Tag Archives: California

J.S. Bach’s ethereal Prelude in F minor, BWV 881 (contour and voices)

Posted on February 25, 2015 by

A kindred musician friend and Baroque scholar residing on the East Coast tipped me off that my “first love” reading of Bach’s Prelude in F minor a few months back, was just the very top layer of a more in … Continue reading →

Posted in adult piano lessons, J.S. Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach, piano lessons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

My afternoon at the San Francisco Symphony with Yuja Wang, Pianist

Posted on May 26, 2014 by

It was a shock to my nervous system to hear a LIVE concert! I had been getting so used to iPod fed classics and You tube streamed performances that I forgot what I was missing. From my seat at terrace … Continue reading →

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Adoption in the old piano universe

Posted on March 1, 2014 by

Today’s good deed was my hands on effort to place a gorgeous sounding old upright in a deserving home. And judging by the attention this Emerson vintage piano eventually received after I played it for well past an hour at … Continue reading →

Posted in Out of the Closet Thrift Store, piano for sale, you tube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Patrick Schmidt sparks an East Bay Cultural Renaissance in the Meet-up Universe!

Posted on December 18, 2012 by

Everyone loves a self-starter–a wide-eyed visionary who transforms dreams into reality. Patrick Schmidt comes quickly to mind, immersed in his universe of mult-media explorations but always reaching out to an “international” community of creative spirits. Here’s how he describes himself: … Continue reading →

Posted in art and mixed media, Berkeley CA, classissima.com, East Bay International Creative Community, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Open Fine Art Gallery on Solano in Berkeley CA, Patrick Schmidt clay artist, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Gooden College Connection is about helping minority kids navigate the tough road to college

Posted on August 28, 2012 by

Andrew M. Gooden and his wife, Ruth Kleinman join a Board of GCC volunteers to make college access a reality for students who might otherwise be lost in the shuffle. Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew M. Gooden, Gooden College Connection, Gooden College Connection Annual Dinner and Silent Auction, MIlwaukee Bucks, playing piano, Ruth Kleinman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Piano Technique: A Bouncy Scale workout with forward arm rolls and supple wrist motions–Enjoy the romp! (Videos)

Posted on May 3, 2012 by

Scales can be a great workout routine if you let your arms loose, dip your pliant wrists and go with the flow. And it’s a great cardio. (No treadmill or weights required) Just apply principles of balance and buoyancy. Here … Continue reading →

Posted in phrasing at the piano, pianist, pianists, piano, piano arpeggios, piano blog, piano blogging, piano blogs, piano instrruction, piano instructor, piano lessson, piano playing, piano playing and breathing, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and relaxation, piano practicing, Piano Street, piano student, piano studio, piano study, piano teacher, piano teachers, piano teaching, piano technique, Piano World, piano world-wide, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, POWHOW, POWHOW instruction, POWHOW piano instruction, scale fingerings, scales, scales and arpeggios, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Kirsten certified piano instructor at POWHOW, Shirley Kirsten on POWHOW, Shirley Kirsten teaches classes at POWHOW, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, singing tone legato, studying piano, teaching piano, technique, video piano instruction, virtual piano lessons, virtual piano teaching, whole body listening, word press, word press.com, wordpress, you tube, you tube video, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Piano Lesson: An Adult student practices the Presto agitato mvt. Beethoven “Moonlight” Sonata (Video)

Posted on June 10, 2011 by

The Chromatic scale to the end of movement: R.K. wished to remain anonymous because of the nature of his work, but, nevertheless, he’s a devoted student of the piano. I met him at the American Cancer Discovery Shop, on Bullard … Continue reading →

Posted in classissima, classissima.com, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Fresno California, Fur Elise, keyboard technique, MTAC, music appreciation classes, music teachers association of california, music theory, musical phrasing, New York City High School of Performing Arts, New York University, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, phrasing at the piano, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano finding, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano repertoire, piano society, Piano Street, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano technique, piano tutorial, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, presto agitato from Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, self-analysis, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway and Sons, Steinway M grand piano, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, teaching piano, teaching scales, technique, Theory, uk-piano-forums, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment