Performance Preparation Practices

Performing can be a shaky experience... literally.  That can definitely complicate things when you are a pianist and shaky fingers lead to wrong notes and then your mind starts feeling like a Jenga game where one slip leads to more shakiness and possibly a total collapse. 

I attended an informative UVMTA workshop this week presented by Dr Stephen Thomas including preparation tips for performance experiences to help you avoid freezing up with mental blocks. I loved many of the ideas he shared and mingled them with some of my own in my notetaking. A resource that kept coming to my mind was the book The Practice Revolution by Philip Johnston. It is loaded with different gamified strategies for structuring and improving practice quality and I find it especially helpful for children who may not naturally know how to organize their home practice sessions.  

My personal key takeaways were

Beginning Organ Playing Tips for Pianists

Almost every pianist who can play hymns in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will at some point be invited to be a ward organist. Unlike many church organists, this responsibility is unpaid and often comes with little training.  

Although I learned to use the foot pedals in my college organ class, the coupler button has become my best friend as I play the organ for church services! It allows me to play the organ much like I would the piano but transfers the sound of the bass line to the deeper foot pedal stops for a richer sound and a less stressful playing experience for me since I am not an organ foot pedal pro!

Thanksgiving Turkey Blues Improvisation

Jazzy Turkey Blues Improv

While Thanksgiving is a fun holiday for people, it might give a turkey the blues! For this improvisation, imagine a turkey is singing his Thanksgiving blues song. Use these lyrics or come up with some of your own.

Distant Bells by Streabbog and Hand Arcs

This post includes activities that correlate with Distant Bells by Streabbog in Keys to Artistic Performance or Piano Adventures 4 Performance Book.

Distant Bells by Streabbog in Keys to Artistic Performance

Musicianship Tips and Free Printables

Musicianship is the key to creating beautiful music instead of robotic flat performances. 

It's similar to the difference between hearing an engaging speaker reading your favorite book versus hearing the artificial intelligence robot voice chant with a monotone voice and little expression.

Following a few of the simple tips below can help you play with more expression and musicality.

Teaching Note Reading Games and Free Posters

 Sometimes cleaning out my piano files pays off! 

This week I browsed through old files and found some treasure ideas that will be great for our September group lesson focused on note reading. 

There are many approaches to teaching note-naming to music students.  I've found that although the "Every Good Boy Does Fine" approach worked for me, it is not ideal for a lot of transfer students who come to piano lessons with confusion about which sentence goes with treble or bass.

These fun posters and activities can help clear up that confusion!

I prefer to focus on landmark notes, musical chants, intervals and games to really help piano students to have strong note recognition skills.

BASS Lines Music and Movement Game

I'm eager to try this mashup of Bingo, Simon Says and Head Shoulders Knees and Toes at group lessons next week. Start by singing the lyrics below to the tune of Bingo while you and your students chant the bass lines and touch their body "head shoulders knees and toes" style, but backwards.  

Piano Pronto 5 Online Activities

 Piano Pronto Movement 5 Supplementary Activities

Choose the link below for lesson plans and activities that correlate with Piano Pronto Movement 5.

The theory, improvisation, and music and movement activities can be done in private lessons, group lessons, piano lab, or assigned for at-home practice.

#1 Victory Theme from Beethoven's Symphony 5 and E flat Major

#2 Autumn Theme No. 1 by Vivaldi and Voicing Thirds

#3 Battle Hymn of the Republic and LH Stride

#4 Brahms Waltz in A Flat Major

#5 Mexican Folk Medley and Spanish Music

#6 Vivaldi Violine Concerto in Am and 32nd Notes/Turns

#7 Radetzky March and 9th Intervals

#8 Chopin Prelude in Cm and Grave

#9 Pastoral Symphony Theme and Leggiero

#10 Pavane  and F minor

#11 Maple Leaf Rag and Ragtime Style

#12 O Mio Babbino Caro and E Major

#13 Come Back to Sorrento and Parallel Keys

#14 Sonata in C and Trills

#15 Wayfaring Stranger and Una Corda

#16 The Barber of Seville and Tempo Review

#17 Pavane and Impressionistic Music

#18 Bach Prelude No. 1 in C and Fractional Pedaling

#19 Autumn Theme by Vivaldi

#20 Russian Dance by Tchaikovsky and Tension Free Playing

#21 Pathetique Sonata by Beethoven and Cantabile

#22 Spring Theme and Fast Passage Practice