Category Archives: self-analysis

Bach to basics, Bach to nature, and Bach forever! (Videos)

Posted on December 3, 2011 by

When it comes right down to it, I’m always drawn back to Bach for solace, counsel, wisdom, insight, and more. He was the Father of our Western music in all its infinite forms. In the composer’s ingenious 2 volume, Well-Tempered … Continue reading →

Posted in Bach Prelude and Fugue BWV847, Bach to nature, Baroque music, fugue form, fugue form in the Baroque, J.S. Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannn Sebastian Bach, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano playing and phrasing, piano practicing, piano teaching, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, self-analysis, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, slow mindful practicing, Steinway grand piano, Steinway M grand piano, Well Tempered Clavier, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ethereal piano playing: Another Irina, with an i in the middle, brings heaven to earth

Posted on November 28, 2011 by

This is the special month of Irina, Irena, and still another Irina. The latest messenger of beauty via You Tube is Irina Morozova. And as fate would have it, one of my readers, owner of a Knight piano treasure, e-mailed … Continue reading →

Posted in Chopin, Chopin Barcarolle, Chopin Mazurka, Chopin Mazurka in G minor Op. 63 no. 3, classissima, classissima.com, Frederic Chopin, International Piano Institute at Mannes College, Irena Orlov, Irina Gorin, Irina Gorin piano studio, Irina Morozova, Levine School of Music, Levine School of Music in Washington, Levine School of Music in Washington D.C., Mannes College of Music, mind body connection, music, music and heart, music and the breath, phrasing at the piano, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and relaxation, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, producing a singing tone legato at the piano, publishersmarketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, Romantic era music, Romantic music, self-analysis, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, singing tone legato, studying piano, talkclassical.com, tempo rubato, The art of phrasing at the piano, the art of piano playing, video performances, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

Posted on November 27, 2011 by

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 … Continue reading →

Posted in "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 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Piano practicing, performance, and gym routines: Always Reach Beyond! (Video, Bach Invention 8 in F)

Posted on November 27, 2011 by

I take my inspiration from the two Irina/Irena-s, each pronouncing their names slightly differently. Irina Gorin is the ingenious piano teacher from Carmel, Indiana via the Ukraine, and Irena Orlov is from Washington D.C.’s Levine School of Music via Leningrad. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bach Two Part Inventions, Bally Fitness Center, Bally Total Fitness, Bally's Gym, Bally's Gym Fresno CA, gym workouts to help piano playing, iMac computer, iMac iMovie, iMac21, iMovie, Irena Orlov, Irina Gorin, Irina Gorin piano studio, J.S. Bach Invention 8 BWV 779, J.S. Bach Invention 8 in F Major BWV779, J.S. Bach two part Inventions, Levine School of Music, Levine School of Music in Washington, Levine School of Music in Washington D.C., mind body connection, music and photography, music and photos, music and the breath, musical phrasing and breathing, photos, piano lesson, piano playing and relaxation, piano practicing, piano practicing with use of a camcorder, piano student, piano teacher, piano teaching, piano technique, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, recording piano performance for self assessment, self hypnosis, self-analysis, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, sports, sports and piano, Steinway M grand piano, studying piano, talkclassical.com, videotaping a piano performance and self analysis, Vladimir Horowitz, word press, wordpress.com, you tube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Piano Technique: Braving the slippery slope of black keys, practicing the F# Major Arpeggio (VIDEO)

Posted on October 30, 2011 by

Why all the prejudice against black notes? I, for one, avoided them like the plague for years. And my teachers were enablers, keeping me and other students contentedly in C Major to avoid widespread unrest. Their benign neglect of the … Continue reading →

Posted in pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano teacher, piano teaching, piano technique, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, playing staccato at the piano, scales and arpeggios, self-analysis, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, singing tone legato, Teach Street, teaching piano, technique, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Piano Technique: Boosting the Left Hand (Video)

Posted on October 5, 2011 by

I’m always in awe of pianists whose left hand is equal to the right hand in dexterity, expression, power and reliability. It’s the switch hitter thing that’s mind-boggling as it also applies to sports. Creaming a ball and sending it … Continue reading →

Posted in Chopin's Revolutionary Etude Op. 10 no. 12, improving the left hand at the piano, piano teacher, piano teaching, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, practicing the left hand at the piano, scales, self-analysis, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, slow mindful practicing, slow piano practicing, studying piano, teaching piano scales, technique, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Piano Technique: “Hopping” in thirds (staccato)–excerpts from two lessons (Video)

Posted on September 21, 2011 by

Ilyana, 8 and her sister Albertina, 12, explored “hopping” in consecutive thirds at their lessons. (Dozen a Day, Book I, no. 3) They enlisted a spring forward wrist, and tapered the end of a phrase with a swing out elbow … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hopping" from Dozen a Day, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano playing and relaxation, piano practicing, piano teacher, piano teaching, piano technique, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, playing staccato at the piano, self-analysis, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Teach Street, teaching piano to children, technique, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment