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Gretchen Saathoff

~ Collaborative Pianist/Vocal Coach ~ forging partnerships, making memorable music together

Category Archives: new insights

Adventures in not pedaling

30 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by GretchensPianos in acoustics, career, chorus, collaboration, concert, expression, extremes, goals, integrity, listening, music, new approach, new experience, new insights, outside the box, pedal, perception, performing, piano, priorities, responsibility, rhythm, serving music, singing, something new, the unexpected, tools, video, work

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collaboration

Cupola. Source: Pixabay. Public Domain

Cupola. Source: Pixabay. Public Domain

 

When is the last time you performed something without using the pedal?  That’s right, no pedal at all.  

As it happens, I did exactly that on Sunday night.  I was thinking about that while driving home, trying to remember the last time I’d omitted all pedal. There was one occasion several years ago.

Christ & Saint Stephen’s in midtown Manhattan features a dome above the altar area.  A baritone I played for had included “Why do the nations rage” from Messiah on his recital program.  The piano reduction, 16th note tremelos, sounded like what you might call a bloody mess!  The singer’s girlfriend, a professional cellist, attended the dress rehearsal, for which I shall always be grateful.  She suggested that I play 8th notes at first, but even that sounded too muddy for audience consumption.  Then she suggested playing quarter note chords, no tremolo at all, without any pedal.  Amazingly enough, that worked.

Prior to that experience, the only time I played without pedal was probably in college, when playing Baroque music.  At the time, I was a die-hard original sound freak, or preferred to come as close as possible given that I was playing a piano rather than a harpsichord.  That certainly meant that the pedal was not to be used at all.

Since college, I have discovered that using the pedal on every note of a continuo bass line (i.e. quarter notes) enhances the sound without blurring it. But it must be used judiciously!  Just tap it.  The idea is to allow the strings to vibrate without making the sound last longer.  You will hear the sound become rounder, closer to cello pizzicato.

Sunday night’s concert venue was a large church with high, valuted ceilings. The reverberation time was at least 4 seconds.  We performed Copland’s “The Promise of Living” with a large group of combined choruses.  The version on our program featured a piano four-hands accompaniment.

Both of us arrived at the piano, sat down and looked at each other.  Whose score would we use?  After we solved that question, my fellow pianist said, “Do you want to pedal?”  I said, “Go for it!”  He was playing the secondo part. The pedal would be easier for him to reach.  In addition, he would be playing the part with the harmonic rhythm.

Soon after, we heard how live the acoustics were in the space.  The piano was some distance away from the singers.  We decided not to use the pedal at all, in order to provide as much clarity as possible.

I’m happy to say it worked!  A professional singer, who sang an aria during the program, was sitting in the audience during the Copland.  She and I were talking afterwards, when she said she heard clarity, and it sounded as if we had pedaled.

Have you ever performed with no pedal?

If this post has been helpful and you think your friends and contacts would benefit from reading it, please share.

I would appreciate it very much. Thank you!

★ ☆.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.• ヅ★

Please take a look at my e-book!

“Goal-oriented Practice”
Are you practicing well? Is your repertoire of ideas working for you? Are you making consistent progress?

My book will help you take a step back, save practice time, learn more music, and perform with confidence. Whether teaching, playing solo, or collaborating with other musicians, you will find many practice- and performance-tested suggestions here.

50% off!!!  Absolutely NO JARGON!  Even my non-musician little sister says so.

Click here for the book intro, table of contents, reviews, and reader comments.

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Where’s the beat? Teaching syncopation.

27 Saturday Jun 2015

Posted by GretchensPianos in beat, collaboration, directed practice, learning, listening, music, new approach, new insights, practice, preparation, process, rhythm, security, teaching, tools

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coaching, music education, pedagogy, rehearsal, syncopation

A young boy plays with a toy drum that was given to him during Joint Task Force-Bravo’s visit to at the Sisters of Charity Orphanage in Comayagua, Honduras, Jan. 25, 2015. The Sisters of Charity Orphanage is one of seven different orphanages from around the Comayagua Valley that the U.S. military personnel assigned to JTF-Bravo have supported over the past 17 years. In addition to spending time with interacting with children, members have also collected and donated much-needed supplies and food, as well as helped in minor construction work on the buildings in which the children live. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Heather Redman). Source: Wikimedia. Public domain.

A young boy plays with a toy drum that was given to him during Joint Task Force-Bravo’s visit to at the Sisters of Charity Orphanage in Comayagua, Honduras, Jan. 25, 2015. The Sisters of Charity Orphanage is one of seven different orphanages from around the Comayagua Valley that the U.S. military personnel assigned to JTF-Bravo have supported over the past 17 years. In addition to spending time with interacting with children, members have also collected and donated much-needed supplies and food, as well as helped in minor construction work on the buildings in which the children live. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Heather Redman). Source: Wikimedia. Public domain.

Isn’t this a wonderful photograph?

★ ☆.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.• ヅ★

Background

A high school flutist and I performed the piece excerpted below on a recital in April. She plays quite well, but this piece was full of syncopation. Keep in mind that she was looking at the flute part only (top line). Pianists usually play from the complete score (solo line plus piano part).

Excerpt from "Allegretto" from Suite de trois morceaux, Op.116 by Benjamin Godard

Excerpt from “Allegretto” from Suite de trois morceaux, Op.116 by Benjamin Godard

First Run-through

The soloist knew her part securely. But the rhythm in the piano part, not surprisingly, threw her off. She took the right hand part (off-beat) to be the beat. So, for example, in the 3rd bar of the 2nd system, her quarter note was one beat late, played after the last chord in the piano part.

Second Try

I played my part as printed, counting out loud. We would stop along the way to correct rhythmic mistakes. She would look at the score when the rhythm threw her off.

That approach resulted in about 50% improvement in our brief rehearsal.

Taking a Closer Look

I continued to think about her that evening. How could this be a better experience for the student, with the performance in front of an audience only a few days away? Was it sink or swim? Or could I do something to help?

In Her Shoes

After considerable thought, I realized that the student was relying primarily on what she had heard during our brief rehearsal. She didn’t have the piano score, and told me she had not listened to recordings.

Going by sound alone complicates things in this case.

Try it! When you sing one low note followed by two higher notes at the same pitch, listen to the way the higher pitch is easier to hear. It would take a lot to make the low note take over as the anchor. Hearing the pitches without looking at the score can easily sound like the low note is an upbeat.

A singer, by contrast, would have the score to refer to. Instrumental parts are published separately, so only the solo line is available unless they keep a copy of the score (or someone provides it).

To add to the challenge, I learned the next day that the student has a cochlear implant. That would make it more difficult to hear anything, possibly also causing a delay in the perception of sound.

The Next Day

Fortunately, there was more rehearsal time available. I checked with the teacher to ask whether it would be acceptable for me to call the student’s parents with the goal of finding another time to get together. We found a time for the following evening.

Recording the Piano Part

I realized that we had only rehearsed the piece one way; as printed.

Since the off-beat is so easy to hear as the beat, I wanted to try something. The student had her phone with her, so we recorded the piano part twice:  the first time on the beat; the second as written.

The “on the beat” version went very well! We practiced the piece that way again. This time, the student tapped (stomped, really) her foot on the beat.

Then we practiced the piece as written. She was much closer.

The Core Problem

The student had been attempting to understand the syncopation without knowing where the beat was.  You can’t have an off-beat without feeling the beat first.

I encouraged her to march around the room, stamp her feet, and sing, play, clap… whatever would get the rhythm into her body. I suggestion that she count, tap, stamp, clap, or whatever else she wanted to do, louder than the piano part.

Her First Response

“I can’t tap my foot in the performance.”

I agreed, and went on to say that it’s OK to tap your toe inside your shoe, especially the first time you’ve ever done this. And you can do whatever you need to do in rehearsal. The audience doesn’t see you rehearsing, nor does it know what you’re thinking in performance.

Solo Flute Practice

She did it! She had two days left to experiment, and addressed the problem at home without my being there.

Performance

Wonderful! She played out, sounded secure, and was not particularly nervous.

Followup

Two or three weeks later, I ran into her at school. After we said hello, I asked how she felt about the performance. Her response: “It went better than I thought it would. I felt very comfortable.”

And that, of course, makes it all worth it.

Contrasting Performances of “Our” Piece


As good as it gets. Enjoy!


This performance is closer to our tempo.

Purchase the score

What do you do when a student is thrown by something new? Comments welcome!

★ ☆.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.• ヅ★

Please take a look at my e-book!

“Goal-oriented Practice”
Are you practicing well? What do you do when you hit a snag? How do you help your students practice?

Do you have a plan for putting difficult pieces together at performance tempo? How do you help your students achieve a steady tempo without slowing down in difficult passages?

This book will help you take a step back, save practice time, learn more music, and perform with confidence.

50% off!!!  Absolutely NO JARGON!  Even my non-musician little sister says so.

Click on the link to see the book intro, table of contents, reviews, and reader comments.

What did you find here?  What would you like to see? Comments welcome!

If this post has been helpful and you think your friends and contacts would benefit from reading it, please share.

I would appreciate it very much. Thank you!

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I can’t play this! I’ll NEVER be able to play this!! NO ONE can play this!!!

24 Sunday May 2015

Posted by GretchensPianos in career, confidence, constructing a piece, directed practice, distractions, fingering, focus, goals, learning, metronome, motivation, music, new insights, perception, performing, piano, practice, practicing, practicing basics, preparation, process, progress, self-assessment, slow practice, tempo, tools

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piano reduction

I can't play this!

These thoughts go through my head every time I open a difficult score for the first time. How about you?

Background

This is the slow section of Mozart’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra #5, first movement.  In other words, the “piano” part is an orchestral reduction.

The right hand, when played by the orchestra, is divided between two string parts. Pianists, though, are required to perform gymnastic feats in the reduction, playing both parts in the same hand.

This section of the concerto is serene, slow, and quiet.  To achieve a murmuring sound on the piano is difficult, especially due to the fingers passing over one another and because the normally resulting accents must be avoided.  (It is not possible to play all the notes in the right hand while keeping the hand quiet, playing only five keys ((one for each finger)), and not moving to a different range on the keyboard several times.  In other words, don’t try this at home!)

Facebook comments

When I posted the above pic on Facebook, the following discussion ensued:

First, on 5/1:

[Photo caption]
The most recent addition to my catalog of Finger Busters.

[Discussion]

DG:  Finger busters is right!

AE:  What she said!

HW:  Dang!

MDS:  Wowser.

CBW:  Oh my!  😦

Then, on 5/22:

[Photo caption]
Remember this? The “ack!” phase?

Aced it in today’s performance.
I feel a blog post coming on.

[Discussion]
CH:  Looks “Greek” to me Gretchen but I’m grateful there are artists like you that let those like me enjoy the music!

CBW:  OMG!!!
TP:  Makes my head ache just looking at all those notes!!!

GS:  Exactly. My 1st thought when opening a score is often, “I can’t play this… I’ll NEVER be able to play this… NO ONE can play this!”

And then I learn it.

TP:  Some people like a challenge and some are gluttons for punishment!GS:  And some find it necessary to freak out EVERY TIME. I don’t think child prodigies do that…

TP:  In my trade we call it it SIDS…self induced disaster, the process of psyching yourself out before you even know what you’re up against! lol

GS:  I b the expert!

SN:  So how did the tempo end up?

GS:  120 and 72. Felt reasonable, thank God…

GN:  A great feeling to have worked something out in practice and then play it in performance with no “hitches” . . . .nice work!

GS:  Thank you!

KC:  cool, still growing into the job, Gretchen, that is so great.

GS:  Oh, I have the same reaction every time I open music I haven’t played that looks difficult.

Reality check 

How long did it take to reach performance level with this piece?

Although my Facebook “bookend” posts were three weeks apart, I was busy when I first looked at the score.  There was no time to practice it right away.

After consulting my practice notes, I realized that I had learned the piece at performance tempo in 8 or 10 days.

Got perspective?

This is not an idle question.  I am genuinely curious.  This is an aspect of people’s careers that is rarely talked about, as far as I know.

