Piano Notes 2011-2012 School Year

Beginning August 1, we will begin the new school schedule. The studio is open: * Monday – Wednesday until 8pm * Thursday and Friday until 6pm. The lessons for the school schedule are first come, first served. Please contact me immediately so I can accommodate your scheduling needs. Homeschool families: I am waiting to hear about my school schedule at Loma Vista but piano lessons will most likely be held Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

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Recital Dress

Since this is a formal recital, it’s a good idea to do a “dress rehearsal” at home in the clothes you plan on wearing. Keep in mind to trim fingernails.

Gentlemen: should wear a dress shirt and nice slacks and shoes. Jeans or shorts are not appropriate.
Ladies: should wear nice clothes (skirts/dresses, dressy capris or slacks, and dressy shoes. If wearing a skirt or dress, make sure it’s below your knees when sitting. (You don’t want to have to think about anything but your music.) Jeans, shorts, or flip-flops are not appropriate. If you choose to wear high-heels, be sure to practice your music wearing them. It’s best to avoid wearing rings for best finger dexterity.

Piano Concert Series

We have four scheduled concerts this year. I hope to see your pianist perform in them!

Movie Music Concert: August 6

What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than to listen to movie music! This is our second annual movie music performance and the first of our 2011-2012 concert series. A favorite of musicians, they will perform music from Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars, Pinocchio, Anastasia, and Addams Family. A Night At the Movies is Saturday, August 6 at 2pm, held at the Brentwood United Methodist Church.

I love this concert because pop music is a great tool to learn tricky rhythms and different note combinations that aren’t always found in traditional piano music. Although this (along with the Christmas concert) is probably the most challenging for the performer because the audience knows almost all the songs, the benefit is building self-confidence and high performance standards while having fun.

Fall Recital: October 22, 2pm

This is a formal recital and an opportunity to hear many of the great composers such as Bach, Chopin, Beethoven, Bartok, Grieg, Schumann, and Rachmaninoff.

Christmas Concert and Sing-Along: Tentatively Dec 10

This concert is a lot of fun, and also helps build real-job skills. Most pianists are hired in churches or to play for musicals. The more advanced students will be playing the piano while the audience sings along.

Spring Concert: Tentatively April 26

Our second formal recital, where musicians perform memorized music by the great composers. It’s always neat to see the improvement in just half a year.

Upcoming Dates

- School Schedule Begins: August 1

- Movie Music Recital Sat, Aug 6, 2pm

- Group Lessons: Mon., October 3

- Fall Recital Oct. 22 at 2pm

- Group Lesson: Mon, November 21

- Christmas Concert: Tentatively Dec 10