Monday, April 12, 2010
Faculty Recital
Come see our faculty recital this Saturday, April 17th at 7:15pm. We'll be at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church. Hope to see you there!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Studio, Group, and Fiddle Classes Saturday, April 10
Hi All,
We've got classes coming up this Saturday at St. Timothy's:
1pm: Beginning/intermediate studio class
2pm: Suzuki groups 1,2 and 4
3pm: Fiddle class
If you're a Suzuki student planning to play in the festival and have not made it to a group class yet, please be sure to come. The festival is coming up soon and the more we all practice playing together, the better we'll sound!
We'll get the juice and cookies out in a timely fashion this time! Sorry about that last week!
We've got classes coming up this Saturday at St. Timothy's:
1pm: Beginning/intermediate studio class
2pm: Suzuki groups 1,2 and 4
3pm: Fiddle class
If you're a Suzuki student planning to play in the festival and have not made it to a group class yet, please be sure to come. The festival is coming up soon and the more we all practice playing together, the better we'll sound!
We'll get the juice and cookies out in a timely fashion this time! Sorry about that last week!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Theory Assignment
Hi All,
Here's the theory assignment from the classes earlier today. Both classes have fairly similar assignments this week.
1. Try to identify major and minor key music you hear on the radio. Have fun doing a "car music quiz" with mom or dad. It can be a fun game. Also listen for major and minor keys in the upcoming recitals. (Hint: all the book 1 pieces are major!)
2. Practice open string melodic dictation. After finding all the open strings on the staff to create a "cheat sheet", parents can pluck strings slowly and let your child find them on the staff. Don't be too eager to jump in and help too quickly. Feel free to let them make mistakes and learn to correct them since that can be a good part of learning and internalizing the knowledge. Also, you can switch roles and have your child pluck strings and you put the notes on the staff. Be sure to make lots of mistakes so they can help you and show off what they know! With melodic dication it's good to start slow and just do a small number of notes like 3 or 4, or maybe even just one or two notes if he/she is finding it really challenging without parental help. You can always increase the number if it's too easy. Each little melody should be repeated a few times so your child has time to check his/her work. If dictation is quite a challenge, try just doing two strings only and spend lots of time reviewing how to put the open strings on the staff.
3. Blue jello dynamics! Try doing different dynamics on the blue jello cards: pp (pianissimo), p (piano), mp (mezzo piano), mf (mezzo forte), f (forte), ff (fortissimo!), cresc (crescendo = get louder), decresc (decrescendo = get softer), dim (diminuendo = get softer). If it gets pretty easy, kids can try playing the rhythms on their the arm or on open strings. Remember that big bows are loud and small bows are soft.
Since I got questions about this from some parents, for the difference between minor and major check out:
Major key - any piece on the book 1 CD
Minor then Major key- The first half of this piece is minor and the second half switches to major around 0:50. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1fLJcnFAWc (on electric violin)
Major then Minor key - This piece is in major at first. It switches to minor at about 1:40 and swtiches back to major a bit before 2:30. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xaIH7lTiK4 (it's Yo-Yo Ma and Itzak Perlman, so it's worth checking out just for the sake of beauty, as well as for listening for major and minor!)
Feel free to ask me or your teacher if you would like more listening ideas to learn to identify the difference. Remember major keys are associated with positive emotions and bright colors and minor is associated with negative emotions and dark colors, so try listening for how the music makes you feel to help identify the key.
Happy Easter!
Here's the theory assignment from the classes earlier today. Both classes have fairly similar assignments this week.
1. Try to identify major and minor key music you hear on the radio. Have fun doing a "car music quiz" with mom or dad. It can be a fun game. Also listen for major and minor keys in the upcoming recitals. (Hint: all the book 1 pieces are major!)
2. Practice open string melodic dictation. After finding all the open strings on the staff to create a "cheat sheet", parents can pluck strings slowly and let your child find them on the staff. Don't be too eager to jump in and help too quickly. Feel free to let them make mistakes and learn to correct them since that can be a good part of learning and internalizing the knowledge. Also, you can switch roles and have your child pluck strings and you put the notes on the staff. Be sure to make lots of mistakes so they can help you and show off what they know! With melodic dication it's good to start slow and just do a small number of notes like 3 or 4, or maybe even just one or two notes if he/she is finding it really challenging without parental help. You can always increase the number if it's too easy. Each little melody should be repeated a few times so your child has time to check his/her work. If dictation is quite a challenge, try just doing two strings only and spend lots of time reviewing how to put the open strings on the staff.
3. Blue jello dynamics! Try doing different dynamics on the blue jello cards: pp (pianissimo), p (piano), mp (mezzo piano), mf (mezzo forte), f (forte), ff (fortissimo!), cresc (crescendo = get louder), decresc (decrescendo = get softer), dim (diminuendo = get softer). If it gets pretty easy, kids can try playing the rhythms on their the arm or on open strings. Remember that big bows are loud and small bows are soft.
Since I got questions about this from some parents, for the difference between minor and major check out:
Major key - any piece on the book 1 CD
Minor then Major key- The first half of this piece is minor and the second half switches to major around 0:50. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1fLJcnFAWc (on electric violin)
Major then Minor key - This piece is in major at first. It switches to minor at about 1:40 and swtiches back to major a bit before 2:30. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xaIH7lTiK4 (it's Yo-Yo Ma and Itzak Perlman, so it's worth checking out just for the sake of beauty, as well as for listening for major and minor!)
Feel free to ask me or your teacher if you would like more listening ideas to learn to identify the difference. Remember major keys are associated with positive emotions and bright colors and minor is associated with negative emotions and dark colors, so try listening for how the music makes you feel to help identify the key.
Happy Easter!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Upcoming Concerts and Faculty Recital
Hi everyone!
There are some terrific concerts coming up this month at the St. Louis Symphony as well as our faculty recital.
The details for our faculty recital are below:
When: Saturday, April 17 at 7:15pm
Where: St. Timothy's Episcopal Church (808 N. Mason Road, Creve Coeur)
Who: Kirby Kay, Maggie Kline, Dennis Yeh, Heather Scott, and Lan Sin Lim
What: Chamber and Solo works by Brahms, Bach, Maloy, Mozart, and Clarke.
Admission is free so feel free to bring friends and family.
We hope to see you there!
AND....
Two world famous, not-to-be-missed violinists will be performing with the St. Louis Symphony this month! Details and tickets available here:
http://www.slso.org/concert/index.htm
Gil Shaham will be performing with the Symphony on Friday, April 9 through Sunday, April 12. He's got two different programs, one a Mozart concerto and the Stravinsky concerto, and on the other a Prokoviev concerto.
Here is a good video of Gil Shaham. Check out how nicely he uses his full bow, frog to tip. (Those of you who study with me - Laura - do you see now why I am constantly shouting "get to the frog!" on your tone twinkles and scales? It'll help you sound more like Mr. Shaham!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEvw9281hqM
Pinchas Zukerman is coming Friday, April 23 through Sunday, April 25. He'll be playing the Bach A minor concerto and will be conducting for some of the concert too. He is one of the last of the great old generation of violinists. It's worth catching him while you still can.
Here is Zukerman (on viola in this video) with Itzak Perlman. Check out how rich and full his tone is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoGErup6-xk&feature=related
(Please keep in mind when watching these youtube videos that we have no control over the content of the comments below the video. Occasionally rude comments do show up below youtube videos so it's best to ignore comments section.)
Happy music making and music listening this month!
There are some terrific concerts coming up this month at the St. Louis Symphony as well as our faculty recital.
The details for our faculty recital are below:
When: Saturday, April 17 at 7:15pm
Where: St. Timothy's Episcopal Church (808 N. Mason Road, Creve Coeur)
Who: Kirby Kay, Maggie Kline, Dennis Yeh, Heather Scott, and Lan Sin Lim
What: Chamber and Solo works by Brahms, Bach, Maloy, Mozart, and Clarke.
Admission is free so feel free to bring friends and family.
We hope to see you there!
AND....
Two world famous, not-to-be-missed violinists will be performing with the St. Louis Symphony this month! Details and tickets available here:
http://www.slso.org/concert/index.htm
Gil Shaham will be performing with the Symphony on Friday, April 9 through Sunday, April 12. He's got two different programs, one a Mozart concerto and the Stravinsky concerto, and on the other a Prokoviev concerto.
Here is a good video of Gil Shaham. Check out how nicely he uses his full bow, frog to tip. (Those of you who study with me - Laura - do you see now why I am constantly shouting "get to the frog!" on your tone twinkles and scales? It'll help you sound more like Mr. Shaham!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEvw9281hqM
Pinchas Zukerman is coming Friday, April 23 through Sunday, April 25. He'll be playing the Bach A minor concerto and will be conducting for some of the concert too. He is one of the last of the great old generation of violinists. It's worth catching him while you still can.
Here is Zukerman (on viola in this video) with Itzak Perlman. Check out how rich and full his tone is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoGErup6-xk&feature=related
(Please keep in mind when watching these youtube videos that we have no control over the content of the comments below the video. Occasionally rude comments do show up below youtube videos so it's best to ignore comments section.)
Happy music making and music listening this month!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Chicago Suzuki Institute July 4-9
Really great/well-known Suzuki institute held each year up in Chicago. Details below:
http://suzukiassociation.org/email/133/
http://suzukiassociation.org/email/133/
Theory and Studio Classes this Saturday
Hi Everyone!
This Saturday we have:
1pm: Advanced Violin Studio class (This is the last class till next fall)
2pm: Theory class A
3pm: Theory class B
For theory, we've unfortunately had to cancel the June 5 class so this Saturday will be the last class this semester, but we will be giving you all a refund for the June 5 class. We'll be resuming theory class in the fall.
Kirby will be teaching studio class and I'll be teaching theory this week.
We'll be at St. Timothy's as usual. See you all there!
This Saturday we have:
1pm: Advanced Violin Studio class (This is the last class till next fall)
2pm: Theory class A
3pm: Theory class B
For theory, we've unfortunately had to cancel the June 5 class so this Saturday will be the last class this semester, but we will be giving you all a refund for the June 5 class. We'll be resuming theory class in the fall.
Kirby will be teaching studio class and I'll be teaching theory this week.
We'll be at St. Timothy's as usual. See you all there!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Fiddle and Suzuki Groups this Saturday
Hi All!
We've got Fiddle and Suzuki classes this Saturday at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church.
2pm: Suzuki groups 3 and 5.
3pm: Fiddle group. (We should be having our accordion player again!)
Treats will be available after Suzuki classes. In addition to some regular cookies, I've bought some allergy free, vegan cookies since some students have trouble with being able to eat the cookies we've had in the past. They might be good, they might be gross. You never know! Let us know what you think of them!
We've got Fiddle and Suzuki classes this Saturday at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church.
2pm: Suzuki groups 3 and 5.
3pm: Fiddle group. (We should be having our accordion player again!)
Treats will be available after Suzuki classes. In addition to some regular cookies, I've bought some allergy free, vegan cookies since some students have trouble with being able to eat the cookies we've had in the past. They might be good, they might be gross. You never know! Let us know what you think of them!
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