I am well aware that many musicians learn music faster than I do.  One of the vocal coaching fellows at Tanglewood (there were 3 of us that summer) could learn even a newly composed score still in manuscript form and perform it in 3 days.  He had the enviable ability to skip the practice stage most of us need to get the music into his hands.  Currently head of the composition department at BU, he is a conductor, composer, wonderful pianist, and vocal coach.

My teacher at Aspen was practicing Hindemith slowly with the metronome when I arrived for my lesson one day.  She had never played the piece.  Four days later, she performed it flawlessly, much faster.  So I went home and learned how to practice slowly with the metronome, increasing the tempo in increments.

On the other hand, another teacher practiced Schubert’s “Die Schöne Müllerin” for an entire year before performing it.

What was Horowitz’s time requirement for mastering the repertoire he performed? Rubinstein?  Glenn Gould?  Myra Hess?  Clara Schumann?

A pianist who was interviewed on NPR, when discussing a recent CD release, let it be known that he had practiced one piece for 15 years before ever performing it!

So it seems that preparation time is highly variable.

First take

What do child prodigies say to themselves when first opening a score?  Have you heard anyone talk about that?

I suspect that my self-talk may stem from the fact that I was not a prodigy. While there was music in my family, many musicians I know listened to recordings and attended concerts from an early age.  Several had parents who were professional musicians.  They had mentors who connected them with effective teachers.  Good instruments were acquired early.  All of that makes a difference.  I’ve been playing “catch up.”

A childhood friend recently reminded me that, when I would be invited to go somewhere, my response would always be, “I can’t.  I have to practice.”

Following my senior recital in college, a few friends came back to the recital hall from the distant reception to ensure that I was planning to attend.  They were afraid I would go back to the practice room immediately.  (I’m slow about packing up after a performance.)

B.B. King said it very well:

“It seems like I always had to work harder than other people. Those nights when everybody else is asleep, and you sit in your room trying to play scales.”

My audience!

 

And now I’d like to thank my audience, who listens attentively whenever I practice and never, ever complains.  And thanks also to everyone who commented on Facebook.

What do you say to yourself when you open a difficult score for the first time?  Do you have a panic response?  See it as a challenge? KNOW you’ll be fine even before you begin?  Do you have an idea about how long it will take you to learn a piece before you’ve even started?

★ ☆.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.• ヅ★


Are you heading into June without a teacher? Need fresh ideas to share with your students? 

My E-book helps you practice more effectively, teach students as individuals, and perform with confidence.

http://gretchensaathoff.com/e-books/e-book-goal-oriented-practice/

Thank you!

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How can we improve congregational singing? Part VI

14 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by GretchensPianos in article, build repertoire, career, choosing program, coach, collaboration, compositional style, editing, engaging the audience, freedom, general observations, goals, improvisation, learning, music, new approach, new insights, observations, preparation, priorities, process, progress, rehearsal, repetition, singing, teaching, tools, variety

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alternative harmonizations, anthem, church choir, church music, congregational singing, Education, Hymnal, music education, new hymns

Source:  Pixabay

Source: Pixabay

The following conversation, in response to Part V of this series, took place on Facebook:

  • Contributor Hi Gretchen, what’s your suggestion making sure the congregation doesn’t get thrown off when using alternative arrangements to accompany congregational singing (as opposed to using them when the choir is singing a hymn as an anthem)?
  • Gretchen Saathoff  Hmm… I’ll think about it! At Riverside, it’s not a problem. Have the choir sing the melody, disperse the choir throughout the congregation, try the Hymn of the Month approach, Try practicing the alternative arrangement for 2 minutes with the congregation, then use it in the hymn. Use the traditional harmonization for all verses except the last. That way, the congregation has been singing the tune for several verses already.
  • Gretchen Saathoff  And try not to go too far afield with the alternate harmonization. The green Lutheran hymnal that replaced the red one had so many funky arrangements, they made very little sense. So why would anyone want to sing them.
  • Contributor  Thanks, Gretchen. Good advice here. There is a new red Lutheran hymnal, the ELW, that kept some of the old arrangements from the green LBW, and has lots of new hymns without harmonization, just melodies. So that helps. (But they left off the time  signatures, which leads to confusion.) But if the hymn is new, even if only the melody is printed, the alternative arrangement still challenges the ear. And about the funky arrangements, people who can sing parts, oftentimes can sing even the funky ones, and some need to do that, because the melody is too high for them. I like the idea of practicing the alternative arrangement with the congregation – hadn’t thought of it as a possibility before!
  • Gretchen Saathoff  No time sigs? Not especially helpful, I’d think.
    Also, there is no need to use only the arrangements in the book. Change it so it works. Keep some parts and not others. Write a new one. If the melody is too high, something needs to change, such  as trasposing down or maybe singing the melody an octave lower. The congregation needs the choir to sing the melody in unison on alternate harmonizations. When they can hear it, they sing better.
  • Contributor  Great advice!
  • Gretchen Saathoff  There are lots of alternative harmonizations out there: volumes of hymns for organ, choral anthems, hymnals from other denominations, AGO website, etc. Plenty of hymn improvisations can be heard on YouTube.
  • Gretchen Saathoff  Free association, you understand… and now it’s time for dinner! Back later.

★ ☆.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.• ヅ★

And a followup Facebook Message from yours truly:

During services in various denominations, I sometimes would play an alternative harmonization from a funky organ collection (The Sunday Morning Organist, I think). Just leave out the whiz bang awful parts when they don’t work.

Similarly, there are plenty of anthems that work, for the most part, but also have spots that don’t.  One example is asking the choir to hold the last note for 8 bars.  Does this make the ending better?  Does singing a high note improve the message?  That all depends on the choir, what else is going on (i.e. the keyboard part might be just fine on its own).  Sometimes a “festive” ending will be tacked on that isn’t really needed.  When the rest of the piece works well, I omit the parts that don’t work.

There may be one stanza of an anthem that splits into 8 parts, for example.  When you have 6 people in your choir that Sunday, you have to think on your feet and find something that works.  What do you have to keep?  The melody and the bass line?  Is the alto part more interesting than the tenor, or vice versa? 

If one stanza is too elaborate for your circumstances, then sing the rest of the anthem and omit that one.

If the printed introduction is too long or too short, or is confusing to your choir/congregation, then by all means change it!

Thanks so much to my contributor, who prefers to remain anonymous.

Which approaches have the most success in your church?Comments and suggestions welcome!

Please see previous posts in this series.

★ ☆.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.• ヅ★

While you’re here, please take a look at my ebook,

Goal-oriented Practice.  Now available at 50% off, only $10!

Free of musical jargon, it will save you time.  By identifying practice goals, you will soon be able to learn music more accurately, resulting in confident playing.

Click on the link to see reviews, book intro, and table of contents!

Thank you!

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How can we improve congregational singing? Part IV

09 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by GretchensPianos in goals, learning, motivation, music, new insights, observations, perception, priorities, singing, teaching, tools

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children, Church, church music, congregational singing, hymns, worship songs

Source:  Pixabay

Source: Pixabay

A friend posted the following on Facebook in response to this series about congregational singing.  Shared with permission.

To be honest, I see a generation that is crying out for the sustenance that traditional worship can bring. For boundaries, for beauty, for connection to something bigger than themselves.”

“As an educator, I think Lady Bird Johnson’s observation that children are “apt to live up to what you believe of them” still rings true. One of the lies of contemporary worship is that modern entertainment is the only way to engage the fleeting attention span of our youngest worshipers. The point of corporate worship isn’t to hook them with trappings of supposed cultural relevance, but to dedicate their lives to the glory of God, and be transformed by the sacred storytelling of Word and Sacrament.

What do you think?  Comments welcome!

Please see previous posts in this series.

★ ☆.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.• ヅ★

While you’re here, please take a look at my ebook,

Goal-oriented Practice.  Now available at 50% off, only $10!

Free of musical jargon, it will save you time.  By identifying practice goals, you will soon be able to learn music more accurately, resulting in confident playing.

Click on the link to see reviews, book intro, and table of contents!

Thank you!

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How can we improve congregational singing? Part I

31 Saturday Jan 2015

Posted by GretchensPianos in article, compositional style, expression, goals, learning, listening, music, new approach, new insights, priorities, process, progress, repetition, rhythm, singing, teaching, tools

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Alice Parker, congregational singing, Hymn, Iowa Through the Lens, Ministry Today, song, video

Marble Collegiate Church, New York.  Photo source:  Pixabay

Marble Collegiate Church, New York. Photo source: Pixabay

Congregational singing, along with church attendance, has declined.  With this post, I am beginning a new series that looks at various aspects of the problem and suggests some steps we can take to improve on the current trend.

A Facebook friend, Joe Kenney, posts wonderful photographs on Iowa Through the Lens. He also writes songs for his church and plays them on guitar, as I recently discovered. When messaging each other about this, he very kindly shared two songs with me.  The songs mentioned here are both written by Michael W. Smith.  Joe has promised to send me some of his own compositions as well.

“It’s a little repetitive cause it’s meant to be a simple group anthem,” he said about the first song.

Upon listening to the audio, I felt that it was just repetitive enough for congregational use.  I responded, “Great rhythm, and nice variety with the guitar and then no guitar, and then it comes in again.”

Although large churches in major cities are well-attended, that is not the case in smaller towns.  Marble Collegiate Church (pictured above), The Riverside Church, and All Souls’ Unitarian Church, all located in New York City, have many congregants who are professional musicians, even opera singers.  Everyone should experience the singing of such congregations at least once!

Smaller congregations may not be so fortunate.  When their congregations are asked to sing, people in attendance are often reluctant to make an attempt.  In order to encourage participation, it is helpful to choose hymns/worship songs that are either familiar or easy to learn and remember by exactly that group of people.  Many, if not most, do not read music.  The range of most untrained voices is limited.  Highly syncopated rhythms are just too complicated to master quickly.

So, once again, repetition is helpful.  Having the melody, rhythm, harmony, and even the words repeat (think of the refrain, especially) results in greater comprehension and, thus, participation.

Joe’s second example featured a repetitive ending.  Again, perfect for a congregation.  I responded, “People could walk away singing the ending.  It’s a winning strategy.”

In “Why Isn’t Your Congregation Singing?“, an article in Ministry Today, Don Chapman says:

Bottom line:  Choosing worship songs that are singable by normal mortals will create a more unified, participatory worship experience for your church.

Do you agree?

Take a look at a master, Alice Parker, teaching a hymn to workshop participants.  Alice is the first to say she doesn’t have a great voice.  Notice, though, her modeling of the style, rhythm, and text emphasis.  She teaches songs without using the piano, even though she plays very well.  In fact, her teaching in this video, from a hymnal she compiled, is unusual in that she and the singers are using the music.

Please let me know what you think, either in the comments or via the contact form in the left sidebar.  And be sure to check back for the next installment, and upcoming guest posts!  We will continue to explore ways to encourage participation in congregational singing. There is a lot more to say!

Also, while you’re here, be sure to look at my ebook, “Goal-oriented Practice.”  It will save you practice time!  You will know the music securely and still have a chance to go outside and work on that snowman!  50% off!

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Goal-oriented Practice now 50% off!

25 Sunday Jan 2015

Posted by GretchensPianos in career, directed practice, distractions, ergonomics, fingering, focus, goals, health, injury, learning, new approach, new experience, new insights, outside the box, perception, performing, piano, positive playing, practice, practicing, practicing basics, preparation, process, progress, teaching, tools

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Goal-oriented Practice, Music, pedagogy, perform, practice, teaching

E-book Cover SALES PAGE

My e-book, Goal-oriented Practice, is now available at 50% off!

Please email me with any questions at gsbook121 [at] gmail.com

Bulk rates also available.

For purchasing information, click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/15yF2yK

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A listening recommendation

12 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by GretchensPianos in article, audio, links, listening, music, new insights, review, serving music, something new, the unexpected, variety

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Bill McGlaughlin, broadcast, classical, listening, Music, podcast, radio, subscribe, WFMT

Bill McLaughlin, radio host of the syndicated "Exploring Music" on the WFMT radio network.    Source:  www.exploringmusic.org Author:  WFMT

Bill McGlaughlin, radio host of the syndicated “Exploring Music” on the WFMT radio network. Source: http://www.exploringmusic.org
Author: WFMT

As a follow up to my previous post, “Why listen?,” I want to let everyone know about a radio program I discovered only about 2 weeks ago.  It’s called Exploring Music.  The host, Bill McGlaughlin, has the unique ability to draw us in, resulting in our hearing even the most familiar works in new ways.

Last week, dedicated to the music of Tchaikovsky, the host talked briefly about first piano concerto, saying at its conclusion, “I’m amazed that Martha Argerich was able to stand and take a bow after that, rather than collapsing [paraphrase].”  I, for one, am very familiar with the piece and had never thought of it that way before.  I found it delightful.

Here is Argerich performing the piece:

In another of his programs, McGlaughlin chose a bassoon concerto, playing the recomposed version for viola and orchestra.  I have played the piano reduction with bassoonists, but was unaware that there was another version.  Due to the range difference and the change in timbre, I heard the piece in an entirely new, and most enjoyable, way.  The host took the time to find an excellent recording.

Exploring Music is available free on various radio stations and on the Internet.  There are also subscriptions available.  I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Happy listening!

 

 

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David’s First Organ Lesson!

18 Sunday May 2014

Posted by GretchensPianos in fun!, improvisation, inspiration, learning, listening, music, new approach, new experience, new insights, organ, outside the box, pedal, perception, process, something new, teaching, variety

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First lesson, Music, organ, pipe organ

David plays chimes with his feet!

David plays chimes with his feet!

David, age 6-1/2, came to church the Sunday before Easter with Joyce, his grandmother, who sings in the choir.  He was curious about everything.  During the sermon, he was sitting on his knees on the floor, near the choir.

Just before the final hymn, he appeared to my left, eyes on the pedals!  Although he didn’t make a sound, he was watching every move.

After the postlude, he was hanging around, so I asked him if he liked the organ.  He started talking, so I asked him if he would like to play it.  His eyes lit up.  He came over and stood next to the console.

I encouraged him to play different keys while I changed stops, so he could hear a lot of different sounds (high, low, loud, soft, flute, bigger-sounding oboe, etc.)  Then he tried the pedals.  I put on the oboe stop and sent it to the pedal, where he played a bass note.  His immediate reaction was, “Wow!  That sounds like a fog horn!”  Right on, David!
After that, he moved over to the high end of the keyboard.  I showed him how the chimes work.  The snapshot Joyce took with her phone shows his priceless facial expression when he played the “bells” with his feet.He’s very smart, and knows a lot about the organ already.  He knew what to call the instrument, that the sound comes from the pipes in back and not from the keyboards, that wind blows through the pipes to make the sound, and what pipes look like.
 

Come back soon, David!

English: Drawings of four types of pipe organ ...

English: Drawings of four types of pipe organ pipes: a, An open diapason; b, a stopped diapason; c, an oboe; and d, a trumpet — c and d being forms of reed-pipes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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“I owe it all to my bassoon teacher” and other important links

15 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by GretchensPianos in article, ethics, focus, health, learning, links, listening, music, new insights, priorities, process, repetition, teaching, tools

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articles, arts, Arts Journal, audio, funding the arts, interview, links, Melissa Block, Minnesota Orchestra, Music, music education, music in the schools, music lessons, New York City Opera, Nobel prize, NPR, The Atlantic, The Lancet, The New York Times

Nobel Prize ceremony at Stockholm City Hall

Nobel Prize ceremony at Stockholm City Hall (Photo credit: Michael Cavén)

The Minnesota Orchestra has disbanded. New York City Opera has performed for the last time. Entire concert series have been discontinued.  Arts in the schools have been cut drastically.

We should all be outraged!


Perhaps that is why the following discussions of the overwhelmingly positive effect of music study have appeared in the media in just the past week:

Nobel medicine winner says: I owe it all to my bassoon teacher

October 9, 2013 by Norman Lebrecht
Arts Journal

Is Music the Key to Success?

By JOANNE LIPMAN
Published: October 12, 2013
The New York Times

The Band’s Robertson Wants Kids To Know Music’s ‘Legends‘

Interview by Melissa Block
October 14, 2013   4:34 PM
National Public Radio
Audio and transcript

Using music to close the academic gap

LORI MILLER KASE  OCT 9 2013
The Atlantic
via JDW at Piano World

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below! 

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