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Growing piano technique in baby steps: Rina, 5, advances to hands together five-finger positions (adding in 10ths)

Rina may not know the words "pentascales" and "tenths," but she has the intelligence to notice when her fingers move up and down together, playing the same notes an "octave" apart. With a sound knowledge of the music alphabet in both directions, she has good cognitive reinforcement. (She also knows "running notes" or 8ths, "long… Continue reading Growing piano technique in baby steps: Rina, 5, advances to hands together five-finger positions (adding in 10ths)

"Fur Elise" by Beethoven, blog, blogger, blogging, blogs about piano, Classical era, classical music, comparing a Haddorff to a Steinway, cultivating the singing tone at the piano, emotion in music, Haddorff piano, Haddorrff console piano, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano maintenance, piano maintenance in small communities, picking a piano for a concert, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway and Sons, Steinway M grand piano, Steinway piano, teaching Fur Elise, Yeti microphone, you tube, you tube video

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

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

"Butterfly" by Grieg, classissima, classissima.com, Edvard Grieg, emotion in music, emotional meaning of music, Grieg Lyric Pieces, muscular memory, music, music and heart, music and the breath, musical inspiration, musical phrasing, musical phrasing and breathing, nature and music, phrasing at the piano, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano lessons, piano playing and breathing, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and relaxation, piano practicing, piano repertoire, piano technique, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, Romantic era music, Romantic music, self-analysis, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, slow mindful practicing, slow piano practicing, Steinway M grand piano, Teach Street, teaching piano, technique, tempo rubato, The art of phrasing at the piano, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Technique: “Butterfly” by Grieg, a revisit (playing and exploring the rolling, rotational motion) videos

I can see the butterfly in my mind's eye in its flight of fancy. But I wish it were as easy to play, as to imagine. Relaxation is the key word here, but not to the point that the 16th-notes become like glissandi--a faint gloss over the keys. First in slow practice tempo you would… Continue reading Piano Technique: “Butterfly” by Grieg, a revisit (playing and exploring the rolling, rotational motion) videos

Cantata 78 by J.S. Bach performed at the First Moravian Church in New York City, classissima, classissima.com, Elaine Comparone, emotion in music, First Moravian Church in New York City, Fresno, Fresno California, Kol Nidre, memoir, Mozart, music and heart, music in churches, music in Jewish temples, music in religious services, music in synagogues, musical inspiration, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway M grand piano, the Crystal Cathdral, the Crystal cathedral, W.A. Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, word press, wordpress.com, Yom Kippur, you tube, You Tube Cantata no. 78 performed at the First Moravian Church in New York City, you tube video

What’s happened to music in churches, temples and other religious sanctuaries? (2013 update)

On a rainy Sunday morning I was surfing You Tube in search of a spiritually poignant musical offering. One particular posting had been so inspiring that my index finger ached from so many mouse-clicked replays. It was ? "Verum"--The one word lingered in my foggy memory, amply retrieved to reap a reward. Out popped Mozart's… Continue reading What’s happened to music in churches, temples and other religious sanctuaries? (2013 update)

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Emotion and Meaning in Music with examples from Beethoven’s piano works (Videos)

As I thumbed through a soft cover copy of Leonard B. Meyer's Emotion and Meaning in Music, a book required for an elective course I took at the City University of New York, I became thoroughly confused by the author's eclectic vocabulary of "absolute music," "theories of continuation," "tonal organization" and the rest. Yet, I… Continue reading Emotion and Meaning in Music with examples from Beethoven’s piano works (Videos)