arpeggios, athletic coaching, athletic training, authorsden, Bach Invention, Bach Two Part Inventions, Baroque music, Bay area, California, cd baby, cdbaby, Circle of Fifths, classissima.com, counterpoint, Creative Fresno, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Facebook, Facebook friend, five finger positions, five finger warm-ups, Fresno, Fresno California, Fresno Famous, gymnastics, J.S. Bach, JS Bach, keyboard technique, Major and minor scales, Mildred Portney Chase, mind body connection, MTAC, music, music history, music teachers association, music teachers association of california, Music Teachers Asssociation of California, musicology, my space, New York, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Northwest Fresno, Oberlin Conservatory, New York City High School of Performing Arts, pentachords, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano pedagogy, piano repertoire, piano room, piano scales, piano society, Piano Street, piano student, piano teacher, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, piano tutorial, piano warm-ups, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, ping pong, ping pong balls, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, scales, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, sports, Steinway and Sons, Steinway grand piano, Steinway M grand piano, Steinway piano, Steinway studio upright, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, Theory, uk-piano-forums, video performances, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Practicing Bach Inventions 4 and 13 with my 10 year old piano student

We had fun videotaping part of a lesson from a different camera angle. My student and I sat in front of our separate pianos, collaborating on two Bach Inventions. (Number 4 in D minor and number 13 in A minor) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y3CaCycoHE In the first segment, my pupil is playing through the d minor Invention, mostly… Continue reading Practicing Bach Inventions 4 and 13 with my 10 year old piano student

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Teaching Piano to Teenagers: Classical, Pop, Taylor Swift, Liz on Top of the World and more (Videos)

There's always room for flexibility in choice of repertoire, especially when teaching teenagers. Alex, 18, had taken lessons during primary school, took a long break and returned to the piano as a senior in high school. His first request was to study "Liz on Top of the World," by Dario Marianelli from the movie, "Pride… Continue reading Teaching Piano to Teenagers: Classical, Pop, Taylor Swift, Liz on Top of the World and more (Videos)

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A Day with Two Piano Finalists

A Kawai and Chickering were in a tight race, until one took off and surpassed the other. My whole Saturday was consumed with evaluating two pianos: a practically brand new "Kawai" 5'1" grand and a larger, nearly 5'8" size "Chickering," 1980. The Kawai captured my interest because a smaller studio upright of the same brand… Continue reading A Day with Two Piano Finalists

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DREAM PIANO: Overview and Acknowledgments

My two-year long romp on the piano finding trail with York as my professional companion and consultant had been worth all the time spent in, around and under pianos. How else would I have acquired knowledge about the piano’s harp, or cast iron plate were it not for his having the bravado to dismantle it… Continue reading DREAM PIANO: Overview and Acknowledgments

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On the Meat Rack of used pianos: One that Never Left Its Home

I received a phone call on a June morning from a man who inquired about my piano-finding services. He sounded like he might be from India, but I wasn’t sure. “Do you help with selling a piano?” he inquired. "On occasion, I do," I replied. "It depends on the quality of the instrument." I could… Continue reading On the Meat Rack of used pianos: One that Never Left Its Home

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Everyone plays the Bach Prelude no. 1 in C (You Tube video embedded)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMwi6agdB1k Is this the latest hit among classically minded You Tubers? How many have flocked to upload Bach Prelude 1 from the Well- Tempered Clavier. Perhaps it's because playing this first one, and singing the "Ave Maria" over it elevate the player to new spiritual heights. Spun out broken chords between the hands lay a… Continue reading Everyone plays the Bach Prelude no. 1 in C (You Tube video embedded)

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Piano Gym routines with my 10 year old student

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuAWQM4qK44 This is a fun romp through the keys of F# Major and minor with some diminished 7th and Dominant 7th arpeggios cruising across the keyboard in legato, followed by detached, "ping pong ball" rendered staccato. Parallel and contrary motion scales/arpeggios are a pianist's preliminary gymnastics. They're great for the warm-up phase of each practice… Continue reading Piano Gym routines with my 10 year old student

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The Little Knightingale

It sang like a nightingale the morning I stroked its keys, yet it has always been a relative unknown in the world of big name pianos such as Steinway, Baldwin, and Yamaha. From an innocuous three-line ad posted on Oodle.com, I discovered that this very Knight piano was for sale, housed in northwest Fresno just… Continue reading The Little Knightingale

cat, cats, El Cerrito, JS Bach, pianist, piano, piano teacher, pianoaddict.com, Shirley Kirsten, Uncategorized, you tube

Leaving the barbaric age of middle C

Don't be fooled by the music teaser. The subject of this blog becomes clearer as it progresses. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIOewMxAUZQ Sometimes words fail me when I try to describe the beauty of a great piece of music. I just want to play the composition and let it speak for itself. But being the eternal teacher of a… Continue reading Leaving the barbaric age of middle C

JS Bach, Manhattan, pianoaddict.com, Uncategorized, you tube

In the Hot Zone!

When I prepare for a you tube posting, I climb the walls. Not only am I in the hot seat when the camcorder is rolling, but I have to worry about the neighbors to my right suddenly deciding to have a slap down, bang out fight. Last night was a perfect example of recording on… Continue reading In the Hot Zone!