Category: blog

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Teaching Gillock’s delightfully appealing, Later Elementary Level music: “The Glass Slipper” (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I have no reservation about the immense teaching value of William Gillock's music from elementary through advanced levels. And while the titles in the first few volumes appeal to children, the pieces can be universally enjoyed by piano students of all ages. In this spirit, I picked out "The Glass Slipper" from Accents on Gillock,… Continue reading Teaching Gillock’s delightfully appealing, Later Elementary Level music: “The Glass Slipper” (Video)

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Accept where you are in your piano studies, know your limitations, but still strive to improve (VIDEO)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

This is my credo or philosophy that allows for imperfection without self-punishment. Yet students of all levels tend to invalidate their own performances despite growth spurts springing from dedicated practicing. Many have done all the layered learning steps, but have come to a plateau in a particular piece which is perhaps where that composition will… Continue reading Accept where you are in your piano studies, know your limitations, but still strive to improve (VIDEO)

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In and out of the closet: The business and practice of private piano teaching

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I once posted a blog about this very subject, then deleted it, thinking it sounded like a series of whiny complaints that would pin me as bitter and unrelenting. Then, to my surprise, ten readers contacted me wondering what happened to the writing? They had apparently strongly identified with its content. Well, I had safely… Continue reading In and out of the closet: The business and practice of private piano teaching

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Performing a piece–Getting it right (all the notes) OR really getting it right (the phrasing and nuance) VIDEOS

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

For many pianos students, playing 100% perfect notes, with no clunkers is goal in itself. They breathe a sigh of relief looking back on a video of a recital, where they managed to "get it right," counting correct notes from beginning to end. One even managed to play note perfect while intermittently eyeing her family… Continue reading Performing a piece–Getting it right (all the notes) OR really getting it right (the phrasing and nuance) VIDEOS

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Tutorial: Shared ideas about practicing J.S. Bach Invention 13 in A minor (BWV 784) Videos

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

As I observed an 11-year old student work on this Invention at lessons, I came up with some ideas to improve the performance landscape. These included an awareness of the dualism of rolling arpeggiated 16ths and detached 8th notes in the opening. More often than not, the arpeggios can sound too flat if the whole… Continue reading Tutorial: Shared ideas about practicing J.S. Bach Invention 13 in A minor (BWV 784) Videos

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Piano Lesson in progress: Fugue in C Minor, BWV 847 (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Claudia S., age 11, identified and practiced the Subject, Tonal Answer, and Counter-subject 1 and 2 of the Fugue BWV 847. She learned how to make a difference between portato and staccato as she examined form, structure, and phrasing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvXZKI6HLIY

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Debussy Arabesque No. 1 and the back story (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv1WpPXSQx8 Speaking of pianos, and decisions about which to use, I decided to give Haddy Haddorff another opportunity to sing like a nightingale. This was a late-into-the-night sound exploration following an earlier trip to the Mac Store at Fresno's Fashion Fair Mall. The Yeti mic was not registering--no sound--no explanation, though it was properly connected.… Continue reading Debussy Arabesque No. 1 and the back story (Video)

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Picking the right piano to record a selection (Videos)–“Fur Elise” by Beethoven

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I've heard stories about great pianists such as Richter obsessing over a choice of piano for a concert. Allegedly, he was very fussy, and sometimes regretted the one he picked out for a recital. But when he found himself playing in Siberia and rural parts of the Russian landscape, he rose to the occasion, and… Continue reading Picking the right piano to record a selection (Videos)–“Fur Elise” by Beethoven

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Piano Lesson Excerpts: Practicing the Bach Invention 13 in A minor (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

This morning, Claudia, 11, practiced the J.S. Bach A minor Invention behind tempo, (in slow motion) to improve her musical/technical understanding of the composition. She worked on "weaving"/shaping the main idea or subject, which is a broken chord figure. The interaction between hands or voices (there are two them) was a particular focus, as it… Continue reading Piano Lesson Excerpts: Practicing the Bach Invention 13 in A minor (Videos)

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Piano Lesson: Refining the pedaling in Chopin’s Waltz no. 19 in A minor (Op. Posthumous)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Pedaling and its refinement were under consideration following an adult student's initial reading of the Chopin Waltz. This piano lesson was transmitted by Skype to Sydney, Australia. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fn1xBSuep0