Songbird Piano Lessons

   ...the Beethoven team! Congratulations!    When I looked at the posters after my last student left yesterday, I had my suspicions. The Beethoven poster was, by far, the most crowded -- the only one where students had started taping facts and photos to the wall beside the poster! Sure enough, at 60 points, Beethoven seems to have proved himself the most popular composer. :) The Mozart team came in second at 49 points -- not bad, guys! (And you also have the tidiest poster. ;) Haydn has 44 points.     Facts ranged from the humorous (Haydn was expelled from the choir/school he attended in his teens for snipping off his fellow student's ponytail) to the serious (Beethoven did not get much schooling as a child) to inspirational quotes ("The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between." -- Mozart).     One thing that stood out to me as a teacher was the story of one of Haydn's music teachers, who was also his ...

Vivace Lively and brisk

Since it's Good Friday, I'm taking a break from my normal posts to share with you some verses from Psalm 22 and also a YouTube video I found a couple days ago that I really enjoyed. "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me? All they that see Me laugh Me to scorn: They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,  'He trusted on the LORD that He would deliver him: Let Him deliver Him, seeing he delight in Him.' For dogs have compassed Me: The assembly of the wicked have inclosed Me: They pierced My hands and My feet. They part My garments among them, And cast lots upon My vesture.  I will declare Thy name unto My brethren:  In the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee. Ye that fear the LORD, praise Him: All ye the seed of Jacob, glorify Him; And fear Him, all ye the seed of Israel. For He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Neither hath He hid His face from him; But when he cried unto Him,...

Una Corde Use the soft pedal

"She has talent," my piano teacher confided to Mom after I had finished my first year of piano lessons.    I spent the next seven years trying to figure out where my teacher had gotten that idea. I wasn't the worst student in her class. But, I did have a problem ....    I didn't put attention. At least, not enough.   I was the student who opened my book to the wrong sight-reading page. Who spent an entire week practicing the wrong exercise, even though the right one was written in my notes, and never realized till I got to class (even then, Mom had to show me when I -- loudly -- protested that "I never practiced that one!"). When we learned about eighth-notes, my teacher bluntly commented, "Yours look like lollipops." (I had put the stems right into the middle of the noteheads, rather than on the side.) When she gave us a mock-theory exam, I finished first -- due to the fact that it never occurred to me to check the other side of each page....

Tempo Primo Return to the first speed Anyone want to know which composer team is in the lead so far? Team Beethoven  leads at 27 points. But Team Haydn (at 25 points) and Team Mozart  (at 22 points) are not far behind. If you all keep it up, at this rate it will be a very close call by the end of the month. :)    Winners to be announced April 26th.

I am really excited about the month of April.    Not just because we are choosing recital repertoire (although that's pretty exciting too).  My main reason for excitement is ...    It's music history month in my studio!    OK, so I realize not everyone gets as thrilled about history as I do. But, as you all know, my goal is to make learning fun all around. So we've got a bit of friendly competition going to learn about three famous composers.    This week marked the launch of Team Haydn, Team Mozart, and Team Beethoven. These three classical composers are currently being displayed on large sheets of posterboard on the studio walls. Haydn's poster sits in comfortable view of the piano ...  ...while Mozart and Beethoven, though they may appear tucked away behind the eraseboard and keyboard, are actually nicely visible when you walk into the studio.     Each student collects facts and/or pictures of the...

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