I will be writing more about the exhibits and adding quite a few photos within the next day or so!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Exhibit Hall
On Tuesday afternoon, I visited a lot of the exhibits just before closing. I was lucky enough to win the daily prize at the Alfred Booth - a set of Premier Piano Course books and a Mighty Bright light ;) Thanks, ALFRED! (Surprisingly, this is the 2nd time I have won a prize at MTNA! One year, I won a complete set of books from Ultimate Music Theory!)
I will be writing more about the exhibits and adding quite a few photos within the next day or so!
I will be writing more about the exhibits and adding quite a few photos within the next day or so!
Tuesday evening concert: ANDERSON AND ROE
I was only able to stay for the first half of the concert, since I had to catch a redeye flight back to NYC, but what a treat it was to hear Anderson and Roe tonight! This duo pleases both the eye and ear, with beautiful sounds at the Steinways, as well as grand gestures throughout their performances. Those of you that have heard them know that they often perform their own arrangements of orchestral works. Tonight was no exception. The "treat" for the first half was an arrangement of Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring!" This is the 100th anniversary of the first performance of the original work in Paris, which caused riots among the audience members. Anderson and Roe's grand gestures came to life in this piece, with Ms Roe actually jumping OFF the bench with full force on several occasions. I had the fortune of sitting in between Bob and Karen Vandall during this concert, and got to hear a great story about how Bob, when he was young, used to play his LP record of Rite of Spring over and over and blast the speakers. When his mother came home, she made him turn it off! Anderson and Roe also delighted the audience with their stories in between the pieces. The rest of the first half consisted of a Mozart opera paraphrase from The Magic Flute, the complete Sonata in D for two pianos by Mozart and ended the first half with their now famous Ragtime Alla Turca, based on Mozart's Rondo Alla Turca. Oddly, the program said the piece was by Johann Sebastian Bach. One must wonder how that came to be printed next to "Alla Turca" and a Köchel number!
The duo was also selling their scores and recordings in the lobby at intermission. Some of the arrangements are available from Alfred and others from Anderson and Roe's own publishing company. I didn't get the name of it, but I am sure it's easy to google it.
If you happened to stay for the 2nd half of the concert, feel free to add your comments to this blog! I am sorry I missed it!
You all can check out ANDERSON AND ROE on YouTube, as well. They have unstoppable energy! Here is one video of the RAGTIME alla TURCA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYSNmMJHVqM
The duo was also selling their scores and recordings in the lobby at intermission. Some of the arrangements are available from Alfred and others from Anderson and Roe's own publishing company. I didn't get the name of it, but I am sure it's easy to google it.
If you happened to stay for the 2nd half of the concert, feel free to add your comments to this blog! I am sorry I missed it!
You all can check out ANDERSON AND ROE on YouTube, as well. They have unstoppable energy! Here is one video of the RAGTIME alla TURCA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYSNmMJHVqM
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
IMTF
I stopped in a bit late on the Independent Music Teachers Forum meeting this afternoon.
The group of teachers in attendance had already split into four different discussion groups, and I have jumped into the group that is discussing BUSINESS PRACTICES AND MARKETING.
The teachers in this group noted that students are coming mostly from parent referrals, not from web inquiries. A discussion ensued about SEO with websites and getting to the top of an internet search.
Debra Hatfield from TX talked about how important it is to get kids "talking" about what they are doing. Her studio does six recitals a year and all are different, including costumed recitals, etc. She also had a float in the city parade one year. They put eight keyboards on the float and had students playing on the float.
We switched groups after a few minutes and I jumped over to a group that was discussing MOTIVATION. One teacher said what motivates her students is having the younger students see the older students performing at the group classes and recitals. She has group classes once a month by grade level.
Another teacher: the key is to make it as social as possible. Pianists are used to being alone, so when they are matched with mentors for theory tests or competitions.
Another teacher: having kids perform a monster concert. 15-20 kids at once. It makes them practice. They have to be up to tempo before the rehearsal. Bribery: serve donuts. One teacher opens up her monster event to other teachers' studios.
In Hawaii, they have that monster festival at a shopping center.
I mentioned that I think the motivation comes from the music itself and from seeing the teacher's passion about music-making, as well. Perform for your students. Let them see your passion!
One teacher mentioned that a teacher lets the high school students be like kings and queens at the events, eat first at receptions, give them tapestry blankets, etc. That teacher lets the kids make the rule, even deciding where they perform on the recital. (First, last, etc)
Points and prizes offered by some teachers. Where do you order? Oriental Trading, Music in Motion, local music stores, etc.
You could give kids a studio shirt or piece of sheet music to hang on the Christmas tree.
Some teachers charge for recitals.
We had a talk about attitude. One teacher mentioned that the 'attitude' is creeping in at a younger age now. I recommended the book, The Narcissism Epidemic.
Off the bench activities... Push ups, jumping jacks, etc, then go back to playing. GOTB... Get off the bench... Any child under 10 should be off the bench twice in a lesson.
Pupil savers... Kathleen Theisen compiled a list if these on her Facebook page.
The group of teachers in attendance had already split into four different discussion groups, and I have jumped into the group that is discussing BUSINESS PRACTICES AND MARKETING.
The teachers in this group noted that students are coming mostly from parent referrals, not from web inquiries. A discussion ensued about SEO with websites and getting to the top of an internet search.
Debra Hatfield from TX talked about how important it is to get kids "talking" about what they are doing. Her studio does six recitals a year and all are different, including costumed recitals, etc. She also had a float in the city parade one year. They put eight keyboards on the float and had students playing on the float.
We switched groups after a few minutes and I jumped over to a group that was discussing MOTIVATION. One teacher said what motivates her students is having the younger students see the older students performing at the group classes and recitals. She has group classes once a month by grade level.
Another teacher: the key is to make it as social as possible. Pianists are used to being alone, so when they are matched with mentors for theory tests or competitions.
Another teacher: having kids perform a monster concert. 15-20 kids at once. It makes them practice. They have to be up to tempo before the rehearsal. Bribery: serve donuts. One teacher opens up her monster event to other teachers' studios.
In Hawaii, they have that monster festival at a shopping center.
I mentioned that I think the motivation comes from the music itself and from seeing the teacher's passion about music-making, as well. Perform for your students. Let them see your passion!
One teacher mentioned that a teacher lets the high school students be like kings and queens at the events, eat first at receptions, give them tapestry blankets, etc. That teacher lets the kids make the rule, even deciding where they perform on the recital. (First, last, etc)
Points and prizes offered by some teachers. Where do you order? Oriental Trading, Music in Motion, local music stores, etc.
You could give kids a studio shirt or piece of sheet music to hang on the Christmas tree.
Some teachers charge for recitals.
We had a talk about attitude. One teacher mentioned that the 'attitude' is creeping in at a younger age now. I recommended the book, The Narcissism Epidemic.
Off the bench activities... Push ups, jumping jacks, etc, then go back to playing. GOTB... Get off the bench... Any child under 10 should be off the bench twice in a lesson.
Pupil savers... Kathleen Theisen compiled a list if these on her Facebook page.
Showcase: Glenda Austin and Carolyn Miller for WILLIS MUSIC
Glenda and Carolyn open their session by performing SAMBA SENSATION. This is Glenda's newest duet, which was commissioned by a Phoenix Piano Ensemble. The performance was just last week.
Glenda shared some intermediate pieces by John Thompson that weren't familiar to me or to the people next to me, but are lovely pieces:
Scherzando in G Major by John Thompson... It lies well under fingers
Nocturne by Thompson...
Lofty Peaks by Thompson... Big, crashing chords. It's a bit like Schumann's "An Important Event."
Valse Burlesque by Thompson
Rhapsodie Hongroise by Thompson ... In style of Liszt.
A quote from someone near me: "I would have never dreamt he wrote these." These are not at all like what people usually think of when they hear the name John Thompson.
Elementary level book of pieces by John Thompson:
Forest Dawn...
Captain Kidd... G minor piece, has LH melody, allows kids to play in two flats at an elementary level, which doesn't happen very often in other rep.
Humoresque...6/8, a minor, like a tarantella
Edna Mae Burnam... 1907-2007... Probably best known for A DOZEN A DAY. Willis has published some collections of her other piano works, as well.
Butterfly Time: patterned LH quarters in two note slurs and RH sixteenth note patterns.
Jubilee!... This is coplandesque with open fifths in LH and a faster-moving RH part.
Echoes of Gypsies...big, showy piece with quiet moments, as well. The "vivo" section is like the Rondo Alla Turca.
The Singing Fountain... Has LH singing melody and RH has a repeated arpeggiated figure
Elementary book by Edna Mae Burnam...
Two Birds in a Tree.. Beginner piece that can be played on black or white keys. This could even be taught by rote. Glenda encouraged the teachers to improvise an accompaniment to this piece.
The Clock that Stopped...contrasting touch between legato and portato
The Singing Mermaid...piece with overlapping pedal, calm chord progressions, meditative style
WILLIAM GILLOCK
1917-1993
Grew up in an area near Joplin, MO, where Glenda currently lives.
Spooky Footsteps... Very cute elementary level in D Minor. For my friends in CT, this piece is at approx the level of Primary 2 in the YMF.
Rocking Chair Blues... In 2/4 with triplets and swing feel based on I IV V pattern
Stormy Weather...c minor...triplet rising arpeggios... Kids love this piece.
On a Paris Boulevard
Intermediate to advanced level pieces (CLASSIC PIANO REPERTOIRE)
*** these pieces are WONDERFUL!!!
Festive Piece... Nice intermediate-level piece. D minor, ends with Picardy third.
A Memory of Vienna... Lilting waltz
Valse Étude...this is a show stopper and is one of Glenda's top ten favorites. It has a beautiful middle section that is very lyrical.
Glenda reminded the teachers that if you don't have students who can play these pieces, YOU can play them! This is a great stress-busters, too.
Fountain in the Rain... One of the most famous of Gillock's pieces.
It's now available as a duet, arranged by Glenda Austin. This is late elementary/early intermediate level.
Glenda suggested that people program both the solo and duet version on the same recital.
COMPOSER'S CHOICE books by Glenda Austin and Eric Baumgartner (2 separate books)
Pieces from Glenda's book:
Midnight Caravan... Great fast piece at the intermediate level.
Reverie... Written on three staves..
Tangorific...this was written by Glenda for her teacher, Mrs Holden.
Chromatic Conversation...this piece is a blues that has a conversation between LH bass riff and RH melodic riffs
From Eric's books:
New Orleans Nocturne... Even eighth notes, lots of seventh chords.
Jackrabbit Ramble...
Aretta's Rumble... This was written for his wife, who is a puppeteer.
Beale Street Boogie...swung eighth note boogie pattern in the LH, off beat chords in RH
Carolyn C. Setliff:
Romantic Serenade...cut time, single note melody with arpeggiated figure in LH
Romantic Reflections...opens with big rhapsodic chords, then goes into a music box-like theme
Intermezzo in D Flat Major... Gorgeous tune
New piece:
Chop Suey... Piano solo by Glenda Austin. Early elementary solo.
Flight of Freedom ... Piano solo by Glenda Austin. This was inspired by watching a 24/7 eagle cam online. My note: This is a lot like a Gillock piece in Lyric Preludes, so if you have students who like that one, they will like this.
There is also a series of pieces for the sanctuary, gospel, etc.
Glenda ended the session with a performance of VALSE BELLE, a new composition which she dedicated to me. This was a very moving moment for me to get to hear her perform this piece "live."
Glenda shared some intermediate pieces by John Thompson that weren't familiar to me or to the people next to me, but are lovely pieces:
Scherzando in G Major by John Thompson... It lies well under fingers
Nocturne by Thompson...
Lofty Peaks by Thompson... Big, crashing chords. It's a bit like Schumann's "An Important Event."
Valse Burlesque by Thompson
Rhapsodie Hongroise by Thompson ... In style of Liszt.
A quote from someone near me: "I would have never dreamt he wrote these." These are not at all like what people usually think of when they hear the name John Thompson.
Elementary level book of pieces by John Thompson:
Forest Dawn...
Captain Kidd... G minor piece, has LH melody, allows kids to play in two flats at an elementary level, which doesn't happen very often in other rep.
Humoresque...6/8, a minor, like a tarantella
Edna Mae Burnam... 1907-2007... Probably best known for A DOZEN A DAY. Willis has published some collections of her other piano works, as well.
Butterfly Time: patterned LH quarters in two note slurs and RH sixteenth note patterns.
Jubilee!... This is coplandesque with open fifths in LH and a faster-moving RH part.
Echoes of Gypsies...big, showy piece with quiet moments, as well. The "vivo" section is like the Rondo Alla Turca.
The Singing Fountain... Has LH singing melody and RH has a repeated arpeggiated figure
Elementary book by Edna Mae Burnam...
Two Birds in a Tree.. Beginner piece that can be played on black or white keys. This could even be taught by rote. Glenda encouraged the teachers to improvise an accompaniment to this piece.
The Clock that Stopped...contrasting touch between legato and portato
The Singing Mermaid...piece with overlapping pedal, calm chord progressions, meditative style
WILLIAM GILLOCK
1917-1993
Grew up in an area near Joplin, MO, where Glenda currently lives.
Spooky Footsteps... Very cute elementary level in D Minor. For my friends in CT, this piece is at approx the level of Primary 2 in the YMF.
Rocking Chair Blues... In 2/4 with triplets and swing feel based on I IV V pattern
Stormy Weather...c minor...triplet rising arpeggios... Kids love this piece.
On a Paris Boulevard
Intermediate to advanced level pieces (CLASSIC PIANO REPERTOIRE)
*** these pieces are WONDERFUL!!!
Festive Piece... Nice intermediate-level piece. D minor, ends with Picardy third.
A Memory of Vienna... Lilting waltz
Valse Étude...this is a show stopper and is one of Glenda's top ten favorites. It has a beautiful middle section that is very lyrical.
Glenda reminded the teachers that if you don't have students who can play these pieces, YOU can play them! This is a great stress-busters, too.
Fountain in the Rain... One of the most famous of Gillock's pieces.
It's now available as a duet, arranged by Glenda Austin. This is late elementary/early intermediate level.
Glenda suggested that people program both the solo and duet version on the same recital.
COMPOSER'S CHOICE books by Glenda Austin and Eric Baumgartner (2 separate books)
Pieces from Glenda's book:
Midnight Caravan... Great fast piece at the intermediate level.
Reverie... Written on three staves..
Tangorific...this was written by Glenda for her teacher, Mrs Holden.
Chromatic Conversation...this piece is a blues that has a conversation between LH bass riff and RH melodic riffs
From Eric's books:
New Orleans Nocturne... Even eighth notes, lots of seventh chords.
Jackrabbit Ramble...
Aretta's Rumble... This was written for his wife, who is a puppeteer.
Beale Street Boogie...swung eighth note boogie pattern in the LH, off beat chords in RH
Carolyn C. Setliff:
Romantic Serenade...cut time, single note melody with arpeggiated figure in LH
Romantic Reflections...opens with big rhapsodic chords, then goes into a music box-like theme
Intermezzo in D Flat Major... Gorgeous tune
New piece:
Chop Suey... Piano solo by Glenda Austin. Early elementary solo.
Flight of Freedom ... Piano solo by Glenda Austin. This was inspired by watching a 24/7 eagle cam online. My note: This is a lot like a Gillock piece in Lyric Preludes, so if you have students who like that one, they will like this.
There is also a series of pieces for the sanctuary, gospel, etc.
Glenda ended the session with a performance of VALSE BELLE, a new composition which she dedicated to me. This was a very moving moment for me to get to hear her perform this piece "live."
Got Questions? We've got answers!!!
Session to answer any questions at all...
I arrived late to this session after checking out of my room and dropping off bags, so please forgive the short post.
Presenters in this sessions are Ingrid Clarfield, Pete Jutras, Randall Faber, & Scott McBride Smith.
Pete Jutras:
We can learn a lot from video game makers. Most games have a goal right in front of you. There is an intermediate goal that is right there, then an advanced goal that may take weeks or months. It's important to give kids a short- term goal so that they feel a sense of accomplishment as a step to the larger goal.
Randy Faber:
The problem of only focusing on competitions is that the students are only focusing on polish on those pieces. They need easier pieces to keep building skills at the same time, so that sight reading, theory, etc, aren't neglected.
Ingrid:
The assignment in the assignment book should look by different for the pieces that are being polished. Week before a competition: Clear ideas on dynamics, tempi, opening and closing gestures. If its a back-burner piece, there are diff tempo goals (1/2 tempo, for example) and goals to think about balance in certain sections, etc. Ingrid stressed that it is important to have different goals for pieces depending on what the goal is for each piece.
Randy:
Someone asked a question about licensing and copyright of arraignments. Randy suggested that he contact the copyright holder or the company that owns the exclusive contract to the work, and you might get rights, but it's not easy. Congress passed a bill for recording. They legislated that the publisher has the right to say who does the first recording, but then afterward, everyone can record it after that with payment of mechanical royalty, but there is not a similar l for print music.
Studio management:
A teacher asked a question about working with continual transfer families (military families).
Scott : you do what you always do; "teach away." Give them your best work, just like you would with any other students. Also explore Skype teaching!
Method books: a method book doesn't move. A student moves. A book is just a book.
You don't have to do unit 3 on Tuesday because it's Tuesday. You do unit three when the student is ready.
Early level study ... Keep the music and repertoire moving. When we hit the post intermediate level, the students hit a phenomena of playing only 3 or 4 pieces at a time, and that's where we run into the problem.
Double-jointed students: Randy: teach these kids the same way you teach others. Many teachers make a mistake of having kids over curl the fingers and that collapses the bridge. Think of playing a finger and the process of moving into the curl so that there is a balance. That handles the issue of the flat finger.
Method book: do you recommend that students stay in one method?
Randy: a student has to see a lot of the same thing to take in the perception. When you move from method to method, you jeopardize the sequence. You're introducing a liability instead of an asset. In the 60s, pedagogy programs pushed teachers to use mixed methods to build reading, but now, teachers are better off NOT jumping around bc you won't get the value of what was intended within the methods.
Scott encourages his students to write their own methods. He said he finds that American methods go too slow and feels we need the ear involved and we go quicker.
A student with nails that are cut every day but the nails are still in the way. Have the student keep cutting it back. You can adjust the angle slightly.
Wrap up: what advice from the panel to young students and teachers?
Scott: Passion and love of music will carry you over every difficulty
Ingrid: So excited to see teachers taking notes. Continue to think of yourselves as students for the rest of your lives. There is not one day of my life where I teach a lesson and where I don't do something wrong.
Pete: never stop learning. Never lose sight of WHY you went into music. We get stuck in details of teaching and don't always let the magic show through. If the students aren't getting the magic, then we are missing out. The kids should see the passion.
Randy: be yourself. The way you interact with a child is very unique. You'll have special gifts and loves and those will convey in special ways. You can make a difference with every student.
I arrived late to this session after checking out of my room and dropping off bags, so please forgive the short post.
Presenters in this sessions are Ingrid Clarfield, Pete Jutras, Randall Faber, & Scott McBride Smith.
Pete Jutras:
We can learn a lot from video game makers. Most games have a goal right in front of you. There is an intermediate goal that is right there, then an advanced goal that may take weeks or months. It's important to give kids a short- term goal so that they feel a sense of accomplishment as a step to the larger goal.
Randy Faber:
The problem of only focusing on competitions is that the students are only focusing on polish on those pieces. They need easier pieces to keep building skills at the same time, so that sight reading, theory, etc, aren't neglected.
Ingrid:
The assignment in the assignment book should look by different for the pieces that are being polished. Week before a competition: Clear ideas on dynamics, tempi, opening and closing gestures. If its a back-burner piece, there are diff tempo goals (1/2 tempo, for example) and goals to think about balance in certain sections, etc. Ingrid stressed that it is important to have different goals for pieces depending on what the goal is for each piece.
Randy:
Someone asked a question about licensing and copyright of arraignments. Randy suggested that he contact the copyright holder or the company that owns the exclusive contract to the work, and you might get rights, but it's not easy. Congress passed a bill for recording. They legislated that the publisher has the right to say who does the first recording, but then afterward, everyone can record it after that with payment of mechanical royalty, but there is not a similar l for print music.
