Category: California

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J.S. Bach Prelude in Ab, BWV 862: A Fresh Start for Student and Teacher

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

In the course of teaching, a situation may arise where a particular favored piece is requested by a student that I've never studied--which means a deep-layered journey is ahead of two learning partners. And given that J.S. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in Ab, (Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1) requires thoughtful fingering choices; an awareness of Baroque… Continue reading J.S. Bach Prelude in Ab, BWV 862: A Fresh Start for Student and Teacher

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My Birthday present to me!

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Who would have imagined that a new piano would be my special gift to myself! It was one week since my mother had passed away at 100 and I was devastated, shaken by the loss-- too distressed to be thinking about celebrating my upcoming birthday in any way. Yet when I saw an ad for… Continue reading My Birthday present to me!

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East Coast/West Coast (East Bay) culture shock

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Recently, I made a trip back East to New York City and the experience instantly hit "home!" A child of the Bronx and Manhattan, my emigration to Fresno, California three decades ago came with a blast of culture shock, but my most recent relocation to the East Bay (Berkeley aka "Bezerkeley") fleshed out extreme bi-coastal… Continue reading East Coast/West Coast (East Bay) culture shock

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When sight-reading is not enough: Learning a new piano piece from the ground up so we can teach it to our students (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I'm reminded of a quote attributed to Sviatoslav Richter when asked how he approached a challenging new composition of virtuoso proportion: His reply-- "I read a new piece and then start practicing the place that irritates me the most. After learning that one I move to the next irritation, etc." Well, most of us would… Continue reading When sight-reading is not enough: Learning a new piano piece from the ground up so we can teach it to our students (Videos)

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A former piano student carves out a unique life as a dance accompanist or is it “Freeway Gypsy?”

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

For Becca Wong, her career path seemed predestined. Having had a firmly rooted music and dance background in her native Hong Kong prior to her arrival in California, she was at least predisposed to a future vocation celebrating the arts. Her enrollment in the Royal Academy of Dance, allied to the British school system, added… Continue reading A former piano student carves out a unique life as a dance accompanist or is it “Freeway Gypsy?”

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Aiden Cat Dozes off to Debussy (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Looks like Aiden was out like a light... except for 2 well-timed ear twitches ... otherwise, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Arabesque no. 1 Played on my Haddorff console piano (manuf. 1951) a real musical treasure with divine resonance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0QF8ahBJ88 Aiden's awake-time pics: RELATED: A Purrr-fect Musical Match Made in Heaven http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyY3XSl5Wuc Aiden Cat Joins Ilyana, 8, at the… Continue reading Aiden Cat Dozes off to Debussy (Video)

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Should piano students listen to recorded performances of pieces they are first beginning to learn?

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I was thinking of Palmer's edition of Chopin, an Introduction to His Music, and when I first purchased it years ago there was no inserted CD of recorded selections contained in the album. With subsequent published editions, a CD popped into an envelope, beckoning a player to sample another pianist's interpretation of music he had… Continue reading Should piano students listen to recorded performances of pieces they are first beginning to learn?

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Between California and Oregon: Skyping Chopin with an eight-year old student (Video of lesson in progress)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

At the cue of a SKYPE musical trademark ring, I tapped the green-colored phone icon and brought an eight-year old, her dad, and a grand piano into view. A second virtual lesson beamed between California and Oregon officially began! Featured composition: Chopin's Waltz in A minor, no. 17, Op. Posthumous. This time I aimed my… Continue reading Between California and Oregon: Skyping Chopin with an eight-year old student (Video of lesson in progress)

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Piano Instruction: Avoiding Injuries, using “Butterfly” by Edvard Grieg as a slow practicing example (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0SfJSgp71U About twenty years ago, before I was enlightened about the risk of injuries when I practiced and how to avoid them, I sustained a ligament tear of my ring finger, right hand. It was while playing the Schumann Carnaval, and just before it happened, I had held my hand in a rigid arched position… Continue reading Piano Instruction: Avoiding Injuries, using “Butterfly” by Edvard Grieg as a slow practicing example (Videos)

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More ideas about Piano Technique and Mental Imagery (Playing into a Bowl of Molasses)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Continuing my practice of videotaping my Thursday evening lesson, I reviewed the footage and discovered some catch words that helped me clarify ideas about technique and fluency. While it may sound a bit outlandish to think of the piano as a "bowl of molasses," the image alone helped my adult student approach the keys with… Continue reading More ideas about Piano Technique and Mental Imagery (Playing into a Bowl of Molasses)