How do I practice for Recital?

We have our spring recital coming up very soon. My private students have been researching their composers to write program notes about their pieces. We chose our music a while ago and have been working on it bit by bit each week in lessons and classes.

How should we prepare for recital at home? Please work to run through your music at least twice each day without the music. Music will be performed on the recital by memory, so at this point, they should be practicing from memory every day. Don't forget to go back and check the music to be sure that the child didn't start to make new mistakes. Sometimes after working on one piece of music for a while, new mistakes start creeping in. Be sure to keep it steady. If you have a CD, practice along with the CD to keep a steady beat and to practice "keeping going." We cannot stop during recital to rehash a mistake, to restart or talk about a mistake made.

Have recital run throughs where the child practices walking up to the piano, bowing towards the audience and sliding into the correct position (usually in front of middle C). Tell them its ok to take their time to find the correct hand position and to think about their music before beginning. Other ways to practice include singing the piece, counting the piece, calling out the note names and practice starting from the different sections of the music. A good way to work towards memory is to remove the music and have the child attempt to play from memory. If the child begins to struggle, replace the music for that portion of the piece. Eventually, he will learn play it without the help. About a week away from the recital, stage practice recitals in your home for your family, friends, neighbors or even for the video camera. During the week before the recital we place more emphasis on the recital piece than ever.

In lessons we have been practicing the recital music each week. We will work on bowing correctly. We are also working to polish dynamics and correct any mistakes that have crept up along the way. The memory work should mainly be done at home so that we have time in lessons and classes to also work on other music. Music must be memorized by May 3 to participate in the recital.

Why Kindermusik before piano?

Today in our Family Time class I had a great reminder of one of the reasons we suggest taking Kindermusik before starting piano.

The children took a little extra time today with the instrument exploration during family jam. One thing we worked on with the older kids, was trying to exercise BOTH hands, not just the favored hand. Playing the simple instruments like a drum with mallet, rhythm sticks, castanets, sand blocks and shakers work on fine motor skills and hand eye coordination required to play the piano or any other instruments. Alternating egg shakers or rhythm sticks not only strengthens neural connections between the right and left sides of the brain, but it also strengthens coordination in the non-dominant hand which is essential for piano technique.

Another aspect of the instrument exploration is that the instruments are all played in different ways thus using different muscle groups in the arms. This strengthens the fine motor muscles that control the individual fingers. Finger independence and equal finger strength is also important to learning to play the piano.

This is also important in help the child learn to hold a spoon and feed himself or learning to write. Other activities that facilitate fine motor development are the pegged puzzles, stringing beads, putting beans through a small hole in an old can, using tongs to move cotton bowls from one dish to another, or using an eye dropper to squeeze out one drop of liquid at a time. Try putting these activities where they are worked from left to right. This helps prepare them to read text as well as music from left to right.

Kindermusik provides the perfect opportunity to work on all these skills in a free environment where there are no wrong ways to play an instrument and endless outlets for creativity.

Snow plan!

The possibility of snow in Alabama is exciting! It is all everyone can talk about this week and I know that soon the stores will be void of milk and bread. Whoever decided that we all need to stock up on bread and milk in the case of a few flurries is making millions off of Alabama! If it snows, the schools will close, in fact the entire state will shut down for even a few inches and we will all cuddle by the fireplaces drinking hot chocolate, eating chicken noodle soup and watching movies.

I am keeping a watch on the weather for our demo classes this week. As of now, I am still planning to have our demonstration classes on Thursday. Anyone who has lived in Alabama for very long knows that as soon as you change your schedule for a predicted snow day, the snow will come another day or not at all. However, in anticipation of the snow later this week, we are also going to offer a demo piano class on Wed. afternoon. PLEASE EMAIL imaginationsmusic@bellsouth.net if you would rather come Wed.

If there is does indeed snow on Thursday, please call 529-6902 for a recorded message about our piano demonstration class.

Please join us for our demonstration classes, Wed. January 6 at 10:00 for kids 4 and under, Wed. January 6 at 4:00 for kids 4 and up and Thursday, January 7 at 4:00 for kids 4 and up. It is super cold out there, and you will need something to do to warm you up and keep away the cabin fever!

Pay to play piano camp in December

We will be having a short piano camp in December for any 4 to 7 year olds who are considering piano classes for their child. We will have three 30 minute sample classes for $8.00 a piece. No materials required and no piano is required at home. Students will learn the basics of the keyboard, rhythm, steady beat and be exposed to classical music. Classes are $8.00 a piece. Come to as many as you would like. Each week will have a different focus but will not be sequential. Classes will include 15 minutes of playtime after class.

Class will be held on Thursday afternoons:
December 3 at 4:00
December 10 at 4:00
December 17 at 4:00

Call 437-3478 for more details. Space will be limited, so call to register or register on my website.