Studio management:
A teacher asked a question about working with continual transfer families (military families).
Scott : you do what you always do; "teach away." Give them your best work, just like you would with any other students. Also explore Skype teaching!
Method books: a method book doesn't move. A student moves. A book is just a book.
You don't have to do unit 3 on Tuesday because it's Tuesday. You do unit three when the student is ready.
Early level study ... Keep the music and repertoire moving. When we hit the post intermediate level, the students hit a phenomena of playing only 3 or 4 pieces at a time, and that's where we run into the problem.
Double-jointed students: Randy: teach these kids the same way you teach others. Many teachers make a mistake of having kids over curl the fingers and that collapses the bridge. Think of playing a finger and the process of moving into the curl so that there is a balance. That handles the issue of the flat finger.
Method book: do you recommend that students stay in one method?
Randy: a student has to see a lot of the same thing to take in the perception. When you move from method to method, you jeopardize the sequence. You're introducing a liability instead of an asset. In the 60s, pedagogy programs pushed teachers to use mixed methods to build reading, but now, teachers are better off NOT jumping around bc you won't get the value of what was intended within the methods.
Scott encourages his students to write their own methods. He said he finds that American methods go too slow and feels we need the ear involved and we go quicker.
A student with nails that are cut every day but the nails are still in the way. Have the student keep cutting it back. You can adjust the angle slightly.
Wrap up: what advice from the panel to young students and teachers?
Scott: Passion and love of music will carry you over every difficulty
Ingrid: So excited to see teachers taking notes. Continue to think of yourselves as students for the rest of your lives. There is not one day of my life where I teach a lesson and where I don't do something wrong.
Pete: never stop learning. Never lose sight of WHY you went into music. We get stuck in details of teaching and don't always let the magic show through. If the students aren't getting the magic, then we are missing out. The kids should see the passion.
Randy: be yourself. The way you interact with a child is very unique. You'll have special gifts and loves and those will convey in special ways. You can make a difference with every student.
Anderson and Roe master class ... Tuesday morning
Right now, MTNA President is introducing Anderson and Roe for their master class. He referred to them as the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers of piano! Isn't that sooooo true?
First performers are two 10 year olds performing Spanish Dances, Op 12, second movement: Moderato, by Moszkowski.
Anderson's first question to the performers was, "do you guys enjoy performing this piece?" Ms Roe pointed out the title and the need to pull from the idea of "dance" and "Spanish." "We don't really get the dance spirit from your performance." The piece was almost too steady and didn't make us think of dancing. Mr Anderson is asking them to give as much shape and expression in the melody as possible. He reminds the secondo player to give interest to the part and support the primo player. They worked with these two young players to try to get more shape and expression. Mr Anderson reminded them that the primo plays two phrases and said, "oh, I like your shirt; but, oh, it has a spot." Ms Roe asked the students to sing the tune to have it become more expressive. "I'm too aware of all the little notes, instead of the shape of the entire phrase." Ms Roe summarized what they had worked on and reminded the students that the main melody comes back several times within the piece and they need to find the meaning and feeling of each. Sometimes, "coming home feels really warm."(Mr Anderson)
At one point in the piece, the main tune comes back, but the final note turns upward. Mr Anderson reminded them to "tickle their (the audience's) back" with that change.
Anderson and Roe sat down at the second piano and played a section for the students, and then asked them if they had ever waltzed. Mr Anderson marched and waltzed around the stage. Then they sat down again at second piano and played along with the two young performers. Mr Anderson also reminded them of the expressivity needed in the octave leap. 'Your singer needs time to reach that note.' They did a lot of demonstrating at the second piano. He also remarked that it needs to feel improvisatory, and doesn't need to sound metronomic. Mr Anderson had them play a fermata on the high note and wait to resolve that high note and played along to get them to be more expressive.
The second performers are now playing the Valse from Suite for Two Pianos, no 1 in F Major, op 15 by Arensky. These brothers, ages 11 and 14, have quite the flair as duo-pianists!!! Anderson and Roe are complimenting them about their great sense of ensemble. Mr Anderson is pointing out two things that are important in the opening: (1) chromatic lines ("something milky and sensual, risky about them, like a chorus of girls in the background singing this..." A "meow"...) and (2) more of a lilt in the melody. Mr Anderson asked them if they have listened to a lot of Strauss Waltzes like they play on New Year's Day in Vienna. These two boys play very well together!! Mr Anderson recommended a bit of pedal on the chromaticism. Ms Roe recommended lighter touch on second beat. Mr Anderson also recommend a bit of an overlap in the legato on the chromaticism to create that "oozing chocolate effect." They worked with both pianists on this idea, since they both have that line at one point or another in the piece. He worked with the second player on the big octave crashing chords and reminded him that it has to look joyful and effortless. Anderson and Roe were trying to get an explosion of sound in the hairpin passages (chromatic passages in the high treble range). They are going for over-arching phrase ideas and not individual notes and passages.
Mr Anderson sat down a few times to play along and showed effortless joy in making music! If one could take away one overarching idea from this master class, it is that Anderson and Roe were trying to evoke from the performers as much musical passion & expression on stage as possible.
10:20am
The final performers are now on stage. They are two 11th graders, performing the Sonata in D Major for two pianos, first movement, by Mozart. Anderson and Roe mentioned that whenever they perform this piece, it's the one they have to rehearse the most. There is the opening motive of a four-bar "hear ye, hear ye, exclamatory entrance." Thoughts from A&R: Let it be "cinematic and orchestral." Is it possible to make it sound big and orchestral but not harsh? They are asking for more warmth from the performers and the instruments. Mr Anderson described one of the LH parts (low repeated notes) as a bassoon. (My note: This is always the case when we play Mozart, isn't it? We almost need to think of opera orchestras and singers!) Ms Roe also pointed out that a lot of this piece is not downbeat-centric. They were having the primo player aim for for the second beat (quarter, stressed half note..). She recommended dabbing the bass notes with pedal. It's like a bass player plucking the string. There is a "residue." 'Warmth, resonance and energy in a pizzicato.' There is a tension going to the c# below the D.
There are still a few minutes remaining, but I have to run upstairs to pack and check out of my room, so I will be signing off the blog for now.
Ironically, in my inbox this morning arrived a "daily thought" from REAL SIMPLE magazine that said, "YOU CANNOT CREATE EXPERIENCE. YOU MUST UNDERGO IT." (Albert Camus) This is so "a propo" for today, given the age of the performers this morning. These young performers were all so talented; I am sure we will continue to hear them as they grow!
First performers are two 10 year olds performing Spanish Dances, Op 12, second movement: Moderato, by Moszkowski.
Anderson's first question to the performers was, "do you guys enjoy performing this piece?" Ms Roe pointed out the title and the need to pull from the idea of "dance" and "Spanish." "We don't really get the dance spirit from your performance." The piece was almost too steady and didn't make us think of dancing. Mr Anderson is asking them to give as much shape and expression in the melody as possible. He reminds the secondo player to give interest to the part and support the primo player. They worked with these two young players to try to get more shape and expression. Mr Anderson reminded them that the primo plays two phrases and said, "oh, I like your shirt; but, oh, it has a spot." Ms Roe asked the students to sing the tune to have it become more expressive. "I'm too aware of all the little notes, instead of the shape of the entire phrase." Ms Roe summarized what they had worked on and reminded the students that the main melody comes back several times within the piece and they need to find the meaning and feeling of each. Sometimes, "coming home feels really warm."(Mr Anderson)
At one point in the piece, the main tune comes back, but the final note turns upward. Mr Anderson reminded them to "tickle their (the audience's) back" with that change.
Anderson and Roe sat down at the second piano and played a section for the students, and then asked them if they had ever waltzed. Mr Anderson marched and waltzed around the stage. Then they sat down again at second piano and played along with the two young performers. Mr Anderson also reminded them of the expressivity needed in the octave leap. 'Your singer needs time to reach that note.' They did a lot of demonstrating at the second piano. He also remarked that it needs to feel improvisatory, and doesn't need to sound metronomic. Mr Anderson had them play a fermata on the high note and wait to resolve that high note and played along to get them to be more expressive.
The second performers are now playing the Valse from Suite for Two Pianos, no 1 in F Major, op 15 by Arensky. These brothers, ages 11 and 14, have quite the flair as duo-pianists!!! Anderson and Roe are complimenting them about their great sense of ensemble. Mr Anderson is pointing out two things that are important in the opening: (1) chromatic lines ("something milky and sensual, risky about them, like a chorus of girls in the background singing this..." A "meow"...) and (2) more of a lilt in the melody. Mr Anderson asked them if they have listened to a lot of Strauss Waltzes like they play on New Year's Day in Vienna. These two boys play very well together!! Mr Anderson recommended a bit of pedal on the chromaticism. Ms Roe recommended lighter touch on second beat. Mr Anderson also recommend a bit of an overlap in the legato on the chromaticism to create that "oozing chocolate effect." They worked with both pianists on this idea, since they both have that line at one point or another in the piece. He worked with the second player on the big octave crashing chords and reminded him that it has to look joyful and effortless. Anderson and Roe were trying to get an explosion of sound in the hairpin passages (chromatic passages in the high treble range). They are going for over-arching phrase ideas and not individual notes and passages.
Mr Anderson sat down a few times to play along and showed effortless joy in making music! If one could take away one overarching idea from this master class, it is that Anderson and Roe were trying to evoke from the performers as much musical passion & expression on stage as possible.
10:20am
The final performers are now on stage. They are two 11th graders, performing the Sonata in D Major for two pianos, first movement, by Mozart. Anderson and Roe mentioned that whenever they perform this piece, it's the one they have to rehearse the most. There is the opening motive of a four-bar "hear ye, hear ye, exclamatory entrance." Thoughts from A&R: Let it be "cinematic and orchestral." Is it possible to make it sound big and orchestral but not harsh? They are asking for more warmth from the performers and the instruments. Mr Anderson described one of the LH parts (low repeated notes) as a bassoon. (My note: This is always the case when we play Mozart, isn't it? We almost need to think of opera orchestras and singers!) Ms Roe also pointed out that a lot of this piece is not downbeat-centric. They were having the primo player aim for for the second beat (quarter, stressed half note..). She recommended dabbing the bass notes with pedal. It's like a bass player plucking the string. There is a "residue." 'Warmth, resonance and energy in a pizzicato.' There is a tension going to the c# below the D.
