Beyond the Page: Easy tips for Christmas Piano Parties!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
It’s all about Christmas right now in my Studio. Students are asking for their favorite tunes and they love playing them together with friends and family. This year we were so busy with our Halloween recital, we decided to pass on the Christmas recital and instead, go with group lessons for our last week of December - Piano parties!
The Plan: Every student will prepare 1 Christmas arrangement to perform for the group, next they will prepare 1 Christmas tune from a lead sheet, and then we will sight read some Christmas ensembles. And of course, you gotta have cookies!
Tip: Create your own Lead Sheets….
Beyond the Page: What’s on your Christmas list?
Fall is here and Winter is coming too quickly!
I don’t know about you, but Halloween came when I wasn’t looking, and Christmas is right around the corner! My Studio wrapped up our Halloween Recital, um, I mean our Music Masquerade in the Park, on October 29, and now we are in the midst of selecting and preparing music to share with our community at the local Mall on December 10!
Beyond the Page: an Introduction
What does it mean to go “Beyond the Page”?
For me, it started with exploring Lead Sheets. So many musicians think the notes and instructions on a page of music are the Gospel truth; not to be altered. I’d like to challenge that idea. As a composer, I like to think that my pieces are like recipes- a starting point for players to express how this music speaks to them- what story they want to tell. I encourage my students to feel freedom to explore, create and express. Maybe you agree; maybe not.
Let’s talk about it.