01-18-2012
It’s 2012 already.
Thank you all for preparing for, and attending the Christmas Recital. It was nice to not have to work around snowy or icy weather, too. The next recital will be in the spring.
I was happy to celebrate my birthday this year by giving my own solo recital. I had so much fun that I will probably do it again next year.
Several students are in transitional periods between early intermediate and intermediate repertoire, and this month we are concentrating on good practice habits–always doing scale work before playing the lesson, using correct fingering, and good posture. If your student said I took his or her photo at lesson, I did this as a way to show them their own postures. I noticed quite a change at the following weeks’ lessons.
Thank you for notifying me when your students are not coming. It saves you money, and it saves me from “dead air”.
Many students will be participating in NYSSMA this year. We will begin working toward that around March 15.
Congratulations to Melvine Gomilla and Jordan Thompson for participating in HCMTA Festival in November. They did very well!
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12-08-2011
Recital Notes
The Christmas Recital will be December 19th at 7 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints in New Windsor, New York. If you need directions, please let me know and I’ll draw you a map. It’s easy to find. All friends and relatives are invited to this hour-long event. And yes, Randy is making his famous cookies for refreshments, in case you need an extra incentive to come.
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11-01-2011
November First
These kids took a break from practicing to go trick-or-treating. (Actually, they are Noah and Claire, my grandchildren.) Now that Halloween is over and the sugar highs are on the way down, it’s time to begin preparations for the Christmas Recital, which will be Dec. 19th. Please bring whatever holiday music you have, or have played in the past, to lessons this week. Everyone will have something new to play this year, and we need to do an inventory.
Nov. 11 and 12 are audition days for the HCMTA Festival at SUNY New Paltz. Two students are participating this year. Good luck to them as they prepare for their auditions. Next year I would like to have many more students participate on both the competitive and evaluative programs. Because the event is the first part of November, we need to begin preparing during the spring/summer–something to keep in mind.
I hope everyone had minimal impact from the Halloween storm. I know many of you have been without power for several days. Also, thank you for your patience when I cancelled lessons for a week’s visit in San Diego. The new granddaughter, Sadie Jane, is as cute as Claire. (I might be a little biased, though.)
Lessons will continue uninterrupted until Thanksgiving Day.
Happy Practicing!
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09-15-2011
September Madness
I hope everyone is pleased with the virtual recital CD Recapitulation.
Hopefully everyone is beginning to settle into a regular schedule of school and practice. Thank you all for being cooperative and helpful in making changes necessary to the schedule. Almost everyone was able to fit into the schedule. For those on the wait list, thank you for your patience.
Something to look forward to: Nov. 11-12 is Festival at SUNY New Paltz. A few students will be involved in this. I will be talking to those who will participate next week.
We will have a Christmas Recital this year. It is tentatively scheduled for Monday, December 19. Mark your calendars!
Please remember to bring your binders and Blast Off! music theory books to lessons.
Also, if I have assigned scales, please bring your C.L. Hanon studies books every week.
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08-31-2011
Schedule Notes
Please note that ALL students need to secure spots on the schedule. Last year’s schedule is not rolling over automatically . Please email or call me to confirm your time as soon as you can. I will do my best to accommodate everyone, but it is in your best interest to schedule as soon as possible.
The CDs are ready for distribution at the first fall lesson. Invoices and statements for July and August will go out tomorrow. Lessons start next week unless special arrangements are made. Looking forward to a great year!
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08-16-2011
End of Summer Notes
As summer nears its end, please keep in mind that piano will start again soon. For those students who have been coming for lessons during the summer, please note that there are NO lessons from August 18-Sept 5. Lessons will resume September 6, 2011. I hope you have all had a great summer and look forward to this fall’s preparations for festivals and recitals.
The Virtual Recital CD will be given out at the first lesson in September to all students who participated. Thank you for your patience while it was in production. If you want to hear a sample, click on Melvine’s mp3 on the prior post.
Please let me know your time slot preferences as soon as possible. A few slots are filled already. I realize that many students cannot choose a time until sports schedules are given out, but please contact me as soon as you have an idea of when you want to come to the studio.
Please email me the preference rather than leave a phone message. Thanks!
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07-24-2011
A sneak peak…
With a Little Help From My Friends.mp3
Here is a sample track from the upcoming virtual recital CD, courtesy of Melvine Gomilla. Thanks, Melvine! (Click on the above link to hear the tune.)
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06-26-2011
Summertime
Recording is nearly complete for the Virtual Recital. If you haven’t recorded yet, please make time for it this week. Work on the CD is progressing and thanks to Randy, there will be some fun surprises included. It has been interesting to hear who is prepared and who is not quite as prepared. I hope everyone enjoyed doing this, because I sure did. You’ve never heard the music of the Beatles like this before!
Schedule for the summer: I plan to teach all summer for those students who wish to continue through the summer. However, there will be no lessons: July 17-31 and August 18-29. Of course, I understand that most students will be taking some weeks off for vacation. Please email me your schedule if you know it. I plan to be flexible, and I trust that students will be, also. If you would like a time other than your usual afterschool slot, please let me know. Also, as soon as you know your preferred time for fall, get your dibs in!
Plan ahead for fall: This coming piano year (beginning in the fall) I will be encouraging students who are at early intermediate level and up to participate in various festivals and recitals sponsored by the Hudson-Catskill Music Teachers Association, of which I am currently secretary. The HCMTA is the local chapter of the Music Teachers National Association. Also, students who so wish will be prepared to play at the spring NYSSMA festival. Some of the events are adjudicated and others are community service recitals. I would like to see a broad participation by my students, who, I feel, will benefit from additional performance opportunities. Look for more information concerning this in September. These opportunities are in addition to any studio recitals/events I schedule.
Have a safe and happy summer, and I look forward to seeing everyone at lessons this summer or in the fall.
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06-12-2011
Student of the Year 2011
Congratulations! The Student of the Year 2011 is Melvine Gomilla. Melvine is a marvelous performer and is becoming an accomplished pianist. A fifth grade student at Cornwall Middle School, Melvine recently did an outstanding job accompanying the fifth and sixth grade chorus at their spring concert. Melvine is not afraid of work. He is willing to do whatever it takes to learn new skills. His musicianship is outstanding for a young child, and his self motivation is responsible for much of his success. I appreciate every minute of lesson time with Melvine–I wish I could work with him every day. For his giant leap upward in his pianistic skills this year, I am happy and honored to present Melvine with the Student of the Year award for 2011. (He receives a nice book bag along with our congratulations.)
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06-12-2011
Virtual Recital News
What fun it has been to prepare for the spring recital this year. As you know, this year I’ve planned a Virtual Recital. Students have been working on an all Beatles program, and this week is the beginning of the marathon recording session. Here’s the plan, in case you have forgotten: Each student will record his or her tune on a piano here in my studio, and when all tunes are recorded and edited, I will burn each student a CD with everyone’s tune on it. Instant recital! This is a good news/ bad news proposition. The good news is we don’t have to find a date for recital that fits into everyone’s schedule, and the bad news is that parents don’t get to sit through a couple of dozen pieces waiting for their child to perform. Wait. The good news is that the end product is easily shared with grandparents who live across the country and can’t attend the recital. The bad news is that the students’ mistakes are permanently part of the production. The good news is that a few years from now, you can listen to the CD and hear the progress your child has made. Randy reminds me that there is more bad news. No Randy’s Special Cookies for this recital.
Virtual Recital recording begins Wednesday afternoon, June 15th. I would like to record everyone by July 1 if at all possible. Most students are ready to record now. CDs will be ready about two weeks after I finish recording.
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