to put forth effort and time. Let’s talk about some of them.

What is Success

Success: Learning something you didn’t know before. Students come to their first lesson, perhaps not even realizing that there are groups of two and three black notes on the keyboard. Maybe they have no idea where A, B, or C are on the keyboard. But, it doesn’t take long until those concepts are learned. Pretty soon, students are having other “ah-hah” moments in their pieces.

Success: Accomplishing milestones. Students feel success when they complete a book or pass a theory test (regardless of whether it is Level 1A or Level 8). It is my hope that students feel success at recitals. I hope they can feel proud of their performances and how it represents the work they have put into the studies. Participating in festivals or other events also helps students feel successful.

Success: Understanding and Insights. Students feel successful at class lessons when they understand the theory concepts we are talking about, or they can contribute their experiences of learning to do something, or they perform a piece for their peers and are pleased with it. I love it when students apply concepts they have learned in their theory lessons to their music. Ah-hah moments are THE BEST!

Success: Accomplishing something you wanted to do. Sometimes students come to lessons and say, “I want to play. . . . .” We get the music and after they have worked on it and can play it at a performance level, they feel that sense of accomplishment and the results of their efforts. Success is setting goals. Having the self-discipline to dedicate time to the goal. It is following instructions carefully. It is enduring when the end seems far off. Success: Working hard for something. A small tangible way to mark progress is with stickers or passing off portions of pieces.

Success at Home

Verbalize your positive feelings. What can parents do at home to help students feel success? Thinking about to my growing up years and taking piano lessons. My mom checked in with me daily about practice. Mostly, her method was something like this, “I really enjoyed lying in bed and listening to you play (fill in the blank).” I did most of my practicing in the early morning and it was what my mom woke up to. She also wrote little notes to me regularly telling me how proud she was of my efforts and how beautiful my music was. These meant a lot to me. Recently, I noticed a similar note in a student’s bag from his mom. I loved that!

Create Opportunities to Share. Providing opportunities for your child to perform for others also takes the joy of music beyond the home to grandparents and other extended family. Play everywhere: church, facetime or skype, on vacation. I was traveling once with my sister and she got so excited when she saw a piano at an airport. She plopped right down and played. It was wonderful. Being able to share music with others helps one to feel successful. If you play the piano (or sing, or play another instrument), find time to make music together or collaborate with other friends or family members.

Conclusion

I love being a part of these successful experiences with my piano students. This is why I make a chart for the wall as we get ready for events so they have solid goals they are working toward. This is the reason for practice charts in their lesson assignment books. This is why we have recitals and why students perform for each other at class lessons. This is why I get excited when I can listen to them play a piece with beauty and I can just sit back in my chair and enjoy it. I hope each student can learn what it takes to feel successful moments and that they can feel that joy regularly.

Practicing with Young Children

In 2018, I discovered WunderKeys, a piano approach for children as young as 4 years old. It is delightful with age-appropriate activities and well-planned graduated progress through the skills children need to develop as they learn about music and playing the piano. Here are some helpful tips to practicing with your young child:

The WunderKeys books are presented in a predictable sequence that makes it easy to practice with your child at home: simply read aloud the pages from the week’s unit of study, follow the directions as described and have fun!

WunderKeys books also include cut-and-play piano games that require coins and a die. The game instructions can be found on the back of each game board. Play the games (both past games and the game that corresponds with the current week’s unit) with your child frequently to review important concepts in an enjoyable way.

When your child starts piano lessons it is necessary to establish a predictable routine for home practice. Spending home time at the piano directly impacts your child’s progress. However, it’s not about “minutes spent on the bench” but rather how those minutes are used.

Here are some helpful tips for helping your young student at home:

1. Leave the WunderKeys book open on the piano. Your child will be more likely to spend time at the piano if her materials are always visible. At this age, solo exploration (looking through the book on her own, engaging with the pictures, making up her own songs, etc.) are all beneficial activities.

2. Find a predictable time of day when you can sit with her and assist her with practice. Preschool-aged children cannot complete effective piano practice alone, so she will need your guidance. Spending short amounts of time at the piano daily is much more beneficial than spending one long session at the piano once or twice a week.

3. Help your child develop a sense of ownership over piano lessons by having her demonstrate what she learned in lessons and then allowing her to be “the teacher”. If lessons are “her thing” she’s more likely to gravitate to the piano on her own accord.

4. Remember, at this age, exploration and enjoyment are more important than accuracy and perfection. Piano practice at home should be a happy “bonding on the bench” experience. While it is beneficial to return to previously-completed lessons, please note that working ahead in the book during the week can result in educational gaps that become problematic in the future.

5. Continue her learning away from the piano. Preschool piano lessons build a foundation of knowledge and understanding upon which all further musical learning takes place. Relate the concepts she’s learning in her books to “real world” scenarios. For example, while folding laundry, have her create a pattern out of socks or, while outside, talk about the low and high sounds she can hear.

6. If you do not play piano yourself, you can still practice the teacher/student duets with your child. Simply chant the lyrics to assist her in knowing when it is her turn to play, help her to find her hand position on the black key groups and practice her part of the duet.

7. Engage in activities at home that build coordination, finger strength, and fine motor skills – play with play dough, practice cutting paper with scissors, work on correct pencil grip, use tongs or tweezers to pick up objects, etc.

Find out more about this program in my studio: https://www.rjohnsonpiano.com/products/introduction-to-piano-group-instruction

Famous Pianists, by Terry Burridge

(This is a contribution to the Johnson Studio Blog from one of my adult students. Enjoy!)

I grew up in a household where music was easily available to me.  We had a stereo and records of orchestral music and popular musicals, such as My Fair Lady.  We often sang in the car on long trips.  I studied piano from ages 8 to 13, which made it easier to return to playing many decades later.  As I grew older, I listened to the radio and collected recordings of popular musicians.

As part of my music theory homework, René has tasked me with finding out details of the personal and musical life of a number of prominent 20th century pianists and with listening to a performance by each person.  I prefer to find videos where I can watch (often in awe) the person playing the piano.  Below is one example of my research into four pianists.  I also have had several assignments in which I compared and contrasted the music of three composers, each from a different musical period.  These two types of assignments have allowed me to better understand the differences in the musical periods and how different pianists interpret the music of a particular composer.

Terry Burridge

Martha Argerich was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1941; she is 78 years old.  She is of Spanish and Russian descent.  She started playing piano at age 3; at 5 she began lessons with Vincenzo Scaramuzza, who stressed the importance of lyricism and feeling.  Her concert debut occurred at age 8.  The family moved to Europe in 1955, when she was 14, aided by President Peron appointing her parents to a diplomatic posts in the Argentine Embassy in Vienna.  There she studied with Friederich Guida, Stefan Askenase, and Maria Curcio.  She won the International Chopin Piano Competition in 1965 when she was 24.  She has recorded compositions by Bach, Liszt, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Schumann, and Prokofiev.  I listened to her 2016 performance of Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat Major, with Daniel Barenboim conducting the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.

Daniel Barenboim, born 1942, is a citizen of Argentina, Israel, Palestine, and Spain.  He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, of Argentinian-Jewish parents.  He started piano lessons at age 5 with his mother, continuing to study with his father, who remained his only teacher.  He gave his first concert at age 7.  He and Martha Argerich were childhood friends in Buenos Aires.  In 1952, the family moved to Israel.  Two years later, his parents took him to Salzburg to take part in Igor Markevitch’s conducting classes.  During that summer, he also met and play for Wilhelm Furtwangler, who has remained a central musical influence and ideal for Barenboim.  In 1955, he studied harmony and composition with Nadia Boulanger in Paris.  He made his debut as a conductor in 1966 in London.  As a pianist, in the beginning of his career Barenboim concentrated on the music of the Classical era, such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert, as well as some Romantic composers, including Brahms and Mendelssohn.  He recorded many chamber works, especially in collaboration with his first wife, Jacquelin du Pre, Itzhak Perlman, and Pinchas Zuckerman.  In 2015 Barenboim unveiled a new concert grand piano, in conjunction with Chris Maene and with support from Steinway & Sons.  The piano features straight parallel strings, instead of the conventional diagonally-crossed strings of a modern Steinway. He is currently general music director of the Berlin State Opera and the Staatskapelle Berlin.  He previously served as Music Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, and La Scala in Milan.  He is known for his work with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, a Seville-based orchestra of young Arab and Israeli Musicians, and as a resolute critic of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.  I listened to a video of Barenboim, called “5 Minutes On...Debussy – Clair de Lune,”, in which he played the composition, but stopped at various points to explain what to listen for in the piece, before playing it in its entirety.

