Piano Pal Studio Challenge!

For our next studio challenge, I am going to ask everyone to improvise on a scale, cadence pattern or arpeggio for a few minutes - 3 minutes for K-5 and 5 minutes for 6-12th (charts coming home next week). For some this will come easy! For others, you may be watching the clock! Here are great some ideas that we learned from Jennifer Bowman:

  1. Try 2 chords in the LH (like I and V) and a RH scale for melody. Try “cousin chords” that share notes. Try the “rock star LH”.

  2. Give yourself some rules and boundaries, and keep it simple!

  3. No judgement! Just play around and try things - different chords, keys, styles. Build on small patterns.

  4. Copycat other pieces that you like, or are playing!

  5. Try organizing the form of the piece, like into groups of 2, 4 or 8 measures.

  6. Most of all, have fun!

You can find more information on Jennifer Bowman, including her recent Bridgerton film contest submission at https://www.jenniferbowmanmusic.com!

November Group Performance Classes

Our November Group Performance Class was quite impressive and exciting!

First of all, we had a group class for all of the Concerto students - WOW! They worked so hard and their hard work paid off! Lots of awards at the Competition too (see below)

Secondly, our non-concerto students performed for each other. I loved their comment cards to each other! From "it sounded like a lamb discovering there's a world beyond the hills" to beautiful drawings of what the piece made them feel and "I felt happy, to sad, and loved the sound", it was a great experience for both performer and audience.

Lastly, we were privileged to have Jennifer Bowman, composer/pianist/teacher extraordinaire, come and demonstrate her composition process. She showed us various ideas on the piano as well as on her laptop and music composition software. She inspired us and got our creative juices flowing, especially helpful as we begin our annual Piano Pal composition project. See next post for some of her great ideas. Her website is: https://www.jenniferbowmanmusic.com, where you can find more of her music and projects.

Concerto Competition - Results are in!

Congratulations to all of our amazing students who took part in the Concerto Competition! This competition is for students who are willing to take on a significant piece of concerto repertoire and push themselves. I’m so proud of them all - Josie, Landon, Alexander, Grant, Max, Chloe, Sky. Also, the students who learned a concerto movement and performed at the recital/group class - Justin and Charles. Way to go!

How many students can say they have learned and memorized a concerto movement, and performed it on stage? Not everyone got prizes, but all of them earned bragging rights. I congratulate ALL of them for their hard work and determination!

Four of our Elementary and Intermediate A students - so proud of them! For 2 of them, this was their very first competition!

Results:

Alexander, Honorable Mention (Elementary - Concerto in Classical Style/1st mvt)

Grant, 3rd Prize (Int. A Division - Vandall Concerto in G/3rd mvt)

Max, 1st Prize (Int. B Division - Asch Concertino)

Chloe, 1st Prize (Advanced B - Tchaikovsky 1st/3rd mvt)

Sky, 2nd Prize (Advanced B - Shostakovich 2nd/2nd mvt)

Congrats also to Josie and Landon (Elementary - Olson Celebration/2nd and 3rd)

As first prize winner of Advanced, Chloe will perform her Tchaikovsky with the Olympia Chamber Orchestra in February. We are so excited!

Way to go, everyone!

Grant - our 3rd prize winner of the Intermediate A Division! What a great performance!

Congrats to Max - 1st prize in Intermediate B! That’s a nice shiny accessory to the suit.

When did this kid get so tall?!!!

Congratulations to Landon (one of my favorite students in the world)!

These two are just fabulous - 1st and 2nd Prizes in Advanced B! Truly artistic performances.

As First Prize winner, Chloe will perform with Tchaikovsky with the Olympia Chamber Orchestra this season! What a nice trophy to add to your collection. Congratulations, we are so excited for you and proud of your artistic achievements!

Josie played so well! This was her very first competition, and she performed with courage and grace!

Concerto Recital - Wowza!

Our annual Concerto Recital was held at Good Shepherd Lutheran. Everyone played so well! We have several students for whom it is their first concerto, and others who have performed a half dozen or more, and those in between. We ended with a rousing quartet of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’. All are welcome to come to the Concerto Competition on Nov. 19 and 20! See “Events” for times and details.

First Fall Group Classes!

What fun to hear everyone's first performance this fall! Everyone bravely played their piece(s) and listened respectfully to each other. It was fun to meet new piano friends and reconnect with old ones. Here's a recap of our class time. You can ask your student about more!

1. Teams Bach, Beethoven and Brahms tried their hand at Piano Trivia! Did you know that the piano was invented in 1709? The modern grand has over 10,000 moving parts? The most expensive piano ever made was The Crystal Piano built for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, $3.5 million? That the piano has a range larger than ALL of the other instruments?

2. A number of students brought in wonderful lego and artistic creations representing their piece! It was impressive and fun to see another creative side to them. Pictures posted below.

