Month: February 2012

"Tales of a Musical Journey" by Irina Gorin, iMac, iMac 21, iMac iMovie, Irina Gorin, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, legato playing at the piano, mind body connection, mindful piano practicing, MTAC.org, music teachers association of california, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, phrasing at the piano, pianists, piano, piano blog, piano blogging, piano blogs, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano lessson, piano pedagogy, piano playing and breathing, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and relaxation, piano practicing, piano study, piano teacher, piano teachers, piano teaching, piano teaching repertoire, piano warm-ups, Piano World, piano world-wide, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, playing the piano, publishersmarketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, relaxed arms in piano playing, Rina takes piano lessons, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, slow mindful practicing, slow piano practicing, studying piano, supple wrist in piano playing, teaching piano, technique, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, Yeti mic, you tube, you tube video

Piano Technique: Rina turns 5 and plays two-note Legato slurs (slow motion, soundless replays)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

The Good News: Rina just celebrated her big FIFTH birthday, and bestowed a lovely portrait of herself draped in a smile over her precious piano. Thank You for the beautifully framed photo! *** OTHER: Today, technology failed me once again, but this time I outsmarted the devilish, on/off again iMac movie program. So what if… Continue reading Piano Technique: Rina turns 5 and plays two-note Legato slurs (slow motion, soundless replays)

El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Melody by Beyer, pianist, piano, piano teaching, playing duets at the piano, Ponies by Joseph Low, teaching piano to children, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Fritz, 8, Baptizes my “new” Baldwin Hamilton Grand in El Cerrito, CA (Duet playing video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

My El Cerrito students received a musical morale boost from Hammy's surprise appearance in their learning sanctuary. I guess we'll call the latest piano, "Hammy," while Haddorff in Fresno remains "Haddy" Someday, who knows, the two may pair up in Bay area cultural harmony. HADDY/HAMMY In the meantime, here's Fritz, an 8-year old, second year… Continue reading Fritz, 8, Baptizes my “new” Baldwin Hamilton Grand in El Cerrito, CA (Duet playing video)

arioso7, Baldwin Hamilton grand piano, Baldwin Hamilton grand piano 1929, Baldwin piano, buying a used piano, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Greg Hood piano mover, Jerry Raz Bay area piano technician, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Julio Colombo El Cerrito neighbor, Paul Buscaino piano seller and technician, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano blog, Piano Street, piano technician, Piano World, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, word press, word press.com, wordpress, you tube, you tube video

Just in time for Valentine’s Day: I meet my Blind Date Grand Piano in El Cerrito! (6 part video) and Coda

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

After a scenic Amtrak ride home from my Bay area teaching location, I won't dare divulge the final chapter of a suspense-filled adventure that culminated in my meeting a blind date grand piano up close and personal. I'll let the video in 6 parts plus CODA, tell the story. The backdrop surrounding my phone interview… Continue reading Just in time for Valentine’s Day: I meet my Blind Date Grand Piano in El Cerrito! (6 part video) and Coda

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Checking in from the El Cerrito Library, and blind date sequel

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

My blind date with the "new" piano will be the subject of tomorrow's blog. In a reality TV type display, the suspense bundled into waiting for the piano to arrive and the first TOUCHY FEELY encounter with it will be compelling. Embedded footage will be eye and ear-catching. So stay tuned! I won't be back… Continue reading Checking in from the El Cerrito Library, and blind date sequel

"How could this happen to my piano?" by Shirley Kirsten, Baldwin Hamilton 1929 grand piano, Baldwin piano, buying a used piano, pianist, piano, piano buyer, piano seller, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway M grand, The Piano Book by Larry Fine, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

My blind date with a “new” piano–

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I'm meeting a 5'2 Baldwin Hamilton in El Cerrito today, Sunday, and I'll videotape the introduction for posting on You Tube. This is the piano that had a verboten phone interview with a follow-up long distance tech eval. Good report, but the verdict is still in my hands when I run my fingers over its… Continue reading My blind date with a “new” piano–

blog, blogger, blogging, blogging about piano, blogs about piano, chord voicing at the piano, classissima, classissima.com, fingering and phrasing at the piano, fingering and piano technique, Fur Elise by Beethoven, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Ludwig Van Beethoven, pianist, piano, piano blog, piano blogging, piano blogs, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano technique, piano world-wide, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing chords at the piano, playing piano, relaxed arms in piano playing, supple wrist in piano playing, video supplementation of piano lessons, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