Arthur Rubinstein was a Polish-American pianist who many regard as the greatest Chopin interpreter of his time.  He was born in Lodz, Poland (part of the Russian Empire for the entire time Rubinstein resided there) in 1887, to a Jewish family, and died in 1982.  At age 2, he demonstrated perfect pitch and a fascination with the piano, watching his older sister’s piano lessons.  By age 4, he was recognized as a child prodigy and the Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim offered to supervise his piano education.  His father offered Rubinstein a violin, but Rubinstein rejected it.  In 1894, the 7-year-old Rubinstein had his debut with pieces by Mozart, Schubert, and Mendelssohn.  When he was 10, Rubinstein moved to Berlin to continue his studies, giving his first performance with the Berlin Philharmonic at the age of 13.  Joachim recommended Karl Heinrich Barth as the boy’s piano teacher.  In 1904, Rubinstein moved to Paris to launch his career, where he met Maurice Ravel and Paul Dukas.  He was not well received during a United States concert tour in 1906; by 1908, he was destitute and desperate, making a failed suicide attempt.  Subsequently, he said he felt “reborn” and endowed with an unconditional love of life.  In 1912, he made his London debut and found a musical home in the salon of Paul and Muriel Draper, in the company of Kochanski, Stravinsky, Jacques Thibaud, Pablo Casals, and Pierre Monteux.  He toured the United States again in 1937, remaining here during the World War II years.  Rubinstein was disgusted by Germany's conduct during the war and never played there again. His last performance in Germany was in 1914.  He became a naturalized US citizen in 1946.  Although best known as a recitalist and concerto soloist, Rubinstein was also considered an outstanding chamber musician, partnering with such luminaries as Henryk Szeryng, Jascha Heifetz, Pablo Casals, Gregor Piatigorsky and the Guarneri Quartet. Rubinstein recorded much of the core piano repertoire, particularly that of the Romantic composers. At the time of his death, The New York Times in describing him wrote, "Chopin was his specialty ... it was [as] a Chopinist that he was considered by many without peer." Due to deteriorating eyesight, Rubinstein retired from the stage at age 89 in 1976.  I listened to Chopin’s Nocturne Op. 9, No. 1 in B flat minor. Here’s a video link of Rubenstein performing

Mitsuko Uchida was born in 1948 in a seaside town close to Tokyo, Japan.  She moved to Vienna, Austria, with her diplomat parents when she was 12 years old.  She enrolled in the Vienna Academy of Music to study with Richard Hauser, and later Wilhelm Kempff, Stefan Askenase, and Maria Curcio.  She and Argerich have Askenase and Curcio in common as teachers.  She remained in Vienna to study when her father was transferred back to Japan after five years.  She gave her first Viennese recital at age 14 at the Vienna Musikverein.  In 1969, Uchida won the first prize in the Beethoven Competition in Vienna and in 1970 the second prize in the International Chopin Piano Competition.  She is noted for her interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, and Schoenberg, and particularly feels connected to Schubert, according to a June 14 article in the New York Times.  Uchida is also a conductor, known for conducting from the keyboard.  She performed at Carnegie Hall on May 4 and June 18, part of a two-season survey of Schubert sonatas.  I listened to her performing Schubert’s Piano Sonata No. 21 in B flat Major, D. 960.  

The Piano in the White House

I recently read an article about the White House piano which brought back some memories of mine. Here is a photo of the article from the Clavier Companion (Jan/Feb 2017). Since we live so close to the capital, it’s kind of fun to learn about Presidents (and members of their families) who played the piano.

In 2003, I had the opportunity to play that same piano when our church choir performed there at Christmastime. I thought it was a very special experience.

Harry S. Truman

One youngster who never needed to be forced to practice his piano lessons was Harry Truman. He used to get up at 5 o'clock in the morning to practice for two hours.

When he became a man, music remained his first passion after politics, and he often said that if he had been a good pianist he never would have become President. "I missed being a musician," he said, "and the real and only reason I missed being one is because I wasn't good enough." (from https://www.trumanlibrary.org/kids/piano.htm)

Nixon could play five musical instruments.
Nixon’s mother insisted he practice on the family’s upright piano every afternoon, and in the seventh grade he was sent 200 miles away to take lessons with his aunt, who had studied at the Indianapolis Conservatory of Music. Although he never learned to read music, Nixon could also play the saxophone, clarinet, accordion and violin. His musical talents turned out to be political assets: Nixon’s 1963 appearance on “The Jack Paar Program,” during which he played a tune he wrote, helped rehabilitate his image after losing the California gubernatorial election the prior year. As president, he occasionally tickled the ivories, playing “Happy Birthday” for Duke Ellington at the White House and “My Wild Irish Rose” in honor of his wife at the Grand Ole Opry. (from https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-richard-nixon)

Malia and Sasha Obama

Sasha — called "Sassy" by her mom — is the family's cutup. She takes piano lessons and plays basketball (her dad is one of the coaches). In the past four years, she's gone from being a bubbly 7-year-old at her mother's side to a preteen who can wear her older sister's elegant hand-me-downs.

Malia, at 14, is already nearly as tall as her 5-foot-11 mother. An avid reader, she plays piano and the flute, studies ballet and favors soccer. She is fast becoming an elegant, model-like young woman whose taste in clothes now sparks commentary from fashionistas. (from https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/obama-readies-family-years-article-1.1243718)

Rene Johnson, Marsali Hancock, Joyce Bennett, Kristen Evans

2003 Arlington Ward Choir, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at the White House

Student Accomplishments 2018-2019

2018-2019

Fall Festival

Event sponsored by NVMTA. The requirements include two memorized pieces one of which must demonstrate contemporary compositional techniques.

Underlined and bold means superior from both judges.

Adam Baker, Zaria Bartel, Ellie Cox, Sloane Dorotheo, Qing Shuang Downing, Quinn Downing, Peter Hinckley, Lawrence Madi, Bradley McMullin, Henry McMullin, Jack McNair, Myla McNair, Walker Schmidt, Sam Youkeles

PTA Reflections Composition Contest

Annual event sponsored by the Parent Teacher Association and run through the local schools.

Peter Hinckley-1st place in Middle School, 1st place in District, 1st place in VA State and competed at the National Level with “SuperHero”

Alma Grayce Miller Composition Contest and Honor’s Recital

An NVMTA event. Students enter their original compositions. Prizes include cash, and an opportunity to have their piece performed by the McLean Symphony if chosen.

Peter Hinckley earned Special Recognition for his piece “SuperHero”

Quinn Downing earned Honorable Mention for his piece, “Altered Reflection”.

Theory Mastery Day

Virginia Music Teachers Association event with 16 levels of graded, written tests include aural exams.

Students who achieved over 90% in bold, top three scores **

Ellie Cox (1A), Myla McNair (2A)**, Lawrence Madi (2B), Zaria Bartell (3A),Sloane Dorotheo (3B), Quinn Downing (3B), Qing Shuang Downing (3B), Henry McMullin (3B), Katie Dinkelman (4), Jack McNair (4), Peter Hinckley (5)**, Walker Schmidt (5), Sam Youkeles (6)**, Adam Baker (6), Bradley McMullin (7)

Bach/Baroque

NVMTA event where students perform one piece by J.S. Bach and another by him or a different Baroque Composer. Students can play their pieces on a harpsichord. There are honor’s recitals for this event if chosen.

Student who achieved superior in bold.  Called for 2nd Round*

Bradley McMullin*, Adam Baker, Sam Youkeles, Peter Hinckley*, Lawrence Madi,, Henry McMullin, Quinn Downing, Qing Shuang Downing

Piano Concerto Festival

NVMTA event, Very competitive event with 1st, 2nd, 3rd awards.

Henry McMullin, Bradley McMullin

Others who learned concertos this year:  Qing Shuang Downing, Sam Youkeles, Terry Burridge

Piano Ensemble Festival

NVMTA event where students prepare duets or duos (2 pianos) and perform for judges either in festival (comments only, requires one piece) or competition (requires two pieces).

Bradley McMullin and Adam Baker

40 Challenge

Studio event. We document all pieces passed off during the year. In 2018-2019, I noticed a trend: a group of students who passed off 20-25 pieces in a year and a group that passed off over 40.

Recommended practice time to meet this goal is 5 days of practice for at least the length of your lesson.

Ellie Cox (81), Henry McMullin (70), Adam Baker (54), Lawrence Madi (48), Terry Burridge (45), Bradley McMullin (41), Peter Hinckley (40)

First Recital

Congratulations!

Elizabeth Zuckerman and Kyla Dorotheo

40 Challenge 2019

I hope you’ve heard about the 40 challenge. I’ve challenged each of my students to learn at least 40 pieces this year. I have a card for each student on which I record the name of the pieces they pass off. I also have a sticker board where they get a sticker for each set of ten pieces they master.

What does it mean to “learn a piece”?

I’m not expecting memory or having a piece fully ready for a performance. However, the piece needs to be played fluidly (without unnecessary pauses), with correct notes, rhythm and tempo, and attention to dynamics so that it sounds beautiful.

How to prepare a piece? (This could be a separate blogpost. Here it is in a nutshell)

1. Day 1: Spend a few minutes looking over the piece for details that you will be incorporating. This should include time signature, key signature, dynamics, tricky spots (to focus on especially), flow of the piece (repeats, d.c. al coda etc.), articulation (staccatos, slurs, accents).

2. Day 1: Practice one hand at a time with great attention to details.

3. Day 2: Put hands together slowly and evenly with correct rhythm—-it doesn’t matter how slowly at this point.

4. Day 3: Use the metronome to maintain evenness

5. Day 4-7: Determine a final tempo and work methodically toward it, practicing difficult spots more (don’t just always start at the beginning and play to the end!). To work methodically, find a slow tempo where you can play all of the notes with the correct rhythm without mistakes. Then, gradually, increase the setting on the metronome until you reach the final tempo with ease. (This will take more than one day! Be patient. Doing it little by little ensures accuracy)

6. Days 4-7: Make sure you have added all the dynamics

7. Days 4-7: If you know you are consistently missing details such as a sharp or a flat or having difficulty with fingering, take a minute to pencil in the correction or the correct fingering. This would delight me!

8. Second week (if needed): Continue working toward final tempo if needed and details from lesson.

Repertoire choices—Flexibility

I have tried to provide each student with some options that are achievable in a week or two if they are practicing regularly and purposefully (Remember that I recommend at least 5 practice sessions a week that are the length of their lesson).

I have also adapted the count for some pieces. For example, five students in my studio learned concertos this year. These pieces are usually about 20 pages long—-a large, impressive accomplishment. They received credit for 5 pieces in the 40 challenge for learning their concertos. For some students, hymns are very easy and I have counted either 2 or 5 hymns for 1 piece in the 40 challenge. Other students get 1 for 1 on the hymns if they find them more challenging. Another example of adaptation is one student who wanted to review some old pieces. She reviewed 2 pieces to equal 1 piece on the 40 challenge. I record recital or festival pieces the week of the event.

What does it accomplish?

Hopefully it inspires students to focus on details in their pieces, motivates them to expand their repertoire and to have pieces “ready” at their lessons. I love seeing the excitement when I ask if they have something ready for the 40 challenge and they readily turn to a piece that they want to share with me.

The reward?

There might be some ice cream in the future. This group seems to enjoy ice cream and the social aspect of the accomplishment is a motivator!

Deadline?

June 1 (in preparation for June 5/6 recitals).

2019 New Year's Resolutions

At the start of a new year, I like to think about new goals. Here are some of mine:

Musically:

1. I’m going to try to new method book for young beginners ages 5-7. I’m excited about the new approach, the well-planned games, new music and working with a small group of children. It is called WunderKeys and I think it has a lot of potential. I worked with a small group of children during the fall of 2018 to explore what I thought about a group approach. Each day, I came away invigorated and happy. I loved seeing the smiles on the children’s faces when they made music together and when they understood the musical concepts. I will do more of these group classes during Winter and Spring Terms this year. If you have friends with young children, please pass this news along.

2. I plan to improve my organ skills. I joined a facebook group for church organists and choir directors recently and asked them what pieces they would recommend for someone like me. I received some great recommendations tailored to my skill level. I’m quite excited about it.

3. I would like to tap into the resources on IMSLP more this year. This is a website that collects scanned music that is no longer under copyright law and is available to the public. It is a vast treasure-trove!

4. I want to inspire my students to work hard, to love their music, to be more expressive, and to share their talents with others.

Personal:

1. Continue exercising and using MyFitnessPal. I love the wind on my face when I ride my bike (do you all know about the Arlington Loop?). I love being able to backpack and hike. I know that taking care of myself makes these things possible.

2. I have a great interest in Spanish and have been working conscientiously and daily for about 4 years to improve my language abilities. So, this year, I would like to continue my tradition of reading a book in Spanish, expand the topics I can discuss, and take more opportunities to talk with the Spanish speakers in our community.

Parents, please chat with your children and make some goals for the new year. Maybe you could choose from the following suggestions:

1. Decide on a time you can practice consistently at least 5 days a week. Write this on a calendar that you use or put a sign on the piano.

2. Increase the amount of time you practice by a little bit. (You should be practicing at least the length of your lesson each day——practicing more will yield more progress! )

3. Go to a concert at the Kennedy Center (or somewhere else) where a pianist is performing. (You can get discounts through Goldstar)

4. Prepare a few pieces and perform them for grandparents in person or via facetime or skype

5. Write a composition if you haven’t done it before. There is a composition contest coming up with a registration deadline of March 7, 2019.

6. Learn a Sonata or a sonatina

7. Learn a duet with a friend

8. Help a sibling or friend learn something about the piano (beginner: black keys vs white keys, or a basic rhythm, intermediate: teach them a chord or a scale, advanced: teach some music theory such as circle of 5ths or key signatures)

9. Accompany a friend who plays a different instrument (violin, cello, flute, clarinet for example).

10. Practice 3 hours more than you usually practice for 1 week and see what a difference it will make in your lesson.

Piano Memories from age 14

Virginia Buhn, my piano teacher

I reviewed some personal journals this evening and found some gems that I thought would be fun to share. These entries were from when I was 14 years old, a freshman in high school. They are just some example of a piano student’s life: parent’s influence, recitals (the good and the bad), collaborating with siblings, and my very first piano students.

Age 14

Mom has been encouraging me to keep up with my practicing so, she cut out 43 red quarter notes out of construction paper and pinned them to my bedroom curtains.  In order to get them taken off, I have to practice 1 hour a day for 43 consecutive days! I started for the 2nd time today. If I miss a day, even the 42nd day, then all the notes have to go back on my curtains.  It’s quite a bit of work but I’ll be glad when they’re down!.

I went to bed quite late last night and woke up at about 5:10 a.m.  It doesn’t seem very hard for me to wake up that early now. I guess because I know that if I don’t, I won’t be able to practice as much.  I am finding it very hard to practice a full hour, but I guess that 45 minutes is a lot better than nothing.

Then tonight was our piano recital.  I did just terrible. My piece wasn’t very secure on memory and it really showed when I played it.  But mom said that she didn’t think anyone else noticed. I hope not. I won the memory contest for grades 9-12.  Mrs. Buhn gave me a poster that said, “Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.”

I had my piano lesson today.  Mrs. Buhn kind of got mad at me because I hadn’t learned a piece the right way.  I had better try harder I guess.

Then, right after work, I went to my piano lesson.  It didn’t go too bad. I’ve learned a piece that I’m going to play at our evening for sharing.  It’s really showy and I love playing it.

September 9 Mrs. Buhn has given me the opportunity to teach piano lessons and I am really excited about my new endeavor.  She’s going to help me and has my first pupil.

September 10 My piano student’s mother called this afternoon.  I am going to meet with her tomorrow after school.  I am super excited though kind of nervous. September 11 Katherine wasn’t able to come today so she is planning on coming tomorrow.

September 12 I met my piano student today.  She doesn’t know hardly anything about music so I will have to start from the very, very beginning.  I am really excited!

September 15 I gave my first real piano lesson today.  I thought it went really well and Kathryn seems quite excited about learning to play the piano.

December 2 Carmen and I went to Mrs. Buhn’s to work on our concertos.  Carmen and I are going to give a duo piano recital. I can’t wait. It will really be fun.

January 10 Our family celebrated my birthday today.  They put up streamers and balloons, we played games and had birthday cake along with the meal of haystacks that I had chosen.  I received a book “How to teach piano successfully”, a velour shirt, and a letter tablet, some lifesavers and 16 kisses each from Andra and Caryn.  January 11, 1981 Well, I’ve had a great birthday.  It was so fun and thrilling to hear the Oregon Symphony Orchestra with Lilli Kraus and to be able to meet her personally.

Fall Festival--Celebrating Contemporary Music

We are in the final month of preparation for Fall Festival now. I enjoy doing this festival each year because it gets all of my students off to a great start in the fall. Whenever there is a recital or an event that they are working toward, they work harder and concentrate more. At the September class lesson, they shared their music with each other (memory wasn’t required). At the upcoming October class lesson, they will share the same pieces, memorized this time, and much more refined, ready for festival and recital.

The focus of Fall Festival is to introduce students to contemporary sounds. I will review of few in this blog post and provide links for some examples. Maybe you can look and see which categories are present in your music. Often contemporary composers will use more than one of these categories in their compositions. These characteristics are very distinct from other eras of composition.

Melody

1. Melodies are fragmented, irregular, or disjunctive.

2. Significant parts of the piece, or even the whole piece, lack melody.

3. The melody is constructed by chance or serial technique. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bkQa2Rowvw

4. The melody is built from non-traditional scales such as modes, a scale with “blue” notes, etc. Some examples of Taylor Swift music with different modes: Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixUpXB2zJ8M

   Harmony

   1. Chords are unrelated to a major-minor system—clusters, altered chords, quartal or quintal harmony. Here’s an example of quartal harmony (uses 4th’s) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2loKj2-SU4

   2. The composer makes simultaneous use of two chords or keys (bitonality).

   3. The piece is not in any definable key (atonality).

   4. Unresolved dissonance is common. (Henry, Bradley, Katie, Ellie, Qing Shuang, Jack, Myla)

   Rhythm

   1. The piece or large parts of it contain no bar lines.

   2. The meter is irregular, such as 5/4. (Sloane) Here’s an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPRtRoH4zcA. See if you can count along (9/8: count 2,3,2,2)

   3. There are frequent meter or tempo changes. (Sam, Zaria)

   4. Cross rhythms (polyrhythms)—5 against 4, 7 against 8, etc.—are prominent.

   5. Jazz rhythms prevail. (Walker, Adam, Peter, Quinn)

   Other considerations

   1. Non-traditional notation.

   2. Knocking, tapping or plucking some part of the instrument not traditionally used in this way. (Lawrence)

   3. Use of prepared piano. Only do this with permission from the owner of the piano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgph8aPmRJs

   4. Use of extreme range on the instrument.

Practicing!

During a recent class lesson, my students had a lively discussion about what was most effective in making progress at the piano. This discussion was based on a study by Noa Kageyama (source below).

I gave them five cards with one idea on each one. They had to decide which two would make the biggest difference in their becoming a great piano player?

1. Practicing longer

2. More repetitions

3. Increasing the number of times played correctly

4. % of times part is played correctly

5. How many times a part is played incorrectly

According to the study, practicing longer didn’t lead to higher rankings. The students caught on pretty quickly that one could be efficient and accomplish the same amount in less time if they were smart about their practice.

Getting more repetitions had no impact on a pianist’s ranking either. We decided that just doing it over and over could become mindless if you don’t have a specific goal in place. Plus, if you’re not concentrating, you might just be repeating mistakes, which leads to the next point:

The more times a part was played incorrectly, the worse their ranking tended to be. Clearly, repeating mistakes is a big mistake!

Interestingly, the number of times they played a part correctly in practice also had no bearing on their ranking. We decided that if they play a part correctly 100 times, they aren’t in a position of improving themselves. One has to work on the hard and tricky parts and master those parts to get better. (Playing your recital pieces over and over for the entire practice time isn’t effective practicing).

The percentage of correct practice trials did seem to matter. The greater the proportion of correct trials in their practice session, the higher their ranking tended to be. So, if you play a tricky part 5 times, but only 1 times correctly, you are still making a lot of mistakes. But, as you improve from day to day, maybe you play the section 5 times and you get 4 our of 5 correct. Then the next day, it is stable at 5 out of 5 for a 100% mastery of the section.

Noa Kageyama’s study noted 8 practicing tips that the top performers ALL did. I will list them and encourage you to incorporate these in your practicing:

• Play with hands together early in practice

• Add dynamics and phrasing early on

• Have thoughtful practice. You can be silent while you study the music.

• Don’t play errors. Stop prior to making and error and study the spot

• Address errors immediately.

• Identify the precise location and source of the error. Rehearse it and correct it.

  (If you study your lesson assignment page, I usually write down specific spots to master during the week!)

• Vary the tempo. Practice slowly, medium, and at performance tempo when you are able. When you come to tricky sections, methodically work slowly until you have learned it and then bring it up to tempo.

• Target passages (not the entire piece) were repeated until the error was corrected and the passage was stabilized, as evidenced by the error’s absence in subsequent trials.

  The students also shared some great ideas with each other from their own practicing habits.

• One student wrote goals for the practice session on a yellow sticky note.

• Another student put check marks on the lesson assignment book to show that he had practiced a certain assignment.

• Some students talked about prioritizing what was the most important thing to accomplish. For example, if a memory deadline date is approaching, that is an assignment that has to be completed on time.

• The older class talked about how it was nice to have something to look forward to after a practice session such as being able to play basketball outside or to have a treat.

• Others mentioned that taking a little break in the middle of the practice session helped them to stay alert and accomplish more.

Finally, we drew cards from a bowl that had various practicing ideas for trouble spots and discussed or demonstrated them. We will continue doing this at lessons.

Sources:

1. Practicing the Piano by Nancy O’Neill Breth

2. (https://bulletproofmusician.com/8-things-top-practicers-do-differently/).

3. Students in my piano studio

Students Accomplishments-------------- (always in progress)

2020 Bach/Baroque Recital Participants.

2019 Bach/Baroque Recital

Everyone played music from the Baroque period. Minuets, Marches, Inventions, Sinfonias, Suites, Preludes and Fugues!

I am so proud of students when they work hard and accomplish their goals! 

Great job!!!

In 2009, a Bowen Boyack, a 7 year old student wrote a piece which was orchestrated and performed by the McLean Symphony.  His composition was chosen through the Alma Grayce Miller Composition Contest hosted by NVMTA.  The recording is live from the night of the performance and begins with a delightful interview between Bowen and the Symphony director, Mr. Dingwall Fleary.  The music starts at 2:35. Enjoy!

Here a little bit more about Bowen.  At this point, he had demonstrated perfect pitch and had a remarkable memory for tunes.  He was intrigued by musical patterns and sequences and was thrilled to have his creation orchestrated.  He had no pets of his own at the time, but often played with imaginary pet friends.   

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Thoughts on Recitals

May 2018 Recital

Sharing

Recitals come around two or three times each year.  I always look forward to recital preparation because students really focus on getting their pieces ready to share with others.  I enjoy the practicing and the details of making pieces beautiful and the progress I see in my students.  I also enjoy recitals because of the opportunity to share.  Not everyone can play the piano, but many people enjoy listening.  For this reason, I like to do my recitals at retirement homes or nursing homes.  The residents really enjoy seeing the children (or adults who perform) and I think it brings joy to their lives.  Music should be shared!

