Tag Archives: arioso 7

From Pop to Bach, A 9-yr old makes it over easy

Posted on January 24, 2013 by

Fritz, a sparkling kid who loves football, soccer, and video games especially where he’s devising offensive field strategies, comes to the piano with bundles of energy. These can be channeled into a piece he’s gung ho to learn, like “Hall … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hall of Fame", piano instruction, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video, you tube.com, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Piano Technique: An adult student works on rolling forward wrist motions in Two, Three, and Six-note groupings (Video)

Posted on March 18, 2012 by

This particular student has come a long way in the six years we’ve worked together, and as always been the case, I’ve probably learned more from her than in reverse. From my second piano, I can gaze over at my … Continue reading →

Posted in Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, pianist, piano, piano arpeggios, piano lesson, piano scales, piano teaching, piano technique, playing piano, practicing piano, rolling forward wrist motions in piano playing, Shirley Kirsten, teaching piano to adult students, teaching piano to adults, undulating wrist in piano playing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Piano Maintenance– About hammers: all or partial replacement? (Video)

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

When my Baldwin Hamilton 1929 grand underwent exploratory surgery in the capable hands of Mark Schecter, RPT, I had some pointed questions. Given that the piano had a glassy-sounding upper treble due to worn down hammers, would installing a partial … Continue reading →

Posted in Keith Aikens Registered piano technician, Mark Schecter, Mark Schecter Registered Piano Technician, piano maintenance, piano repair, piano technician, piano technician's guild, PTG, Uncategorized, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Building Piano Technique: Extracting passages from pieces to practice

Posted on February 28, 2012 by

Instead of playing through laborious Hanon and Czerny exercises to improve aspects of piano technique, a student can cut to the chase, by snatching selected passages from their pieces that magnify a particular technical/musical challenge. As an example, one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bay area piano instruction, Beethoven, building piano technique, classissima, classisssima.com, El Cerrito piano instruction, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Ludwig Van Beethoven, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano lessons, Piano Street, piano teaching, piano technique, Piano World, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Sonata Pathetique first movement by Beethoven, Sonatina no. 1 by Latour, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Transfer Piano Student

Posted on February 8, 2012 by

I would hate to pigeon hole all “transfer” students in one way or another. It would be unfair, and unfortunately many piano teachers shy away from prospects who were immersed in learning environments where little progress was made over a … Continue reading →

Posted in classissima, classissima.com, My Music Life Blog spot, philosophy of eduction, phrasing at the piano, pianist, pianists, piano, piano blog, piano blogging, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano lessson, piano studio, piano study, piano teacher, piano teacher and student relationships, piano teachers, piano teaching, Piano World, piano world-wide, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, Seymour Bernstein, Seymour Bernstein author Monsters and Angels, Seymour Bernstein author With Your Own Two Hands, Seymour Bernstein pianist, Seymour Bernstein With Your Own Two Hands, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, shirley s kirsten, studying piano, teaching piano, teaching piano scales, teaching piano to adult students, teaching piano to adults, teaching piano to teenagers, teaching piano to teens, teaching scales, the transfer piano student, Uncategorized, whole body listening, whole body music listening, With your own Two Hands by Seymour Bernstein, word press, word press.com, wordpress.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The scenic train route along the Bay in photos

Posted on February 7, 2012 by

I lavish any opportunity to capture the seascape along Amtrak 712. “The San Joaquin” is my weekly train that embarks from the Richmond Station (BART connection) and returns me to Fresno, final destination. And there’s Sharon, the dining car attendant, … Continue reading →

Posted in Amtral the San Joaquin, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, The San Joaquin Amtrak 712, word press, word press.com, wordpress.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Only the singing nightingale could be true to Chopin’s music

Posted on January 29, 2012 by

Haddorff came through with her beautiful voice today. Her older brother, Steinway M on the far side of the room, had some communication problems while upright Steinway, the middle child of the trio, couldn’t begin to rival Haddy’s tone and … Continue reading →

Posted in blogging about piano, Chopin, Chopin Nocturne in F Major Op. 15 No. 1, Chopin Nocturnes, Chopin pedaling, Frederic Chopin, Haddorff, Haddorff piano, Haddorff piano company Rockford, Haddorrff console piano, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, pianist, piano, piano blog, Piano World, piano world-wide, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld.com, playing the piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, shirley s kirsten, upright Steinway, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The neighborhood piano teacher lives on….

Posted on January 27, 2012 by

Well into the Millennium, the “neighborhood” piano teacher concept is in full bloom. Countless telephone and Internet inquiries about potential music instructors focus on LOCATION. “So where do you live?” (Not how do you teach?) In the Bay area, one … Continue reading →

Posted in canceling piano lessons, Clovis California, Fresno California, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano drop-outs, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lesson dropouts, piano lessons, piano lessons and parental support, Piano Street, Piano World, piano world-wide, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, the neighborhood piano teacher, word press, wordpress.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A dreaded, Killer Middle Section of a Chopin Nocturne and How to deal with it. (F Major, Op. 15, No.1) VIDEOS

Posted on January 23, 2012 by

The way I handle fear is to meet it head on, working through my dreaded moments. It’s the same for a killer section of music that’s marked con fuoco, “with a combination of force and speed.” The metronome marking is … Continue reading →

Posted in arioso7, authors den, Chopin Nocturne in F Major Op. 15 No. 1, Chopin Nocturnes, classissima, classissima.com, Frederic Chopin, harmonic analysis, harmonic rhythm, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Livia Rev, Livia Rev plays Chopin Nocturne in F Major Op. 15 No.1, mind body connection, mindful piano practicing, MTAC, music and heart, music appreciation classes, music theory, musical inspiration, musical phrasing, musical phrasing and breathing, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, pedaling at the piano, phrasing at the piano, pianist, pianists, piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano playing and phrasing, piano practicing, piano repertoire, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano teachers, piano teaching, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, piano technique and the singing tone, piano tutorial, piano tutorial Chopin Nocturne in F Major Op. 15 No. 1, Piano World, piano world-wide, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, Poland, practicing difficult piano passages, practicing piano passages with rhythms, practicing the left hand at the piano, reviewing piano pieces in the repertoire, Romantic era music, Romantic era piano repertoire, Romantic music, Seymour Bernstein, Seymour Bernstein With Your Own Two Hands, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, slow mindful practicing, slow piano practicing, Steinway grand piano, Steinway M grand piano, teaching piano, teaching piano to adult students, teaching piano to adults, teaching piano to children, teaching piano to teenagers, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Blog favorite revival time.. THE MORNING AFTER YOU TUBING (with added color)

Posted on January 21, 2012 by

The day after I post a video is the crucial make or break juncture to delete or not to…. And all too often, an upload bites the dust with a private funeral of sorts, that leaves no remains. But with … Continue reading →

Posted in Apple Store, computer trashing, delete, delete you tube uploads, iMac, iMac 21, iMovie, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, trash, trash videos on the computer, upload, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment