Summer Contests

All current students of mine at Sherwood or FaithSlaker Music:

I hope you're all having a great summer so far!  Care to show us all what you can accomplish on your own?  

This summer there are two contests.  The first contest is to compose your own piece of music and perform it via video.  You do not need to write it down.  Decide what the mood of the piece is and use as many piano techniques that I've taught you as you feel like!  The second contest is to perform a piece with a circus-type trick involved.  The piece still needs to be performed with beauty and accuracy.  We've talked about ideas in lessons and there are several ideas on my youtube channel.  As always, winners will be selected based on accomplishment within their playing level, musical expression and daring choice. 

Entries must be received by midnight on August 31st (via youtube, vimeo or mp4) and winners will be announced via blog/twitter/facebook the first week of fall classes.  There will be one winner and one runner up for each category (composition or circus trick) and the winners will be awarded fun sheet music to work on in lessons as well as the privilege of spending a lesson working on either composition or circus tricks!

Now, head on over to the piano, warm up with your performance pieces, and see what you can do!  I look forward to watching all the entries!

Summer Recital Video 2012

Congratulations everyone on a beautiful job the other night!  Below are the performance videos for you to share with your grandparents, friends, parents' friends, dentist, etc!  Enjoy!

If you are Jerecho, Amber, Ioannis, Katie, Chloe, Fiona or Graham, you'll want to see this clip:



If you are Cole, Natalie, Kabir, Whitney, Tiffany, Evan, Declan H., or Mary, you'll want to look at this one:



If you are Adrian, Eddie, Maurice, Erica, Pauline or August, you'll find yourself here:




If you are Declan F., Maeve, Anne Marie, part of the Minuet Extravaganza or Criss, please check this out:



If you enjoyed the duet performed by Graham and Mary or the piece performed by Ms. Aubrey, you can find them here:




(I'm sorry about the lighting on this video!  Next time I'll get it right again!)

Piano Move 2012!

For those of you who take lessons with me at home, you know I've moved.  I'm sorry I had to cancel lessons today, but we ran into a bit of a snafoo when trying to get the piano into the new apartment.  We thought we were going to have to rent a crane and get it in through a bedroom window (which is what is being recommended to me when I move again), but we managed today through sheer positive thinking instead (and skill, and sweat)!  (At least, that's what the guys said.)

I've put together some highlights - just fourteen minutes of the long morning to show you how it is done.  My piano is safe and sound - unscathed - resting up for a good tuning in my new livingroom.

Anne Marie - moving up!

Congratulations go out to Anne Marie Hofherr who just completed the Primer Level of her Music Tree piano method book.

She has worked diligently and is now reading music quite fluently.  You will see her perform in the June Recital, where you can congratulate her on a job well done!

Erica - Suzuki Book 2

Congratulations to Erica this weekend for beautifully completing her Suzuki Book 2 recital.  The performance was nuanced and heartfelt and do give her a high five if you see her this week! 

She also won third place in the Roberta Savler competition this month.  Erica is on a roll!

Declan H. Challenges YOU!

What new and crazy are you playing your newest pieces?  Declan is playing his WITH HIS EYES CLOSED!  Can you do the same with your newest piece?  Show me in lesson this week!  We'll take a video and post all results of everyone's hard work!

What's this?!  Chloe already has a response?!  SHE can do it too???  Well done!

Who is next?  Bring it on!

MAEVE is next!  Check out her eyes-closed skills:

Sports

In case you're all caught up in the beginning of baseball season (go Cubs?) and think you don't have the right mindset for a symphony, think again.  And listen to this: