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!

Surprise Me Creative Challenge Links

This post includes online links for some of the activities students can choose from for the "Halloween Don't Scare Me Surprise Me" Challenge Sheet.

Elementary

Music History

Listen to the Classics for Kids Stravinsky Halloween podcast to hear spooky music from composers throughout time.

Composing

Compose a melody to go along with the words from a book.

Sample Book Melody: The Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything

Choose a song you know how to play and disguise it by changing it to minor.

Sample Video:

Improvisation

Watch the 4 sample improvisation videos below from Leila Viss's Halloween Hocus Pocus at the Keys.

Then choose your favorite style, follow the 3 boundary rules, and improvise your own short Halloween piece during piano lab. Choose a fun title that matches the mood of your piece.

Caramel Apple Jack

Grumpy Jackson

Jack on a Wicked Ride

Jivin' Jack Blues

4 Types of Scales Video

Intermediate

Improvisation 

Explore the improvisation videos and activities below to get inspiration for creating your own improv.

Spooky Halloween Improvisation Instructions and Videos

Create First Moonrise

Create First Secret Dance

Create First Twilight Zone

Create First Shark Music

Rhythm

Addams Family Triplety Tap Music Video

Visit the Halloween Bach Toccata and Fugue Listening Lab to hear Bach's famous spooky music and learn more about Baroque-era music styles.

Watch a Pianote "Halloween Song" Tutorial Video to help you learn to play this piece with an unusual time signature.

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.