3. We got to hear everyone's exciting performance. Each student also did a fabulous bow, announcing of their piece, and even some historical background to their piece and composer. Such a great way to hear other repertoire and for performance practice! The Elem/Middle class got to hear the very first performance of the "Don't Stop Believin" Quartet! Phew, it was close, but they made it through!

4. Our composer focus was Claude Debussy of the Impressionistic Era. We listened to Clair de Lune from Suite Bergamasque and learned about his life. What an amazing artist!

5. Of course, we had to have a musical snack - cookies to represent half and quarter notes. Students who brought in art/legos also took home freshly picked apples from Bellewood Acres. Students were given a piano challenge for this month - hopefully many of them will take it on!

Our next Group Performance Classes will be:

Nov. 15 (concerto students, 4-5pm), and

Nov. 21 (non-concerto, 4-4:30pm). Here's an exciting announcement. For our Nov. 21 class (4:30-5:30pm), after performances, we will have local composer, Jennifer Bowman, come and share about her pieces and her compositional process! I'm so thrilled to offer this opportunity to meet a real live published composer! I think this will be very inspiring for everyone, as we prepare for our annual Piano Pal composition project.

It's such a great group of young piano students, we are off to a wonderful year of learning and sharing our music!

Students from the Elementary class show off their artistic and lego creations! Pieces about Rubik’s cubes, sunsets, a pony and a dog, Tchakovsky, and a Chopin Waltz were all represented.

The “Don’t Stop Believing’ Quartet” - first performance!

Luke Receives High School Diploma in Music and Paderewski Medal!

Congratulations to Luke who earned the HS Diploma in Music from the American College of Music! This diploma is awarded to students who have performed National Level auditions for 10 years at a high level. This comprises 100 pieces of memorized music, scales, technique, improv, ear training, improv, sight reading, etc! In addition to the diploma, Luke received the Paderewski Medal for 10 years of excellence, and the Guild Scholarship. He is now headed to UW to pursue a degree in engineering.

Senior Recital featuring Gabriel!

Senior Recital - By Gabriel! July 2022, at The Chapel @ TUCO. Gabriel’s wonderful senior recital program included Beethoven’s monumental “Appassionata”, along with Bach’s Fm Prelude & Fugue, Rachmaninoff’s Liebeslied, Chopin’s Winter Wind, and more! Two weeks later, Gabriel performed an Oboe senior recital with a bassoonist.

Gabriel will attend Rice University as a Computer Science major. We’re so proud of him and wish him all the best!

Scholarships 2022!

The high level of work from our studio was apparent in the number of scholarship awarded to these students!

OMTA Student-Teacher Scholarship: Luke, Sky, Chloe

OCO Scholarship: Chloe

OMTA Concerto Scholarship: Chloe

Sky: Raissa Tselentis Early Bach Scholarship for highest score nationwide

Guild Scholarship from the American College of Musicians: Luke

Congratulations, students! We are so proud of you!

National Guild 2022 is a Wrap!

Hooray to all 11 of our students who performed for the National Guild Auditions! Our judge was Barbara Woodring Brown, and she was most complimentary, awarding a Superior Plus to almost all of our studio!

At the National Level:

Josie, 1st ever!

Landon

Alexander

Linnea

Gavin

Judson

Sky

Sonata Plaque: Chloe, International Level

High School Diplomas:

Gabriel, International Level

Luke, International Level

Hobbyist: Max

Paderewski Medal and Guild Scholarship: Luke

WAY TO GO, EVERYONE! I hope everyone feels very proud for a job well done!

Gavin holds the ribbon for his 8th National Level Program, good job!

Chloe Performs Chopin Concerto with the OCO

What a fabulous performance of Chopin’s 1st Piano Concerto in Em, 3rd movement! Chloe was the 1st place winner at the OMTA Concerto Competition, winning a performance with the orchestra and a scholarship from each the OCO and the OMTA! Congratulations, and what a fantastic concert!

Chloe performs under the baton of Maestro Nickolas Carlson, and with the OCO.

All smiles after a big job well done!

Spring 2022 Recital!

What a wonderful way to wrap our piano year, with fantastic performances by these young Olympia pianists! For news and bios on the students, please see the Newsletter.

Spring Studio Recital 2022

Congratulations to our 2 seniors, Luke and Gabriel!

Special recognition to our 3 students teachers, Chloe, Sky, and Luke, who all received an OMTA scholarship for their work with their students!

So glad these two graduates came back to play for us! Gershwin “Rialto Ripples”.

National Guild Schedule - Final

We have 11 students taking part in the National Guild Piano Auditions this June. Congratulations to all, what a HUGE accomplishment! Students have prepared a 10-piece National Program, or a 15-piece International Program, all memorized.

Location: St. Martin’s University, Fine Arts Bldg

Revised Schedule - FINAL

Saturday, June 4:

2:52-3:11 Linnea

3:11-3:41 Max

3:41-4:26 Chloe (Sonata Plaque)

4:26-5:11 Sky

5:11-5:30 Alexander

Monday, June 6

9-9:20 Landon

9:20-9:40 Josie

9:40-10:15 Judson

1-1:30 Gavin

1:30-3pm Luke (HS Diploma)

3:10-4:40 Gabriel (HS Diploma)

End of Spring Quarter is Approaching!

The end of Spring Quarter is quickly approaching! Here are some important upcoming dates.

June 1: Group Lessons – our final performance class of the year! Come prepared to perform one more time before Guild and Recital!
K-6th: 5:30-6:30pm
7th-HS: 6:45-7:45pm

June 4 & 6: National Guild Auditions (please note the date change! HQ just notified me)
June 4 mid-afternoon – Schedule to be posted soon!
June 6 all day - Schedule to be posted soon!

June 7-10: Final week of regular lessons – Spring Quarter. (June 6 students will be rescheduled).

June 12: Spring Recital! 6pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church (Boulevard Rd). Free admission.

June 12: OCO Concert, featuring Concerto Competition winners – Chloe and Chopin’s 1st Piano Concerto! 2:30pm at Good Shepherd Lutheran. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.olympiachamberorchestra.org/event-details/brilliance

June 18: Duo-Piano Recital, featuring Ramona Allen and Hannah Cho! 3pm at Westminster Presbyterian, 2 Piano and 4 Hand music. Donations will go to the IRC to aid Ukrainian refugees.

Summer Lessons: These will be offered on an a la carte basis. Two lessons minimum are required for students who plan to take part in fall competitions, such as the OMTA Concerto Competition. Please let me know if you are interested, and I will send you the dates available.

Fall 2022 Lessons begin on September 12!

Have a wonderful end of the school year - what a year it’s been! Congratulations to all for your amazing progress and hard work!

Students take part in OMTA Pop Jazz Duet Recital

On May 14, 2022, four of our students took part in the OMTA Pop Jazz Duet Recital at Gloria Dei Lutheran. What a fun concert! Featuring Linnea, Josie, Landon, and Alexander and students of all ages, a wide variety of pieces were performed on piano and vocals. Students received a beautiful certificate and a “pop” of their choice for taking part. Congratulations, everyone!

Linnea: Piano Playing Chocolate Eater’s Blues

Josie: Malaguena

Landon: Willow Tree Waltz

Alexander: Snowflake Rag & Toccata Vivo

Linnea, Alexander, Josie and Landon show off their pop after the Pop/Jazz Recital!

Josie get to 40 Pieces!

Congratulations to Josie! She is the first student in our 2021-22 Studio to reach 40 pieces! FORTY! What a huge accomplishment. Learning 20 pieces is impressive, 30 is amazing, and 40 is exceptional! Well done!

District IV Recital on May 1, 2022!

The District IV State Winners/Alternates Recital was May 1 @ 3pm, Centralia Church of the Nazarene. This recital featured two of our own, Gabriel and Chloe! The students who were selected for this honor were Winners or Alternates at the Chapter WSMTA Honors Recital Competition.

Gabriel performed “Liebeslied” by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Chloe performed Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata, 3rd movement. Everyone enjoyed their amazing performances!

Congratulations to these wonderful students!

April 28, 2022 Update!

With the end of April, comes the approaching end of the piano quarter (June 12).

Here's an update on the Group Lesson/Performance Class yesterday. So great to hear everyone! The students all came prepared and performed for each other. A (very) few of our young pianists were not nervous at all, while others were able to practice channeling their nerves into positive energy for their performance. It's wonderful to see them develop these important skills of accomplishing what they set out to do ... under pressure, with an audience of peers! We heard Bach (on the harpsichord - so beautiful!), Brahms, Clementi, Debussy, Schumann, Rachmaninoff, folk songs and modern composers. It's amazing to hear all the progress that has been made since the fall!

One class did a deep dive into writing rhythms. Everyone added a measure or two to the project, and we made up a brand new song. Even the youngest in our group were able to add some excellent rhythms, and the older ones were quite complex!

The other class had a brief overview of western music history, from 1600 to now, delving into how the cultural, scientific and political world influenced the musical and artistic world, and vice versa. It's interesting to imagine the life of the composer you're playing and what inspired their composition!

A few important upcoming dates:

May 1, 3pm: District IV Honors Recital @ Church of the Nazarene in Centralia (featuring winners of the WSMTA Competition - Chloe and Gabriel!). Free and open to the public.

June 7, all day: National Guild Auditions! Many students who are taking part will perform 10 pieces for a judge and receive feedback. Big project, but these students are working hard to get prepared for this big goal!

June 12, 3pm: Spring Recital! Westminster Presbyterian Church, featuring everyone!

Since our recital and Guild Auditions are about 6 weeks away, please KEEP PRACTICING and reviewing those pieces and technique! You can work to make this your best performance yet!

As we approach the end of the piano quarter, please let me know if there are any questions.