Little Music Note

June 30th, 2009 by Reb

So after the crazy moving week, we are finally back to piano recordings again!

Sorry girls for throwing you guys out there all by yourselves last week, hope this week’s recording will help! =)

Sharon

My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice

Conveniently, both Sharon and Olivia are playing one of their songs from the same piece. Although the arrangement is, I believe, a tiny tiny different. This recording is particularly recorded from Olivia’s arrangement, so watch out for unexpected changes Sharon!

Sharon & Olivia

Liebestraum

IMPORTANT

Another important thing to mention for both of you is the hand and finger positions. I’m starting to notice a lot of weakness in the shape of your fingers. Remember, hands should hold a “egg” shape, and fingers should stand properly on its tips, rather than standing in a “bended” shape.

Also, my favourite, STRENGTH. Be sure to keep your ears open to listen for the bright sound your fingers make. It’s really easy to be bored and slack off, and that’s going to hurt you in the future!

And seriously girls, slow, slow, SLOW. Stop rushing or I will haunt you down! =D

Although, I’m becoming very proud of how you guys are improving on scales. There are a few that I would like you guys to practice more, and I probably mentioned it a few times in class:

Db, E, Eb, Gb, Ab, Bb

So make sure to practice these scales more because they are a little harder.

Okay, practice lots girls! =)

June 14th, 2009 by Reb

I’m combining 2 day’s of lesson into one post for Olivia and Sharon.

Olivia did a really good job playing her pieces this week. Keep up the good work my girl!

Sharon was also very well done, but remember to play scales this week! I’ll haunt you down next time wuhaha =)

Ok, now for the recordings.

Olivia

Fantasie Impromptu by Chopin

Minuet by Luigi Boccherini

Sharon

Piano Concerto Theme by E. Grieg

June 14th, 2009 by Reb

Sorry for the lateness in uploading this week’s recording for Jodi.

Hope Tammy is having a lovely time planning for the wedding and vacationing in Europe! =)

Have fun!

June 7th, 2009 by Reb

Sincere apology goes out to all my students. The unfortunate sickness has messed up my piano classes this week. Although I’m still coughing my lungs out right now, I will try to be good as new the next time I meet you guys. =)

Poor Sharon has missed two classes already so she had to come today. I’ll feel so bad if I passed my big flu to you. So don’t get sick!

Here are the recordings for you my girl.

Concerto No.1 — Tchaikovsky (The “children” version. aka. much much MUCH simplified)

Non piu andrai — Mozart

June 7th, 2009 by Reb

Another wonderful VSO night on June 1st, 2009. This was one of the MASTERWORK SILVER — Classic series performed by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at Orpheum theater.

Melody and Power — Mozart and Prokofiev
Kazuyoshi Akiyama conductor
Benjamin Hochman Piano

Kabalevsky Colas Breugnon: Overture, Op. 24
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat Major, Jeunehomme
Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major, Op. 100

Guest pianist Benjamin Hochman’s playing of his favorite composer and wonderful collaboration with the VSO opened up to the audience as a treat. Benjamin Hochman is achieving widespread acclaim for his performances as orchestral soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. He is an extremely mature artist with an exciting interpretive depth.Though only in his mid-twenties, he is an imaginatively mature artist with an innate ability to combine beauty of line within the overall shape of a piece. Born in Jerusalem in 1980, Benjamin Hochman graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and the Mannes College of Music in New York where his principal teachers were Claude Frank and Richard Goode.

An early Mozart piano concerto is a rarely heard musical treat. I was very excited to hear Mozart being played live. He is my favorite after all! =)

This is followed up by the main course: the huge, exciting, passionate music of Russian master Sergei Prokofiev. To me, this was the harder piece to interpret because I’m so used to the classical taste like Mozart.  But who would not enjoy such a passionate music like this one!

You can have a listen to all three pieces on the VSO website. They are only excepts of the pieces performed but it is definitely worth listening to!

The VSO offers great concerts all year long, and the up-coming 2009/2010 season looks exceptionally exciting. World famous musicians including Nicola Benedetti, Itzhak Perlman, Lang Lang and many more are featured in this season.

Plus, now heres the best part, the VSO offers $10 student price for anyone with valid post-secondary student ID. That’s $10 seating in class A (the best seat you can get) compared to prices around $100 per concert. All you have to do is to apply for a free student access pass on the VSO website. See details here Hint hint: GET ONE!

Big promotion from littlemusicnote: If you are living at or near Vancouver, make sure to NOT miss this upcoming season!

June 4th, 2009 by Reb

Here comes another wonderful piece of Yiruma, titled Falling.

#5. Falling — Yiruma

Download the complete sheet music for Falling in .pdf format.

Again, I’ll emphsize the fact that the “first page” I post here is only for referrence. i.e. level of difficulty. So if you want to download the whole piece, please click on “Download” and it’ll direct you to a site where you can download at your convinence.

I do not own any of the copyright by the way.

Thanks and come again!

June 1st, 2009 by Reb

Here’s this week’s recording for naughty Olivia.

Practice lots my girl!! =)

Cantabile – Carl Czerny