During the months following the holidays, it can be more challenging for students to push through practicing well. After the excitement of seasonal music, lights, decorations, socializing and more in December, January and February can seem less joyous. However, you can help students by asking them what's new in the studio and in their repertoire. Often in the studio we start something new in January. This month we have been talking about Jean Coulthard, Canadian composer, and students have selected some new repertoire from their books, or sheet music, or the lending library. Young students continue to drill note reading and keyboard geography, and many older and advanced students are working towards their Spring program of pieces, and preparation for RCM examinations. Having goals at each segment of the year are important to help students see where they are going, and where they have come from since September.
In our Anthem program this year, students are earning keys for focus on key skills. This next two months we will focus on "dynamic empathy". Students will pay extra attention to the dynamics, that is the louder and softer notation in their music, and the empathy portion relates to understanding how another person feels, when music is expressed with emotion.
A very happy birthday this month to Mia and Evangeline!
BC Family Day - Monday February 18 - the studio will be closed this day.
New Music: If your student is interested in arrangements of music from movies such as
Mary Poppins, or "A Star is Born", please ask me where you can find it. This month some students have begun work on such pieces, as well as the Chopin Minute Waltz, Op 64 No. 1, and many are playing music by much loved local composer Andrea Dow.
There are always ways to supplement core repertoire, and some sites that parents might want to look at are as follows:
musicnotes.com, sheetmusicplus.com, FJHmusic.com pianopronto.com and for works in the public domain, IMSLP.com is often free. 8notes.com has some free piano music, and others that must be purchased.
For students that enjoy the works of Andrea Dow, please look at Amazon.ca for recent books such as The Beethoven Sessions, and more.
Students working on the 30 piece challenge should keep track of each piece well learned (Completed) in the back of their notebook or binder if they wish to be recognized at the end of the year. This helps me when time is short during the lesson for extra paperwork.
The Spring recital is tentatively booked for 6:30pm on Friday June 14, and the $15. recital fee is due by March 30.
Please email the studio with any questions at pianissimo11@shaw.ca. My work hours are 8am - 8pm Monday - Friday, and if you contact me outside these hours, I will get back to you the next business day.
Thank you for your continued support of music education.
Paula - piano teacher.
