April Fool!

This past week was my Spring Break, and the weather was rather spring-like.  Mostly rainy, not too cold.  Beautiful day yesterday, (I'm visiting family in New Jersey), and I had the pleasure of accompanying my grand-niece on the Easter Bunny Train in Whippany , NJ.   She wasn't so sure of the Easter Bunny, but I was amused. 

Tomorrow I return home to weekly, regularly scheduled lessons, and it's supposed to snow!  I already have lessons to make up from the First Day of Spring snowfall.  I am ever hopeful this is an April Fool's joke from the weatherman. 

Group piano class

I was feeling badly that my younger students hadn't had a performance opportunity over the holidays.  The Frederick County Music Teachers Association hosted a Holiday Recital in December, but none of my kids were available.  In the past, I have hosted a Twelfth Night party for my kids in early January, giving them an opportunity to play what they've worked so hard to master in December, as well as a reason to continue to practice over the Christmas break.  Again, I picked a date that was already filled on my students' (parents') calendars. 

So finally, before the spring break rush, I scheduled a piano class, just for the kids, no parents (my house is too small).  I haven't done a group lesson in many, many years.  I wasn't sure what to expect.  We had a good turnout, only one student had a conflict this time around.  Everyone had at least one relatively polished piece to perform, after which we talked about the difficult sections, the techniques involved to make the music interesting for both the performer and the audience.  We then reviewed scales, everyone showing whatever scales they knew, and naming the key signature, after which we made scale chains.  Black and white beads, indicating the notes of the C Major and G Major scales (so far).  We will add more beads as everyone learns new scales.  (An aside - I've been doing this little craft for years, and have bought alphabet beads for the whole alphabet.  How happy I was to find individual letter beads on ssww.com!  I only need to buy A-G ever again.) 

I think everyone enjoyed the event.  My 2 students yesterday brought their scale chains back, in anticipation of adding new beads.  I need to find a way to display them, so the incentive stays current.  Did I say I ended the group lesson with cookies and soda?  I've been enjoying the cookies myself -- most of the kids told me they don't like sweets!  Maybe I'll serve veggies and dip next time?

Looking ahead

I've done it.  I'm committed.  Summertrios, look out, 'cause here I come.  I'm coming back in June!  Some of my earliest posts were about going to Summertrios, summer music camp for adults.  That was 2010, and I'm so excited to be able to go back this summer.

I like to give myself these challenges every now and again.  I like to convince myself that yes, I can, like the Little Engine that Could, and I like to put myself in my students' shoes, being the performer, to remember those nerves so I can still relate.  Nice thing about being a private teacher, I don't have to perform, and I went through a phase when I couldn't.  I just didn't have the wherewithal to git 'er done.  The clincher was subbing at a church  one Sunday morning a few years ago.  The choir director insisted I play the hymns at her tempo, which was much faster than I had imagined.  And during the offertory, my music blew off the music stand and no one came to my rescue!  I had to fake it.  I was a wreck.  I think I'm on the other side of that phase now, I've had more opportunities to play for others and succeeded, and I am thoroughly enjoying the process of learning this new music.

I've been working on Beethoven's Piano Trio No. 1 in c minor.  I've been working for a few months already.  And I've got most of it.  A few tricky spots still have my fingers a bit tangled, but I am working through them.  These next few months, I need to learn another trio (! that was a surprise to me, as if one trio wasn't enough) and work on the subtle nuances of the Beethoven.  I've listened to it a few times on YouTube, different performing artists, different settings.  My biggest struggle will be the tempo -- it flies by!  But I sit down just about every day, and review, and dissect, and play, and it's coming together.

Practice, in a nutshell

A cold winter, indeed.  Perfect weather to stay indoors and practice!  Learning to play the piano takes time, takes focus.  You’re not going to get it the first read through.  As a teacher, I like to challenge my students to work a little harder, extend the hand a bit, learn a more involved rhythm.  Sometimes it can be frustrating.  I review practice techniques at every lesson in order to demonstrate how to go about practicing between lessons.  You don’t want to start at the beginning and play straight through.  No, no.  Work in sections, a little at a time.  When you feel comfortable with the different sections, then try playing straight through.  Oh, what an improvement!

