It’s hard to believe, but Christmas is just around the corner! Our studio enjoys participating in a local WinterFest arts fair at the beginning of December where students have the opportunity to provide background music for the hundreds of shoppers and vendors participating in the occasion. It’s a fabulous experience that is less intimidating than […]
Repertoire Suggestions
New in the Studio This Fall – Video of Emma Soundtrack Piano Arrangement
When my sister got married years ago she really wanted to use the main title theme by Rachel Portman from the movie Emma (the 1996 version with Gwyneth Paltrow) for her processional. Since we couldn’t find any arrangements at the time, I agreed to write one for her. Thanks to the ArrangeMe platform, I was […]
New Advanced Piano Solo Available!
After being stuck for several years on how to end it, I finally had a burst of inspiration this spring and was able to complete a piano arrangement of a medley of two beautiful and meaningful hymns: Jesus Paid it All and Wondrous Love. Once the arrangement was done, the next order of business was […]
How to Teach Intermediate Piano Repertoire
Thanks to a recent mention from Amy at Piano Pantry I discovered that Janna Williamson, an intermediate piano repertoire guru, has a whole YouTube channel full of teaching videos for specific intermediate piano repertoire. What a treasure trove! I’ve already seen one of her videos for a Haydn Sonata that one of my students was […]
Free Piano Sheet Music for Aquarium from Carnival of the Animals
Anyone who’s been around here for a while knows that I’m a huge fan of Carnival of the Animals. I’ve used it as the theme for a regular summer piano camp for my students and also for the Piano Expeditions piano camp – To France with Saint-Saëns and His Carnival. Even before that, I used […]
Review of Extreme Heterophony by John Pitts
When composer John Pitts contacted me about reviewing his newest book, Extreme Heterophony: a study in javanese gamelan, I was intrigued for two reasons. Not, mind you, because I had any idea what it was about! But because, firstly, there has been an increased effort in the music education community to explore more diversity in […]