When the piano teacher is absent between lessons, a You Tube video can fill in the gap (Fur Elise and chord voicing)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Lately, students have benefited from receiving supplemental video instruction during the interval between their weekly lessons. By videotaping parts of their sessions and uploading to You Tube, they can often make their daily practice time more efficient. Today, for example, I tilted my iMac so it focused on my piano, which is the Steinway upright… Continue reading When the piano teacher is absent between lessons, a You Tube video can fill in the gap (Fur Elise and chord voicing)

Camille Saint-Saens, classissima, classissima.com, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, MTAC, music teachers association of california, pianist, pianists, piano, piano addict, piano arrangements, piano blog, piano blogging, piano blogs, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano lessson, piano pedagogy, piano playing and breathing, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and relaxation, piano student, piano study, piano teacher, piano technique, piano technique and the singing tone, piano transcriptions, piano tutorial, Piano World, piano world-wide, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, playing the piano, playing the piano with a singing tone, publishersmarketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, Rina 4 takes piano lessons, Rina takes piano lessons, Romantic era music, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, slow mindful practicing, Steinway M, Steinway M grand piano, studying piano, teaching a piano student about melody, teaching piano, teaching piano to children, The Lion from Carnival of the Animals, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

An exceptional set of piano “arrangements” for Intermediate Level students (Carnival of the Animals) VIDEOS

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

In the past, I've ranted against giving piano students "arrangements" of celebrated compositions like Fur Elise and Chopin's Waltz in Eb Major. The latter appears, significantly reduced, in the Faber Adult Accelerated edition. It's a token Classical music offering interspersed by Boogie Woogie snatches. Oh, I forgot the revised Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, and a curious… Continue reading An exceptional set of piano “arrangements” for Intermediate Level students (Carnival of the Animals) VIDEOS

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Scarlatti Toccata in D minor with rapid fire repeated notes: Melodic contouring, dusting the keys, and slow motion replay (VIDEOS)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Here's my anti-anxiety solution to playing those demanding, rapid-fire repeated notes in Scarlatti's D minor Toccata. First, being a technology nerd, I never dreamed I could master a slow motion replay on iMac's iMovie, but through trial and error, I managed a half-speed rendering of the opener. Naturally, I deleted my sadly depressing droning voice… Continue reading Scarlatti Toccata in D minor with rapid fire repeated notes: Melodic contouring, dusting the keys, and slow motion replay (VIDEOS)

Baroque music, J.S. Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach Prelude in C, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Kabalevsky, Kabalevsky Galop, Kabalevsky Op. 39 Children's pieces, pianist, piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, The Well Tempered Clavier, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

A third year piano student shines playing J.S. Bach’s C Major Prelude (Well-Tempered Clavier)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Sakura, 12, is preparing the Bach C Major Prelude from the Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, for the upcoming MTAC Celebration Festival (Music Teachers Association of California) And she's right on course heading for a satisfying performance in March. Being Left-Handed, she's given her Right extra compensatory practicing in an effort to acquire satisfying equality. But… Continue reading A third year piano student shines playing J.S. Bach’s C Major Prelude (Well-Tempered Clavier)

Elaine Comparone, Harpsichordist, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Lydia Seifter, Oberlin Conservatory, pianist, pianists, piano, piano addict, piano blog, piano blogging, piano blogs, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano lessons and parental support, piano lessson, piano pedagogy, piano playing and breathing, piano playing and phrasing, piano practicing, piano repertoire, Piano Street, piano student, piano studio, piano study, piano teacher, piano teacher and student relationships, piano teachers, piano teaching, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, Piano World, piano world-wide, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing the piano, playing the piano with a singing tone, Seymour Bernstein With Your Own Two Hands, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, teaching piano, teaching piano to adults, teaching piano to children, teaching piano to teenagers, teaching piano to teens, technique, the art of piano playing, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, You and the Piano Seymour Bernstein, You and the PIano Seymour Bernstein on You Tube

The joy and value of teaching a piano student over many years

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Claudia, age 6 playing a duet with me I recall Elaine Comparone, the renowned harpsichordist having described a student she had mentored for 35 years before a move cut short a lasting musical relationship. "She was the real deal," the musician insisted. Seymour Bernstein, author, With Your Own Two Hands, often shared the joy of… Continue reading The joy and value of teaching a piano student over many years