Okay, so what are you waiting for?  Oh, baby, it's cold outside.  Go practice!

Happy New Year 2018

And it's about time!  Toni is back, and hopes to be more blog-friendly this year.  I happened upon an article from 2013 that piqued my interest.  Check out 

This is your brain on Vivaldi and Beatles

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130807094348.htm

Listening to music activates large networks in the brain, but different kinds of music are processed differently. A team of researchers has developed a new method for studying music processing in the brain during a realistic listening situation. Using a combination of brain imaging and computer modeling, they found areas in the auditory, motor, and limbic regions to be activated during free listening to music.

and then perhaps follow up with a more current study,    

Your brain responses to music reveal if you're a musician or not
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180122111204.htm

How your brain responds to music listening can reveal whether you have received musical training, according to new research. By applying methods of computational music analysis and machine learning on brain imaging data collected during music listening, the researchers we able to predict with a significant accuracy whether the listeners were musicians or not.

All fascinating!  I hope to make more time to read articles such as these throughout the year.  I'll share the good stuff.  

Toni                                                                                                                                                            Piano is my Forte

Summertime. and the living is...

[Oops -- I never posted this.  So, 2 months later, here you go.]

Unbelievably, I've been in my new location for one full year.  Where did all the time go?  I visited my former home last night; the new owners were kind enough to invite me to see their improvements.  I told them, I could never envision selling my house; I would hate the new owners because they changed my house, or I would be so jealous because they changed my house!  I can't hate these new owners.  They are salt of the earth wonderful, and have made only beautiful improvements.  So, I guess I'm just jealous.  And very happy.  They are taking great care of the old homestead.  I have a much smaller place to care for, in a different town with so much going for it.  A very good situation all around.

Summer is here.  Temperatures are soaring into the mid- to high-90s.  Folks are staying behind closed doors, and it's only June 14.  As a music teacher, I find this weather promising.  My students have more time to practice, thus more time to improve their piano skills, even while on vacation!

School finished last week, and "formal" lessons as well.  Don't get me wrong.  Lessons have not stopped.  I teach 12 months a year.  The summer schedule is merely more relaxed in order to accommodate vacations and camps.  I will be travelling this summer as well.  I ask that all students continue with at least 6 lessons over the 12 week summer break.

Here's to 2017!

2017.  It's here.  Happy New Year!

2016 brought me to Frederick.  Best move.  I couldn't be happier.  One advantage that I did not anticipate was joining the Frederick County Music Teachers Association.  Through the FCMTA, my local students have performed in 2 recitals, one at Halloween, and one just last week.  My current student base is still small.  The 2 recitals exposed my students to a larger audience.  And they did so well.  I was very proud of each performance.

I have always held a 12th Night Recital in January in order to encourage piano time during the holiday season.  This may be the last year I will be able to do so.  My small house will not accommodate too many students and their families.  Even last year in the old house, much larger, it was standing room only.  I had a small turnout this year, but I rate it a success.  The girls played their pieces, I had time to remind them to bow to thank their audience for attending, and then they enjoyed un-spotlighted time at the piano, paying older pieces ("Remember I played this at Halloween" and "The first piece I ever learned!") and improvising.  One parent suggested a Twinkle Twinkle duet.  I was so impressed; these 2 girls had never met each other, let alone practiced together, and yet they nailed it.

All of these performance events teach so much more than merely playing a selection of music.  Preparing for a performance requires focus, patience and time.  In this gotta-have-it-now era, learning to take time to reach a goal is an important life lesson.  They still have a lot to learn.  Don't we all?  But they did well, accepted their mistakes in stride, and are looking forward to the next time.

Wishing all far and wide a happy and successful 2017.  May we all continue to learn, accept mistakes (ours and others') in stride, and reach our goals this year.