There are still a few minutes remaining, but I have to run upstairs to pack and check out of my room, so I will be signing off the blog for now.
Ironically, in my inbox this morning arrived a "daily thought" from REAL SIMPLE magazine that said, "YOU CANNOT CREATE EXPERIENCE. YOU MUST UNDERGO IT." (Albert Camus) This is so "a propo" for today, given the age of the performers this morning. These young performers were all so talented; I am sure we will continue to hear them as they grow!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Senior high competition winners' concert
I heard the most amazing rendition of Lowell Liebermann's 'Gargoyles' by a 10th grade pianist from Cleveland--- Megan Lee, a scholarship student of Sean Schulze at Cleveland Institute of Music.
Ms Lee received a standing ovation from a good portion of the audience at this concert! She has studied piano for ten years.
Ms Lee received a standing ovation from a good portion of the audience at this concert! She has studied piano for ten years.
Students of Howard Karp
After Martha Thomas gave an amazing presentation about the intermediate piano music of Max Reger, a small crowd gathered to talk with her. We suddenly realized that all of us had studied with Howard Karp, master teacher who spent decades at University of Wisconsin. Here is a pic of four of us who are students of Professor Karp!
The Forgotten Romantic: Max Reger's Intermediate Piano Repertoire, presented by Martha Thomas NCTM, University of Georgia
Max Reger...
Teacher, concertizing pianist, conductor, administrator, etc. He wore many hats!
1906 gave a very important concert in St Petersburg. Prokofiev heard him.
1912-13 He gave 106 concerts. (Difficult in a time before airline travel!)
A lot of people were very critical of his work. He was considered a revolutionary.
Supporters: Ferruccio Busoni referred to Reger as "Greatest living and deeply German composer" 1905
Arnold Shoenberg supported him.
Richard Strauss
Stylistic influence of Schumann or Brahms. She has found a piece that she calls "the fourth Brahms rhapsody." Other: Chopin, Grieg, Mendelssohn, Wagner, Liszt. Most important influence is not from the romantic era: JS BACH.
Reger referred to BACH as "the beginning and end of all music."
146 opus numbers and many works wOo. One collection has 111 pieces, so he actually wrote a lot of pieces.
He only had 25 years to write. His idea of resting involved writing a lot of music. He wrote for a lot of instruments. He wrote no symphony and no opera. He died at age 43.
Major pieces:
Prolific composer... Long list.
For piano:
21 opus numbers and many without opus.
Bach and Telemann variations... Each about 30 minutes long. Had he only written one of these, he'd still be in the history books. These are GREAT!
Piano concerto in F minor
No piano sonata but used sonata form in chamber music
Character piece
Max Hehemann (one of Reger's biographers): "Whether we like it or not, Reger simply happens to be complicated."
Reger uses non periodic shaping of phrases, revolutionary chromatic harmony, massive sound spectra (maybe because he was organist?), dense texture,
His shorter pieces tend to be through 3 sharps or flats. Rhythms are uncomplicated. He used basic harmonic progressions. Length: 1-3 pages generally. Two voices. Hand span: one octave.
ALBUM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, opus 17
Composed 1895, published 1902
20 pieces, written as pedagogical compositions
published by Schott (only contains 14 of the 20 pieces)
Written while he was a student at the conservatory in Weissbaden. He wrote these for his own students.
1. Frohsinn. (Cheerfulness) A major. It has an Alberti-like structure in LH. He gives the melody to the LH. He goes into a unison passage right before the end of the piece. (This is common in these pieces.)
(Prof Thomas demonstrated the piece)
2. Hasche mich! This starts with a two voice texture. There are 3-note chords divided between the two hands. It has patterns similar to Watchman's Song by Grieg, but this piece is easier than the Grieg piece.
4. Das tote Vöglein. Chorale-style writing. It's a bit like "An Old Valentine" by Gillock, which would be a good preparation for this Reger piece.
5. Über Stock und Stein. Lively, 6/8 time, thin texture, hemiola pattern. This is a lot like Gade's "Round Dance." This is one of her favorites.
6. Was die Großmutter erzählt. (What the grandmother saw). Andante espressivo. Charming. Two-page piece. Stark changes of character. It's a bit like Schumann's "The Poor Orphan" from Album for the Young.
7. Ein Tänzchen B Flat Major. No pedal. Chords are small. Reminds a bit of "The Clown" by Kabalevsky. This is good prep for Schumann.
8. Bange Frage. (Anxious question.) A Minor. It has a built-in Q&A. It sounds sophisticated. It has part-writing that will necessitate writing in a lot of the fingerings for the student.
9. Weihnachtstraum. A major. LH has the Silent Night melody and the RH has intervallic patterns in two-note groupings. Astonishingly beautiful piece. Melody notes are larger; harmonies are smaller.
10. Großes Fest. This has chords with octaves, but you could leave out notes in order for small-hands to play this. B Flat Major. Allegro alla Marcia. This is a little harder than "Solider's March." Grieg Op 68, no 1 is the same style, as well.
11. Abendgesang. He distinguishes between melody and harmony notes with larger/smaller font. Melody is in the thumb, like Gillock SOARING from Lyric Preludes.
12. Fast zu keck! Allegro vivace. F Major. Three pages long. Fast and energetic. Fun! There is a big unison passage at the end of the second page. A lot of fun to play. Passages get divided between the two hands.
13. Frühlingslust. ( Spring's Delight) melody is divided between the hands. It fits the hand beautifully.
15. Reigen. (Round Dance) Two-part writing, lively.
18. Nordischer Tanz. D Major. It's a lot like Spinning Song, but harder. There are double notes in the RH.
19. Erster Streit. D Minor pre-tarantella piece. There are unison passages. The biggest danger is starting it too fast.
20. Versöhnung. A Major. Cantabile. It sounds like Schumann.
Collection without opus:
111 Canons (1895)
Pedagogical collection
Two and three part canons
All major and minor keys
The opening canon quotes Clementi Op 36. He also took a lot of Bach fugue subjects. His contrapuntal writing is fabulous.
Blätter und Blüten... Another collection without opus.
Humoreske. B minor. Fun piece!
Hasche-Mann... Similar to the third piece from Kinderscenen.
Frühlingslied. It sounds a lot like Wild Rose. Similar motive. Same harmonic progression at the beginning. Same key. Same range of the piano. This is upper intermediate.
Jagstück. (Hunting Song) easier than Schumann's hunting song. Chords are rolled. Notes can be omitted.
Scherzino. Great recital-ender piece for a student with slightly bigger hands. It's very patterned, more so than many of his other compositions.
Four Sonatinas, op 89
She likes Sonatina #2 the best. They are very classical-sounding. Transparent texture. They sound like Kuhlau and Clementi.
It's in D Major. Delightful. It's about five pages long.
Zehn Kleine Vortragsstücke, op 44
For teaching purposes
Burletta, #2 is a bit like the Grieg Elfin Dance
Op 143... From 1915... Dreaming by the Fireside... Traume und...? There are no black keys in this piece. This is fairly complicated, upper intermediate. It's very patterned. This is a great étude-style piece for students who aren't ready for Chopin.
Lose Blätter for Piano, op 13. Album Leaves. It has an almost direct quote from Schumann Fantasy. His publisher demanded the little pieces bc he didn't want the 30min pieces that would sit on the self and mildew.
#11 Appassionato. Fairly complicated, "Brahmsian" texture. Short. One page. This is a good prep for Rachmaninov C# minor prelude. This is also in C sharp minor.
Teacher, concertizing pianist, conductor, administrator, etc. He wore many hats!
1906 gave a very important concert in St Petersburg. Prokofiev heard him.
1912-13 He gave 106 concerts. (Difficult in a time before airline travel!)
A lot of people were very critical of his work. He was considered a revolutionary.
Supporters: Ferruccio Busoni referred to Reger as "Greatest living and deeply German composer" 1905
Arnold Shoenberg supported him.
Richard Strauss
Stylistic influence of Schumann or Brahms. She has found a piece that she calls "the fourth Brahms rhapsody." Other: Chopin, Grieg, Mendelssohn, Wagner, Liszt. Most important influence is not from the romantic era: JS BACH.
Reger referred to BACH as "the beginning and end of all music."
146 opus numbers and many works wOo. One collection has 111 pieces, so he actually wrote a lot of pieces.
He only had 25 years to write. His idea of resting involved writing a lot of music. He wrote for a lot of instruments. He wrote no symphony and no opera. He died at age 43.
Major pieces:
Prolific composer... Long list.
For piano:
21 opus numbers and many without opus.
Bach and Telemann variations... Each about 30 minutes long. Had he only written one of these, he'd still be in the history books. These are GREAT!
Piano concerto in F minor
No piano sonata but used sonata form in chamber music
Character piece
Max Hehemann (one of Reger's biographers): "Whether we like it or not, Reger simply happens to be complicated."
Reger uses non periodic shaping of phrases, revolutionary chromatic harmony, massive sound spectra (maybe because he was organist?), dense texture,
His shorter pieces tend to be through 3 sharps or flats. Rhythms are uncomplicated. He used basic harmonic progressions. Length: 1-3 pages generally. Two voices. Hand span: one octave.
ALBUM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, opus 17
Composed 1895, published 1902
20 pieces, written as pedagogical compositions
published by Schott (only contains 14 of the 20 pieces)
Written while he was a student at the conservatory in Weissbaden. He wrote these for his own students.
1. Frohsinn. (Cheerfulness) A major. It has an Alberti-like structure in LH. He gives the melody to the LH. He goes into a unison passage right before the end of the piece. (This is common in these pieces.)
(Prof Thomas demonstrated the piece)
2. Hasche mich! This starts with a two voice texture. There are 3-note chords divided between the two hands. It has patterns similar to Watchman's Song by Grieg, but this piece is easier than the Grieg piece.
4. Das tote Vöglein. Chorale-style writing. It's a bit like "An Old Valentine" by Gillock, which would be a good preparation for this Reger piece.
5. Über Stock und Stein. Lively, 6/8 time, thin texture, hemiola pattern. This is a lot like Gade's "Round Dance." This is one of her favorites.
6. Was die Großmutter erzählt. (What the grandmother saw). Andante espressivo. Charming. Two-page piece. Stark changes of character. It's a bit like Schumann's "The Poor Orphan" from Album for the Young.
7. Ein Tänzchen B Flat Major. No pedal. Chords are small. Reminds a bit of "The Clown" by Kabalevsky. This is good prep for Schumann.
8. Bange Frage. (Anxious question.) A Minor. It has a built-in Q&A. It sounds sophisticated. It has part-writing that will necessitate writing in a lot of the fingerings for the student.
9. Weihnachtstraum. A major. LH has the Silent Night melody and the RH has intervallic patterns in two-note groupings. Astonishingly beautiful piece. Melody notes are larger; harmonies are smaller.
10. Großes Fest. This has chords with octaves, but you could leave out notes in order for small-hands to play this. B Flat Major. Allegro alla Marcia. This is a little harder than "Solider's March." Grieg Op 68, no 1 is the same style, as well.
11. Abendgesang. He distinguishes between melody and harmony notes with larger/smaller font. Melody is in the thumb, like Gillock SOARING from Lyric Preludes.
12. Fast zu keck! Allegro vivace. F Major. Three pages long. Fast and energetic. Fun! There is a big unison passage at the end of the second page. A lot of fun to play. Passages get divided between the two hands.
13. Frühlingslust. ( Spring's Delight) melody is divided between the hands. It fits the hand beautifully.
15. Reigen. (Round Dance) Two-part writing, lively.
18. Nordischer Tanz. D Major. It's a lot like Spinning Song, but harder. There are double notes in the RH.
19. Erster Streit. D Minor pre-tarantella piece. There are unison passages. The biggest danger is starting it too fast.
20. Versöhnung. A Major. Cantabile. It sounds like Schumann.
Collection without opus:
111 Canons (1895)
Pedagogical collection
Two and three part canons
All major and minor keys
The opening canon quotes Clementi Op 36. He also took a lot of Bach fugue subjects. His contrapuntal writing is fabulous.
Blätter und Blüten... Another collection without opus.
Humoreske. B minor. Fun piece!
Hasche-Mann... Similar to the third piece from Kinderscenen.
Frühlingslied. It sounds a lot like Wild Rose. Similar motive. Same harmonic progression at the beginning. Same key. Same range of the piano. This is upper intermediate.
Jagstück. (Hunting Song) easier than Schumann's hunting song. Chords are rolled. Notes can be omitted.
Scherzino. Great recital-ender piece for a student with slightly bigger hands. It's very patterned, more so than many of his other compositions.
Four Sonatinas, op 89
She likes Sonatina #2 the best. They are very classical-sounding. Transparent texture. They sound like Kuhlau and Clementi.
It's in D Major. Delightful. It's about five pages long.
Zehn Kleine Vortragsstücke, op 44
For teaching purposes
Burletta, #2 is a bit like the Grieg Elfin Dance
Op 143... From 1915... Dreaming by the Fireside... Traume und...? There are no black keys in this piece. This is fairly complicated, upper intermediate. It's very patterned. This is a great étude-style piece for students who aren't ready for Chopin.
Lose Blätter for Piano, op 13. Album Leaves. It has an almost direct quote from Schumann Fantasy. His publisher demanded the little pieces bc he didn't want the 30min pieces that would sit on the self and mildew.
#11 Appassionato. Fairly complicated, "Brahmsian" texture. Short. One page. This is a good prep for Rachmaninov C# minor prelude. This is also in C sharp minor.
Keynote address ... Rick Beyer, author
Rick Beyer is giving the keynote address right now. He said his mom warned him not to ever speak to an audience that knows more about a topic than you do! I'll keep updating as he speaks...
He also mentioned that he took piano for two years and learned two songs: one that was Yankee Doodle and one that wasn't. Haha.
Ivan Vaughan... May be the most important person in the history of rock n roll. He changed twelves of billions of music fans. He introduced two friends to each other. He introduced John and Paul. (Lennon and McCartney... July 6, 1957). This illustrates the most important history lesson he knows... "Everything that ever happened ALMOST DIDN'T."
Martin Scorsese and Robert Deniro... Scorsese had hired Kander and Ebb to write the music for a musical. Deniro didn't like the title song. He asked them if they could do better. They walked out, outraged that an actor told them how to write a song. The musical was called "New York, New York." If it weren't for Robert Deniro's anger, the song New York, New York would never have been written. No one even remembers the original song that he had complained about, but everyone knows NY NY!
"But for a button..." Story... Handel was a hot headed second violinist in the opera company and got into a duel with another musician. The sword got caught on a button and broke, saving their lives. Handel went on to become a famous composer, writing The Messiah.
Isidore Hocberg...lost all his possessions, but found his way with creativity. He called up Gershwin, a high school buddy, and Gershwin set him up with someone with whom he could write songs. His name is Yip Harburg in the Americanized version. He is best known for writing the music for The Wizard of Oz. He also wrote, "Brother, can you spare a dime?" He also wrote "big blue tears." I could go on crying big blue tears, ever since you said we're through. He wrote the "spare a dime" lyrics when a homeless man asked him that phrase. A chance encounter gave us one of the most important American songs ever written.
The act of creation is often NOT PRETTY.
Rick Beyer sang a bit of the flying trapeze, and got the audience to sing along. The song was inspired by a real person... A young Frenchman who made his Paris debut as an aerial acrobat. We remember him today for what he WORE... A skin-tight piece of clothing that he invented himself. His name? Jules Leotard.
The oldest song in the world with music that is still extant? You have to go back 3400 years to find the earliest known piece of published music. It's a hymn to a moon goodness that's carved in stone. An archaeologist cross-referenced the musical notation to figure out what the actual notes were. "You can still get it on a tablet." Hahaha
He threw a POP QUIZ! If you win, you will not get Carl Castle's voice on your answering machine.
1973...Watergate Hearings inspired a broadway musical. Bennett and friends had an all-night "therapy session to talk about their lives, their worries, etc. He was a dancer, and his friends were dancers... The musical was A CHORUS LINE.
two songs from 1850's... Dixie and Jingle Bells... One from the north. One from the south. Dixie was written by an Ohio man in a NY hotel room for a minstrel show. He was enraged when the song was adopted as a confederate anthem. He said, if i had known they would It was written by a "damned Yankee." Haha
Peirpont grew up in Bedford, Mass, but he published Jingle Bells while living in Savannah Georgia. Pierpont also wrote many songs for the confederate.
America's first recording star? A African-American street musician... George Washington Johnson...late 1800's ... Really good as a street musician who whistled and laughed in tune. A talent scout found him and they recorded him a lot. In the 1890's, the recorded onto a wax cylinder. There was no master. Each recording has to be made individually. He had to perform his songs 50 times a day in order to be able to record anything. He made 50,000 recordings. He played a clip of THE LAUGHING SONG. George was paid 20cents a song, so musicians "have always been screwed financially." He fell from the public eye poor and forgotten.
Early phonographs were a novelty that phonograph concerts were a novelty. People went to the theatre to hear records being played.
John Philip Sousa was worried that recorded music was ruining live music in America. He wrote "THE MENACE OF MECHANICAL MUSIC." "Sweeping across the country... Comes now the mechanical device... And substitute for human skill, intelligence and soul..." With recorded music available, he feared that people would stop learning to play live music. Today, we live Ina. World drenched in recorded music.
Ben Franklin saw a musician playing on the rims of glasses, so he was inspired to invent the Armonica. It inspired Mozart and Beethoven to write pieces for it. Factories sprung up to make lots of these. Many people felt it had healing properties. People became to believe that it caused insanity, though. The instruction manual warned of its impact on peoples' temperament. It was banned in parts of Germany. By the 1800's, people had turned against the instrument. It was kill by it's own magical powers...
A song once saved the life of a president. John Tyler went on a ship called the Princeton. There was a new cannon called "the peacemaker." They announced that they were going to fire the cannon one more time, but someone broke into an impromptu song and he didn't want to be rude and walk out on the song. The cannon blew up and six people died.
Jean Baptiste Lully... Killed by his own conducting... He was pounding a stick and hit his foot. He got gangrene and lead poisoning and died two months later. He's the only person to be killed by his own conducting.
1913.. Curtain opens ... RIOT! It was the premiere of THE RITE OF SPRING. Two months earlier, in March 1913, a similar concert took place in Vienna at a concert by Schoenberg. He had to be forced off the stage. The citizens of the USA were also torn apart by something musical... It took the country by storm... The TANGO! The dance swept across Europe and America in 1913. Tango classes became all the rage. NYC had a tango car on the trolleys so people could dance their way to and from work. Harvard U banned it's track team from doing the tango. The tango fever subsided, but other culture wars have appeared throughout history and somehow, we are still here.
Hail to the Chief is a showtune from THE LADY OF THE LAKE.
Take me out to the Ballgame was written on the subway by a guy who had never been to a ball game. There are a bunch of verses, all about Katie.
The Drifters... "Save the Last Dance for Me." Doc Pomas (sp?) wrote the lyrics to that song. He wanted to be a blues singer, so he started writing to make some extra money. He wrote the lyrics to a lot of pop songs. He wrote the lyrics on the back of an old wedding invitation when he was thinking of his own wedding three years prior. He was crippled by polio since he was a child. He urged his new wife to dance with other guests. His song was really a plea of a man who couldn't dance with his bride.
He also mentioned that he took piano for two years and learned two songs: one that was Yankee Doodle and one that wasn't. Haha.
Ivan Vaughan... May be the most important person in the history of rock n roll. He changed twelves of billions of music fans. He introduced two friends to each other. He introduced John and Paul. (Lennon and McCartney... July 6, 1957). This illustrates the most important history lesson he knows... "Everything that ever happened ALMOST DIDN'T."
Martin Scorsese and Robert Deniro... Scorsese had hired Kander and Ebb to write the music for a musical. Deniro didn't like the title song. He asked them if they could do better. They walked out, outraged that an actor told them how to write a song. The musical was called "New York, New York." If it weren't for Robert Deniro's anger, the song New York, New York would never have been written. No one even remembers the original song that he had complained about, but everyone knows NY NY!
"But for a button..." Story... Handel was a hot headed second violinist in the opera company and got into a duel with another musician. The sword got caught on a button and broke, saving their lives. Handel went on to become a famous composer, writing The Messiah.
Isidore Hocberg...lost all his possessions, but found his way with creativity. He called up Gershwin, a high school buddy, and Gershwin set him up with someone with whom he could write songs. His name is Yip Harburg in the Americanized version. He is best known for writing the music for The Wizard of Oz. He also wrote, "Brother, can you spare a dime?" He also wrote "big blue tears." I could go on crying big blue tears, ever since you said we're through. He wrote the "spare a dime" lyrics when a homeless man asked him that phrase. A chance encounter gave us one of the most important American songs ever written.
The act of creation is often NOT PRETTY.
Rick Beyer sang a bit of the flying trapeze, and got the audience to sing along. The song was inspired by a real person... A young Frenchman who made his Paris debut as an aerial acrobat. We remember him today for what he WORE... A skin-tight piece of clothing that he invented himself. His name? Jules Leotard.
The oldest song in the world with music that is still extant? You have to go back 3400 years to find the earliest known piece of published music. It's a hymn to a moon goodness that's carved in stone. An archaeologist cross-referenced the musical notation to figure out what the actual notes were. "You can still get it on a tablet." Hahaha
He threw a POP QUIZ! If you win, you will not get Carl Castle's voice on your answering machine.
1973...Watergate Hearings inspired a broadway musical. Bennett and friends had an all-night "therapy session to talk about their lives, their worries, etc. He was a dancer, and his friends were dancers... The musical was A CHORUS LINE.
two songs from 1850's... Dixie and Jingle Bells... One from the north. One from the south. Dixie was written by an Ohio man in a NY hotel room for a minstrel show. He was enraged when the song was adopted as a confederate anthem. He said, if i had known they would It was written by a "damned Yankee." Haha
Peirpont grew up in Bedford, Mass, but he published Jingle Bells while living in Savannah Georgia. Pierpont also wrote many songs for the confederate.
America's first recording star? A African-American street musician... George Washington Johnson...late 1800's ... Really good as a street musician who whistled and laughed in tune. A talent scout found him and they recorded him a lot. In the 1890's, the recorded onto a wax cylinder. There was no master. Each recording has to be made individually. He had to perform his songs 50 times a day in order to be able to record anything. He made 50,000 recordings. He played a clip of THE LAUGHING SONG. George was paid 20cents a song, so musicians "have always been screwed financially." He fell from the public eye poor and forgotten.
Early phonographs were a novelty that phonograph concerts were a novelty. People went to the theatre to hear records being played.
John Philip Sousa was worried that recorded music was ruining live music in America. He wrote "THE MENACE OF MECHANICAL MUSIC." "Sweeping across the country... Comes now the mechanical device... And substitute for human skill, intelligence and soul..." With recorded music available, he feared that people would stop learning to play live music. Today, we live Ina. World drenched in recorded music.
Ben Franklin saw a musician playing on the rims of glasses, so he was inspired to invent the Armonica. It inspired Mozart and Beethoven to write pieces for it. Factories sprung up to make lots of these. Many people felt it had healing properties. People became to believe that it caused insanity, though. The instruction manual warned of its impact on peoples' temperament. It was banned in parts of Germany. By the 1800's, people had turned against the instrument. It was kill by it's own magical powers...
A song once saved the life of a president. John Tyler went on a ship called the Princeton. There was a new cannon called "the peacemaker." They announced that they were going to fire the cannon one more time, but someone broke into an impromptu song and he didn't want to be rude and walk out on the song. The cannon blew up and six people died.
Jean Baptiste Lully... Killed by his own conducting... He was pounding a stick and hit his foot. He got gangrene and lead poisoning and died two months later. He's the only person to be killed by his own conducting.
1913.. Curtain opens ... RIOT! It was the premiere of THE RITE OF SPRING. Two months earlier, in March 1913, a similar concert took place in Vienna at a concert by Schoenberg. He had to be forced off the stage. The citizens of the USA were also torn apart by something musical... It took the country by storm... The TANGO! The dance swept across Europe and America in 1913. Tango classes became all the rage. NYC had a tango car on the trolleys so people could dance their way to and from work. Harvard U banned it's track team from doing the tango. The tango fever subsided, but other culture wars have appeared throughout history and somehow, we are still here.
Hail to the Chief is a showtune from THE LADY OF THE LAKE.
Take me out to the Ballgame was written on the subway by a guy who had never been to a ball game. There are a bunch of verses, all about Katie.
The Drifters... "Save the Last Dance for Me." Doc Pomas (sp?) wrote the lyrics to that song. He wanted to be a blues singer, so he started writing to make some extra money. He wrote the lyrics to a lot of pop songs. He wrote the lyrics on the back of an old wedding invitation when he was thinking of his own wedding three years prior. He was crippled by polio since he was a child. He urged his new wife to dance with other guests. His song was really a plea of a man who couldn't dance with his bride.
Early morning!
This morning, I attended a 7-9am meeting of the nominating committee, as a representative for the Eastern Division. Lovely view of the mountains in the dark this morning from my room at 6am... ;-)
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Master Class with Peter Mack - Sunday morning
Due to the time change and the crazy travel schedule, I didn't arrive at Professor Peter Mack's master class until the 2nd performer was about to perform. Lucky for me, I got to see this amazing, witty, charming Irishman do his 'thing' on stage! Also lucky for me, I got to hear a 16-yr old pianist, Alec Allee-Munoz, from Newbury Park, CA (student of Edward Francis) perform "Desperate Measures, op. 48 (Paganini Variations)" by Robert Muczynski.
After Alec performed the piece, Professor Mack worked with him, involving the audience of teachers at every opportunity. Some thoughts from the professor's wonderful presentation:
Instead of thinking of this piece as a set of variations, think of it as one piece that can CREATE a set of variations. Prof Mack stressed thinking of the overall set so that the audience will feel 'swept away.'
Then I hear the BEST COMMENT EVER in a Master Class. If there were an award for this category, Prof. Mack might very well win 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize! He made a remark that this young pianist has very fashionable hair, but the 'sweep' hides his eyes. Mack stated, 'when I watch a pianist with their eyes hidden, I feel isolated.' He even stated that he keeps hair 'things' in his teaching studio & if students arrive for their lesson with hair in their eyes, he has them grab something to put in their hair to move it out of their eyes. (He then made a remark that he lets them keep that, since he doesn't want a lice epidemic to spread! hahaha)
Professor Mack encouraged the student to 'crouch down' while playing the piano to show the audience a change to quiet dynamic level. He also pointed out that he likes his students to sit on the edge of the bench because they move more and it stops them from slouching.
Then, to demonstrate shaping of phrases, Prof Mack asked the student to play one section of music and play the one note that he should 'go to' within that phrase. He then turned to the audience and asked them to clap at the point where the climax of the phrase should be and he further stated that if they didn't clap, he would look at them and single them out. HAHA! The audience was clapping at every possible downbeat and Prof Mack pointed out to the student that this was because HE wasn't making it clear in his playing which note was important. After the student played it again, with one note clearly standing out among the others, Prof Mack complimented the student that it was better, but that wasn't the note he would've chosen! Then he gave an analogy to think of your life. You wake up in the morning and you're at home, all calm and peaceful and relaxed. Then you go out into the 'scary world' and how do you feel? Then you go back home. He was encouraging the student to aim for the note that wasn't in the home key. The phrase should all go to one note and that one note is outside the harmonic area.
It seems that Prof Mack is full of analogies and stories as he gives a Master Class (and this is the first one I have ever seen! WHY!?)! He was referring to a section where you can think of the tempo getting faster and faster in one section and then slower in another. He said it's like the mad scientist in her laboratory mixing the chemical, but later she has compassion for her victim. "Listen to the bubbles and toxic chemicals." Professor Mack had the audience in stitches the entire time!
At one point, the piece requires the pianist to play one measure piano and the next forte, and back and forth as such. Prof Mack turned to the young pianist and said, "Tell me, can you keep a secret?" He was encouraging the young man to keep a secret that the next measure would be an opposite dynamic. He suggested a practice technique for this: play one measure very loud, then pause, then play the next one very quiet, then pause, etc. Change the body between loud and quiet. Since it takes time to change the body, you'll take a bit of time between the changes. As you practice, this amount of time will lessen.
In a 'scherzando' variation, Prof Mack reminded the young pianist to show us that he is at play. Don't look too serious. He told the student that it needs a bit more rubato to be creepy... (going back to a story about the mad scientist!).
In the slow variation, he said it is about 'lingering.' He demonstrated at the piano, with hints of singing along. He told the student this is really a contralto singing, and you don't ever hurry contraltos! HAHA! "You have time."
He also reminded the pianist that the music has a bit of 'teasing.'
It is very difficult to capture in words how one would describe a Peter Mack master class. I'm convinced that Peter should be in the movies. I'd pay to see him as a 'character' in a movie like Batman or Spiderman! It was a pleasure to watch him sing, dance and play his way through teaching this young student. (LUCKY STUDENT!!!)
After Alec performed the piece, Professor Mack worked with him, involving the audience of teachers at every opportunity. Some thoughts from the professor's wonderful presentation:
Instead of thinking of this piece as a set of variations, think of it as one piece that can CREATE a set of variations. Prof Mack stressed thinking of the overall set so that the audience will feel 'swept away.'
Then I hear the BEST COMMENT EVER in a Master Class. If there were an award for this category, Prof. Mack might very well win 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize! He made a remark that this young pianist has very fashionable hair, but the 'sweep' hides his eyes. Mack stated, 'when I watch a pianist with their eyes hidden, I feel isolated.' He even stated that he keeps hair 'things' in his teaching studio & if students arrive for their lesson with hair in their eyes, he has them grab something to put in their hair to move it out of their eyes. (He then made a remark that he lets them keep that, since he doesn't want a lice epidemic to spread! hahaha)
Professor Mack encouraged the student to 'crouch down' while playing the piano to show the audience a change to quiet dynamic level. He also pointed out that he likes his students to sit on the edge of the bench because they move more and it stops them from slouching.
Then, to demonstrate shaping of phrases, Prof Mack asked the student to play one section of music and play the one note that he should 'go to' within that phrase. He then turned to the audience and asked them to clap at the point where the climax of the phrase should be and he further stated that if they didn't clap, he would look at them and single them out. HAHA! The audience was clapping at every possible downbeat and Prof Mack pointed out to the student that this was because HE wasn't making it clear in his playing which note was important. After the student played it again, with one note clearly standing out among the others, Prof Mack complimented the student that it was better, but that wasn't the note he would've chosen! Then he gave an analogy to think of your life. You wake up in the morning and you're at home, all calm and peaceful and relaxed. Then you go out into the 'scary world' and how do you feel? Then you go back home. He was encouraging the student to aim for the note that wasn't in the home key. The phrase should all go to one note and that one note is outside the harmonic area.
It seems that Prof Mack is full of analogies and stories as he gives a Master Class (and this is the first one I have ever seen! WHY!?)! He was referring to a section where you can think of the tempo getting faster and faster in one section and then slower in another. He said it's like the mad scientist in her laboratory mixing the chemical, but later she has compassion for her victim. "Listen to the bubbles and toxic chemicals." Professor Mack had the audience in stitches the entire time!
At one point, the piece requires the pianist to play one measure piano and the next forte, and back and forth as such. Prof Mack turned to the young pianist and said, "Tell me, can you keep a secret?" He was encouraging the young man to keep a secret that the next measure would be an opposite dynamic. He suggested a practice technique for this: play one measure very loud, then pause, then play the next one very quiet, then pause, etc. Change the body between loud and quiet. Since it takes time to change the body, you'll take a bit of time between the changes. As you practice, this amount of time will lessen.
In a 'scherzando' variation, Prof Mack reminded the young pianist to show us that he is at play. Don't look too serious. He told the student that it needs a bit more rubato to be creepy... (going back to a story about the mad scientist!).
In the slow variation, he said it is about 'lingering.' He demonstrated at the piano, with hints of singing along. He told the student this is really a contralto singing, and you don't ever hurry contraltos! HAHA! "You have time."
He also reminded the pianist that the music has a bit of 'teasing.'
It is very difficult to capture in words how one would describe a Peter Mack master class. I'm convinced that Peter should be in the movies. I'd pay to see him as a 'character' in a movie like Batman or Spiderman! It was a pleasure to watch him sing, dance and play his way through teaching this young student. (LUCKY STUDENT!!!)
Premieres!
Wow... Wonderful new music from Jennifer Linn and Dennis Alexander that we just heard! Both pieces were well-received and were just lovely!
Jennifer Linn is sharing the story of her trio, Serendipity. She and her husband moved to Cody, Wyoming 25 yrs ago when her son had just been born. Her husband had taken a teaching job in WY. Jennifer heard that Dennis Alexander was doing a teacher workshop in her new town, and she went. She said only about 8 people attended and she won the door prize! She was inspired by hearing a composer play his own works. She said this is all serendipitous!
Dennis Alexander is talking about how honored he is to share the stage with Jennifer. She has become a "real force" as a composer. Many of us have taught her music.
They are gushing with thanks for each other!
Dennis: in 1986, Dennis met Amanda Vick Lethco for dinner and she asked Dennis to do some workshops for Alfred to help her and Willard show their new method. They wanted a young "whippersnapper" to give workshops. Dennis flew out to CA to meet Morty and Iris Manus, and was surprised that Morty himself picked up Dennis at the airport! Morty asked Dennis if he had ever written any music, and Dennis said no, "no one had ever asked me." So, Dennis started writing, and 27 years later, here we are! Dennis didn't expect it to turn into a career!
Ann Rivers Witherspoon, who is moderating the session, asked Dennis to name his own favorites of his own compositions. He mentioned the 24 Character Preludes. Also, With These Hands, which Dennis wrote after his son passed away in 1999.
Jennifer... Favorites of her own compositions... The Hummingbird, for her ability to write in a French style. It captures the spirit. Les Petites Impressions and Reflections... Favorite books. "By the Waterfall" is one of her favorites. It's a very nice "pre-Debussy" piece.
Ann said one of her favorites of Jennifer's compositions is the Arabesque and a favorite of Dennis's compositions is Toccata Brilliante (has saved lots of musical careers!) Dennis mentioned that his inspiration for that piece is Sunbird by Lynn Freeman Olson.
Dennis pointed out that you never know which piece will be popular and sell lots of copies.
Both of these composers normally write for piano solo and duet, so these premieres pulled them outside of their usual oeuvres. Dennis also mentioned he had never written before for strings. He tried to give both of the string parts an opportunity to shine.
Note that both of these pieces were written for intermediate high school players. Dennis's piece is published by Alfred and Jennifer's composition is published by Hal Leonard. If you are attending the conference, you can purchase these pieces in the exhibit hall at the Alfred booth (Dennis) and Hal Leonard booth (Jennifer) and the composers will even sign them for you or your students!
Here are recordings of both pieces:
SERENDIPITY by JENNIFER LINN: http://youtu.be/ws4djKrU01w
DANCE SUITE by DENNIS ALEXANDER: http://youtu.be/4gRblGqe9SM
Jennifer Linn is sharing the story of her trio, Serendipity. She and her husband moved to Cody, Wyoming 25 yrs ago when her son had just been born. Her husband had taken a teaching job in WY. Jennifer heard that Dennis Alexander was doing a teacher workshop in her new town, and she went. She said only about 8 people attended and she won the door prize! She was inspired by hearing a composer play his own works. She said this is all serendipitous!
Dennis Alexander is talking about how honored he is to share the stage with Jennifer. She has become a "real force" as a composer. Many of us have taught her music.
They are gushing with thanks for each other!
Dennis: in 1986, Dennis met Amanda Vick Lethco for dinner and she asked Dennis to do some workshops for Alfred to help her and Willard show their new method. They wanted a young "whippersnapper" to give workshops. Dennis flew out to CA to meet Morty and Iris Manus, and was surprised that Morty himself picked up Dennis at the airport! Morty asked Dennis if he had ever written any music, and Dennis said no, "no one had ever asked me." So, Dennis started writing, and 27 years later, here we are! Dennis didn't expect it to turn into a career!
Ann Rivers Witherspoon, who is moderating the session, asked Dennis to name his own favorites of his own compositions. He mentioned the 24 Character Preludes. Also, With These Hands, which Dennis wrote after his son passed away in 1999.
Jennifer... Favorites of her own compositions... The Hummingbird, for her ability to write in a French style. It captures the spirit. Les Petites Impressions and Reflections... Favorite books. "By the Waterfall" is one of her favorites. It's a very nice "pre-Debussy" piece.
Ann said one of her favorites of Jennifer's compositions is the Arabesque and a favorite of Dennis's compositions is Toccata Brilliante (has saved lots of musical careers!) Dennis mentioned that his inspiration for that piece is Sunbird by Lynn Freeman Olson.
Dennis pointed out that you never know which piece will be popular and sell lots of copies.
Both of these composers normally write for piano solo and duet, so these premieres pulled them outside of their usual oeuvres. Dennis also mentioned he had never written before for strings. He tried to give both of the string parts an opportunity to shine.
Note that both of these pieces were written for intermediate high school players. Dennis's piece is published by Alfred and Jennifer's composition is published by Hal Leonard. If you are attending the conference, you can purchase these pieces in the exhibit hall at the Alfred booth (Dennis) and Hal Leonard booth (Jennifer) and the composers will even sign them for you or your students!
Here are recordings of both pieces:
SERENDIPITY by JENNIFER LINN: http://youtu.be/ws4djKrU01w
DANCE SUITE by DENNIS ALEXANDER: http://youtu.be/4gRblGqe9SM
1pm showcases
I caught a little bit of the Alfred Showcase at 1pm and heard an amazing performance by Anderson and Roe. (See previous post.) Then I headed off to hear a bit from The Royal Conservatory Music Development Program, formerly The Achievement Program or NMCP. The presenters are talking thru the whole program. The program has gone thru several name changes, and Carnegie Hall is no long co sponsoring the program in the USA, but it's still really the same program as it has been for quite some time. For more info, www.MusicDevelopmentProgram.org
FYI... I had one student play the Grade 7 Piano Exam in The Achievement Program in December, and he scored in the 90s, called First Class Honors with Distinction, which is the highest mark given to the participants. This was the first time I entered a student into this program and got to know the syllabus pretty well through this process. All registration is done online, and scores/remarks are also given to students and teachers online. There are 10 levels (grades) in the program.
FYI... I had one student play the Grade 7 Piano Exam in The Achievement Program in December, and he scored in the 90s, called First Class Honors with Distinction, which is the highest mark given to the participants. This was the first time I entered a student into this program and got to know the syllabus pretty well through this process. All registration is done online, and scores/remarks are also given to students and teachers online. There are 10 levels (grades) in the program.
Anderson & Roe
Just heard an amazing performance of a new arrangement of Ballet from Orphee and Eurydice by Gluck, arr. Greg Anderson, with Anderson & Roe at the piano. WOW! What a great surprise during the Alfred workshop!
Amazing Sunday so far
Amazing sessions so far today! I'm taking copious notes and will update blog on the next break!
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Opening concert/welcoming remarks
Conference attendees have gathered in the Grand Ballroom tonight for opening remarks by conference leaders and MTNA leaders. There will also be a concert soon by the AHN TRIO.
Rubato
Rubato:
'You can move forward... It just makes the holding back even more gratifying...' Paraphrasing Alvin Chow.
'You can move forward... It just makes the holding back even more gratifying...' Paraphrasing Alvin Chow.
Cheng and Chow Master Class
Tomomi Sato just gave a great performance of Après une Lecture de Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata. Mr Chow quipped that he had a friend who used to say that no matter how you play this piece, it'll still sound like Hell. Hahaha!!! Seriously, she played it very well. The overarching comment was about the pedaling, since this is a very dry room. This is a great reminder to pianists about how we have to continually adjust for the performance venue and instrument!
She is a sophomore student of Bernadene Blaha at USC, Thornton School of Music.
This is a pianist to watch for in the future!
She is a sophomore student of Bernadene Blaha at USC, Thornton School of Music.
This is a pianist to watch for in the future!
Guidebook
The MTNA Conference Schedule is on guidebook! If you have an iPad or iPhone, you can download directly from the APP store and then search for 'MTNA.'