Some students arrive early or stay a little later after the recital to talk with residents.  I know that it just delights the grandmas and grandpas to greet the children and congratulate them on their performances.  Sometimes they will share their experiences with music.  One lady used to sing a little Christmas song for us as she recalled her early choir years.  

Choosing pieces

Of course, recitals are a big deal in the life of music students.  They take preparation.  I usually like to choose music with beginners and intermediate students several months before the recital.  Advanced students often require more time for their preparation.  Choosing pieces usually means that I will give students 2-3 options.  I want them to have a say in what they will be spending a lot of time on and I want them to be excited about the choices.  So, I'll play the pieces (or excerpts from the pieces) for them and we choose together.  Since they usually play two pieces, I look for contrast, for the requirements of the event coming up, something that will challenge them but still be within their ability to master by the deadline.  With two to three recitals a year, they get a lot of variety in their music.  We prepare contemporary music, baroque music, classical or romantic music, and sometimes thematic music (colors, world geography, music from various decades, sonatinas/sonatas etc.).

Preparing recital pieces

When pieces are chosen with plenty of time to prepare, we can work on small sections each week. I've found that when students follow these dates, their pieces are ready for the recital and they play confidently and well.  When they are prepared, they feel much less anxiety about performing.   The performance practices before the recital help them  know what areas need extra attention and they can attend to those before the big day.

I usually set target dates for the student similar to these:

3-4 months before recital:  Choose repertoire for recital (more advanced students require more time depending on the length and difficulty of the piece)

2 months before recital: Play entire piece with ease

1 month before recital: Memory Deadline

1-2 weeks before the recital: Perform the piece 10x by memory before the recital for friends

Performance date

Memories

Performers remember the pieces they prepare for recitals best.  They remember their recital experiences----all aspects including the good and the bad.  I'll never forget a recital when I was a teenager where I totally forget how to end the piece.  I think I repeated a section a couple of times all the while wondering how in the world I was going to finish the performance.  Somehow, it happened.  I survived.  Sometimes those things happen.  

Recently a couple of students moved to another city. They will be continuing their studies with another teacher.  Because I keep (and treasure) my recital programs, I was able to give the new teacher a list of all the repertoire they had prepared over the years.  I think it will be invaluable to the new teacher to see what they have done.  It was very fun for me to reminisce about the students and the pieces we had worked so hard on.

I always invite my adult students to perform in the recitals.  Some do, some don't.  Either way is fine, I just want to give them the opportunity if they wish.  Sometimes, I'll invite my adult students to prepare pieces to share just among themselves (and not for any guests).  This gives them a goal and a purpose for really polishing a piece and then an opportunity to share it in a friendly (and sympathetic) environment.

Every once in a while, I jump in and prepare a piece for a recital as well.  I enjoy doing that a lot.  And I hope that it sets a good example to my students of life-long learning and a desire to share beautiful music.

Welcome to the new website!

I'm excited to share this new website, created by my son, William.  

If you are hoping to join the studio, please contact me! 

If you are already part of the studio, I look forward to posting pictures and recordings of my students.  It should be easy to find calendar items and I am accepting tuition payments online as well.

Here's everything you need to know about the website.

Create your own account

On the top navigation, you'll see the sign in button.  Each family should create an account to keep a record of your payments to the studio.  You will see every payment that you've placed for lessons, festivals, or book deposits.  You can add your address and payment information for a faster checkout. The credit card is securely encrypted and only available to you.

Blog

I will be updating this regularly.  You can look forward to practicing tips, motivational ideas, recommendations for listening experiences and perhaps some upcoming concert information. I'm hoping that some of you will share your experiences with me as well to help other parents in the studio. Also, I would like to share recordings of my students in this area. Please complete the waiver for photos at this link: Here

Student/Parent Area

A password will be provided to student families for the student/parent area.  You will be able to make secure payments for tuition and other fees in this area and also see the detailed studio calendar for each term.

Tuition payment 

Once in the student/parent area, press "pay tuition" button to go to payment gateway.  

• To pay for lessons, select the first box. Private lessons, class lessons, and recital payments are bundled together.  
• Scroll down to select the day of your lesson (previously arranged with René), the length of the lesson and the current term.
• Press add to cart.
• If paying for multiple students in a family,  or you need to add a book deposit or festival fee, you can repeat the process for the other(s) and press "add to cart" again. 

The tuition amount is based the day of your lesson and the number of lessons in a term.  

Festival Payments

Festival payments should be made at the same time as tuition. To pay for multiple festivals during the same term, select the first one and add it to the cart.  Then repeat the process for other festivals during that term.