Chandelier
The huge chandelier in the Grand Ballroom is adding its own sound track to the performances at the master class! The crystals are jingling!!!
Cheng and Chow master class
It is wonderful to watch Angela Cheng and Alvin Chow work together in a Master Class with advanced pianists. Brilliant, humorous, musical... Ahhhhh..... ;-)
Whew! I made it to the conference
I got to the conference at 1pm after traveling all night/morning from JFK, just in time to talk about Business Planning with three groups in the Collegiate/Young Professional Track! I'll be posting a summary of that talk a little bit later today!
Right now, I've stopped in (a bit late) on a session called, "Dyslexia and the Keyboard: When Students Can't Read," presented by Lynn Godfriaux Maloy, RN, BMA, MM, NCTM.
She is discussing out-of-the-box approaches while working with dyslexic students. Give pieces at a variety of difficulty. A more traditional approach might be to keep weak readers in the level they are able to read, but this won't work with dyslexic students. She also recommends using ensemble music with dyslexic students. This is a good way for them to read a "part of the whole." As you get into advanced music, they will still run into decoding issues with the increasing complexity of the music. Consider using ragtime and waltzes that have a very delineated two-part bass and have them use two hands to play just the bass part. You could also assign them just the melody, split between two hands.
"Hands-in-the-air" is a typical symptom of a poor reader. The dyslexic students can use the keyboard to get them back in place in the piece. Once a dyslexic student loses sight of the score, they cannot find where they are
Dyslexia is an inability to decode. It's not a tracking problem. Make sure vision and eye movement have been checked in the student if you have a student with vision issues.
Dyslexic students get tired of being corrected because they misread the materials.
Pianists often learn to leave out notes, but for dyslexics, it's hard to leave out notes.
Reminding students to look ahead doesn't work, since the problem is decoding what is on the page.
It doesn't always get better with practice.
With dyslexia, nothing looks easy.
Suggestions: have the student play the treble while you play the bass.
Have the student stand at the piano and follow along while you play the piece for him/her.
Don't correct mistakes. Show them the area and see if they can find it themselves.
Allow freedom to memorize, especially as they reach performance tempo.
Simplify bass and melody lines, then add detail.
Advanced repertoire: we often wonder... "Why is this student having problems reading this?" Advanced pre college and college students are good at hiding their weakness. They are often the students struggling to accompany in a voice studio, e.g.
The presenter showed a page of Moonlight and a page of Pathetique as an example of the difficulty in reading patterns for a dyslexic student.
More teaching suggestions: don't just teach traditional theory! Teach beginning chord structure and analysis. Don't use Roman Numerals. Ue letter names; C F G make more sense. If you use letter names, they can learn basic improv, which will also improve technique. She recommends having students play from lead sheets (fake books). Make sure you switch hands sometimes. E.g. Have the LH play the melody and RH play the accompaniment. You can also have the student play just a single bass note in LH plus melody in the RH. You can also have them transpose.
3-staff music is even more confusing for dyslexic students. Think of piano/vocal music that has one voice line and two piano lines. This is difficult!
Piano score editions: avoid small print, crowded staves, heavy ink, sloppy printing techniques.
iPads are a great idea, but the music is SMALL.
Large-print editions require you to read faster across the page.
Editions with different editing can be confusing. E.g. Gray markings can be confusing.
She recommends copying sections and using highlighters.
There are apparently highlighters that disappear when you put a blow dryer on it. This is cool!
Traditional views often say that a weak reader is often a weak musician. Many musicians think that a pianist should be able to sight-read anything. Many people believe that playing by memory is not as important as being able to sight read.
She is encouraging teachers to rethink the teaching of reading:
Adopt multiple levels of sight-reading:
1. Basic sight reading: basic note and rhythms on a single staff
2. Beginning sight reading: ability to slowly read grand staff notes and rhythms
3. Intermediate sight reading: ability to read notes, rhythms, dynamics, balance, phrasing at a slow tempo.
4. Advanced sight reading: ability to read rhythms w/fair pitch accuracy at faster tempi.
5. Speed reading: ability to read notes, rhythms, dynamics, phrasing at tempo.
Common questions:
How do I approach a parent of a student I suspect is dyslexic? You can approach a parent to say what you noticed. Parent answers will vary from the parents who say he/she is also having trouble in school, has no issues at all, or simply isn't practicing.
If I suspect my child is dyslexic, should I have him/her diagnosed? It really depends on the willingness of the parents to deal with the problem.
Right now, I've stopped in (a bit late) on a session called, "Dyslexia and the Keyboard: When Students Can't Read," presented by Lynn Godfriaux Maloy, RN, BMA, MM, NCTM.
She is discussing out-of-the-box approaches while working with dyslexic students. Give pieces at a variety of difficulty. A more traditional approach might be to keep weak readers in the level they are able to read, but this won't work with dyslexic students. She also recommends using ensemble music with dyslexic students. This is a good way for them to read a "part of the whole." As you get into advanced music, they will still run into decoding issues with the increasing complexity of the music. Consider using ragtime and waltzes that have a very delineated two-part bass and have them use two hands to play just the bass part. You could also assign them just the melody, split between two hands.
"Hands-in-the-air" is a typical symptom of a poor reader. The dyslexic students can use the keyboard to get them back in place in the piece. Once a dyslexic student loses sight of the score, they cannot find where they are
Dyslexia is an inability to decode. It's not a tracking problem. Make sure vision and eye movement have been checked in the student if you have a student with vision issues.
Dyslexic students get tired of being corrected because they misread the materials.
Pianists often learn to leave out notes, but for dyslexics, it's hard to leave out notes.
Reminding students to look ahead doesn't work, since the problem is decoding what is on the page.
It doesn't always get better with practice.
With dyslexia, nothing looks easy.
Suggestions: have the student play the treble while you play the bass.
Have the student stand at the piano and follow along while you play the piece for him/her.
Don't correct mistakes. Show them the area and see if they can find it themselves.
Allow freedom to memorize, especially as they reach performance tempo.
Simplify bass and melody lines, then add detail.
Advanced repertoire: we often wonder... "Why is this student having problems reading this?" Advanced pre college and college students are good at hiding their weakness. They are often the students struggling to accompany in a voice studio, e.g.
The presenter showed a page of Moonlight and a page of Pathetique as an example of the difficulty in reading patterns for a dyslexic student.
More teaching suggestions: don't just teach traditional theory! Teach beginning chord structure and analysis. Don't use Roman Numerals. Ue letter names; C F G make more sense. If you use letter names, they can learn basic improv, which will also improve technique. She recommends having students play from lead sheets (fake books). Make sure you switch hands sometimes. E.g. Have the LH play the melody and RH play the accompaniment. You can also have the student play just a single bass note in LH plus melody in the RH. You can also have them transpose.
3-staff music is even more confusing for dyslexic students. Think of piano/vocal music that has one voice line and two piano lines. This is difficult!
Piano score editions: avoid small print, crowded staves, heavy ink, sloppy printing techniques.
iPads are a great idea, but the music is SMALL.
Large-print editions require you to read faster across the page.
Editions with different editing can be confusing. E.g. Gray markings can be confusing.
She recommends copying sections and using highlighters.
There are apparently highlighters that disappear when you put a blow dryer on it. This is cool!
Traditional views often say that a weak reader is often a weak musician. Many musicians think that a pianist should be able to sight-read anything. Many people believe that playing by memory is not as important as being able to sight read.
She is encouraging teachers to rethink the teaching of reading:
Adopt multiple levels of sight-reading:
1. Basic sight reading: basic note and rhythms on a single staff
2. Beginning sight reading: ability to slowly read grand staff notes and rhythms
3. Intermediate sight reading: ability to read notes, rhythms, dynamics, balance, phrasing at a slow tempo.
4. Advanced sight reading: ability to read rhythms w/fair pitch accuracy at faster tempi.
5. Speed reading: ability to read notes, rhythms, dynamics, phrasing at tempo.
Common questions:
How do I approach a parent of a student I suspect is dyslexic? You can approach a parent to say what you noticed. Parent answers will vary from the parents who say he/she is also having trouble in school, has no issues at all, or simply isn't practicing.
If I suspect my child is dyslexic, should I have him/her diagnosed? It really depends on the willingness of the parents to deal with the problem.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Still trying to get to Disney!
So far, Friday has been full of travel, but I didn't get anywhere and ended up back home after chasing around from one airport to another with the hope of a promised flight that didn't happen. I hope to arrive in LAX slightly before NOON on Saturday, in time to talk to the Young Professionals about BUSINESS PLANNING! Unfortunately, I will not be there on Saturday morning, so I won't be able to blog about any of the workshops happening then ;( If any of you would like to add some thoughts about Saturday morning workshops, please do that here! Thanks!
Trying to get to Disney!
So far, my travel day has been full of surprises, since we had a lot of snow overnight. There may have been 8 inches on the ground, and it was still snowing when I left. I was checking the flight status all night last night and early this morning and finally left home at 8:15am to stop at the dry cleaner and then go straight to Westchester NY airport, which is only 28 miles from my house. The roads were I poor condition, but as long as you stayed in the tire tracks of the other cars, it was all good. Right as I pulled into the airport, my phone rang and it was US Airways automated messaging system calling to let me know my flight had been cancelled. Not delayed. Cancelled. There was no option to speak to an agent, but they listed a number to call for assistance. So, I stayed in the parking area at SUNY Purchase (which is where you park to use this airport!) and made the call to rebook. There is only one option today in this entire area, so I headed off to NYC to catch a flight from LaGuardia. Of course, now this necessitated booking parking at LGA, as well. This is not an easy task on a Friday morning. After a few calls, I finally found one parking facility with a few spaces remaining and I pulled over and booked it online. Here's hoping the flight at 3pm will still happen ;-) fingers crossed...
Are you ready for the MTNA conference? Check out the program here:
https://members.mtna.org/conference2013/index.html
https://members.mtna.org/conference2013/index.html
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
MTNA Pedagogy Saturday - Business Planning
If you are arriving at MTNA on Saturday, stop by the roundtable discussion called "It's Your Business" for my business planning discussion! Young Professional track! 1:00PM!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
MTNA Conference!
Are you ready for the MTNA National Conference? I will be live-blogging from the conference right here on this page!
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